Kids can be hard to buy for at the best of times! But it can be even harder to pick out a book you feel confident they'll enjoy. That's where we come in … We've picked out books that cover a range of different interests that we think will be an instant hit! From sports to magic, there's something for every child.
🥇 For the sports fiends
Does the young person in your life spend every waking moment watching/playing/thinking about sport? Then these book series are the perfect gift! Each series is written by or about a sporting hero, making them even more appealing to sport-obsessed kids!
Gymnastics Diaries
Georgia Godwin with Laura Sieveking, illustrated by Amanda Erb
A fun series by Australian gymnastics star, Georgia Godwin, all about chasing your dreams! Georgia is 10 years old and loves gymnastics. She wants to be an international gymnastics star and this is her diary. For ages 7+.
Howzat Pat!
Pat Cummins, Dave Hartley and Serena Geddes
'I'm Pat Cummins and I love playing cricket. I love it so much that I sleep with my bat!' Howzat Pat! is an illustrated adventure series created by Australian Cricket Captain Pat Cummins, Dave Hartley and Serena Geddes! For ages 8+.
Netball Besties
Jo Weston, Jess Black & Sam Loman
A fun series from Aussie netball star Jo Weston about netball, adventure, mysteries and life with the world's cutest dog. For ages 8+.
🎮 For the Gamers
We all know kids love video games … and it can be hard to convince them to put down the controller and pick up a book! So, why not gift them a book about video games?
Minecraft: The Manga
Kazuyoshi Seto
Peaceful life in a perfectly constructed town bores ten-year-old Nico into mischief. Riding creepers while they explode is fun and all, but what he really wants is to escape the blocky confines of his home and take his crafting skills on an adventure to the end of the world. Just how big is the world, anyway, and what could stand in his way? For ages 8+.
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline
It’s the year 2044, and the real world has become an ugly, depressing place. Wade Watts escapes by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia. And like most of humanity, Wade is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this alternate reality. OASIS founder James Halliday, who dies with no heir, has promised that control of the OASIS – and his massive fortune – will go to the person who can solve the riddles he has left scattered throughout his creation. And then Wade stumbles onto the key to the first puzzle. Suddenly, he finds himself pitted against thousands of competitors in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize. For ages 12+.
📜 For the history buffs
Is the child in your life obsessed with history? They aren't alone. So many children find history incredibly fascinating, and even if you don't understand it yourself, they will love these!
I Survived: The Graphic Novels
Lauren Tarshis
From natural disasters to animal attacks to world wars, each book in Lauren Tarshis' I Survived series tells a terrifying and thrilling story from history, through the eyes of a kid who lived to tell the tale. For ages 7+.
Time Travellers: Ancient Greece
Francisco Llorca, illustrated by Montse Galbany
Pop on a pair of magic glasses and join your time-travelling guide on an adventure into the past! Unearth the tales and traditions of an empire lost in time, and discover how this magnificent civilisation has transformed our world today. With stylish illustrations and packed with expert-backed facts, this is the perfect companion for any Ancient Greece geeks. Travel back to more incredible ancient worlds with Time Travellers: Ancient Egypt. For ages 7+.
🔍 For the budding detectives
Who doesn't love immersing themselves in a good ol' whodunnit? These great book series will have your small person hooked from the very first page!
Detective Beans
Li Chen
Detective Beans is available 24/7 for all your mystery solving and ice-cream taste testing needs (except on school days, and after bedtime). Detective Beans is a delightful graphic novel series that follows a young cat detective as he solves all the mysteries that need solving, and even the ones that don't need solving, he's that good! For ages 7+.
Friday Barnes
R.A. Spratt
Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven-year-old girl! When girl detective Friday Barnes solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to the most exclusive boarding school in the country, Highcrest Academy. On arrival, Friday is shocked to discover the respectable school is actually a hotbed of crime. Can Friday solve Highcrest Academy’s many strange mysteries, including the biggest mystery of all – what’s the point of high school? For ages 8+.
🔬 For the future scientists
Is your little one obsessed with anything STEM? We've got you!
Quarks, Sparks and Quantum Mysteries
Lisa Harvey Smith, illustrated by Aidan Ryan
Meet the invisible forces that guide everything from the smallest particles to the shape of the cosmos. Blow your mind with theories of space and time. Travel through the galaxies to discover black holes, gravitational waves, strange stars and so much more with Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith and her trusted guinea pig guide, Biscuit. For ages 8+.
