by Allison Tait | Nov 13, 2024 | Blog, Books, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
The Your Kid’s Next Read community now comprises 36,000+ members – and it’s growing every day! Each year, we ask the group to share their young readers’ favourite reads of the previous 12 months.
As is the case each year, some of these books were published in 2024, some were not. There are always new books that bubble to the top straight away, and there are always older books that rediscovered by a new group of readers every year.
Once again, I’ve broken the lists into categories: picture books, early chapter books (5-7), junior fiction (6-9), middle grade (9-13) and young adult (14+). (NB: There is always crossover, particularly across ages 7-10, as readers develop at their own pace and to their own level of interest, but I’ve done my best to place the books according to expected independent reading age.)
Stand by also for Team YKNR’s favourite reads in 2024, coming soon.
These lists are great starting points when you’re looking for the next great read for your kid/s. Click the title to find out more about each book*.
When I asked for nominations for this category, I called it ‘Junior Readers’, to encompass non-fiction as well. But as the vast majority of the nominations are fiction, I’ve reverted to Junior Fiction for the title!
Your Kid’s Favourite Read 2024: Junior Fiction
As nominated by the members of the Your Kid’s Next Read community.
Most nominated
‘Shower Land’ (series) by Nat Amoore, illustrated by James Hart
‘Detective Beans And The Case Of The Missing Hat’ by Li Chen
‘The 13-Storey Treehouse’ (series) by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton (An oldie but a goodie. Really helped get my son into reading independently (age 7). Enough pictures, humour and the right pace for him. – Sophie)
‘Wandi’ by Favel Parrett
‘Worst Week Ever’ (series) by Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove
‘Wayside School’ (series) by Louis Sachar (Humour that kids find funny, for the fun of it! – Analucia)
‘Real Pigeons’ (series) by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood (My 8yo loved this as there was lots of action! – Vicky)
‘18,000 Holes in the Universe’ (series) by Lisa Foley and Adam Wallace (Has been a huge hit in our house! – Adrian)
‘Cranky Chicken’ (series) by Katherine Battersby
‘Kevin The Roly Poly Flying Pony’ (series) by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
‘The Ultimate Collection of Brilliant Bedtime Stories’ with R. A Spratt
‘Twinning’ (series) by Alexa Moses, illustrated by Sofya Karmazine (Love it! – Sue)
‘Nanny Piggins’ (series) by R. A. Spratt! (Possibly my favourite kids series ever. I mean my kids favourite. *cough* Absolutely hilarious! – Trudy)
‘Willa and Woof’ (series) by Jacqueline Harvey
‘Ella And The Amazing Frog Orchestra’ by Cassy Polimeni, illustrated by Hykie Breeze
‘Miss Penny Dreadful’ (series) by Allison Rushby, illustrated by Bronte Rose Marando
‘The Girl, The Dog and The Writer’ (series) by Katrina Nannestad (Has been a huge hit here. I loved them as much as the kids did. – Alison)
‘Mr Dog’ (series) by Ben Fogle, Steve Cole and Nikolas Ilic
‘Ivy and Bean’ (series) by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
‘Toffle Towers’ (series) by Tim Harris and James Foley (My 9yo rattled through this. I think for him it felt like a ‘proper’ chapter book but had humour, a plot he could follow and characters he liked. – Gillian)
‘The Illustrated Encyclopedia’ (series) by Sami Bayly
‘Deltora Quest’ (series) by Emily Rodda
‘Wolf Girl’ (series) by Anh Do and Jeremy Ley
‘Ratbags’ (series) by Tim Harris and Shiloh Gordon (Hilariously naughty! – Stef)
‘The Illustrated Little Pilgrim’s Progress’ by Helen L. Taylor
‘Ducky the Spy’ (series) by Sean E Avery (My 6 and 9 year olds are loving these (and so am I!). They’re quirky, funny, easy to read, and have great characters and wonderfully expressive illustrations! – Jess)
‘Diary Of A Wimpy Kid’ (series) by Jeff Kinney
‘The Wolves of Greycoat Hall’ (series) by Lucinda Gifford
‘Big Nate’ (series) by Lincoln Peirce
