This month we’ve got books that celebrate brave and ambitious kids, quirky stories full of mystery and magic, and a celebration of unusual Australian animals.

Find our November picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts

Every morning, Abuelo walks Sofia to school… until one day, when Abuelo hurts his ankle at a local landfill and he can no longer do so.

Sofia misses her Abuelo and…

Read more ›

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, Volume 2) by Philip Pullman

Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe

Welcome to Country (Youth Edition) by Marcia Langton

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

The Tiny Star by Mem Fox & Freya Blackwood

Explore Your World by Tim Flannery & Sam Caldwell

Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths by Eddie Woo

Mr Chicken All Over Australia by Leigh Hobb

Running with the Horses by…

Read more ›

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, Volume 2) by Philip Pullman

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe

Welcome to Country (Youth Edition) by Marcia Langton

The Bad Guys Episode 10: The Baddest Day Ever by Aaron Blabey

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

For Whom the Ball Rolls (Dog Man, Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

The Treehouse Joke Book by Andy Griffiths and…

Read more ›

Readings Kids bookseller Dani Solomon is a Frances Hardinge super fan. We asked her to rank the award-winning British author’s books by their scariness and here is the result.

The following books are all ranked from least scary to most scary, and there’s a special list of titles at the end for readers who don’t like to be spooked, but still love good, thrilling reads.

5. Verdigris Deep

One evening, Ryan and his friends steal some coins from a well…

Read more ›

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, Volume 2) by Philip Pullman

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Welcome to Country (Youth Edition) by Marcia Langton

The Bad Guys Episode 10: The Baddest Day Ever by Aaron Blabey

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell and Jenny Løvlie

The Treehouse Joke Book by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

…

Read more ›

International Day of the Girl Child aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. In honour of the 2019 theme ‘GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable’ we recommend our favourite books that celebrate girls who dream, achieve, break boundaries, overcome barriers, innovate and initiate.

Sisters: Venus & Serena Williams by Jeanette Winter

This delightful picture book follows the Williams sisters from their Californian childhood all the way to…

Read more ›

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s the perfect time to indulge in stories that are creepy, crawly, slimy, spiderwebby and wonderfully scary.

This year, we’re holding some seriously spooktacular events at our Readings shops to celebrate. Drop by Readings St Kilda or Readings Malvern to enjoy a Halloween themed story time, or join Readings Kids for a jampacked afternoon of ghoulish festivities – including a scavenger hunt! Our Readings Doncaster Middle Fiction Book Club is also hosting a…

Read more ›

Sam Kelly updates us on all the goings-on at the Doncaster Middle Fiction Book Club, and looks ahead to their upcoming book club reads.

The Doncaster Middle Fiction Book Club is proving to be a lot of fun, and over the last few months we’ve had some amazing experiences. We’ve put on performances inspired by Drama, played a murder mystery game with dramatic deaths the likes of which would have shocked even Rose Raventhorpe, travelled back in time…

Read more ›

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust, Volume 2) by Philip Pullman

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Molly, Mop and Moppet’s Adventures in Paris by A.G. Krishnan and Valery Vell

Welcome to Country (Youth Edition) by Marcia Langton

The Bad Guys Episode 10: The Baddest Day Ever by Aaron Blabey

The Treehouse Joke Book by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Tilly by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

All of the Factors of Why…

Read more ›

This month we’re blessed with gorgeous imaginative picture books, dragon-filled fantasy quests, sweet dancing dogs, retold fairy tales and climate science.

Find our October picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors by Davina Bell & Jenny Løvlie

When Frankie McGee insists on borrowing yet another library book about tractors, his mum begs him to read a book about anything else – cars, planes, cranes, trains! Frankie launches…

Read more ›

Welcome to Country (Youth Edition) by Marcia Langton

Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

The Treehouse Joke Book by Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton

The Bad Guys Episode 10: The Baddest Day Ever by Aaron Blabey

For Whom the Ball Rolls (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

…

Read more ›

Bronte Coates shares five of her favourite books that she read during the first six months of her new baby’s life.

I am the Wolf and Here I Come! by Bénédicte Guettier (translated by Penelope Todd)

This French bestseller is a lightly interactive book that will withstand repeat reads. Your child will love the anticipation that builds with each turn of the page as the Big Bad Wolf gets dressed for his day, starting with a pair of rather silly…

Read more ›

For Whom the Ball Rolls (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

Through My Eyes: Hasina by Michelle Aung Thin (series edited by Lyn White)

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

Real Pigeons Fight Crime (Book 1) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Real Pigeons Splash Back (Book 4) by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

The…

Read more ›

Books for older primary readers can be enormously thoughtful, covering a range of topics and experiences that reflects the insatiable curiosity and open minds of kids at that age.

