Over the next few weeks, we’ll be compiling a host of gift guides to help you with your Christmas shopping. Here is a list of suggestions for the tricky young people in your life.

THEY DON’T LIKE READING

You know they don’t like reading, and you also know that you’re going to buy them a book anyway… We salute you!

Kids who won’t read

• My Pictures After the Storm – A hilarious and simple book that looks like a Miffy book on acid, and has very funny before-and-after cartoons. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• The Bad Guys Episode 6: Alien vs Bad Guys – There’s aliens, there’s bums, and Messrs Wolf, Shark, Piranha and Snake are in terrible, smelly peril. This is cartoon fun for ages 6 and up.
  
  
• The Ultimate Minecraft Survival Guide – Zack Zombie (the narrator from the Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series) narrates this comprehensive guide with 200 tips for Minecraft obsessives. For ages 8 and up.
  
  
• Real Friends – This sweet and relatable graphic novel tells the real-life story of author Shannon Hale, and explores the ups and downs of making and keeping friends in primary school. For ages 8 and up.
  
  
• And do not forget the quartet of sparkly, busy, hypnotic guides that are available at this time of year. I refer to the ever-popular Ripley’s Believe It or Not 2018, Guinness World Records 2018, Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition 2018 and Game On 2018. For ages 7 and up.

Teens who won’t read

• The Amateurs – It’s page-turning, suspenseful, pleasurably twisty and tawdry – this is an easy-to-read tale of a group of entangled teens-turned-detective. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• I Hate Everyone But You – Gabby Dunn and Allison Raskin are stupidly internet famous and now they’ve written a novel together. Texts and emails pepper this lighthearted novel that mirrors the real life best friendship of the authors. For ages 14 and up.
  
  
• Mirror, Mirror – It’s celebs ahoy with model-actress Cara Delevigne turning her hand to a gritty YA crime thriller set in the music industry. For ages 14 and up.
  
  
• Grave Matter – Author Juno Dawson and illustrator Alex T Smith team up for this Gothic treat which sees love reaches beyond the grave when a grief-stricken teen makes a dangerous pact. Reading age is 8 and up, interest age is 13 and up.
  
  
• Spinning – A virtuosic graphic novel memoir that tracks a young girl’s love affair with figure skating, and her growing identity apart from it. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• 101 Things That Piss Me Off – The title says it all, really! Based on Ballinger’s hit YouTube series, this is a rant-filled, snappy, illustrated guide to 101 things people do that are annoying to at least one person. For ages 13 and up.

THEY’VE READ EVERYTHING

Yeah, yeah, we know they’ve read everything… BUT – we also have insider knowledge of amazing books that have slipped under the radar.

Kids who’ve read everything

• Lucy’s Book – A favourite library book gets handed around a group of children in this charming tale of obsessive book love. For ages 4 and up.
  
  
• How to Bee – Peony is a ‘bee’ – one of the talented climbers chosen to pollinate trees in Goulburn Valley of the near future. An unusual story for big thinkers who like to question the world they live in. For ages 8+.
  
  
• The Wonderling – Arthur is a groundling – part animal, part human – at the Home for Wayward and Misbegotten Creatures. In this heartwarming adventure, the downtrodden young discover the depths of their bravery. For ages 9 and up.
  
  
• Master Detective: A Kalle Blomkvist Mystery – Meet another wonderful Astrid Lindgren creation! Kalle is a young master detective who lives in a small Swedish town and isn’t always taken seriously by his two best friends. For super sleuths and clue collectors of ages 9 and up.
  
  
• The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone – A young girl follows the requirements of her parents’ magical will and journeys across kingdoms in this chunky and whimsical adventure perfect for excellent readers. For ages 10 and up.
  
  
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The Illustrated Edition – They may have read all the Harry Potter books a million times over, but these beautiful hardcover editions handsomely illustrated by Jim Kay add new delight and wonder. For ages 9 and up.