‘The Day I Fell Into A Fairytale’ by Ben Miller, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
‘The Dragon on the Train’ by Ben Brooks
‘Little Fur’ (series) by Isobelle Carmody (A beautiful series of adventure books with a lovely mixture of mythical beings and animals. Great underlying messages of kindness, truthfulness, and other great values including being aware of the environment we live in. The audio book versions were wonderful. – Rebecca)
‘Investi-GATORS’ (series) by John Patrick Green
‘Willy and Hugh’ by Anthony Browne
‘Fluff’ (series) by Matt Stanton
‘Baby-Sitters Little Sisters’ graphic novels (series) by Ann M. Martin, Karen’s Witch and Katy Farina
‘The Dragon Defenders’ (series) by James Russell
You might also like
Your Kid’s Next Read Favourites 2024: Chapter Books
Your Kid’s Favourite Read 2023: Junior Fiction
The best children’s book series you’ve never read
*This post contains affiliate links. See contact page for details
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | Nov 12, 2024 | Blog, Books, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
The Your Kid’s Next Read community now comprises 36,000+ members – and it’s growing every day! Each year, we ask the group to share their young readers’ favourite reads of the previous 12 months.
As is the case each year, some of these books were published in 2024, some were not. There are always new books that bubble to the top straight away, and there are always older books that rediscovered by a new group of readers every year.
Once again, I’ve broken the lists into categories: picture books, early chapter books (5-7), junior fiction (6-9), middle grade (9-13) and young adult (14+). (NB: There is always crossover, particularly across ages 7-10, as readers develop at their own pace and to their own level of interest, but I’ve done my best to place the books according to expected independent reading age.)
Stand by also for Team YKNR’s favourite reads in 2024, coming soon.
These lists are great starting points when you’re looking for the next great read for your kid/s. Click the title to find out more about each book*.
Your Kid’s Favourite Read 2024: Chapter Books
As nominated by the members of the Your Kid’s Next Read community.
Most nominated
‘School of Monsters’ (series) by Sally Rippin, illustrated by Chris Kennett (Fabulous for young, emergent readers. – Kath)
‘Real Pigeons’ (series) by Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood
‘Cub and Brown’ by Edwina Wyatt (Such a sweet story with great illustrations. Each chapter is a short story. – Margot)
‘Little Lunch’ (series) by Danny Katz and Mitch Vane
‘Wild Life’ (series) by Laura Bunting and Philip Bunting
‘Tashi’ (series) by Kim Gamble and Anna Fienberg
‘Fluff’ (series) by Matt Stanton (These really resonated with my 7 yr old who has a strong sense of justice and also used to have an imaginary friend. He even dressed up as Gilbert for book week! – Louise)
‘Hey Jack!’ (series) by Sally Rippin
‘Zac Power Test Drive’ (series) by H. I. Larry (My 6yo keeps coming back to these books time and time again! – Kat)
‘Princess in Black’ (series) by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
‘Ella and the Amazing Frog Orchestra’ by Casey Polimeni (The favourite for both my son and I this year! Such a fun book with interesting facts and a great storyline! – Madison)
‘Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories’ by Dr Seuss
‘Isadora Moon’ (series) by Harriet Muncaster
*This post contains affiliate links. See contact page for details
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | Nov 11, 2024 | Blog, Books, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
The Your Kid’s Next Read community now comprises 36,000+ members – and it’s growing every day! Each year, we ask the group to share their young readers’ favourite reads of the previous 12 months.
As is the case each year, some of these books were published in 2024, some were not. There are always new books that bubble to the top straight away, and there are always older books that rediscovered by a new group of readers every year.
