Fresh from celebrating Winnie the Pooh Day on 18th January and looking forward to celebrating Lewis Carroll’s birthday on the 27th, January is a great month to launch children into a new year of reading. Find out more about some of the exciting new features on Lovereading4kids home page this month…

Not Off The Press! Pre-Publication Exclusive

Demon Trappers – Forgiven - Jana Oliver – 13+ … 3rd in the HUGELY popular series for girls about plucky Riley Blackthorne, who follows in her father’s footsteps to rid the world of demons… and while you’re there, we have a whopping 100 copies of the 1st in the series, Forsaken, to give away so if you’ve yet to dip into this series then here’s your chance before the 3rd one comes out! Click here to have a chance to win.

And How!! – The Brilliance of the “How The …” Books

We love the ‘How The …’ concept here. Following the huge success of How The World Works with its fully interactive, pop up explanations of the world we live in for youngsters aged 5+, the brilliant How The Weather Works has just been released. More brilliant explanations from the winner of the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize! A classic for every bedroom shelf. Find out more today.

Listen to This!! – Songbirds Phonic Series by Julia Donaldson

Phonic reading is a proven method of helping young children to develop their reading skills. The Songbirds reading scheme written by the current Children’s Laureate, the creator of the Gruffalo stories, Julia Donaldson is all you’ll need to give your little ones a leg-up to a whole life of loving reading! At the tender age of 6, author Julia Donaldson taught her own sister to read by the phonic method and has been hooked ever since! This series which she has created with the help of Oxford Children’s Books encompasses a wonderful array of enjoyable stories that kids love to learn with. Find out more today.

A Gentle Reminder…

We love thinking of ways to make it easier for you and your kids to find great books to read and here are two special sections that we hope do just that …

Lovereading4kids Essentials

Exactly what it says on the tin! This is a one-stop shop of must-read children’s literature, old and new, for book lovers of all ages. This month we have been revisiting the amazing The Exploits of MoominPappa , first published in 1950, would you believe! It’s now re-released all shiny and new in 2012. Click here for more essential reads.

Word Perfect! – Lovereading4kids Dyslexia Friendly Books

This has been a real hit with parents and kids alike. Dyslexia need not be a hindrance to reading and this section helps you find books specifically targeted to your children’s individual ability to give them the confidence to love reading. Each title has an ‘Interest Age’ and a ‘Reading Age’. The bulk of the books are from the UK’s pre-eminent publisher, of books for dyslexics, struggling and reluctant readers, Barrington Stoke.

Page Boys! – Great Books for Young Men

Another popular section is our Great Books for Boys, packed full of high octane adventures that will get any boy hooked on books. We have refreshed the section for 2012 so if you have boys who need some encouragement with reading then look no further. Many of the books for younger readers will be great for reading aloud at bedtime too. Discover some great books today.

So, Happy New Year from all of us! Here’s to a 2012 of literary adventure! And of course, we’ll be with you all the way with our monthly shoves-in-the-right-direction. See you in Feb!

P.S. Quiet Please! – National Libraries Day

We are big fans of local libraries here at Lovereading4kids and are very pleased to endorse National Libraries Day 2012. This great initiative will take place on 4 February and drive home the importance for education, development and community of good, well-funded libraries.

Do get yourself and your kids down to the library if you can in the run up to 4 February when all sorts of activities are taking place. And don’t forget , if you don’t use your local library you may lose it.

There’s also a book to accompany National Libraries Day. The Library Book features contributions from literary greats such as Stephen Fry Zadie Smith and Alan Bennett. Famous writers tell us all about how libraries are used and why they’re important. Please do support you local library…

Happy Reading and more from us in Febuary

Happy New Year from Lovereading4kids! The great J.R.R. Tolkien was born in January in 1892 and in 2012, from Lord of the Rings to the Olympic Rings, we have hoards of epic and exciting journeys for your kids to embark on! With New Year’s Resolutions in full swing, ours is simple: to help you help your kids to read more in 2012! Read on to start now.

Enjoy Yourshelf! – January’s Books of the Month

Christmas may be over but our bumper bag of books continues to bulge with great reads for bookworms of all ages. See our bookshelf below to discover what’s on offer.

Why have One when you can have …. January Series of the Month

The Medusa Project by Sophie McKenzie. The 6th and final story in this amazing 11+ series, Hit Squad, is out this month. It’s so popular with kids that, last summer, one member of our team was compelled to find a wireless connection in Mozambique strong enough to download the latest in the series as an eBook.

Could it be that his son holds the same powers of persuasion as the psychic futuristic kids of the Medusa Project? Catch them all here.

New Year – New Talent! Brilliant Debuts of the Month

Monkey Red, Monkey Blue Nicki Greenberg 3+ Cheeky monkeys making a mess in a massive midnight feast! Pure fun. Download Extract   More info	Opal Moonbaby Maudie Smith 7+ What would an alien make of us if she came to Earth to make friends? Download Extract   More info	Poppy’s Hero Rachel Billington 9+ dark and gripping ‘End of the World’ fantasy thriller … some forbidden love thrown in for good measure! Download Extract   More info
Sky Hawk Gill Lewis 9+ MEGA DEBUT – a tale of friendship and hope. Michael Morpurgo says it “turns the pages for you”. Need we say more? Download Extract   More info	The Weight of Water Sarah Crossan 11+ First love, friendship and quiet courage combine in this story that will leave you sad, happy and wanting more. Download Extract   More info	Tempest Julie Cross 14+ The Time Traveler’s Wife meets The Matrix – mind-blowing and action-packed romance. Download Extract   More info

Be in them to win them! – January Competitions

This month we have 5 signed copies of Stormswept – the latest in the Ingo Chronicles series – to give away. Helen Dunmore’s brilliantly crafted and richly imagined award-winning series for kids aged 11+ charts epic adventures through a mythical and magical land alongside our own. It’s gripping stuff. You’ll want to win one for yourself! Click here to try …

Puffin Books is also running a drawing competition linked to Wereworld : Shadow of the Hawk by Curtis Jobling to win a Kindle eBook reader and Wereworld prizes. They say: “Ability with a pen, pencil or crayon isn’t everything – as they are looking for something that captures the spirit of the books.” Click here to find out more.

Finally To celebrate the release of the third in the teen Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver, Forgiven, we have 100 copies of the first book, Forsaken, to give away to lucky winners… But you need to be quick.

What the Dickens!! – Charles Dickens Bicentenary

Still as relevant today, the literary giant Charles Dickens was born 200 years ago in 1812. This year will be awash with celebrations and tributes and we are right at the front of the queue with a special selection of titles dedicated to his work. This month, or 7+ readers try Charles Dickens Scenes from an Extraordinary Life by Mick Manning & Brita Granstrom.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading – see more recommended reads by age range below.