We might find on occasion that children can turn their noses up when they find a book in their Christmas stocking but in reality, books can make the most wonderful gifts.
However, it can be very difficult to buy a book for a child at Christmas. So how should we go about choosing a good book and what are the top picks for Christmas this year?
David O’Callaghan joined Sean Moncrieff to talk about the best books for the season:
AGE 0-4
Picture books are always a great gift for Christmas and this year’s group are, as expected, a pretty awesome and hilarious group:
THE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES by BJ Novak €14.99
Without doubt my favourite book for the little ones out there. It does what it says on the tin : No Pictures … just insane and zany text that is super perfect for reading out loud and making the adult reading seem bonkers. A genuine treat. Hilariously funny. Already a massive phenomenon in the States. This is a must have for Xmas and beyond. (Have attached a Youtube clip of author / actor reading it)
TIN by Chris Judge €14.99
I love this man’s work and this year’s offering is a beautiful tale of brothers, baby sisters, robots and a babysitting chore gone horribly awry. Stunning colours, intense detail and a great read aloud experience. MONSTERS LOVE UNDERPANTS by Claire Freedman & Ben Cort €12.99 We’ve had Aliens, Pirates & Dinosaurs …. Surely we’ve also had Monsters. Well, we do now. The next in the bestselling Loving Underpants series, this picturebook is as funny,colourful, zany and as brilliant as all the previous offerings. Maybe it’s my love of monsters, but this is possibly my favourite in the series yet.
AGE 5-8
Newly independent readers often find solace in a variety of characters which often lean towards the madcap and familiar. The big brands are always there:
Horrid Henry’s new collection of stories HORRID HENRY’S TRICK TRICKS (€15.99) and DIRTY BERTIE’s new book HORROR (€5.99) are perennial bestsellers for Boys. Rainbow Magic’s LUNA THE LOOM BAND FAIRY (€7.99) has also been hugely popular this Christmas.
But my top choice which is proving extremely popular is :
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS 11 : THE TYRANNICAL RETALIATION OF THE TURBO TOILET 2000 by Dav Pilkey €11.99 What can I say – I adore Captain Underpants and his extra loony tales. Growing in popularity every year, he is now easily one of the top selling series in this age group and long may it continue. Boys, especially, seem to love him. I wonder why?
AGE 9-12
Confident readers of all ages are swarming to this category and it has grown into one of the most successful and booming children’s section. The Gargantuans / Monsters / Box Office books in this age group are Jeff Kinneys’ WIMPY KID 9 : THE LONG HAUL and David Walliams “AWFUL AUNTIE”. These are without doubt the leaders in this market, if not the whole of all books. However, instead of looking at these I’d like to highlight a few titles of a similar nature that I feel simply : ROCK ! If DORK DIARIES is Wimpy for Girls then this first title can now safely be dubbed the “IRISH WIMPY KID” :
MOONE BOY by Chris O’ Dowd & Nick V. Murphy €10.99
Based on the hit TV show and aged down to fit into an “Irish Wimpy Kid” mould …. This is a fantastic addition to this genre. Not simply a TV tie in though, this tale of imaginary friends and growing pains and superbly realised and illustrated throughout. Love it..
TIMMY FAILURE : WE MEET AGAIN by Stephan Pastis €8.99
One of my favourite new series of the last couple of years – Timmy and my new favourite mantra “Failure is an Option” is a simply brilliant story. In his latest tale “We Meet Again” Timmy, as ever, meets life’s curve balls head on with his, let’s say, confident demeanour. And with his trusty Polar Bear, Total, by his side : what could possibly go wrong ? Lots actually !
OPAL PLUMSTEAD by Jacquel Wilson
This was Jacqueline Wilson’s 100th book. It was also undoubtably one of her best, it’s cleverly written with lots of description and links to real issues that happened in 1913-1914 (when the book is set), mostly the suffragettes and the First World War. Opal is the key character , she is 14 years old and one of Jacqueline’s strongest female characters yet.
