Our Children's Book Blog | Parrot Street Book Club

8 new Christmas books for kids in 2022

October 30, 2022

There are some fantastic new Christmas books for kids aged 5 to 12 publishing this year, including brand new titles by some of our favourite authors. Here are the Christmas books at the top of our list in 2022.

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14 of the best new books for kids by some of our favourite authors

October 26, 2022

2022 has been another bumper year for new kids’ books and some of Parrot Street’s favourite authors have been especially busy. If you’re a subscriber looking to boost your library this Christmas or simply a children’s book fan looking for the best new books by the finest children’s authors, here’s our guide to some of the books you won’t want to miss.

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8 brilliant chapter book combinations for kids aged 5 to 14 this Christmas

October 21, 2022

A well-chosen book is an excellent gift for any occasion. But knowing which children's book to choose can be tricky. Every year we read hundreds of children’s books in order to select the very best of the bunch for our subscription boxes. Here we suggest books for a range of ages and interests based on our back catalogue.

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Book gifts for kids under 10

October 1, 2022

If you’ve got gifts for kids under 10 on your Christmas shopping list this year, you really can’t go wrong with a book. And if you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry. We’ve put together a guide to some of the best book gifts for kids under 10 in 2022.

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Joanna Nadin on No Man's Land and writing about politics in children's books

April 14, 2022

The book we've sent our Cockatoo subscribers this month is a powerful and thought-provoking dystopian thriller. Here No Man's Land author Joanna Nadin answers a few questions for us about what inspired the book and her top recommendation for what to read next.

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13 children’s books exploring the impact of war and the refugee experience

March 4, 2022

It’s shocking to watch events unfolding in Ukraine and, understandably, many children have a lot of questions and concerns about what is happening. We’re huge advocates of books for helping children to explore their feelings, practise empathy and develop their understanding of the world around them. With that in mind, we’ve put together this list of 13 books that you might find a useful starting point for talking with children about the war in Ukraine and its impact:

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Jion Sheibani on The Worries and illustrated chapter books for younger kids

November 16, 2021

This month our Parakeet subscribers are reading a fun, charming and important book that is perfect for initiating family conversations about anxiety. The Worries: Sohal Finds a Friend is the first book in a new series by Jion Sheibani. Here Jion tells us more about what inspired her to create the book and which illustrate chapter books for younger readers she would recommend you turn to next.

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Lou Kuenzler on Our Beautiful Game and her favourite historical books for kids

November 15, 2021

Our Beautiful Game is a moving historical story, set during the First World War and inspired by the incredible real-life story of trailblazing women’s footballer Lily Parr and her peers. Here we ask the book’s author, Lou Kuenzler, to tell us more about what inspired the book and which historical books for kids she would recommend you read next.

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An exclusive extract from The Elephant by Peter Carnavas and our recommended books about mental health for kids

April 13, 2021

The book we sent our Parakeet subscribers this month tells the beautiful and ultimately uplifting story of Olive, whose family is in the midst of a terrible grief. We're delighted to be able to share an exclusive extract from The Elephant as well as our recommended books for kids about grief and mental health.

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An interview with Helen Rutter about The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh and her favourite funny books for kids

March 17, 2021

The book we sent our Cockatoo subscribers this month is a brilliant debut that is laugh-out-loud funny, moving and relatable in so many ways. We asked author Helen Rutter to tell us what inspired her to write the book and all about her favourite funny reads for kids.

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14 chapter books that would make a perfect Christmas gift for kids aged 8 to 12

November 4, 2020

A good book is so much more than words and pictures printed on a page – it’s a whole experience, one that the reader can relive again and again. Books really are the gift that keeps on giving. Here’s our guide to some of the best new chapter books for kids aged 8 to 12 that we think should be on everyone’s Christmas shopping list this year.

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Sports lovers’ fiction: 10 great sports books for kids

June 20, 2020

We are asked all the time for book recommendations for kids who love sport. If your youngsters, like mine, are missing their usual sports clubs, teams and activities during lockdown, why not try quenching their sporty thirst with some of these fiction books for sport-loving kids?

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