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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Did you know the kids titles in each of our shops are thoughtfully selected by our Children's Specialists? They're talented booksellers with a passion for helping young readers find amazing books.

Now you can get to know the children's specialist for your local shop!

Meet Kim!

Which shop do you buy for?

St Kilda

As a Children’s Specialist, what gets you most excited about a new book?

I love to see high quality, thoughtful publishing that is unique. Books that…

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The festive season is well and truly here, so get in the Christmas spirit with one of these beautiful new picture books. From heartwarming stories of love in all forms, to light-hearted adventures with unruly animals, these books are a delightful way to share the festive spirit with little ones and get them excited about the magic of Christmas.

Bluey: Christmas Holiday Treasury by Bluey

Celebrate Christmas and the holidays with the Heeler family! Join Bluey and Bingo in six…

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Coming in at number one this month is the lastest adventure with everyone's favourite Demigod, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess.

Also making the list is the winner of The 2024 Readings Children's Prize, a beautiful picture book about baking with grandma and the finale of the Bad Guys.

Finally, all three of the Wild Robot books have made the list after the success of the movie adaptation.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of…

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Discover the new kids books our booksellers are excited about this month! From picture books to nonfiction, early chapter books to middle grade novels.

Kids Nonfiction

Australia’s Baby Animals by Jess Racklyeft

Reviewed by Kim Gruschow, co-manager of Readings St Kilda

Melbourne illustrator Jess Racklyeft has created a beautiful book that showcases an array of Australia’s animals which is not only magnificent but also extraordinarily cute. The spreads in this book display the various habitats of Australia in gorgeous…

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In this day and age, it's hard to teach kids about the natural world without coming up against the tricky topic of climate change and the importance of sustainability. Fortunately, these incredible picture books are designed to make explaining the state of our world a little easier, and to help inspire little ones to do what they can to care for the planet. 🌱

Now for the Good News by Planet Ark

Showcasing fantastically positive environmental advances, initiatives and inventions…

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The winners of the 2024 ARA Historical Novel Prize have been announced! The annual prize recognise the outstanding literary talents of Australian novelists who explore stories of the past, to illuminate our present and future.

The prize is one of the richest literary prizes in Australia, with a prize pool of $150,000 split between the winners and shortlisted authors in the two categories. Read more about the winning books and the judges' comments below.

Adult category winner

Edenglassie by Melissa…

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We are proud and excited to announce author Tylissa Elisara as this year's winner of The Readings Children's Prize for Wurrtoo, a unique middle-grade novel about friendship, adventure and facing your fears, illustrated by Dylan Finney.

We've asked Tylissa about the inspiration for her work, her pathway to publication, the creative process, her favourite writing advice, and more.

What was the initial inspiration for this story?

I was inspired to write this story after witnessing an act of overt…

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For anyone with a creepy kid in their lives, or for anyone young and ghoulish at heart, here are my favourite titles, from the slightly spooky to the hair-raisingly horrifying, for you to pick up this Halloween season.

Packed with menacing middle grades, ghoulish graphic novels, and knee-nobbling non-fiction, you’ll be able to find the perfect read for any Halloween loving child. These titles are recommended for ages eight to eight-hundred and eighty!

A Girl Called Corpse by Reese Carter

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Nearly 100 submissions, 18 shortlisted books and now we celebrate four winners! 

It’s a fantastic achievement just being shortlisted for this prize for emerging Australian talent, and we have one final shout-out to our highly recommended shortlisted books and authors at the end of this post.

Our winners represent a diverse snapshot of quality writing in Australia today. A contemporary Muddleheaded Wombat, an action-packed tale of the repercussions of one bad decision, a heartfelt journey in search of identity and…

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