Lunar New Year is a wonderful celebration of family and good fortune in the coming year. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake with festivities beginning on 29th January culminating with the Lantern Festival on 12th February.

Below is a selection of books to celebrate the Lunar New Year and introduce young people to this exciting festival.

Lunar New Year by Natasha Kim, illustrated by Jingting Wang

Lunar New Year captures the magic of the celebration by exploring how Ling…

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It's nearly that time of year again – school time! And whether you have a little one heading into their first day of school or kindergarten, your kids are starting at a new school, or they're just feeling daunted about the new school year, it can be an emotional time. Here is a collection of books to give your kids the confidence they need ... they might even get excited for school!

The Wild Guide to Starting School by Laura…

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We're thrilled to be partnering with Faber Writing Academy to offer one lucky Readings Kids shopper the exclusive chance to win a place in their semester-long after-hours course, Writing For Kids: Picture Books and Children’s Fiction.

Taking place online from 18 February – 3 June 2025 (Tuesdays 6.30pm – 8.30pm), this is the perfect three-month course (usually $2,200) for people who wish to write picture books and children’s fiction with Kate Ryan and guests including Anna McFarlane, Davina Bell and…

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Still looking for the right book for the young reader in your life? Here are some of our favourite junior and middle grade books from 2024!

Adventures you don't want to miss

Batthew Aromascent and the Missing Corpse Flower by Ella Mulvey and John Roebuck

The first dazzling book in an exciting new adventure mystery series about the rich world of fragrance, starring a young Nose named Batthew Aromascent, whose parents disappeared under mysterious circumstances ...

When the world’s largest…

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At the top of the list for November is the latest diary from everyone's favourite Wimpy Kid! Following closely behind is an instant favourite from the duo behind The Green Sheep, Mem Fox and Judy Horacek. And coming in at 3rd place is the adorable wombat who won the hearts of the judges of this year's Children's Prize.

Also making the list are a new middle grade adventure from Emily Rodda, the Jolly Postman, of course, and the…

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Is there anything more special than sharing a beautiful picture book with the children in your life? We don't think so. This year has delivered many beautiful new books, it was hard to stick to just fifteen titles for this list, but here they are! Our picture book highlights for 2024.

Books to help start conversations with your child ...

Grey by Laura Dockrill, illustrated by Lauren Child

Beautifully crafted compositions together with simple die-cut design, reveal the story of…

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If you feel like you're banging your head against the wall trying to think of what to get the youngins in your life, then we have good news! You can relax and take a breath, because our Children's Specialists are here to share their wisdom and help you find a book that you can feel good about gifting.

Each of our shops have a dedicated Children's Specialist who are passionate about kids books and can help you navigate the shelves…

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Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past year. Here are the best junior and middle grade books of 2024, as voted by Readings' staff!

The titles are displayed alphabetically by author.

Thunderhead by Sophie Beer

‘This debut novel is a funny, powerful story about a teen music fan. Thunderhead is utterly music-obsessed but also going deaf. She has two tumours in her eardrums that need to be operated on, and she will lose most of…

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Every year our staff vote for their favourite books of the past year. Here are the best picture books of 2024, as voted by Readings' staff!

The titles are displayed alphabetically by author.

Sky Country by Aunty Patsy Cameron, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy

‘This collaboration between two First Nations creators is an ancient story told by a grandmother to her grandchildren as they walk together. Using some traditional language, it tells how Trouwerner (Tasmania) was created by the Ancestral Beings…

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It's that dreaded time of year . . . buying gifts for all the loved ones in your life! And the hardest people to buy for are always the kids. Yes, you were a kid once, but I'm sorry to say it, the things you loved as a child probably aren't cool anymore . . .

But never fear! I'm here with a collection of gift ideas to make sure you win best aunt/uncle this Christmas.

Landovel by Emily Rodda

…

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