Teens who’ve read everything

• La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust Book 1) – Young Malcolm flees an alternate magical Oxford with baby Lyra in tow in this gripping fantasy adventure. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• City of Saints and Thieves – A courageous young orphan fights to uncover the truth behind her mother’s murder in this gritty and compelling look at gang life in urban Kenya. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Kids Like Us – A summer vacation in France leads American teen Martin on a messy, challenging and charming quest for real friendship and connection. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Monster – Michael Grant follows his amazing Gone series with a new series set in the same world… In this action-packed read, the dome is gone, and humans are mutating into monsters. For ages 12 and up.
  
  
• Moonrise – Expand a teen reader’s horizons with this verse novel following Joe as he travels to spend time with his brother Ed, who is incarcerated and on death row. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Unearthed – Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman team up once again for the first in a sci-fi duology that is hot off the press. Two young people form an unlikely alliance on planet Gaia as they race to uncover and decode relics from an ancient alien race. For ages 13 and up.

THEY’RE OBSESSED WITH SPORT

Contrary to popular belief, a love of sport and reading can co-exist – even if both activities can’t take place at the same time (probably).

Sporty kids

• Ballerina Dreams by Michaela DePrince (ballet, for ages 4 and up)
• Patty Hits the Court by Patty Mills and Jared Thomas (basketball, for ages 7 and up)
• Maintain the Mischief by Tony Wilson (AFL, for ages 7 and up)
• Aussies vs England: Game On! by Mitchell Starc (cricket, for ages 7 and up)
• A Footy Girl’s Guide to the Stars of 2017 by Nicole Hayes and Alicia Sometimes (AFL, for ages 9 and up)
• Women In Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky (all sports, for ages 10 and up)
• Kick by Mitch Johnson (soccer, for ages 11 and up)

Sporty teens

• The Women’s Footy Almanac 2017 by Stephanie Connell, John Harms & Yvette Wroby (AFL)
• Wing Jones by Katherine Webber (track)
• The Road to Winter by Mark Smith (surfing)
• Spinning by Tilly Walden (figure skating)
• The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín (survival! endurance!)

THEY WILL ONLY TOLERATE FACTS

We’re here for you, lovers of truth, rationality, real life stories and facts, fact, facts!

Child fact-lovers

• Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth – Inspired by the birth of his son, Oliver Jeffers takes an unexpected turn into non-fiction with this illustrated guide to Earth that covers the basics of being a human, the sky, stars and planets, the concept of time and animals. A unique manual for appreciating our planet and its people. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth – The hunt for a missing baby mammoth provides the perfect reason to tour a psychedelic, fact-filled museum. Lift flaps and learn oodles about other extinct animals, underwater environments, aviation, historical figures and more. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• Egyptomania – This is a must-have for every budding Egyptologist. Beautifully designed and illustrated with incredible lift-the-flap reveals, and chock-full of fascinating information. For ages 6 and up.
  
  
• The Variety of Life – Take a deep dive into the diversity of life with this extensive exploration of mushrooms, monkey, sharks, coral, bears and beetles, gorgeously painted and coupled with meticulous facts and scientific names. For ages 6 and up.
  
  
• Anatomy: A Cutaway Look Inside the Human Body – The different systems of the body are revealed through intricately-cut layers in the best-looking human body book I’ve ever seen. Kids and adults will love poring over muscles, nerves, blood vessels, brain lobes and organs. For ages 6 and up.
  
  
• David Astle’s Gargantuan Book of Words – A jam-packed activity book for lovers of puzzles, quizzes, codes. crosswords, wordplay, invented words and lost words. For ages 8 and up.

Teen fact-lovers

• On John Marsden: Writers on Writers – Alice Pung shares why John Marsden was such an important and inspiring author in her youth. A great extended essay for thoughtful bookworms. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Dare to be Kind – Motivational speaker, author and YouTuber Lizzie Velasquez has written a funny, smart and compassionate book, with personal anecdotes about bullying, self-love, relationships, success and plenty more. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Marco Polo: Dangers and Visions – A complex and dazzling graphic novel account of Marco Polo’s epic adventures from youth to his old age. Richly illustrated and peppered with Renaissance-style maps, this will be loved by history buffs and wannabe explorers. For ages 14 and up.
  
