21 Bookish Gifts For Teachers, Librarians And Cat Lovers
Buying for a reader is easy until you try it. Books are risky — they might already own it, or hate the genre, or be halfway through something better.
A shirt avoids all of that. It says you noticed who they are, which is the actual point of a gift.
These 21 designs are organised by who you are buying for rather than by joke, because that is the order you are actually shopping in.
TBR Club is reader-supported. Every design below is our own, sold at tatata.store — that is how this blog pays for itself.
All $21.99. There is a short section at the end on buying a size for someone else, which is the part most people get wrong.
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Pin any of these to come back to later.
🐈 For the cat person who reads
The overlap between “owns cats” and “owns too many books” is close to total, and both groups know it.
1. Life Is Better With Cats and Books Shirt
“Life Is Better With Cats and Books.”
SHOP THE CATS AND BOOKS SHIRT →
Sarcastic Book Lover Shirts for Introverted Readers
2. All I Need Is Books and Cats Shirt
“All I Need Is Books and Cats.”
SHOP THE BOOKS AND CATS SHIRT →
3. Easily Distracted by Cats and Books Shirt
“Easily Distracted by Cats and Books.”
SHOP THIS CUTE CAT AND BOOK SHIRT →
4. Life Is Better With Coffee, Cats, and Books Shirt
“Life Is Better With Coffee, Cats, and Books.”
SHOP THE COFFEE, CATS, AND BOOKS SHIRT →
Smart and Empowering Reading Shirts
5. Time Spent With Books and Cats Shirt
“Time Spent With Books and Cats Is Never Wasted.”
SHOP THE BOOKS AND CATS SHIRT →
6. Time Spent With Books and Cats Shirt
“Time Spent With Books and Cats Is Never Wasted.”
SHOP THE BOOKS AND CATS SHIRT →
7. A Good Day Starts With Coffee, Cats, and Books Shirt
“A Good Day Starts With Coffee, Cats & Books.”
START YOUR DAY THE BOOKISH WAY →
Which Book Lover Shirt Sounds Most Like You?
Maybe you promise to stop buying books and immediately buy another one.
Maybe your weekend is always booked.
Maybe you only care about books and approximately three people.
Or perhaps your perfect morning includes coffee, a cat, and several uninterrupted chapters.
Whatever kind of reader you are, a book lover shirt can be a fun way to share your personality without having to explain it.
These designs make great gifts for:
- Book lovers and book collectors
- Introverts and homebodies
- Coffee lovers
- Cat lovers
- Teachers and librarians
- Students and writers
- Book club members
- Women and girls who love reading
- Fans of funny literary quotes
- Anyone with an endless TBR list
Click your favorite product image, product title, or shopping button to view the available sizes, colors, and product options.
Because there may be no such thing as too many books—or too many shirts about books.
Frequently Asked Questions
🐕 For the dog person (and one for chickens)
Smaller category, same idea. The chicken one exists because somebody asked.
8. Just a Girl Who Loves Dogs and Books Shirt
“Just a Girl Who Loves Dogs and Books.”
SHOP THE DOG-LOVING READER SHIRT →
9. Easily Distracted by Chickens and Books Shirt
“Easily Distracted by Chickens and Books.”
SHOP THE CHICKENS AND BOOKS SHIRT →
10. Easily Distracted by Dogs and Books Shirt
“Easily Distracted by Dogs and Books.”
SHOP THE DOGS AND BOOKS SHIRT →
🍎 For teachers, librarians and school staff
The strongest gift category on this page — and the most seasonal. Teacher appreciation week and the last day of term account for most of it.
11. Dear Teacher, Moving My Seat Won’t Help Shirt
“Dear Teacher, I Talk to Everyone, So Moving My Seat Won’t Help.”
SHOP THE FUNNY CLASSROOM SHIRT →
Find the Shirt That Tells Your Story
Maybe your perfect day includes coffee, pets, and a new book.
Maybe your shelves are full, but you are still planning your next bookstore visit.
Maybe you are a professional procrastireader, a proud book rescuer, or the person who can talk to everyone in the classroom.
Whatever your personality, the right shirt lets you share it without saying a word.
Browse the collection, select the design that feels most like you, and click the product image or shopping button to see the available colors, sizes, and product options.
SHOP THE COMPLETE SHIRT COLLECTION →
Find your favorite design today and wear the words that make you smile.
12. Peace, Love, Library Shirt
“Peace. Love. Library.”
SHOP THE LIBRARY LOVER SHIRT →
13. Difference Maker Lunch Lady Shirt
“Difference Maker — Lunch Lady.”
SHOP THE LUNCH LADY APPRECIATION SHIRT →
14. Difference Maker Second Grade Teacher Shirt
“Difference Maker — 2nd Grade Teacher.”
SHOP THE SECOND GRADE TEACHER SHIRT →
Find a Shirt That Celebrates What You Love
Maybe your ideal day includes books, tea, coffee, cats, or a quiet trip to the library.
Maybe you read everywhere you go, constantly need another bookshelf, or return to reality with a book hangover after finishing an unforgettable story.
Perhaps you are a teacher, librarian, school employee, or lifelong learner who understands how powerful books and education can be.
Whatever makes you smile, this collection offers a design that can help you express it.