Here are five recently published books that will get keen young readers thinking.

Check Mates by Stewart Foster

Eleven-year-old Felix struggles at school. His ADHD makes it hard to concentrate and no one seems to understand that he’s doing his best. When his parents go away for the weekend Felix isn’t…

Read more ›

The Wilderness Society has revealed the winners of this year’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature. This award is presented annually to fiction and nonfiction books that ‘foster a love of wild places and wildlife in young Australians’ and ‘encourage a sense of responsibility for our natural world’.

Here are the winners for all three categories…

Picture Fiction

The All New Must Have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley

Harvey owns a heap of stuff, but can always use more. The ORANGE…

Read more ›

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

For Whom the Ball Rolls (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

Kind by Alison Green & Axel Scheffler

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

All the Ways to be Smart by…

Read more ›

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

Monuments by Will Kostakis

The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

For Whom the Ball Rolls (The Adventures of Dog Man Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

Valentine by Jodi McAlister

My Father’s Shadow by Jannali Jones

Atticus Van Tasticus by Andrew Daddo & Stephen Michael King

Akarnae (The Medoran Chronicles…

Read more ›

Our staff share their favourite books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, including prize-winning fiction, biography, essays, non-fiction, memoir and books for kids of all ages, from babies through to teens.

Today is Indigenous Literacy Day and Readings will be donating 10% of our book sales to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), on top of our ongoing support. The ILF does amazing work to foster literacy in remote communities around Australia and close the gap on literacy and numeracy…

Read more ›

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

For Whom the Ball Rolls (Dog Man, Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Weirdomania! (WeirDo, Book 13) by Anh Do & Jules Faber

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup

Sick Bay by Nova Weetman

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Real Pigeons…

Read more ›

This month we’ve got an amazing array of middle grade fiction that takes readers from film locations to Peru to magical cities, a new Real Pigeons book, and a modern classic about to get the big screen treatment.

Find our September picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

Hayley Whelan has spent her whole life dreaming of writing and directing her own movie. When her…

Read more ›

How to Make a Movie in Twelve Days by Fiona Hardy

The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

For Whom the Ball Rolls (Dog Man, Book 7) by Dav Pilkey

It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood

Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup

Real Pigeons Splash Back by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood

Sick Bay by Nova Weetman

The World’s Worst Teachers by David Walliams

Final Storm by Deborah Abela

Taking…

Read more ›

Twelve days. Five kids. Many special effects. One giant mystery. How to Make a Movie in 12 Days is a delightfully charming love song to movies, friendship and summer holidays, penned by Readings’ own bookseller and crime specialist, Fiona Hardy.

If you needed any more persuading (you totally don’t), read on for some of our staff members’ thoughts on this wonderful novel for kids aged 9+.

‘I read How to Make a Movie in 12 Days. What a…

Read more ›

Do you have a pint-sized writer, designer, filmmaker, musician, artist or all-round imaginative powerhouse in your life? Here are some great books that celebrate young creatives.

And don’t forget to browse our full list of suggested books to inspire young creatives.

YOUNG ARTISTS

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

Vashti is disconsolate after an art class, feeling that she can’t draw, but when her teacher proposes she make just one mark on her paper, a world of creation opens…

Read more ›

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced their Book of the Year Awards winners for 2019. These Awards celebrate the best Australian books for readers in early childhood up to young adult readers.

Here are the winners for each category.

Older Readers

Between Us by Clare Atkins

Jono is depressed, missing his absent mother and sister, and struggling in his relationship with his Vietnamese father Kenny. Ana is an asylum seeker from Iran, forced to live in a…

Read more ›

The Wilderness Society has announced the shortlist for the 2019 Environment Award for Children’s Literature.

This award is presented annually to fiction and nonfiction books that ‘foster a love of wild places and wildlife in young Australians’ and ‘encourage a sense of responsibility for our natural world’.

Here are the shortlisted books for each category…

Picture fiction

More and More and More by Ian Mutch

The All New Must Have Orange 430 by Michael Speechley

When Water Lost Her Way…

Read more ›

This month we’ve got anatomy! imagination! a lizard journalist! a baby that disgusts monsters! a very gorgeous cookbook! and more. Be prepared, because August is eclectic.