  
• Finding Nevo – A candid and thoughtful memoir by a young Melburnian about family, friendships, bullying, mental health and their place within both the Jewish and queer communities. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• 200 Women: Who Will Change the Way You See the World – A lush and inspiring coffee table book with photographic portraits and interviews of 200 incredible women with a wide variety of life experiences. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• The Best Australian Essays 2017 and The Best Australian Science Writing 2017 – These anthologies are great grab-bags of the best and most relevant Australian non-fiction of the year and will expand the horizon of any keen teen reader. For ages 15 and up.

THEY MARCH TO A DIFFERENT BEAT

All young people are unique and special, but some are more unique and special than others, so here are some books with extra quirk.

Unique kids

• In My Room: A Book of Creativity and Imagination – Young readers can be anything they want in this sturdy and colourful celebration of the power of imagination. Play along with the protagonist as she dreams about being a vet, explorer and rock musician. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• Do Not Lick This Book – Nowhere else this year will you travel the strange landscapes of the human body through scanning electron microscope images as a adorable cartoon microbe. A lesson in microorganisms wrapped up in a fun story. For ages 4 and up.
  
  
• The Secret of Black Rock – An enchanting story about a fisherwoman’s daughter who sneaks out the feared Black Rock and makes an amazing underwater discovery. Richly illustrated and imbued with suspense and magic. For ages 4 and up.
  
  
• Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere – A cute and busy book with text, speech bubbles, cartoons, labels and lists. Animal-loving Olga discovers Meh, a smelly creature that defies categorisation, and follows correct scientific method and observation to learn more. For ages 7 and up.
  
  
• Opposite Land – A terrible first day at a new school and an old family book sends Stevie barreling into the surreal Opposite Land to vanquish an evil emperor, and find out the truth about her identity. Barmy, charming, graphic novel fun. For ages 8 and up.
  
  
• See You in the Cosmos – Alex has a dream to record his life on an iPod, launch it into space with his homemade rocket and thus communicate with alien life. A warm and compassionate book about friendship, optimism and kindness. For ages 10 and up.

Unique teens

• Valentine – This novel’s got evil fairies, projectile rocks, creepy animals, mysterious life-threatening illnesses, hot romance, rising action – and it’s 100% fun. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Adultolescence – A satisfying collection of 150 dark and whimsical poems and illustrations by YouTuber and comedian Gabbi Hanna. Honest, silly and heartbreaking, this will appeal to teens who like big feelings and big jokes. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Night Swimming – A bittersweet Australian romcom that touches on ambitions and dreams, family problems, friendship, love and identity (also goats, crop circles, musical theatre and furious scheming…). For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Frogkisser – A kingdom in peril, an evil sorcerer, princes turned into frogs, dogs who speak, a mischievous but lovable wizard and a reluctant princess on a quest to save the kingdom. This is a hilarious and affectionate flip-around of fairytale tropes. For ages 12 and up.
  
  
• SuperMutant Magic Academy – The students of SuperMutant Magic Academy may be mutants and witches, but just like us regular humans, they are still hung up on crushes, mood swings and bad teachers. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Isaac the Alchemist – A fascinating, meticulous and wonderfully illustrated biography of everyone’s favourite seventeenth century scientist and mathematician. For ages 12 and up.

THEY’RE JUST LEARNING TO READ

Figuring out how to read can be hard work, so here are some cracking stories with manageable words and great illustrations.

• The Elephant and Piggie series – These two best friends take freaking to dazzling new levels in each book. Mo Willems turns a few simple words and expressive cartoons into a story that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
  
  
• The Ginger Green, Playdate Queen series – Another day, another playdate! Ginger Green is a cheery fox who copes remarkably with all the dramas and foibles friends can bring. Cute illustrations and straightforward syntax make these early readers a breeze.
  
