Lovereading 4 Kids Updates from the world of children’s books

Before kids had Mp3 players and PlayStations, they found many of their adventures in books. Now that some of the consumerism of the 21st century has been stripped away by the Credit Crunch, books are still here to enrich children’s lives: inexpensive, imagination-firing brain food and a doddle to wrap!

So, here at Lovereading4kids, our minds have been working overtime on choosing from 1,000′s of children’s books published this year, the ones that we feel will MAKE Christmas for the youngsters in your life. And to make your money go that little bit further we are now offering free UK postage on orders over £20 coupled with our 25% off the RRP.We have chosen some fantastic ‘Must Read books of the year’, Gifts and Stocking Fillers to whet the appetite, for all age ranges from toddlers to teens. Remember, you can download a free Opening Extract of every Featured Book to make sure it’s right for the child before making that purchase. If teenagers would like to choose their own books tell them to check out our ‘new gen’ category on Lovereading.

Author of the Month David Almond:

David Almond has the rare honour of winning Whitbread Children’s Book Award. His novels, including Skellig and The Fire-eaters, have become worldwide bestsellers. And his brilliant new book, Jackdaw Summer, is out now. Read this and many of his older novels in our special Author of the Month section.

A bumper crop of great Books of the Month:

Anthony Horowitz’s The Power of Five: Necropolis the eagerly awaited 4th book in the series about five children with special powers fighting to save the world from evil		The Reckoning by James Jauncey a thriller in which a teenage boy becomes entangled in murderous goings on
The Gruffalo Pop-up Theatre by Julia Donaldson read the much-loved story, then open the pop-up stage and act out your own adventures, creating hours of fun		Young, Loaded and Fabulous by Kate Kingsley two outrageously spoilt teenage socialites’ position at the top of their school’s social hierarchy suddenly comes under threat
Girls Are Best, Sandi Toksvig seeks to redress the injustices of history, and tells us about all the wonderful and fascinating ways females have changed the world		Dugald Speer’s Spyology,   thrilling stuff for any would be spies – this is a training guide packed with all sorts of secrets.
Fish in the Sky by Fridrik Erlings a witty, literary novel about the trials and tribulations of a 13-year-old boy. Destined to become a classic		The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman    a stunning novel about a child who finds safety from a murderer among the local graveyard’s ghosts and ghouls
The Birthday Book    a sumptuous collection of illustrated stories and verse by some of the very best authors

New writing talent – New Voices:

Fresh from our New Voices category, featuring the brightest talent from Walker Books, comes Winter Song by Jean-Claude Morlevat. This is a powerful story about courage and principle in the face of an oppressive government.

We also have a sneak preview of the December New Voice The Society of S by Susan Hubbard is about a young girl, Ariella, who discovers that everything she knew about her family is a lie, and a deep, dark truth lies beneath…

The kids weekly comic is back – the perfect present for Christmas:

The DFC is a weekly comic, packed with tons of high-quality, 100% entertaining stories from the world’s best writers and artists. If you want to get a brilliant Christmas present in the bag for your kids, look no further than our exclusive Lovereading4kids subscription offers. And this month there’s a brilliant prize draw to win signed artwork too.

Introduce your children to some classic stories:

And finally, more classics – condensed, retold, and beautifully illustrated – from the Real Reads initiative: this time your children can absorb themselves in imagination-shaping sci-fi with Frankenstein and The Lost World.

So, download some FREE Opening Extracts of some of these great reads, get your kids hooked on reading, and remind yourself why books make extremely special presents – to throw into the mix with all the hi-tech toys and gadgets this Christmas.

 Age 0 – 5 Years

1		Stick Man Julia Donaldson Creators of The Gruffalo, best selling author/ illustrator Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are back with another bestseller on their hands. “Stick Man lives in the family tree/ with Stick Lady love/ And his children three”. But one day Stick … Download free opening extract
2		Gruffalo Pop-up Theatre Book Julia Donaldson Not only can you read and reread the much loved story of the Gruffalo in this complete work of art but you can open the pop-up stage to act out the adventures of the little brown mouse, or even create … Download free opening extract
3		The Pencil Allan Ahlberg This book is an hilarious and unmissable treat! One day there is just a lonely pencil…It begins to draw – a boy, a dog, a cat and then a house and streets for them to play in. But everyone wants … Download free opening extract