Find our August picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

You Might Find Yourself by Tai Snaith

This gorgeous new picture book from Australian artist Tai Snaith (The Family Hour in Australia, Slow Down, World) follows a child around the world, as they explore the possibilities of…

Read more ›

The 117-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe

The World’s Worst Teachers by David Walliams

Stone Girl by Eleni Hale

Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Aunty Joy Murphy, Andrew Kelly and Lisa Kennedy

Pig the Tourist by Aaron Blabey

Sick Bay by Nova Weetman

Into the Wild: Wolf Girl (Book 1) by Anh Do

As Happy as Here by Jane Godwin

Welcome to Your Period by Yumi Stynes & Dr Melissa Kang

Storming…

Read more ›

Fifty years ago is ancient history to contemporary kids – but luckily there’s a plethora of children’s books bringing to life the wonder and awe of 1969’s Apollo 11 Moon mission and the moment Neil Armstrong took that first step.

Here are some of our favourites.

Where’s Mr Astronaut? by Ingela P Arrhenius

If your baby is showing early signs of a future career in space exploration, you may like to hand them this delightful lift-the-flap board book. Featuring factual…

Read more ›

It’s the depth of winter, so what better time to snuggle up with a funny book? We recommend some of our favourite kids reads that are guaranteed to make you laugh and lift your spirits.

Brenda Is a Sheep by Morag Hood

Brenda says she’s a sheep, but to be honest, Brenda’s a little shady. She has a pointy snout, pointy canine teeth, she doesn’t enjoy eating grass, and her baa is non-existent. Still, the other sheep love and accept…

Read more ›

Love Your Bookshop Day is happening across Australia on Saturday 10 August. This day is all about celebrating and loving your local bookshops and to celebrate, we’re holding a very special and utterly madcap competition for primary-school aged kids.

This Love Your Bookshop Day, we want to see your dream bookshop drawings!

Why? Andy Griffths and Terry Denton are looking for inspiration for a suitably fun and imaginative treehouse bookshop to include as one of the levels in their next…

Read more ›

If you can believe it, we’re already staring down the barrel of the second half of 2019. With so many exciting new releases rapidly headed our way, we asked our wonderful kids and YA staff to reflect on the releases they’ve really enjoyed already this year.

Read on for their recommendations.

Kim Gruschow from Readings St Kilda has loved:

I adored Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly, a book about an industrious young deaf girl who becomes obsessed with…

Read more ›

The program for the Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) 2019 has been revealed, and there’s plenty of fabulous events for kids and teens.

Browsing the amazing Family Day and YA Day programs is a great place to start, but here are our top recommendations for enjoying MWF with young people.

FOR KIDS

Maxine Beneba Clarke: Fashionista

Maxine Beneba Clarke’s latest picture book, Fashionista, encourages people of all ages to express their own sense of style and embrace their individuality. Join…

Read more ›

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2019 is ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth’ – the three key elements set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

In honour of this, and also of the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, we recommend six children’s books that contain Indigenous words and languages, and give voice to the rich lore, culture and knowledge of our First Nations Australians.

Moli de bigibigi by Karen Manbullo

Molly the piglet is very lost and very…

Read more ›

This month we have a picture book ode to fashion and style, thrilling action adventures with heart and social commentary, sweet stories of animal and nature, and a beloved classic about a very special pig.

Find our July picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

Fashionista by Maxine Beneba Clarke

Award-winning author Maxine Beneba Clarke has already given us such great books as The Patchwork Bike, Wide Big World and The Hate Race, among…

Read more ›

As we head into the second half of this year, you might be wondering what kids and young adult books you’ll be reading soon – don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some of the July to December releases we’re looking forward to.

Picture books

Fashionista by Maxine Beneba Clarke (July)

Pig the Tourist by Aaron Blabey (July)

Moving Your Body by Beci Orpin (August)

Bruce Lee (Little People Big Dreams) and Rudolf Nureyev (Little People…

Read more ›

The winners of the 2019 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced. The Carnegie Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book written in English for children and young people. The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded by children’s librarians for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people.

The winners will each receive £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice, a specially commissioned golden medal and a…

Read more ›

This month we have a landmark book by Bruce Pascoe, a how-to by legendary Jeannie Baker, a sweet graphic novel/prose hybrid, and excellent contemporary fiction for middle grade readers.

Find our June picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

Young Dark Emu: A Truer History by Bruce Pascoe

This is the much-needed children’s version of Bruce Pascoe’s seminal and award-winning Dark Emu – a book that explains that Australian Aboriginals at the time of British colonisation…

Read more ›

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), celebrated every year on May 17, is a day to stand with the LGBTIQ+ community, celebrate LGBTQI+ people, champion inclusion and build a better world for the LGBTQI+ community.

We’ve put together some recommended children’s books to read on IDAHOBIT, or any other day of the year.

PICTURE BOOKS

Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer

This cheerful rainbow-hued book by Australian illustrator Sophie Beer shows all different sorts of families…

Read more ›

We have a great array of kids books this month – a great illustrated book about the moon landing, some fantastically quirky fantasy, a gorgeous body positivity guide and a funny and sweet story about a mum with a social media addiction.

