Sharing spooky books is a great way to add to kids’ excitement about upcoming Halloween celebrations. Whether you’re after something charming, funny or chilling, we’ve picked 7 of our favourite chapter books that we think kids aged 5 to 8 will enjoy.
The book we sent our Cockatoo subscribers this month is an epic science fiction thriller, perfect for gamers and bookworms alike! Read the first chapter of Last Gate of the Emperor and find out more about the Ethiopian lore behind the book in our exclusive download.
The book our Parakeet subscribers are reading this month is a fun, family adventure starring two cheeky cousins and their lovable Granny Mo. We asked author Karen McCombie to tell us all about who inspired the book’s brilliant characters and which are her favourite grandparents in children’s literature.
This month our Cockatoo subscribers are travelling around the world to India and back in time to 1946 with a book that combines fantasy, adventure and historical drama. Author Tania Unsworth tells us what inspired the book and which historical fiction books she would recommend you read next.
Sarah Horne is one of our favourite illustrators and when we heard that Sarah had written and illustrated her own book, we just knew it would be a great fit for our boxes. Here we quiz Sarah on what inspired the book and which animal books for kids she recommends our subscribers read next.
We were thrilled to discover this month’s Cockatoo pick when it landed on our desks a few months ago – it’s the perfect summer holiday read! Set in Finland (and translated from Finnish), Me and the Robbersons takes the reader on a hilarious madcap road trip with a band of robbers and pick ‘n’ mix enthusiasts. Here author Siri Kolu tells us what inspired the book and which other Finnish authors she would recommend we all read next.
For this month’s reading adventure our Parakeet subscribers are heading off to Mauritius with The Great Dodo Comeback, a fun and exciting adventure story for newly independent readers, starring Leni, a kind, confident and hugely likeable heroine. Here we quiz author Fiona Sandiford on what inspired the book and her favourite adventure reads for kids.
We are particularly excited about this month’s Cockatoo book. The Lightning Catcher is a brilliant debut that had us on the edge of our seats. It’s modern and relevant, exciting, magical and beautifully told. We caught up with author Clare Weze to find out more about what inspired the book, it’s unique setting and excellent cast of characters.
Our Cockatoo subscribers are heading off on a mountain adventure this month, where they might just meet a yeti! Bigfoot Mountain is an exciting adventure story with a fearless and compassionate heroine, Minnie. Here we quiz author Roderick O’Grady on what inspired the story and his favourite adventure books for kids.
We are thrilled to be sharing Monster Max and the Bobble Hat of Forgetting by Robin Bennett with our Parakeet readers this month. It’s super silly, laugh-out-loud fun with some important messages about difference and working as a team. Here Robin tells us what inspired the book and gives us his top funny book recommendation.
This month our Cockatoo subscribers are on a thrilling, magical adventure with Kip and his friends in The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith. Here we quiz author Loris Owen on what inspired the book, her favourite fantasy reads and, most importantly, who she would want on her team in a quest.
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.
