Your weekly digest about what's going on in the world of children's literature.
Hi there,
Welcome to the second edition of our weekly Friday round-up of the key trends and talking points in the world of children’s literature. It’s also our last newsletter of 2025 before we all take a well-earned break. We are excited for all that 2026 will bring, as momentum builds towards the National Year of Reading.
This week also brought a personal highlight. I was fortunate enough to attend the filming of the 2025 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures with my 12-year-old son. Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock’s stunning bicentenary lecture was a powerful and timely reminder (despite the popular narrative) that good content, brilliantly delivered, can hold children’s attention for hours.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, and do hope you find a few hours for yourselves to curl up with a good book and relax - or watch that Christmas Lecture!
Tom (co-founder) and the Pageticker Team.
PS If you like what you read, click here to subscribe regularly to our weekly round-ups.
In the News/Useful Links
• From Waterstones: The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods is Waterstone’s Children’s Book of the Year
• From the BBC: The School where reading tops the Christmas List
• From the BBC: Kids are into comics again, is their timing spot on?
• From the BBC: Authors back proposal to give all newborn babies library cards automatically
• From the National Literacy Trust (link opens in YouTube): The Primary Offering for the National Year of Reading
Insights From Our Data
Do we start celebrating Christmas too early? Of course, it’s a matter of opinion, but we thought we’d dig into our book data to see when most start.
We examined the trending books in each of our schools, searching for the frequency of occurrence of the word ‘Christmas’. Such books first started appearing in mid-November, suggesting that for some, excitement about Christmas starts to build about six weeks out. But the big ramp-up is in early December, and currently, books with the word ‘Christmas’ in the title account for almost 1 in 5 of all trending books. If we add in other festive books, such as ‘The Snowman’ or ‘Stickman’, this, of course, would be even higher.
Here’s the breakdown:
Monthly Giveaway
This month, and throughout the National Year of Reading, we'll be giving away a seasonal selection of books to one lucky winner.
To enter:
1. Like and comment on our Instagram or Facebook giveaway post.
2. Follow our Instagram or facebook.
3.Sign up to our weekly round-up. One entry per person.
Giveaway opens 12 Dec 2025 (1pm GMT) and closes 20 Dec 2025 (12pm GMT).
Winner is selected at random and will and contacted by email on 22 Dec 2025. If we've had no reply within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
One winner will receive all of the following books:
- The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper
- The Snow Thief by Alice Hemming & Nicola Slater
- The Snow Dragon by Abi Elphinstone & Fiona Woodcock
- Star by Holly Webb
- I Definitely Don’t Like Winter by Fiona Barker & Christine Pym
- Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll
- The Lights That Dance In The Night by Yuval Zommer
- The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
Entrants must be UK-based, over 18, and must still be following @pageticker at the time of the draw.
By entering, you agree that your username and profile photo may be used for winner announcements.
This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram or Facebook.
Promoter: Pageticker, Pedalogic Ltd, Bath, UK.
Full T&Cs here.
Inspiring Initiatives
Whitstone School in Somerset will be running a competition as part of the National Year of Reading. Although entries to join this competition have now closed, we thought it was worth sharing this with you in case you’d like to do something similar or are looking for ideas.
The challenge starts on the 2nd January and runs until the summer term. Pupils can set their own targets and will be monitored by class teachers against these targets.
For every milestone they achieve, they will be entered into a draw to win bookish prizes.
The milestones they have set are
7 books completed (bronze award)
14 books completed (silver award)
21 books completed (gold award)
40 books completed (platinum award)
There will also be a special award for pupils who have persevered. There will also be an extra prize draw if students visit their local library.
As part of this, they also offered to talk at other schools for free, in person or online, and to send book lists of recommended reads based on the needs of the school.
Handpicked Seasonal Suggestion
As it’s winter time, this week we’re focusing on The Ice Children by M.G. Leonard. This book is suitable for children aged eight and above.
A boy named Finn has gone missing, but when he’s found, he’s frozen solid, yet still alive. No one is able to wake him.
Each day, more children are found frozen. Finn’s sister Bianca is determined to find out the truth. Is it connected with that mysterious book her brother got from the library? Does the man who found Finn know more than he is letting on?
Her quest to discover the truth throws her into a fantastical winter wonderland where things aren’t as they seem…
We’d recommend this book to fans of Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone.
Notable New Release
This week, we’re focusing on the second book in a new series by Anna James called The Chronicles of Whetherwhy: The Season of Flames. This book is suitable for children aged 9 and over.
Although this is the second in a series, children can read it independently (although we’d highly recommend reading the first book too.)
The book follows Elio, a little boy who helps his father look after Tangles (a range of magical creatures, like a peacock made of crystals) at the magical Circus Astra.
Elio discovers that he possesses something the Queen of Whetherwhy desires. So Elio, together with Pom, must leave the circus behind. Maybe now he’ll discover what happened to his mum and if dragons have really disappeared from Whetherwhy.
This is a great read for fantasy lovers and fans of The Whisperwicks.
Sunday Times Children's Bestsellers
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Partypooper by Jeff Kinney (20,745)
2. Dog Man 14: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey (13,505)
3. The Christmasaurus and the Night Before Christmas by Tom Fletcher and Shane Devries (11,800)
4. Santa & Son by David Walliams and Adam Stower (11,645)
5. Weird But True! 2026 (11,500)
Pageticker Booklist
Our most read books that ‘Go All In’ on a TV series:
1. Stranger Things Dungeons and Dragons: A Graphic Novel (Jody Hauser and others)
2. Bluey: Goodnight Fruit Bat (Ladybird)
3. Pokemon Encyclopedia Updated and Expanded (Pokemon)
4. Blue Lock 1 (Muneyuki Kaneshiro)
5. Peppa Plays Football (Ladybird)
Upcoming Dates
• From 5th January - Launch of the National Year of Reading
• From 13th January - We Wonder: Protect Our Nature STEM reading Challenge, resources and sign up opens
• Until 30th January - Register your pupils to help judge the Excelsior Awards, celebrating graphic novels and manga for 9-18 year olds
• 31st January - 8th February - National Storytelling Week
• 9th - 15th February - Children’s Mental Health Week
• 5th March - World Book Day
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Pageticker is the UK's top-rated digital reading diary designed to help children develop habits that will fuel their curiosity and learning for life. Find out more.
Happy holidays,
The Pageticker Team