MINECRAFT – BLOCK-O-PEDIA €32.99
The ONLY new Minecraft published this Autumn … and it’s a thing of beauty that any Minecraft Obsessive MUST own. Every block is described within this stunningly presented book and slipcase. A Must Have for Crafters everywhere.
TEENAGE / YOUNG ADULT
One of the biggest growth areas in Children’s books in the past 5 years (along with 9+), the Teenage / Young Adult market has had a stellar year with the likes of JOHN GREEN (The Fault In Our Stars), VERONICA ROTH (Divergent) exploding out of the blocks (the fact that both had movies of their books released definitely didn’t hurt either).
THE MAZE RUNNER Series by James Dashner €9.99
Proving that Dystopia is still hot as a sub genre and again due to a really strong, well made movie – The Maze Runner series has been a massive hit among teenagers and beyond. People have immediately come out of the first movie (which ends on a cliffhanger) and run to get some books. Love this series. Page Turner extraordinaire
WE WERE LIARS by E. Lockhart €9.99
One of my fave books of the year, this novel set in a world of entitlement in the Hamptons is a brilliantly clever, dark and murky novel dealing with the aftermath of something that has occurred among a group of rich elite teens and which the reader must try figure out and put the pieces of the puzzle together. Absolutely gobsmackingly stunning and a must read.
ONLY EVER YOURS by Louise O’Neill
Set in a future society where obsession with women’s beauty & their place has reached new levels of absurdity – this brilliant debut novel (Winner of Newcomer of the Year at Irish Book Awards) is a fascinating, engrossing and harrowing novel from a young writer at the top of her game. A world where young women are taught to be either a Companion (submissive wife),a Concubine (slave) or a Chastity (train future girls). Absolutely loved this book also.
GIRL ONLINE by Zoe Sugg €15.99 / THE POINTLESS BOOK by Alfie Deyes €10.99
The “Youth-Tubers” as they are known have officially become a publishing Phenomenon in the past 3 months. Zoella for her book (fiction) had the biggest ever debut author opening week sales (outselling Harry Potter & Dan Brown). These are youtube celebrities who have 2/3 millions followers as they talk about every day life, fashion and have a laugh. 2015 will see a massive influx of more ready made author celebrities as all publishers attempt to get into this winning formula.
ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) – As the wheels turn in the heads of Glenridge Middle Schoolers, their feet go around and around, too.
Students in two classrooms are riding exercise bikes during independent reading time.
The idea to put the bikes in the classrooms came from reading coach Kelly O’Brien and testing coordinator Amanda Gilmore.
“We wanted to put them in our struggling reading class because those are our lowest performing readers and we wanted to see if those students would make the most gains,” Gilmore said.
The women read an article about another school where riders turned into better readers and decided to give it a try.
The article explained that riding bikes will helped the students stay alert, keep focused, and burn energy while they read.
“We thought we would put them in that classroom first to see if we could get students motivated and grab a book on their own instead of being forced to do it and they’ve been in a week and we’ve already noticed a difference,” O’Brien said.
Thanks to a donation by Longwood-based business Buy and Sell Fitness the students have a total of eight stationary bikes to use.
In order to use the bikes, the students have to read at the same time.
“One of the children went through an entire book while we were in there it’s really great to see,” said Buy and Sell Fitness co-owner Oliver Leith, who visited the classroom along with FOX 35.
The student Leith saw reading was seventh grader Guillermo Vicente.
Before the bikes were installed, “I would be in my desk shaking around trying to get up from my seat, go visit friends,” Vicente said.
Now he sits on the bike and reads.
“It helps me actually concentrate more and read at the same pace,” he said, adding that he reads almost as fast as he pedals.
“I think it’s going to help a lot of kids that don’t like to read to read better and focus more,” Vicente said.
In the short time that the bikes have been in the classrooms, “Some of the kids who weren’t coming to class on time are now on-time if not early they’re eager to get on the bikes and read,” Gilmore said.