Once again, I’ve broken the lists into categories: picture books, early chapter books (5-7), junior fiction (6-9), middle grade (9-13) and young adult (14+). (NB: There is always crossover, particularly across ages 7-10, as readers develop at their own pace and to their own level of interest, but I’ve done my best to place the books according to expected independent reading age.)
Stand by also for Team YKNR’s favourite reads in 2024, coming soon.
These lists are great starting points when you’re looking for the next great read for your kid/s. Click the title to find out more about each book*.
Your Kid’s Favourite Read 2024: Picture Books
As nominated by the members of the Your Kid’s Next Read community.
Most nominated
‘The Concrete Garden’ by Bob Graham (I just love the silver linings, the collaboration and the friendships. Beautiful book. – Karen)
‘The Truck Cat’ by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell
‘The Tiny Tailors’ by Kat McLeod (I’m a childcare educator and this was a perfect book for spring and led to many beautiful collages using flowers, leaves and found objects. – Louise)
‘Bernie Thinks in Boxes’ by Jess Horn and Zoe Bennett (I love when neurodivergent children are represented in picture books. – Kelly)
‘Down The Road Little Bee’ by Sarah Jane Lightfoot
‘The Book with No Pictures’ by B. J. Novak (The kids at school just laugh so much when their reads it them and makes the strange words/sounds. – Debbie)
‘Jetty Jumping’ by Andrea Rowe and Hannah Somerville
‘The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet’ by Davina Bell and Jennifer Falkner (It was the most accurate representation of the contradictions of parenting toddlers I have come across. I have never read a picture book that made me as a parent feel so seen. – Kathleen)
‘In The Rockpool’ by Andrea Rowe and Hannah Somerville
‘Zoom’ by Dannika Patterson and Ross Morgan (A wonderful read. – Vanessa)
‘I’ll Always Be Older Than You’ by Jane Godwin and Sara Acton
‘Reading to Baby’ by Margaret Wild and Hannah Somerville (A perfect depiction of sibling love and the power of reading. – Erin)
‘Luigi The Spider Who Wanted To Be A Kitten’ by Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes
‘Hooray, Hooray It’s Library Day!’ by Julie Anne Grasso and Heath McKenzie (It’s such a joyful celebration of libraries, library books and library kids. – Helen)
‘A Curry for Murray’ by Kate Hunter and Lucia Masciullo (It’s been in our house for quite a while but I just love the rhyming text and the sense of community that builds throughout the story. – Sarah)
‘Fairy Beach’ by Sheila Knaggs and Jennifer Falkner (A big favourite in our house. The story is so sweet and the illustrations are so magical. – Astrid)
‘Lights Out, Little Dragon!’ by Debra Tidball and Rae Tan
‘Timeless’ by Kelly Canby (Such a great reminder to make your time matter with the ones you love! – Maija)
‘101 Collective Nouns’ by Jennifer Cossins
‘The Dictionary Story’ by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston (So clever and beautiful to look at and fun for the small readers and big readers alike. I can’t wait for my girl to get her copy for Christmas, I’m itching to read it again! – Bek)
‘Two Turtles’ by Kiah Thomas and Jake A. Minton
‘Go Go and the Silver Shoes’ by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker (A beautiful story about friendship, sharing and ingenuity. And the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. – Katja)
‘Anchored’ by Debra Tidball and Arielle Lu (Poignant and beautiful. – Pip)
‘Still Stuck’ by Shinsuke Yoshitake (Adorable and hilarious picture book perfection – Analucia)
‘Get Ready, Mama!’ by Sharon Giltrow and Arielle Li (A fun role reversal book about getting ready in the morning. Something every parent and child can relate to. Lovely soft illustrations in shades of butteryellow, lilac, pink and brown. – Katja)
‘In My Garden’ by Kate Mayes and Tamsin Ainslie
‘A is for Bee’ by Ellen Heck (My 4 year old’s fav book this year. We checked it out of the library many times. Nice if your child is interested in languages. – Mary)