5 Minute Space Stories
Gabby Dawnay, illustrated by Mona K
Zoom through space with this lavish read aloud collection of nonfiction stories. Each read-aloud, 5 minute story sets out on a mission to explore different aspects of the universe; from how the Moon came to be, to the birth of a star and the immense, light-sucking darkness of a black hole. For ages 5+.
🐱 For the animal lovers
Whether you're shopping for a dog lover, a cat lover, or just lover of all creatures great and small, there are plenty of adorable books they'll treasure.
Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish
Judith Rossell
Every day, Spud and Snowball lie on the couch and watch TV. When they see an ad for Fancy Fish, the two cats work out a way to have this new food delivered to their doorstep. But what arrives is totally unexpected … Can Spud and Snowball outwit this loud, bossy and very fancy intruder? A cheeky tale that will have young readers giggling, from the bestselling, award-winning creator Judith Rossell. For ages 6+.
Queen of Dogs
Joe Weatherstone
When Maddy' best friend, her pug Gusto, disappears, her world changes. Maddy discovers she can understand everything the neighbourhood dogs are saying and suddenly she becomes the go-to canine problem solver! But when more and more dogs go missing, Maddy finds herself with a much bigger problem … and she is going to need a lot of friends – two-legged and four-legged – to help her solve it. For ages 8+.
The Hidden Wisdom of Animals
Kate Siber, illustrated by Kaitlynn Copithorne
Animals have a lot to teach us, if only we open our eyes. From the slow-moving sloth to the playful dolphin, every living creature has unique skills, strengths and qualities that we can learn from. The Hidden Wisdom of Animals invites kids to explore and celebrate over 40 animals from around the world through warm, lyrical reflections, each focusing on a single animal and the outstanding trait it embodies. For ages 8+.
✨ For the magic seekers
If you know a kid with a big imagination, who loves stories about magic, try giving them one of these!
Junkyard Fairies
Edwina Wyatt, illustrated by Lauren O'Hara
Fur, Tip and Nug live in a chipped, china teapot at the bottom of the junkyard. They are messy, bossy and never eat their vegetables. With the help of a burping toad, a sleeping giant and a monstrous caterpillar, the junkyard fairies can find a way to fix just about anything. Junkyard Fairies is a fun series full of magic, charm, mischief and mayhem. For ages 7+.
Nevermoor
Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide. Nevermoor is an enchanting series from Australian author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world – but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. For ages 10+.
👻 For fans of the spooky and scary
These books are sure to delight kids who want every day to be Halloween, or are devotees of Wednesday and The Addams Family.
The Last Resort
Erin Entrada Kelly
When 12-year-old Lila's estranged Grandpa Clem dies, she has to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem's creepy Victorian Inn. Even worse, strange things keep happening. En route to Ohio, the family gets into a scary car accident. No one's hurt, but the remainder of the trip is … odd. At every rest stop, Lila sees people in weird old-fashioned clothes. People no-one else can see or hear … For ages 8+.
Ghoulia
Barbara Cantini
Ghoulia is a typical little girl … who happens to be a zombie. She lives in Crumbling Manor with her Auntie Departed and an albino greyhound named Tragedy. This full-colour chapter book series is a great fit for readers who enjoy a mix of humour, adventure, and a touch of the macabre. Ghoulia combines a love for the spooky with lessons about acceptance and courage. For ages 6+.
😂 For the kids who just love to laugh
Still not sure what to get? Why not go with a book that's just all round funny!
Real Pigeons
Andrew McDonald, illustrated by Ben Wood
Did you know your city is protected by a secret squad of crime-fighting pigeons? It’s true! With master of disguise Rock Pigeon, bendy Tumbler, strong Frillback and super-finder Homey, the REAL PIGEONS will solve any mystery and fight any bad guy to keep the city safe! A hilariously silly and highly visual introduction to the joys of reading and crime-fighting for readers 6+.
Inked
Karen Wasson, illustrated by Jake A. Minton
When 12-year-old Sid discovers a talking octopus in his family's fish shop, he is NOT happy. Sid is trying to keep a low profile from the bullies at school while he waits to get into the art school of his dreams – so the last thing he needs is a pesky, know-it-all, opera-singing octopus called Otto following him around! Brimming with hilarity, hijinks and plenty of heart, every page of this brilliant suburban graphic novel adventure sparkles with slapstick humour and fish-out-of-water misunderstandings. For ages 8+.