KALAMAZOO, MI — Shirley Freeman was a tutor for Kalamazoo Public Schools when she and several friends from her church decided to take a training course through SLD Read, a nonprofit that works with struggling readers.
“We felt that we could be better and more efficient tutors if we had a ‘program’ to follow and some training under our belts. None of us, including me, were professional educators,” Freeman said in a press release for SLD Read.
That was seven years ago. Freeman now tutors two students a year through SLD Read’s Language Links volunteer program.
“I love being a SLD Read volunteer tutor. I enjoy the creative challenge and I especially enjoy seeing the children’s progress in reading,” Freeman said.
And there has been some amazing progress: One boy went from being an unconfident, reluctant reader to devouring The Boxcar Children books. His mother sent a note at the end of the year which said in part: “His love for reading has also skyrocketed and that excites me very much. He looked forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. I know he enjoyed spending time with you and the games you played. It created a great love for reading and a pure joy.”
Now SLD Read is seeking volunteers for tutor training courses that begin in Kalamazoo on Jan. 12 and in Grand Rapids on Feb. 16.
The 32-hour course, entitled Phonics Fundamentals, includes lecture, lesson demonstrations and hands-on practice of phonological awareness activities, multisensory techniques, structured language patterns and rules of the English Language.
SLD Read’s curriculum is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach, which is described as a highly effective program for struggling learners of all ages with dyslexia or other learning differences that focuses on reading, writing and spelling and is a nationally accredited program through the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council and the International Dyslexia Association, the press release said.
SLD Read also has a team of paid tutors, offering services on a sliding scale and, in some cases, scholarships for qualified students. Through the training, tutors are provided the materials and lessons they need for working with their students.
“We’ve been tutoring in our community since 1974,” says Carol McGlinn, the executive director of SLD Read of Kalamazoo, “It is not traditional tutoring in the sense of helping with homework. Our tutors are specifically focused on teaching reading, writing and spelling.”
Volunteer tutors who sign up should be “passionate about reading and working with struggling readers,” the press release said.
An interview is required for registration in the training course course. Those interested shled email Heidi Turchan at hturchan@sldread.org. Visit the SLD Read website for more details: www.sldread.org.
The Book Doctor Oliver Jeffers’ Once Upon An Alphabet – A is for… will never be dull again. Oliver Jeffers induces each letter of the alphabet in a snippet of a story that spins effortlessly around the single letter. C is a cup that makes an adventurous journey out of a cupboard with disastrous results. Every story is an adventure and for each of them Oliver Jeffers’s witty illustrations are a delight.
Emily, Chief Book Elf This Book Is Gay. I can’t believe I’m going for a non-fiction title as my best book of 2014, but James Dawson’s book knocked me off my feet. I laughed (so much), I cried, I got angry and I want to propose a rule that every school library should have at least 10 copies of this book on their shelves and make homophobia a thing of the past. Read it, and read it now!
Charlotte, Book Elf I Predict a Riot by Catherine Bruton (cue Kaiser Chiefs theme tune!). Inspired by the 2011 riots, this is a massively important book in our current social/political climate – if reading is all about putting yourself in other people’s shoes, then every teenager needs to read this book about class, race, gang culture and inner city life. And I defy anyone who does to maintain that politics is irrelevant and voting a waste of time.
Members
TheBookAddictedGirl Wow, which book to chose?! There have been so many amazing books out this year (Magisterium, This Book Is Gay, Say Her Name, We Were Liars, Ruin and Rising), but I think I have to stick with the book I was most excited about all year, one that was written by one of my very favourite authors and was the last book in one of my very favourite series. And that book is Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout, the final book in the Lux series, which is more addictive than chocolate. Opposition had everything I’ve come to expect from the Lux series and more: hot aliens, bundles of laugh, even more suspense, action, fighting, kisses, twists and turns and, of course, Daemon Black, AKA my favourite book boyfriend. I’m absolutely devastated that the Lux series has finished now, but it really went out with a bang, thanks to Opposition. And, of course, I have all of JLA’s other amazing books to look forward to in the future (even if the future is Daemon Black-less)!
