Looking for a gift for the student in your life that may actually get him or her to learn a little grammar? Or maybe you've got a friend or relative who's a budding writer. Maybe you want to slip a little grammar help into someone's stocking. No matter what your reasons, you're sure to find a book on this list that fits the bill.
Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
By Mignon Fogarty
Mignon Fogarty, or "Grammar Girl" is the host of the widely popular and highly rated Grammar Girl podcast. Her book is fun to read and filled with easy mneumonics to help readers remember the rules.
Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, 3rd Edition
By Patricia T. O'Connor
Better English in plain English? Patricia T. O'Connor makes it happen with her down-to-earth style and humor and no-nonsense explanations. No tough terminology or complex rules: just stripped down simple grammar.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
By Lynne Truss
"A panda walked into a cafe. He ordered a sandwich, ate it, then pulled out a gun and shot the waiter. 'Why?' groaned the injured man. The panda shrugged, tossed him a badly punctuated wildlife manual and walked out. And sure enough, when the waiter consulted the book, he found an explanation. 'Panda,' ran the entry for his assailant. 'Large black-and-white mammal native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.' " This joke, which opens Lynne Truss's amusing take on why bad punctuation can really do damage will inspire you to keep reading and then fight the fight.
The Elements of Style
By William Strunk and E.B. White
One of the all-time writing classics, you may have seen Strunk & White's "little book" on your parent's bookcase or in your college English class. The basic rules of the book are only 14 pages long. The rest? Style and writing tips that are simple to follow and guaranteed to make your writing better.
Word Power Made Easy
By Norman Lewis
Want a better vocabulary? Worry about mispronouncing and misusing words? This classic is great whether you're a high-school student studying for SATs, a non-native English speaker or just someone who cares about speaking well.
