Gifting advice from our Children's Specialists
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 when you're feeling lost. If you missed it, you can can meet our lovely specialists in this blog post, or keep reading for their guidance on how to approach your Christmas shopping this festive season!
From Celeste at Emporium
Do you have any tips to help shoppers find the right book to gift a young reader?
Ask a shop assistant! It’s the best way to get up-to-date advice from people who don’t just know, but really care. There’s also two pieces of information that are the most useful to have on hand. The first does seem obvious, but tell us their age; once we know that there’s one other piece of information that’s helpful to know: if they’re below 7, tell us if they have older siblings – it lets us know they’ll likely have older books or if they’re likely to have mostly recent releases; if they’re 7 or above, try to find out if the child is pro- or anti-fantasy. Generally once they’re on chapter books they’ll have a strong opinion either way; I’ve met many kids that will close a book at the mere mention of a dragon!
What book or author do you want every child to read?
Scott Stuart, Alice Pung, and Danielle Binks are the authors I’d recommend until my voice is gone. They’ve each mastered the art of simplifying a concept perfectly for their target audience – no matter how complicated – in a way that is empathetic and often informative to adults as well. They don’t shy away from unseen perspectives, tough topics, or hard questions.
From Alexa at Hawthorn & Malvern
Do you have any tips to help shoppers find the right book to gift a young reader?
Know the child they are buying for: know what hobbies they have, what they are interested in, and find out what they are reading to get an idea of the level they are at. If all the above is unknown, have faith in your bookseller!
What book or author do you want every child to read?
For a classic, I would recommend the Little House on the Prairie series. For something contemporary, it would have to be Katrina Nannestad. She is a compassionate, diverse writer who sensitively pitches the story for the emotional age of the children she is writing for.
From Claire at SLV
Do you have any tips to help shoppers find the right book to gift a young reader?
Ask the reader you are buying for what are they interested in at the moment, what engages them. Kids are more likely to pick up a book if it is on a topic they love.
Also sharing books you've enjoyed when you were a kid is always a great experience.
What book or author do you want every child to read?
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery – it's a classic that still resonates in today's world.
From Kim at St Kilda
Do you have any tips to help shoppers find the right book to gift a young reader?
Resist the urge to impose your own tastes and judgements on young readers and instead try and find out what your young reader is interested in, has recently enjoyed and responded to. Getting kids involved in choosing their own books encourages engagement.
When selecting books for very young readers it’s always good (and fun!) to test drive picture books by reading them aloud. If you find it boring to read, a kid will almost certainly find it boring to listen to.
What book or author do you want every child to read?
Pokko and the Drum is one of the finest picture books of all time and should be read by kids of all ages.
From Harvey at Doncaster
Do you have any tips to help shoppers find the right book to gift a young reader?
The best ways to buy the right book for a young person are to ask them – but you have to ask the right questions! I find 'what do you want to read?' is very rarely a useful thing to ask; it's better to ask what they liked about the last few books they read. If they've just finished Percy Jackson, ask what they loved about the series. If it was the humour and teen dynamic, that will send you in one direction; if it was the magic and monsters, you can go somewhere else. Bookshop staff will always be able to find some recommendations if they know what the young reader likes!
I also believe kids thrive when challenged slightly, so I will always encourage shoppers to pull the trigger on a title a little beyond their kid's comfort zone.
What book or author do you want every child to read?
Every teenager should read Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia at some point. For younger readers, you can never go wrong with Shaun Tan and Levi Pinfold. For those in between, I love Jonathan Stroud, Nova Weetman and Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events.
From Aurelia at Kids
All the booksellers at our Kids shop are specialists in Children's books, so here's a sample of the team's expertise from Aurelia!
Do you have any tips to help shoppers find the right book to gift a young reader?
When it comes to looking for Young Adult novels, don't always trust how cute and colourful the cover looks! A lot of the time a YA book suitable for a 13 year old will be sitting right next to a book definitely more targeted for 16+ readers, and sometimes the art on the book covers can be misleading. If you need any help, do not hesitate to ask our wonderful staff!
What book or author do you want every child to read?
Anyone who knows me knows I love the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan with a passion, and regularly recommend it to all fantasy lovers. Percy Jackson is full of heart, humour and a sense of home as you follow Percy and his friends through encounters with all sorts of gods and monsters from Greek mythology. He (and all demigods) are also great representations of children with dyslexia and ADHD, which the author wrote to help his children embrace and be empowered by this part of them!