‘The Beehive’ by Megan Daley and Max Hamilton (I adored this narrative non-fiction – Pip)
‘Almost a Fish’ by Julianne Negri and Evie Barrow (It had the kids (and adults) at my recent Storytime session mesmerised. And the illustrations are gorgeous. – Michelle)
‘Summer Blue’ by Trudie Trewin and Marjorie Crosby-Fairall (Every word in the book is there for a reason, and such gorgeous illustrations. It’s great for increasing vocabulary. Just love it. – Debbie) (out of print)
‘Dazzlehands’ by Sacha Cotter (A brilliant, funny readaloud which worked with Y0-Y8!!! – Penny)
‘Special Delivery: A Book’s Journey Around The World’ by Polly Faber and Klas Fahlen (Beautifully illustrated. A story of a books journey from printer to store, to purchase as a gift, through the postage system to the recipient. A firm favourite in our household with Mr 3. – Jamie)
‘Yoshi Sea Turtle Genius’ by Lynne Cox and Richard Jones (My 6yo is devouring it. I think he reads it at least once a day. And we’ve watched the YouTube videos about her release and have started tracking other turtles. – Kat)
‘Willow’s Gumboots’ by Beverley McWilliams and Helene Magisson (Gorgeous book about sustainability. – Kath)
‘Beautiful Oops!’ by Barney Saltzberg (We have a perfectionistic child and this was recommended to help her understand a mistake is good. It really resonated with her and is tactical and fun. – Kathryn)
You might also like
Your Kid’s Next Read Favourites 2024: Chapter Books
Your Kid’s Favourite Read 2023: Picture Books
*This post contains affiliate links. See contact page for details
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | Oct 17, 2024 | Books, Reading, Your Kid's Next Read
What makes a great family read-aloud novel?
“You’re looking for something that will appeal to a range of ages, and something that will appeal to the adults as much as it will to the children,” says Megan Daley, award-winning teacher-librarian and co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. “So you want something that can cover and capture a wide reading span, and I’m often looking for something at the feelgood end of the spectrum.”
As Megan says, if you can get your kids to sit down to listen to a family read-aloud, you want the experience to be a time of warmth and nurturing and togetherness, so perhaps leave the more dramatic or ‘thematic’ books for reading specifically with an older child.
Megan also suggests looking for some humour, and for characters who are a little bit older than the children being read to. “I find children like to listen to stories about older kids,” she says. “It gives them something to look forward to, and helps them to navigate the next few years in their own lives.”
My own criteria include chapters of manageable lengths (so that if you do decide to read ‘just one more’ you’re not their until midnight) and a ‘voice’ that sings with wry humour and inside jokes – I love John Flanagan’s Ranger Apprentice series for this reason, and it’s something that was always in the back of my mind when I was writing The Mapmaker Chronicles series.
Three reasons to try a family read-aloud novel
• Role modelling: In our recent podcast discussion ‘Real Talk About Literacy and Literature‘, Megan and I emphasised the importance of role modelling reading at home for children who may be losing interest in books. A ‘family book’ is a great way to make reading a part of family life.
• Elevating comprehension: In reading together, you can introduce books – some of the classics perhaps – well before a child’s individual reading age, and by discussing the way the story plays out, you’re building comprehension in a natural way.
• It’s actually just fun: Reading books together allows the whole family to embrace a great story. It doesn’t have to be a chore – but it does have to be a priority. Scheduling in a regular 20 minutes for a chapter or two is a good way to put reading back on the table at your place.
