Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced it is the premier destination for an expansive selection of the top educational toys and games of the season, guaranteed to make the children on customers’ lists happy for the holidays. From the aspiring inventor to the strategic thinker, the eager artist to the would-be-wizard, the perfect gifts for every child this holiday are at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide and online at BN.com (www.bn.com/toys), at great values.

“Barnes & Noble knows that great gift-giving starts with a gift that is age and interest appropriate, and that children develop unique interests at a very young age, which is why we have created an expansive, specially curated selection of this season’s top educational toys and games that caters to a broad range of play patterns,” said Kathleen Campisano, Vice President, Toys & Games. “We are so proud to offer a huge selection of must-have, high-quality educational toys and games that celebrates the unique children on everyone’s holiday list.”

For the 2014 holiday season, Barnes & Noble recommends the following Top Toys of the Season:

Ages 0-2

  • For Inquisitive Babies: Safari Twist & Smile Crocodile from Skip Hop
  • For The Beginning Builder: Duplo My First Police Set from LEGO®
  • For Purposeful Playtime: 2-in-1 Fire Truck from Janod
  • For the Little Pretender: Sesame Street Let's Imagine Elmo from Hasbro
  • For the Busy Mover: Pop & Surprise Animal Train from VTech

Ages 3-5

  • For the Aspiring Inventor: Goldieblox Dunk Tank from GoldieBlox
  • For the Creative Type: Kinetic Sand Box Set from Spin Master
  • For the Gamer: LeapTV Educational Active Video Gaming System from LeapFrog
  • For the Grand Adventurer: Thomas Wooden Railway Waterfall Adventure from Fisher-Price
  • For Big Imaginations: Crazy Forts Princess Playset from Everest

Ages 6-8

  • For the High-Speed Builder: LEGO City High-Speed Passenger Train from LEGO
  • For the Storyteller: My Comic Book from Lulu Press
  • For the Young Designer: Spirograph Super Kit from Kahootz
  • For the Collectible Card Player: Pokémon TCG Battle Arena Decks: Xerneas vs. Yveltal from Pokémon
  • For Imaginary Play: Playmobil Rescue Ladder Fire Truck from Playmobil

Ages 9-12

  • For the Tech Lover: MIP from Wow Wee
  • For Curious Minds: Snap Circuits 300-in-1 from Snap Circuits
  • For Master Robotic Builders: LEGO Mindstorms EV3 from LEGO
  • For the Strategic Thinker: Gravity Maze from ThinkFun
  • For Expert Builders: nanoblock Titanic from Ohio Art

Barnes & Noble also offers many exclusive toys and games for children to get excited about this holiday season and at the top of the list is espari. espari is an extraordinary line of 18” dolls that allows girls to express their unique selves through customizable fashions and accessories. Every girl is special, and every espari doll can be one-of-a-kind when young girls let their style shine! Noble is the exclusive Barnes & Noble Zuppie from Spin Master, a “just for me” puppy with light-up eyes and super cute glasses that plays fun and engaging interactive games. The Magformers Neon Color Set from Magformers is also exclusive to Barnes & Noble, and combines all of the amazing power of Magformers in ultra-cool neon colors. Find Barnes & Noble’s complete line of exclusive offerings at bn.com/holiday.

Customers are invited to visit any of Barnes & Noble’s more than 650 stores nationwide or shop online at www.bn.com/toys to browse the company’s entire selection of top educational toys and games and find the perfect gifts for the special children in their lives. Through December 23, Barnes & Noble is extending its booksellers' expert knowledge online by providing customized gift ideas to those who tweet their holiday gift-related questions using the hashtag #BNGiftTip. Learn more and follow the conversation at www.twitter.com/bnbuzz.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is a Fortune 500 company, the nation’s largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 658 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). Its NOOK Media LLC subsidiary is a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets. The NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC operates 705 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

Barnes & Noble®, Barnes & Noble Booksellers® and Barnes & Noble.com® are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc. or its affiliates.

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