Students of all ages will love these gifts

Whether the students in your life are in high school and dreaming about their future majors, or in the middle of their college careers, you can shower them with gifts that quench their thirst for knowledge and foster their academic interests.

Stumped? Here are a few ideas to brighten the bookshelves and desks of your favorite scholars:

Make cramming easier

For dorm dwellers, book lights are crucial. When roomies are snoozing, night owls can use a book light that attaches to the pages of the book, or a task light that sits atop the desk, to keep studying in an unobtrusive manner.

Consider creating a care package full of snacks. But skip the junk food and instead fill up on “brain food.” Nuts, almond butter and popcorn are all great choices containing brain-boosting vitamins and minerals.

Simplify complex concepts

A standard textbook covering weighty subject matter sometimes can make things even more confusing for a student. Help demystify some of the hard-to-grasp subjects with a new book series from DK Publishing, “Big Ideas, Simply Explained.” The fully-illustrated series uses innovative graphics and creative typography to cut through the haze of misunderstanding, untangles knotty theories and shed light on abstract concepts.

There are five books currently available: “The Philosophy Book,” “The Psychology Book,” “The Politics Book,” “The Religions Book” and “The Economics Book,” which covers more than 100 economic concepts from Aristotle to the top economic thinkers of today, and is a 2013 Parents Choice Gold Book Award Winner. More information about these books and forthcoming titles including, “The Business Book” and “The Science Book,” is available at www.us.dk.com.

Broaden horizons

No matter what your scholar plans to study or is currently studying, you can round out his or her education with a great dose of classic cinema. Consider a set that features the collected works of a gifted director such as Ingmar Bergman or Akira Kurosawa. Or opt for a topical box set on a favorite subject, such as World War II or nature.

With the right tools, you can enrich and round out classroom learning in fun and interesting ways.