To get you started, we asked the Your Kid’s Next Read community to nominate their favourite family read-aloud novels. Click the title to read a description of the book and to purchase if you wish.*
The top 10 most-nominated family read-aloud novels
‘The Wild Robot’ by Peter Brown
‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E. B. White
‘Runt’ by Craig Silvey
‘The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane’ by Kate DiCamillo
‘Leo and Ralph’ by Peter Carnavas
‘Marge In Charge’ by Isla Fisher
‘Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren
‘Vincent and the Grandest Hotel on Earth’ by Lisa Nicol
Nevermoor (series) by Jessica Townsend
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
50+ more great family read-aloud novels
‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’ by Brian Selznick
‘The Mapmakers’ Race’ by Eirlys Hunter
‘The Silver Sword ‘by Ian Serraillier (‘Even had my husband captivated and that’s saying a lot’ – Louise)
‘Wishtree’ by Katherine Applegate
‘The Sheep-Pig’ by Dick King-Smith
‘The Trumpet of The Swan’ by E. B. White
‘Polly and Buster’ (series) by Sally Rippin
‘The Witches’ by Roald Dahl
‘Pearly and Pig’ (series) by Sue Whiting and Rebecca Crane
‘The Book Without No Pictures’ by B. J. Novak (‘Hands down the best book we have ever read aloud to ours when they were small’ – Angela)
‘Ella At Eden’ (series) by Laura Sieveking
The Travelling Bookshop (series) by Katrina Nannestad
‘Wolf Road’ by Alice Roberts
Ming (series) by Jackie French (‘Great read alouds for my two (boy and girl) as there’s lots to discuss about history, lifestyle and places.’ – Stella)
The Mapmaker Chronicles (series) by A. L. Tait
‘My Brother Ben’ by Peter Carnavas
‘The One and Only Ruby’ by Katherine Applegate (‘A lovely book to help 6-10 year old children talk about their worries; easy to read as a family’ – Caroline)
‘The Hobbit’ by J R R Tolkien
The Ateban Cipher (series) by A. L. Tait
Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling
Winnie The Pooh (series) by A. A. Milne
‘Matilda’ by Roald Dahl
Kingdoms and Empires (series) by Jaclyn Moriarty
Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda (‘Great for slightly older children’ – Kim)
‘The Explorer’ by Katherine Rundell
‘The Children of Noisy Village’ by Astrid Lindgren (‘One of my favourites as a child’ – Ula)
The Ranger’s Apprentice (series) by John Flanagan
‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L. M. Montgomery
‘The Tale of Despereaux’ by Kate DiCamillo
‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ (series) by C. S.Lewis
Paddington Bear (series) by Michael Bond
‘The Wolves of Greycoat Hall’ (series) by Lucinda Gifford
Heartwood Hotel (series) by Kallie George
‘What Snail Knows’ by Kathryn Apel
Ramona (series) by Beverly Cleary
Pages & Co (series) by Anna James
‘Wurrtoo’ by Tylissa Elisara and Dylan Finney
Mary Poppins (series) by P. L. Travers (‘Too zany for me but my kids loved it even when they were small – we read the whole series’ – Gillian)
‘Stella by Starlight’ by Sharon M. Draper
‘The Muddleheaded Wombat’ by Ruth Park
‘Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables’ by Tim Harris and James Hart
‘The Power of Positive Pranking’ by Nat Amoore
‘A Place to Hang The Moon’ by Kate Albus
‘The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street’ by Karina Yan Glaser
11 Ruby Road (series) by Charlotte Barkla
Miss Penny Dreadful (series) by Allison Rushby
‘Stuart Little’ by E. B. White
‘Where The Mountain Meets The Moon’ by Grace Lin
‘The Silver Arrow’ by Lev Grossman
‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ by Eiko Kadono
‘The Golden Swift’ by Lev Grossman
‘Spies In The Sky’ by Beverley McWilliams
*Post contains affiliate links. See contact page for details.
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
by Allison Tait | Oct 14, 2024 | Blog, Books, My books, Reading, Writing, Your Kid's Next Read
The first book in The Mapmaker Chronicles series turns 10 today. Double figures. A Big Kid by anyone’s standards.
Ten years ago today, Race To The End Of The World was published – my first experience of the joy and confounding ambivalence of publication day as a children’s author.
Sending your debut novel out into the world is simultaneously thrilling, terrifying and – incredibly uneventful. I expected parades and instead dropped my two boys at school, picked them up and (probably) had spag bol for dinner.