Find our April picks for YA books here.

RECOMMENDED KIDS BOOKS THIS MONTH

Moonwalkers by Mark Greenwood & Terry Denton

20th July 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, so prepare to be hit by…

Read more ›

The Young Australians Best Book Awards (YABBA) were established in 1985 by a group of Victorians keen to see children engage in reading Australian books. Their goal is to have children recommend, read, rate and reward their favourite Australian books.

During Term 1 each year, Victorian children are asked to recommend their favourite Australian books by nominating four Australian titles. All nominations are collated and the 10 books with the most nominations in each of the award categories are the…

Read more ›

Last month, Readings Doncaster

With half the session of our inaugural term complete, it is safe to say the Doncaster Middle Fiction Book Club is a hit!

First was Animal Week; for our first session we discussed Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan and the consensus was that it was great – sad – but great. We discussed the real gorilla that inspired the book (also named Ivan), and the similarities and differences in his story compared to the…

Read more ›

There has been a wealth of fantastic middle grade novels by Australian authors recently that focus on time periods from prehistory, all the way through to recent history.

While wars often feature as a backdrop, these recent books prove historical fiction for kids aged 8-12 years is incredibly diverse, depicting young characters amid events such as cataclysmic fires, space race milestones and ancient rituals.

Catch a Falling Star by Meg McKinlay

When the NASA space station Skylab broke into pieces…

Read more ›

We’re thrilled to see Readings Kids specialist and all-around children’s literature rockstar Kathy Kozlowski named as the recipient of the Pixie O’Harris Award for her contribution to Australian children’s literature. Congratulations Kathy!

The Pixie O’Harris Award is part of the Australian Publisher’s Association’s book industry ‘Hall of Fame’ awards. It recognises members of the book industry who have worked consistently in the field of children’s literature, demonstrated commitment beyond the call of duty, and who have developed a reputation for…

Read more ›

We’re thrilled to reveal that the winner of this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize is The Peacock Detectives by Carly Nugent!

Established in 2014, the Readings Children’s Book Prize celebrates on-the-rise Australian authors and is awarded to the book that children will love best.

Carly Nugent’s quirky mystery about family and friendship is a fitting winner. This heartfelt depiction of family relationships and sophisticated exploration of mental health never talks down to its audience and is perfectly suited to curious…

Read more ›

We sat down with the Carly Nugent – author of the 2019 Readings Children’s Book Prize winner The Peacock Detectives – to talk about what makes a good mystery, what inspired her book and what she’s been reading.

Congratulations on winning the Readings Children’s Book Prize! Can you tell us a bit about why you wanted to write this story? Has the book been with you for a while?

Thank you! It’s such an honour to win this prize. I…

Read more ›

There has been a wave of gorgeously-illustrated and skilfully-written picture books this month. Picture books are often viewed as solely for young audiences, but many are objects of art that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Here are six new picture books that can be appreciated by young and old.

Our Little Inventor by Sher Rill Ng

Enter a fantastical steampunk world in Australian author-illustrator Sher Rill Ng’s debut picture book. The tenacious and creative Nell has worked hard on…

Read more ›

The Australian Book Industry Awards Academy has announced the ABIA Book shortlists for 2019.

Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators, narrators, and publishers.

General fiction book of the year

Scrublands by Chris Hammer

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Literary fiction book of the year

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Shell by…

Read more ›

Ottilie Colter and the Narroway Hunt is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize.

Here’s everything you need to know about this thrilling high-stakes fantasy.

When Ottilie’s younger brother is taken by the Pickers, she disguises herself as a boy to rescue him. She soon finds herself at an elite training school for hunters, in the mysterious in-between world of the Narroway – a dangerous place that doesn’t appear on any maps and…

Read more ›

We have some truly gorgeous picture books for you this month, along with a wacky junior graphic novel and a nail-biting survival adventure.

Find our April picks for YA books here.

KIDS BOOK OF THE MONTH

Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Aunty Joy Murphy, Lisa Kennedy & Andrew Kelly

Indigenous creators Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy collaborated on the Readings favourite, Welcome to Country, so we’ve been greatly anticipating their next picture book collaboration, Wilam: A Birrarung…

Read more ›

The Peacock Detectives is one of the six books shortlisted for this year’s Readings Children’s Book Prize.

Here’s everything you need to know about this quirky and warm mystery about family and friendship.

‘When Cassie’s neighbours ask her to look for their missing peacocks, William Shakespeare and Virginia, she eagerly takes the case. But the search takes some unexpected turns, and leads her to deeper puzzles about her family and friends: Why is her father sad? Why has her…

Read more ›