5+ readers

1		Nut Cracker Jan Pienkowski The enchantment of the Nutcracker story is beautifully captured in Jan Pienkowski’s glorious silhouettes. His white characters act out the story against beautifully coloured multi-layer backgrounds which are edged with silver trellis work that adds a touch of magic. Handsomely … Download free opening extract
2		Traction Man Is Here Mini Grey Hurrah for Traction Man, the toy hero who, with his faithful side kick Scrubbing Brush, is up for adventures anytime and anyplace. They’ll tackle any challenge and bravely fight their way through to success. But, when Traction Man is given … Download free opening extract
3		Oliver Moon And The Spider Spell Sue Mongredien More magical mayhem from the junior wizard who is always getting himself into big trouble. Here it is no exception for when he tries a Grow-bigger spell on the cauldron he finds himself in very BIG trouble indeed. Great … Download free opening extract

7+ readers

1		Storlax: The Power of the Deep Robert Jackson, Bubbi Morthens This is an epic children’s story, told with great humour, optimism and warmth.  It will grip the reader not just because of the loveable fishy characters and exciting adventures but almost more so because it subtly shows us the impact … Download free opening extract
2		Cosmo and the Secret Spell Gwyneth Rees Brilliant spooky fun with plenty of giggles for both parent and child to enjoy as well as a fair dose of frightening goings on.  What more do you need at halloween? … Download free opening extract
3		Kaspar Michael Morpurgo A wonderfully emotional but heart-warming tale from the pen of one of the foremost writers for children.  Brilliantly interwoven in historical fact at the time of the sinking of the Titanic is the story of Kaspar the Savoy cat, who … Download free opening extract

9+ readers

1		The 39 Clues 1: The Maze Of Bones Rick Riordan Want to get your kids reading, well here’s a spellbinding adventure that we think kids of 8 upwards will really pick up on for it’s something more than a book as it integrates books, games, a website, cards and prizes … Download free opening extract
2		Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools Philip Caveney This is a hilarious and swashbuckling adventure featuring the half human, half elf Sebastian Darke, a wannabe court jester, who discovers he’s not great at telling jokes!! Fans of Shrek and Terry Pratchett will love it for its wonderful humour … Download free opening extract
3		Inkdeath: Inkheart 3 Cornelia Funke Cornelia Funke’s acclaimed Inkheart trilogy, whilst rooted in the real world, sweeps beyond words to the Inkworld, a richly imagined parallel place that is the stuff of classic fairy tales that rivals Tolkien in its mastery. Inkdeath is a magnificently … Download free opening extract

11+ readers

1		Blade: Closing In Tim Bowler The second in the Blade series, this is another short, very accessible novel for teens. Pacy, gripping and packed with action, and a central character that’s incredibly engaging, even the most reluctant reader will devour it. Blade is on … Download free opening extract
2		A Perfect Ten Chris Higgins Chris Higgins’ writing rivals the likes of Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson.  She’s an author truly in tune with the teen psyche.  This is her fourth novel and she gets better and better with each new storyline.  The characterisation is … Download free opening extract
3		Uncle Montague’s Tales Of Terror Chris Priestley Chris Priestley in his first book with Bloomsbury has written a book that is impossible to put down. Be warned however! The content is scary, no doubt about it. The book contains a series of short fast-paced horror stories, climaxing … Download free opening extract

14+ readers

1		Before I Die Jenny Downham Winner of the Branford Boase Award 2008. This is a haunting yet truly amazing read but don’t read it too young. Definitely not for someone less than 14 years old. If you knew you were going to die what would … Download free opening extract
2		Sweet Julie Burchill Definitely for the older teenager, Burchill has written about a gritty, urban and larger than life world.  It’s smart, funny, full of wit – the Julie Burchill trademark – and it really captures the life and soul of teenage angst … Download free opening extract
3		Sam Stern’s Student Cookbook Sam Stern, Susan Stern Mouth watering recipes which are both easy to make and money saving make Sam Stern’s cookbook perfect for students. Written in snappy sentences, which give the impression that no one will have long to spend over the stove, the cooking instructions are clear as … Download free opening extract