Booklover24 Favourite book of the year has to City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. Everything about it was perfect.
OrliTheBookWorm The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting by Holly Bourne, because whenever I was feeling low, or if a day was too dark, I would pick it up, hear Bree’s voice in my head, and learn to laugh again.
Nina Serifina My favourite book of the year is probably Cat Clarke’s A Kiss in the Dark. You – just – have – to – read – on!
Safah Best book of 2014 would HAVE TO BE Louder than Words by Laura Jarratt – just mesmerising.
Helloitsheath Best book of 2014 has to be We Were Liars. Moving, suspenseful and incredible all round!
justonemorepage Oh, goodness. This is such a hard question – there’s so many excellent books that I’ve read over the past year… But I’m going to go with I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. It was a great read in many ways instead of just one (members of the site get sent a lot of proofs – this book isn’t actually out until next year but we’ve let it slip into this list!)
A scene from Diary of a Wimpy Kid book 9: The Long Haul which won site member Nintendo’s best book of the year vote. Here’s an extract of the book.Photograph: Puffin/Jeff Kinney
Twilight Vi Darcy Burdock: Hi So Much by Laura Dockrill. This was definitely my best book of the year – there are now three Darcy books out as Sorry About Me has just arrived – I love them all so much because they are so funny and Darcy feels like she’s real and actually my friend
Amazed Earthling My favourite book of 2014 is Lockwood & Co: The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud which I have just finished, it was great, really gripping. I was going to pick The Mute Button by Ellie Irving which was a terrific book too but Stroud just pipped it, really close run thing, hard to choose between them!
ShadowKissedHannah Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. This novel embodies everything I want and will try to be in my life; to stand tall even if I’m stood all on my own, to rise above others’ expectations of me and break every fear which tries to shackle me back. For the living and the dead, I want to make a reckoning. But will I rise? Ruin and Rising, the third and final book in the Grisha trilogy, was unavoidably the honest winner as it was probably the most anticipated book of the year for me and many others. Concluding an epic YA fantasy saga is a huge feat, but Leigh managed it in the most incredibly heartbreaking, flawlessly broken way which left me weak in the knees and sobbing into my pillowcase. No series since Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead has left me so satisfied but also desperately craving for more, so its kinda good Leigh is writing a spin off series still set in the Ravkan world huh?
Still, nothing will ever compare to my utter adoration of the simply compelling story of the Boy who held too much power, and let himself rot his scarlet heart just for the pleasure of ruling forever. Of the Prince, who risked everything good inside of himself to become the man his country needed him to be. Of the Tailor, who’s beauty was always just a mask which hid the true grace trapped inside. Of the Soldiers, of the Summoners, of the Corrupt and the Followers. Of the darkness which dwells inside of every one of us, and of the saintly light which may have never been ours to keep forever in the first place. Of the Power and Passion and violent Anger. Of the Dangerous paths and long buried secrets which will one day see the light of day, making things never quite the same as it was before. Of that pale, gaunt mapmaker who never thought she’d matter, never thought she could make a change, when in fact she was the most important piece of the puzzle in a messed up, complicated game. Alina Starkov, thank you for your story.
jboo1698 My recommendation for 2014 is Endgame by James Frey and my reason is because it’s a book similar to a book from the past, it’s a great storyline and it could work out very nicely for you if you win the $3million prize!
Rosa.Reader Mine is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I could talk for four hours about that book. Just give me some poor, unsuspecting member of the public and some chairs and off I’ll go. Can I just ask you all to stop and bow down to the incredible force of literary genius that is E. Lockhart.
Poppy Darcy Burdock: Hi So Much by Laura Dockrill. What I have in common with Darcy is her personality. First we have the same hair – my mum describes mine as a rats nest! Also, I am a tomboy and I absolutely hate wearing a school uniform and clumpy school shoes. I also love writing when I am in the mood, I most like writing ghost tales… I give this book 5 out of 5, I LOVED it!
