Kids
Contemporary classics to gift a new baby
So your best friend/sibling/cousin/workmate/neighbour/casual acquaintance is having a baby. Books make the ideal keepsake gift, but before you accidentally buy them their seventh copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Where the Wild Things Are, consider one of our favourite recent release picture books that are almost guaranteed to become contemporary classics. Browse some highlights below, or drop into one of our shops and our knowledgeable booksellers will be happy to share their personal picks.
Recent spooky reads for children
October, and the lead-up, never fail to provide a bounty of scary, eccentric and thrilling tales for our bookshelves. Filled with doomed school camps, wandering souls, small town mysteries and, of course, a fabulous vampire – there's something for every level of spooky comfort in the below recommended reads.
Spooky Stories of the World by Wendy Shearer & Teo Georgiey (illus.)
This spine-tingling collection of spooky stories features over 20 eerie tales from across the globe. Discover bewitching retellings of…
Eggcelent picture books starring chickens
Some chickens cheer from the sidelines and others set their sights on outer space, but all chickens know it's best to be yourself and dare to dream. Below are four new stories about some very unique, but all equally inspiring, chickens!
Woo Hoo! You’re Doing Great! by Sandra Boynton
Whether you are learning to skate, baking a cake, or even making a mistake, this hilarious and heartfelt rhyming book reminds us that trying our best is reason to celebrate. From…
Finding your inner artist through books
by Poppy, Teen Advisory BoardArt is everywhere around us, including in the books we read. To help find the perfect gift for the art lover in your life, or to unlock your own creativity, here are some personal favourites which might provide inspiration.
Prolific children’s author Peter H. Reynolds is probably already on your child’s bookshelf. But I think two of his picture books are as perfect for adults as they are for young readers. Ish shares the story of Ramon, a boy who…
Our September 2023 children's and young adult bestsellers
The 169-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton (illus.)
Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
No Words by Maryam Master
Cat of Death! by Aaron Blabey
If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang
Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin, Astred Hicks (illus.)
This Camp is Doomed by Anna Zobel
One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus
Ghost Book by Remy Lai
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
The Bookseller’s Apprentice by Amelia Mellor
The…
Q&A with the 2023 Readings Children's Prize shortlist authors
With the upcoming announcement of this year’s winner, our Children’s Prize shortlist authors talk about their inspiration, the creative process, their perfect reader, their favourite writing advice and what they hope readers take away from their books.
Want to know more about each shortlisted title? Explore the shortlist here.
What was the initial inspiration for your story?
Neridah McMullin (Evie and Rhino): I love reading about shipwrecks. Not only reference books, but online through the State…
Our August 2023 children's and young adult bestsellers
One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus
Welcome to Sex! by Dr Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes
The World’s Worst Monsters by David Walliams
Ghost Book by Remy Lai
Scar Town by Tristan Bancks
Never a hero by Vanessa Len
The Skull by Jon Klassen
It’s the Sound of the Thing by Maxine Beneba Clarke
This Camp is Doomed by Anna Zobel
Ember and the Island of Lost Creatures by Jason Pamment
Storm by Jane Bunn
The winners of the CBCA Shadow Judging Book of the Year Awards
The winners of the 2023 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Shadow Judging Book of the Year Awards have been announced. Inaugurated in 2022, the awards this year were judged by over 2000 young readers from more than 250 groups across Australia.
A vibrant network of young readers, from emerging to young adult, dive deeply into the 2023 CBCA Shortlist and express their opinions and share their responses as judges ‘shadowing’ the CBCA Judges. They use the same criteria to…
The Readings Children's Prize shortlist 2023
Now in its 10th year, The Readings Children's Prize is presented to the best contribution to Australian children’s literature from an emerging author.
Our staff judges for the 2023 prize are Katey Bellew (chair of judges, Readings Kids), Kate McIntosh (manager of Readings Emporium) and Janine Larson (Readings Kids). We're proud to announce this year's six Children's Prize shortlist titles, and look forward to sharing our Young Adult Prize and New Australian Fiction Prize shortlists soon!
The winners of the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2023
The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) has announced their Book of the Year Awards winners for 2023. 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 (Ages 13-18 years)
Entries in this category may be fiction, drama or poetry and should be appropriate in style and content for readers in their secondary years of schooling. Ages 13-18 years.
Note: Books in this…
Browse our blog by category
