Christmas Book Shopping and Summer Reading

View the catalogue here

Every few years I collect bookshop Christmas catalogues and compare their children's book offerings.

I did this in 2019, 2020 and in 2023.

The most detailed exclusively children's Christmas or summer reading catalogue is the one from BookPeople:

Kids' Reading Guide

Also look at Three Sparrows (a lovely independent store in Mosman)

Page from Kids' Book guide - art from Here come the Cousins by Maggie Hutchins 

illustrated by Sarah Zweck

This year I also have catalogues from Dymocks; Kinokuniya and Gleebooks and checked out the Abbey's, Better Read than Dead and Hill of Content catalogues online. 

Better Read than Dead

Here are some titles you will find in more than one catalogue:

MIDDLE Grade

Kate DiCamillo Lost Evangeline

Katherine Rundell Impossible Creatures Book 2 - The Poisoned King (blog post coming soon Here is book one)

Neridah McMullen The Keeper of the Octopus (blog post coming soon)

Stuart Wilson Lost in a Book

Craig Silvey Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping

Katrina Nannestad Frances Bloom

Karen Foxlee The Wondrous tale of Lavender Wolfe

JO Dabrowski The Making of Martha Mayfield

Lily Berlin Dodd The Last Ember (Aerimander Chronicles Book 1)

Onjali Q Rauf The Game I will never forget (on my Christmas list)

Dan Gemeinhart Busted (on my Christmas list)

Hill of Content 

PICTURE BOOKS

Zeno Sworder Once I was a Giant

Jo Dabrowski illustrated by Cate James Dear Broccoli

Maggie Hutchins illustrated by Sarah Zweck Here come the cousins

Julia Busuttil Nishimura illustrated by Myo Yim Sundays under the Lemon Tree

Alison Lester and Jane Godwin Where would you go 

Sophie Blackall If we were Dogs

Marjorie Crosby-Fairall Emmie Builds something new (blog post coming soon)

Sophie Masson illustrated by Cheryl Orsini The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef (blog post coming soon)

Anna Walker Between

Vikki Conley and Helene Magisson Little Puggle's Dance

NON FICTION

Marc Martin All about Antarctica

Tim Winton Ningaloo

Phil Bunting Weirdosaurus

Katrina Nannestad The Story Writer's Handbook: Adventures in Creative Writing

Mark Greenwood illustrated by Frane Lessac The legend of Jessie Hickman

Frances Evans and Adrienne Green Atlas of Horses and Ponies

Christmas Book Shopping Catalogues

I have had this idea before - to collect the catalogues of book shops in my city and compare their children's book recommendations.

Here is a quote from my previous post (2019):

I enjoy comparing the books for children which the shops are promoting.  Shops in this city mostly list titles that are already popular with children and well known to their parents.  It would be so good to see them extending these choices to showcase other books that really deserve to be discovered by young readers. We speak English in Australia so we can offer our children the very best books from so many countries - USA, UK, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.

In her library newsletter, a friend of mine who works as the Teacher-Librarian in a large independent school explains this idea further. The newsletter details the top ten titles taken from best seller lists and she says: "See nothing you don't already know, all popular books by well-known authors, but the good thing about our school library is that you can find books that you won't know as well as these, books that will enlighten and amaze you."  If your child borrows a book from the library which is not on this list and and they enjoy it why not look for others in the series or other books by the same author. Perhaps one of these 'other' books might be the treasure you purchase for Christmas.

What do I see in the Christmas catalogues?  The children's books are generally on the final pages, often they are only featured on one or two pages so I need to say congratulations to Better Read than Dead who have a complete catalogue of 23 pages just for children!

In the interests of disclosure these are the shop catalogues I've collected: Abbeys, Dymocks, Gleebooks, Harry Hartog, Kinokuniya, Booktopia, Better Read than Dead, and the Kids' Reading Guide which is produced by the Australian Booksellers Association.

Extra special for all ages

The Book for Marvellous Minds by Maggie Hutchings (I loved the first book from this series The Book For Happy Hearts)

Picture Books

A Life Song by Jane Godwin illustrated by Anna Walker
Gymnastica Fantastica by Briony Stewart

What to do when you don't know what to do by Davina Bell illustrated by Hilary Tapper

If I was a horse by Sophie Blackall

Nightsong by Sally Soweol Han

In the Rockpool by Andrea Rowe illustrated by Hannah Sommerville

Lila Greer Teacher of the Year by Andrea Beaty illustrated by David Roberts

We Know a place by Maxine Beneba Clarke

How does Santa go down the Chimney by Mac Barnett illustrated by Jon Klassen

Three tasks for a dragon by Eoin Colfer illustrated by PJ Lynch (2024 is the Year of the Dragon)

Ruby's Repair Cafe by Michelle Worthington illustrated by Zoe Bennett

Middle Grades

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

The lost library by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo

Silver Linings by Katrina Nannestad

In the shadow of the Wolf Queen by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Scar Town by Tristan Bancks

Two Sparrowhawks in a lonely sky by Rebecca Lim

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate

Foxlight by Katya Baylen

The dragon on the train by Ben Brooks

Non Fiction

Home by Isabelle Simler

Creatures of Camouflage by Sami Bayly

Where Are All The Christmas Beetles? by Suzanne Houghton

Australian Animals From Beach to Bush by Brentos

An Animal A Day: 365 Animals to Take You Through the Year by Miranda Smith

Christmas Book Shopping

Image source: https://www.kinokuniya.com.au/

Image Source: Gleebooks - https://tinyurl.com/tfysuye

At this time of year I like to collect book shop Christmas catalogues. I enjoy comparing the books for children which the shops are promoting.  Shops in this city mostly list titles that are already popular with children and well known to their parents.  It would be so good to see them extending these choices to showcase other books that really deserve to be discovered by young readers.