ShazzSharingan It was a very hard pick since so many amazing books have come out this year, but if I am completely honest with myself, I would have to say The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan was my favourite read. I am sure this book has already been mentioned by many other people since it was so highly anticipated, but my personal love for it comes from the fact that it gave such a satisfying ending to such a brilliant series
Lifeissweetinbooks My favourite book of 2014 would have to be… Half Bad by Sally Green! The reason for this is because this cover itself is astounding! Anyway the plot is prodigious yet cunning. The way it is written so intriguing and my favourite part of the book would have to be the beginning because the short sentences/phrases used caught my attention straight away. As usual I couldn’t step reading it.
Lottie Longshanks Phoenix by SF Said without a doubt! Phoenix shot to the top of my favourite book list and may stay there for ever! Since I read this book I have gone to sleep each night listening for the music of the stars.
Rising Star My favourite book this year is Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan.
thedauntlessbookthief I think that the best book released in 2014 that I’ve read has to be The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black! It’s by two of my favourite authors and I can’t wait for the second book in the series to be released.
Lilypand Favourite book of the year? Now that is a hard one…umm. I guess I’m not allowed to give two so… The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil. So very funny. And amazing. And just… wow.
Family reviewers
Teri and Mya This was easy! We have not stopped reading and laughing at Max and The Won’t Go To Bed Show by Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton. Such a brilliantly funny and enjoyable book.
Gaya Embuldeniya It’s a tough one but I might have to pick Shirley Hughes’ A Year of Stories and Things to Do. Such a lovely book. Not sure if picking an anthology is cheating. If it had to be a single book, I would have a hard time choosing between On Sudden Hill (Linda Sarah, Benji Davies) and There’s a Dinosaur in my Bathtub (Catalina Echeverri).
Amy and Leila (20 months) This is a really hard one but I think it’s My Dad’s Beard by Zanib Mian and Laura Ewing. I think mainly because my daughter could relate to the pictures.
Group members
The Whiteheath Book Ninjas have had a fabulous November reading loads of great comic books and graphic novels but the surprise hit has been the wonderful El Deafo by Cece Bell – we all loved it and one even said it was the best book she’d ever read!
MillenniumRIOTreaders Because there are a lot of us in our book group we have broken the one book rule, but there is no more than one book recommended per member!
Web of Darkness by Bali Rai This was one of my favourite books this year because it’s the only book I’ve read this year that has stood out from every mystery book I have ever read. It’s a modern mystery that is unique as there is not really any justice or happy ending and that is what excited me the most about this book. I chose Web of Darkness because it is so darkly disturbing, brilliantly exciting and just an absolutely thrilling read which I haven’t come across in quite some time.
More Than This by Patrick Ness This is one of the best books I have ever read. It was such a good dystopian novel, it had no clichés and I found it really original. The plot twist in the middle of the book was so epic and mind-blowing that I had to put the book down and think about it for a while before picking it back up. The characters were strong, diverse and very well written. The universe was deep and well structured, the descriptions making the story feel very real It is all together such an amazing book!
Shadowplay by Laura Lam I absolutely loved this book. It is so cute!! I loved Pantomime when we read this for the North East Teenage Book Awards and it was my favourite choice. When I read Shadowplay I found it to be just as gripping and great to read. The characters are just amazing!
Allies and Assassins by Justin Somper This book is just brilliant. It is so well written weaving the historical element with a very good exciting mystery. I loved the characters and how they make you feel about them. I loved it!
Half a Creature from the Sea by David Almond I really enjoyed this book. There are different tales in the book and it reminded me so much of when I was younger, bringing back great memories of the North East. The stories are wonderful and it is just a lovely book.