These shirts make fun gifts for:
- Book lovers and collectors
- Cat owners
- Tea and coffee drinkers
- Librarians and library staff
- Teachers and school employees
- Writers and students
- Mothers, grandmothers, and friends
- Readers of fiction, fantasy, classics, and romance
- Anyone who would rather be reading
Click the product image or shopping button beneath your favorite design to view its available options.
SHOP THE COMPLETE SHIRT COLLECTION →
Choose the shirt that feels most like you and wear your favorite passion proudly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are these shirts designed for?
These designs are created for readers, teachers, librarians, school employees, cat lovers, tea drinkers, coffee fans, and people who enjoy funny or inspirational book quotes.
Can I give one of these shirts as a gift?
Yes. They can make thoughtful gifts for birthdays, holidays, teacher appreciation, library events, book club meetings, school celebrations, or everyday surprises.
How do I view a product?
Click the product image, product name, or shopping button below the design. The link will take you directly to the corresponding product page.
Where can I see the complete collection?
Use the button below to browse all available designs.
💐 For the women in your life who read
Mothers, grandmothers, sisters, the friend with the tattoos and the tote bag full of paperbacks.
15. Never Underestimate an Older Woman Who Reads Shirt
“Never Underestimate an Old Woman Who Reads Many Books.”
Books, Coffee, Wine, and Cats
16. Once Upon a Time There Was a Girl Who Loved Books Shirt
“Once Upon a Time, There Was a Girl Who Really Loved Books. It Was Me. The End.”
SHOP THE BOOK-LOVING GIRL SHIRT →
17. A Well-Read Woman Is a Dangerous Creature Shirt
“A Well-Read Woman Is a Dangerous Creature.”
SHOP THE WELL-READ WOMAN SHIRT →
18. Crazy Book Lady Shirt
“Crazy Book Lady.”
SHOP THE CRAZY BOOK LADY SHIRT →
19. Sunflower Book Lover Shirt
SHOP THE SUNFLOWER BOOK DESIGN →
Bonus Shirts for School Staff and Teachers
20. Just a Girl Who Has Tattoos and Loves Books Shirt
“Just a Girl Who Has Tattoos and Loves Books.”
SHOP THE TATTOOED BOOK LOVER SHIRT →
21. Just a Girl Who Loves Books Shirt
“Just a Girl Who Loves Books.”
SHOP THE SUNFLOWER READER SHIRT →
👕 Fabric, fit and care
These are the printed specs from the product pages, not guesswork.
Fabric
Preshrunk 100% cotton, with three exceptions: Sport Grey is 90% cotton / 10% polyester, Dark Heather is 50/50 or 35/65 cotton-polyester, and Ash is 99% cotton / 1% polyester.
Construction: twin-needle 7/8″ collar, taped neck and shoulders, rolled-forward shoulders, twin-needle sleeve and bottom hems, and quarter-turned so there is no crease down the middle. Unisex cut.
Care — the one that matters
Machine wash at a maximum of 30°C / 86°F on a short spin, inside out, with like colours. No bleach, no ironing, no dry cleaning, and no tumble drying.
That last one is the rule people break. Preshrunk cotton is preshrunk for the wash, not for a hot dryer — a single tumble cycle is how a medium becomes a small.
Choosing a size
There is no size chart on the product pages, so do not guess from measurements. Find a t-shirt you already like the fit of, check its size, and order that.
If you are between two sizes, go up. A slightly roomy shirt gets worn; a slightly tight one lives in a drawer. Long designs — the definitions, the multi-line jokes — also read better with more room.
Delivery
Production takes 3 to 5 business days, then shipping is 5 to 7 business days. Around two weeks in total. Order earlier than feels necessary in December.
🎁 How to buy a shirt for someone else
Guess the size from a shirt they already wear, not from their body. Ask what size their favourite t-shirt is, or look at one in the wash. People are wrong about their own measurements and right about the shirt they reach for.
When in doubt, go one size up. A shirt that is slightly roomy gets worn. A shirt that is slightly tight goes in a drawer and never comes out.
Match the joke to how they talk, not how much they read. Someone who quietly reads 80 books a year may not want a shirt announcing it. Someone who reads 12 and talks about all of them will love it.
For teachers and librarians, check the dress code. Some schools allow slogan tees on spirit days only. A mug is the safer version of the same gift.
Order early for December. Production is 3 to 5 business days and shipping is 5 to 7 — about two weeks before it reaches them, and longer in the first half of December.
When these gifts land best
Teacher appreciation week and end of term
The two moments when a teacher gift is expected rather than surprising. The “difference maker” designs were made for exactly this.
Birthdays, for the reader who says they want nothing
This is the person a shirt is for. Small, personal, no obligation attached.
Christmas, for the relative you see once a year
You know they like books and cats. That is genuinely enough information — that is what this page is for.
Final thoughts
The best gift for a reader is not the most expensive one. It is the one that proves you were paying attention when they talked about their cat, their classroom, or the book they could not put down.
Who are you shopping for — and what has been the best bookish gift you have ever received? Tell us in the comments.
If the librarian on your list would rather have a slogan than a mug, the public libraries shirt is the one that keeps selling out.
If the gift is for yourself, no judgement: our main collection of funny book lover shirts is the place to start. For the reader whose shelf gave up, there are book hoarder shirts, and for the one who wants to be left alone, introvert designs. Mugs and tumblers sidestep the sizing problem entirely.
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