In her library newsletter, a friend of mine who works as the Teacher-Librarian in a large independent school explains this idea further. The newsletter details the top ten titles taken from this list of the most popular children's books of 2019 and then she says:

"See nothing you don't already know, all popular books by well-known authors, but the good thing about our school library is that you can find books that you won't know as well as these, books that will enlighten and amaze you."  If your child borrows a book from the library which is not on this list and and they enjoy it why not look for others in the series or other books by the same author. Perhaps one of these 'other' books might be the treasure you purchase for Christmas.

What do I see in the Christmas catalogues? In the interests of disclosure these are the shop catalogues I've collected: Abbeys, Beachside Bookshop, Dymocks, Gleebooks, Harry Hartog, Kinokuniya, and the Kids' Reading Guide which is produced by the Australian Booksellers Association.

Popular titles listed in nearly every catalogue:

Picture books: 
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey
Mr Chicken all over Australia by Leigh Hobbs
Summer Time by Antonia Presenti and Hilary Bell
All of the factors why I love tractors by Davina Bell illustrated by Jenny Lovlie
Beast Feast by Emma Yarlett
I see I see by Robert Henderson

Middle Grade:
Funny bones edited by Kate and Jol Temple
Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror by Natasha Farrant illustrated by Lydia Corry
The Impossible boy by Ben Brooks
The secrets of Magnolia Moon by Edwina Wyatt and illustrated by Katherine Quinn
Madame Badobedah by Sophie Dahl illustrated by Lauren O'Hara
Atticus Van Tasticus by Andrew Daddo illustrated by Stephen Michael King

Non Fiction:
The illustrated Encyclopedia of Ugly Animals by Sami Bayly
Let's get Gardening DK Books
Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
Explore your World; Weird, Wild, Amazing! by Tim Flannery
Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street by Felicita Sala
Australian Birds; Australian Sea life by Matt Chun

Well worth a look:
Other titles which are found in one or two catalogues which I recommend you consider for your shopping list:

Picture books:
The Crayon's Christmas by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
Dumazi and the big Yellow Lion by Valanga Khoza illustrated by Matt Ottley
Just Because by Mac Barnett illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

Middle Grade:
The Glimme by Emily Rodda illustrated by Marc McBride
Nevertell by Katharine Orton
Detention by Tristan Bancks
The Adventures of Harry Stevenson by Ali Pye
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
Beverly, Right here by Kate DiCamillo

Non Fiction:
Fauna: Australia's most curious creatures by Tania McCartney
The Good the bad and the Silly: Stories of our past by John Dickson and Bern Emmerichs
Dr Seuss's Horse Museum by Dr Seuss illustrated by Andrew Joyner

Other aspects of these catalogues which I like to think about:

Do they list recommended ages?
How do they group the books?
Are the kids books at the back of the catalogue or the front or elsewhere?
How are the author and illustrator acknowledged?

Happy Shopping for Christmas books to enjoy over the Summer!

Read a review of this new Australian Christmas Board book for children aged 3+

Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift by Dara Goldman

Today is the 1st December so it is time to start talking about Christmas Books. You may have read my post about Sarah's Two Nativities.  That new book from Australia blends two traditions - Christian and Muslim. 

Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift looks at the traditions of Christmas and Hanukkah. Boris is from Russia. He is getting ready to celebrate Hanukkah. Stella has fond memories of her childhood Christmas in Italy.  These two are wonderful friends. Boris plays beautiful music. Stella is a baker. They both like hats and scary movies. Stella empties her savings bank but there are not enough coins for a gift. Stella decides to sell the pine tree that she has grown from a seedling. "Stella didn't need a tree to remind her of her family during Christmas. They were always in her heart." She knows the lady in the flower shop will love to use it in her Christmas window. Now Stella has enough money to buy Boris the perfect gift.

"She hurried across town to a shop that sold dreidels. The shopkeeper had only one left. It was from Israel. ... It was the prefect gift!"

In a parallel story Boris checks his savings bank and he only has a few coins too. He decides to sell his dreidel collection.

"Boris got enough money to buy Stella a special gift. He didn't need the dreidels to remind him of his family during Hanukkah. They would always be in his heart."

Perhaps you have guessed how these two friends and their gifts will collide. Boris buys Stella a glass star for her Christmas Tree. That night at home Boris makes delicious potato latkes with a giant dollop of sour cream and Stella, over in her bakery, makes a panettone with hazelnuts and chocolate.

Finally it is Christmas eve. It is also the last night of Hanukkah. Boris arrives with the star for the tree but Stella has no tree. Stella gives Boris the Dreidel for his collection.

"Bozhe moi!"   Oh no! in Russian
"Mamma Mia" from Stella in Italian

But all is not lost. Boris knows he can now start a new dreidel collection and Stella spies a left over pinecone from her tree and so from the seeds she can grow a new Christmas tree.

I would pair this book for older children with a couple of versions of The Gift of the Magi by O Henry.

Even though Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift was published in 2013 it is still in print! I think it would be a good addition to your Christmas collection either in a family or in a library. Here is a trailer made by the author.  I don't usually talk about publishers but this one has a beautiful name - Sleeping Bear Press. On their web site you can read an extract from this book.

Inviting illustrations are filled with the details of the bears’ cozy apartment and their joint celebration of the eighth night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, complete with potato latkes and Italian panettone cake. Kirkus