When I was a kid, I wanted a dog. . . like, really badly. My mother saw this and decided to pretend she was allergic to dogs until I was 18. She also bought me a plush dog every birthday, which I guess was supposed to make me feel better but was really just, like, [...]

Imagine it’s Christmas Eve, and you’re on your way to a big family dinner, but you’ve been too busy to buy presents because you’re a neurobiologist at Columbia and you’ve been studying proton transfers in the frontal lobe all week. (OK, so maybe there was a little too much back story.) You have an hour to shop. Go. (To kill two birds with one stone, I’ve selected items that are also available on Amazon.com, where you can order through today and still use free super-saver shipping to get your items by December 24.)

Disney Sing It lets your little Disney Channel fan rock out with the likes of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, the Jonas Brothers, the High School Musical cast, Jesse McCartney, the Cheetah Girls and even a Billy Ray Cyrus song. And no, it’s not Achey Breaky Heart.

Sock Monkey 2009 Wall Calendar, Sock Monkey Slippers, Gift Box of 10 Sock Monkey Cards . . . And more for the sock monkey fan in all of us.

Kids and kids-at-heart love to play with building toys. Check out Magnext, LEGO, Fantasy Blocks, Tinkertoys and Eames House of Cards.

Fashion, monsters, sports, explosions and emotions. What more could a tween want?

I love globes. I think they make great gifts for anyone. Sometimes I like to look for countries I’ve hardly heard of… countries like Turkmenistan and Gabon and Canada.

But the Kids Glow Star Globe doesn’t stop at giving you the world. Turn off the lights, and you’ve got the moon and the stars and the planets as well, as the globe converts to a personal planetarium.