  
• The Princess in Black series – Princess Magnolia leads a double life – as well as completing her royal duties, she’s a secret superhero who must leap into action with her trusty steed Blackie when the monster alarm rings.
  
  
• The D-Bot Squad series – In this series, dinosaurs are real and schoolkid Hunter has been recruited into an elite squad to round them up. Large font and action-packed stories make these books an absorbing read.
  
  
• The WeirDo series – This incredibly popular series uses varied fonts, cartoons and hilarity to keep a reader engaged, as well as very relatable stories about friendships, family and fitting in at school.

For more suggestions, please check out our favourite books for beginner readers here.

THEY’RE TWEENS

The cusp years between childhood and adolescence are full of very particular experiences, and these books reflect that perfectly.

• The Fall – A crime reporter’s son gets involved in a real-life murder mystery in this tense and exciting thriller.
  
  
• Mr Romanov’s Garden in the Sky – A moving story about the unexpected friendship between a 13-year-old girl and an elderly man, touching on real-life challenges and difficulties in a hopeful way.
  
  
• The Ones That Disappeared – Three children involved in child slavery make an adventurous escape in this story. Perfect for tweens interested in social justice.
  
  
• Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic – Historical periods and cultures smoosh together in this save-the-world adventure with amazingly cinematic illustrations.
  
  
• Thornhill – Text and illustrations work together seamlessly in a ghost story that spans two time periods and will cause some serious tension and chills.
  
  
• Tell it to the Moon – Four British teenage girls reunite on New Year’s Eve to share their troubles and dreams, and inspire each other with support and friendship.

THEY’RE TOO OLD FOR THIS

They are a whisper away from full-blown maturity and adulthood, and want stories with more bite.

Our Teen Advisory Board have tackled this exact problem, putting together a list of adult books loved by teens.

You might also want to consider:

• No Limits by Ellie Marney
• Milk and Honey and The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
• Remind Me How This Ends by Gabrielle Tozer
• On John Marsden by Alice Pung

THEY ARE A RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY INSIDE AN ENIGMA

You don’t really know them from a bar of soap but you are contractually obliged to provide them a present (and also, spirit of giving etc.). Here are some surefire winners by ages.

Mysterious kids

• Aussie Legends Alphabet – Meet a bevy of Aussie icons in this idiosyncratic alphabet book with great illustrations and loving rhyming bios. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• The Bad Mood and the Stick – Curly has a bad mood and passes it on when she pokes her brother with a stick in this quirky, twisty story. For ages 3 and up.
  
  
• The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster – A witch and a monster maintain their beautiful friendship in a world where the two groups typically don’t mix. For ages 7 and up.
  
  
• Laugh Your Head Off Again and Again – Hear from nine of Australia’s funniest writers in the third anthology dedicated to making kids roll around on the floor laughing. For ages 7 and up.
  
  
• The Baby-Sitters Classic Collection – A nostalgic box-set with the first eight books of this iconic series about girl entrepreneurs, friendship and advice on how to tame really bratty children. For ages 9 and up.
  
  
• The Getaway – The beloved Diary of a Wimpy Kid series reaches book twelve with this tale of a ‘relaxing’ family Christmas getaway turned farcical. For ages 9 and up.

Mysterious teens

• Take Three Girls – Three teenage girls find a common purpose in this raw and funny collaboration between three superstar Aussie YA authors. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• The Silent Invasion – An Aussie teen hits the road to save her sister, in a near-future world where a plant-born infestation is changing humankind. For ages 12 and up.
  
  
• The Hate U Give – A gripping and empathetic novel about a young African-American girl who witnesses the police shooting of her childhood friend. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• Warcross – A young hacker is thrust into fame, fortune and the conspiracy around a global VR game sensation when she is invited into the game creator’s inner circle. For ages 13 and up.
  
  
• My Life as a Hashtag – An Australian teen’s online rant unexpectedly goes viral in this smart and funny story about teens, social media and some hard-won lessons. For ages 13 and up.

Still stumped? We also sell gift vouchers which can be used in-store and online.