It’s
December, so we are officially allowed to use the C word and start on our
shopping. Books are of course a great gift for children who love reading, as
well as for those who haven’t yet fallen in love with it. Here’s your Patron of
Reading’s own selection of brilliant titles published this year, for all ages.
Feel free
to add your own recommendations in the comments below!
My Dreams
by Xavier Deneux
This is one
for babies and toddlers, with big chunky pages, stark black and white
illustrations and even some glow in the dark bits! A gentle bed-time read by
the author-illustrator of the brilliant My Animals in the same series, for the
same age group.
How to Find
Gold by Viviane Schwarz
Anna and
Crocodile are on a mission to find gold: they have to be really sneaky and
really clever about it, in case of competition. This is a glorious read, with
bright and funny dialogue that will prompt map-making and treasure-hunting
around the house for sure. 3+
Rabbit and
Bear series by Julian Gough and Jim Field
Take
Rabbit, who has never uttered the word ‘fun’, and Bear, who is kind but a bit
dim-witted. Place them in a snowy countryside with some mouldy carrots, the
makings of a snowman and a wolf (maybe). This is an extremely funny read, with
some gross bits occasionally thrown in, to read aloud or read all by yourself.
6+
Mega Robo
Bros by Neill Cameron
Sibling
rivalry with robots and super powers, what’s not to like? An awesome,
fast-paced and hilarious comic that is the first in a series. Brilliant! 7-10
Hello World
by Jonathan Litton and L’Atelier Cartographic
For the
fact-lovers out there, here comes this atlas with a different. Take a stroll
around the world and learn to great the locals in over 150 languages. With
flaps to lift and big, detailed pictures to pore over, this promises hours of
quiet reading. 8+
Tamsin and
the Deep by Neill Cameron and Kate Brown
Another
fabulous comic with plenty of adventure and suspense, and a healthy dose of
magic and scares. Tamsin is off surfing when a rogue wave drags her under
apparently forever. A month later, she resurfaces, apparently unscathed, but
she has brought back from the deep a magic stick and, unfortunately, a very
nasty creature… 9-12
Football
School by Alex Bellos, Ben Lyttleton and Spike Gerell
A treat for
football fans, Football School is a handy guide to explaining absolutely
everything through football. Hilarious and full of fascinating trivia. 9+
Sputnik’s
Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Sputnik may
look like a dog, but, really, he is an alien from outer space and his mission
is to find 10 good reasons to save Earth from its scheduled annihilation. Prez
is the human boy who first opens his door to Sputnik and thus the crazy
adventure begins. A big, fat novel that reads super-fast because it is so
giggle-inducing and action-packed. 10+
Survivors
by David Long and Kerry Hyndman
These true
stories of survival from the past century should delight those who love facts
and ‘real’ stories. The real-life heroes in these pages have survived being
attacked by bears, trapped in canyons, surrounded by sharks and crashing in
their plane in the jungle. Heartening, gripping and occasionally graphic:
edge-of-your-seat stuff. 11+
The Thing
About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Prepare to
cry, prepare to laugh as you meet ex-best friends Franny and Suzy. Ever since
Franny died at the beach, Suzy has stopped talking. Stopped talking, but not
thinking. Suzy is a practical, scientific kind of girl and what she thinks is
this: there must be more to Franny’s death. Heart-breaking and empowering in
equal measure, this is one to cuddle up with. 12+
Nothing
Tastes as Good by Claire Hennessy
One for
Young-Adult readers, this is the story of Annabel, a snarky, anorexic teen who
also happens to be a ghost. Her job is to look after Julia, an over-achieving,
bright girl with an obesity issue. The irony isn’t lost on Annabel who has very
personal notions of what it might mean to ‘help’ her charge. Spot on, funny and
gripping, it doesn’t shy away from strong language and mature topics. Young
Adult
For more great book ideas, head over to Inis magazine, where you will find books for all ages in English and Irish. Your local library should also have a copy of this year's Inis Reading Guide, which contains over 250 quick reviews of books for babies to young adults: picturebooks, early readers, chapter books, big, fat novels, fact books and poetry.
Happy browsing!
