Welcome to this week’s round up of all things in Children’s literature. It’s a busy edition, so dive right in!
The Pageticker Team
In the News/Useful Links
A selection of free audiobooks can be accessed on the World Book Day website.
Richard Branson - dyslexia doesn't stop you loving books, I'm proof
Insights From Our Data
January, the most depressing month of the year, is almost behind us. But how does this affect our reading habits?
We dug into our data and examined one genre: humour. Do we read more humour in January to ward off the blues? Or does it appeal less? The chart below perhaps sheds some insight:
Across all categories, on average, 21.4% of books were humorous in January compared to an annual average of 23.1% - a small drop - that maybe reflects our mood?
Examining this, though, threw up a couple of other interesting observations:
There is a huge variation the popularity of humorous books across the age categories (as shown in the chart)
(Not shown in the chart) - Children appear to read significantly more in January compared to other months, perhaps reflecting the longer nights and hopefully the backlog of Christmas reads they may still have.
Monthly Giveaway
Our January giveaway winner was Talya.
Keep an eye on this space for February's giveaway.
Inspiring Initiatives
Last week, we were lucky enough to attend a talk at the BETT Show with AF Steadman and the National Literacy Trust.
In the talk, they spoke about the National Year of Reading and Annabel Steadman’s thoughts around igniting a love of reading.
As part of the talk, she spoke about one of the best World Book Day events she had been part of. Rokeby School had asked every single member of the school community to read one of her books. It created a huge buzz around reading and it wasn’t seen as something uncool to do. It was very powerful when even the maths teacher had read her book and was able to talk about it.
She spoke about reading as both a way of escapism and a way for children to see themselves reflected in the books that they read.
Handpicked Seasonal Suggestion
After AF Steadman’s talk last week, we think it’s only right to feature the first in her series of books Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. The finale to the series has been released recently. So if children enjoy this they will be able to read the whole series.
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is suitable for children 9 and above.
Skandar is desperate to become a unicorn rider. Just as his dream is within reach everything begins to unravel. The Island’s most powerful unicorn has been stolen. Skandar also discovers a devastating secret that will make him question everything he holds dear.
Filled with unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets, races, and ferocious unicorns.
Booklist From Our Data
From our Insights from our Data section, you might think there aren’t many humorous reads in the Older Junior (10-15) category. In fact, there are some real gems in there. Here are our most-read humorous series for ten to 15 year olds.
The Lottie Brooks Series (Katie Kirby)
The Skulduggery Pleasant Series (Derek Landy)
Horrible Histories (Terry Deary)
The Geek Girl Series (Holly Smale)
The Trials of Apollo Series (Rick Riordan)
Notable New Release
Magpie Girl is the notable new release this week. It’s suitable for children aged 9 and above.
Lavender Wild is a magpie girl, this means she grows feathers, talks to birds and can find lost things. But Lavender wants freedom.
So when a former friend realises his dad is missing on the deadly firebird’s mountain, Lavender grabs at the chance to help him on a rescue mission.
Upcoming Dates
• 2-8 February - National Storytelling Week
• 4 February - World Read Aloud Day
• 5 March - World Book Day
• 19 March - Decline in Volitional Reading - Free Seminar with the Open University
• Take a look at the events for the National Year of Reading
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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 reading,
The Pageticker Team