Kevin Brooks’ The Bunker Diary won the Carnegie medal this year, and caused a lot of controversy too! Photograph: Kevin Brooks
The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks I am recommending this book because of its unique plotline. It has so much hope in it which I have never come across in any book, TV show or movie. It was so well written with a host of great characters. The anonymity of the abductor kept the whole story powerful and full of suspense. The ending was perfect and leaves you with so many questions which makes the story stay in your mind for a long time after you finish it.
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare This is absolutely one of my favourite series of books ever. This book is such a fantastic finale and is my favourite book of the whole series. I love the characters especially Jace and Magnus. The story is really interesting and I raced through every book. I have read all of the other series by this author now as well because I love her writing!
A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond This book left me with so many feelings and so much emotion as the writing is just so magical. It flows like poetry while you are reading it and you feel exactly what the characters feel while reading their story. You cannot possibly guess how the book will end and it is written in such a way that you don’t really mind how it will end because you just enjoy immersing yourself in the story so much. A stunning book which I will definitely read again.
Armageddon Outta Here by Derek Landy This book of short stories is absolutely unique, funny, witty and just so unusual. The way the stories link to the actual Skulduggery series is just genius and the amazing characters just make the book so enjoyable to read. I am not actually a hug fan of short story books but found this so hard to put down until I had finished the very last page. My favourite of all the stories was Get Thee Behind Me Bubba Moon as it was quite disturbing, exciting and had such a brilliant ending.
Students at Deer Park’s John F. Kennedy Intermediate School recently revved up their passion for reading during a three-day book fair sponsored by the JFK Parent Faculty Club.
The fair, also held during one evening to coincide with parent-teacher conferences, raised funds for assemblies and other school expenses.
Best sellers this season include the sports autobiography “I Am #12: LeBron James” and the latest books in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Minecraft” series.
“The book fair benefits kids,” said PFC volunteer Tom Catanzano. “It also provides a great chance for parents to purchase educational holiday gifts for their children.”
FLINT, MI — Chase Williams had no idea that his enrollment in a YouthQuest after-school program would lead to his artwork used for this year’s Christmas card for the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan.
The card is a personal touch for the Food Bank, which is in the midst of its holiday season fundraising campaign. Envelopes for donors have been included with print editions of The Flint Journal in recent weeks. The Food Bank aims to raise $925,000 for the nearly 30,000-40,000 people it serves each week.
Williams, a 12-year-old sixth-grade student at Carman-Ainsworth Middle School, said he didn’t want to copy someone else’s art, so he thought long and hard about what he would draw.
“I looked up other people’s stuff (artwork), but I wanted to do something better and different,” Williams said. “I wanted it to look more perfect.”
Williams combined candy canes, trees, and deer into a Christmas-themed image.
“You can make any art into anything you want,” Williams said. He said when someone forces him to draw something exactly to specifications or to copy something, he doesn’t like the result because he always has a vision for what he is trying to accomplish.
Williams said he hopes to be a horror author one day since he is already composing stories right now. That is in addition to being an artist.
Williams said he loves the Goosebumps series and Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series the best, because he thinks they are well-written. He cites the Goosebumps book “Deep Trouble” as his favorite of the series.
Williams admitted he wouldn’t mind combining his talents into something like graphic literature or comic books. He said he is inspired by his friends and family, and hopes to find more art contests to enter his work in eventually.
“I didn’t know I would win,” Williams said. He said when he received the award with his name on it, he was shocked.
His mother Helen Boaz, a sterile processing technician at Hurley Medical Center, said that he received a small award with his name on it and a $75 gift card to Walmart. Williams said he spent his gift card on Assassins Creed III and Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag for his video game systems.
Boaz admits she doesn’t know where her son’s artistic career will go and that she was initially shocked he won, but she is happy for him.
“He just does it for fun,” Boaz said about her son’s artistic interest. She said her daughter and son also participate in artistic endeavors as well, so it runs in the family.
Since learning about the Food Bank and what it does, Williams said he plans to get involved soon with everything it is doing.
For more information on the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and how to donate ior volunteer, go to fbem.org or call (810)-239-4441.