But, as I prepare for the publication of my tenth middle-grade novel in 2025, I can honestly say that the many hours I put into dreaming up and writing Race To The End Of The World were some of the best hours of my life.
The product of one million words
Before I wrote my first children’s novel, I had written three full adult novels of 90,000+ words each. I had been lucky enough to have two non-fiction books published, along with three ghost-written books. I had completed thousands and thousands of articles for magazines and newspapers, along with everything from advertising campaigns and annual reports.
Conservatively, I had written one million words.
I knew that I knew how to write sentences – sentences that were funny, compelling, engaging and beautiful, all at different times, sometimes at the same time.
What Quinn, Ash, Zain and the other characters in Race To The End Of The World taught me was how to write a story.
The first book I’d ever written for children and the first book I’d ever written that had me so absorbed in what happened next that I forgot to overthink, forgot to be a perfectionist, forgot to try to be a Writer, and instead just wrote down the story.
A story that filled every nook and cranny of my brain for six weeks (except for the bits required to keep the family alive). Where the actual writing mostly took place between 10pm and midnight.
Six weeks. That’s how long the first draft took me.
Then, of course, the editing began.
It took almost a year from the day that Suzanne O’Sullivan at Hachette Australia said ‘yes’ to publishing the book for it to appear on shelves. By then, I’d written Prisoner of The Black Hawk and drafted Breath Of The Dragon as well.
(I needed the full first trilogy written before I went out to talk about Race To The End Of The World – when you write like I do, it’s essential.)
It takes a village (or two) to keep a book in print
My oldest son was nine years old when we first had the two conversations that inspired this epic fantasy adventure story. (You can see my first ever video interview about the series here, where I talk about those conversations and what happened after that.)
I am enormously proud of the fact that The Mapmaker Chronicles is still available today, and published in several territories. I still get regular emails from readers who have discovered the series and want to tell me how much they love it (and asking where book 5 is, but that’s a different story…).
Thank you to everyone who has read the books and shared it with others. If you haven’t read them yet, there’s more information here.
Books do not last ten years without a lot of help and I cherish the support of readers and my various communities, from The Pink Fibro (IYKYK) to Your Kid’s Next Read, who have been with me on this mighty journey and helped me navigate my career as a children’s author.
I think Quinn would be very proud.
Find out more
The Mapmaker Chronicles series
How To Be A Children’s Author
How to write a series
Why I love reluctant heroes
The original book announcement post
Curriculum information about the book
Teachers’ Notes
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
If you’re looking for book recommendations for young readers, join the Your Kid’s Next Read Facebook community, tune in to the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast and sign up for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter.
‘Shower Land’ (series) by Nat Amoore, illustrated by James Hart
‘18,000 Holes in the Universe’ (series) by Lisa Foley and Adam Wallace (Has been a huge hit in our house! – Adrian)
‘Twinning’ (series) by Alexa Moses, illustrated by Sofya Karmazine (Love it! – Sue)
‘Miss Penny Dreadful’ (series) by Allison Rushby, illustrated by Bronte Rose Marando
‘Toffle Towers’ (series) by Tim Harris and James Foley (My 9yo rattled through this. I think for him it felt like a ‘proper’ chapter book but had humour, a plot he could follow and characters he liked. – Gillian)
‘Ratbags’ (series) by Tim Harris and Shiloh Gordon (Hilariously naughty! – Stef)
‘The Wolves of Greycoat Hall’ (series) by Lucinda Gifford
‘Little Fur’ (series) by Isobelle Carmody (A beautiful series of adventure books with a lovely mixture of mythical beings and animals. Great underlying messages of kindness, truthfulness, and other great values including being aware of the environment we live in. The audio book versions were wonderful. – Rebecca)
Are you new here? Welcome to my blog! I’m Allison Tait, aka A.L. Tait, and I’m the author of middle-grade series, The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. My latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. You can find out more about me here, and more about my books here.
