Bringing books back to bedtime

Posted By Laura in Bookshelf, Other Stuff | 1 comment

There are so many distractions for kids (and adults, for that matter) these days that World Book Day becomes more and more necessary every year. A global initiative to encourage more children to read, there’s few parents who missed the UNESCO event which took place on Thursday 7 March this year.

The scheme is dedicated to making books accessible to children everywhere. In the UK and Ireland alone over 14 million book tokens were given away, in the hope that every child will have a book of their own to enjoy.

The special £1 book tokens can be swapped for one of eight exciting titles, perfect for reading aloud to your children at bedtime. So to gear you up for what you might be reading from your usual perch on the edge of your children’s beds, here is a grown-up’s guide to some of the best books available this year.

For ages 2+: Alfie’s Shop by Shirley Hughes

Join Alfie and Annie Rose as they explore the magical outside world of the back garden. This beautifully illustrated book makes a great bedtime story. It also provides ideas for fun outdoor activities you and your toddler can enjoy together.

For ages 7+: Tony Robinson’s Weird World of Wonders: Funny Inventions 

The latest in Tony Robinson’s (better known to us parents as Blackadder’s Baldrick of course) series of children’s history books, Funny Inventions delves into the past to unearth “the most important, funny, strange, amazing, smelly and disgusting bits” behind the “the most brilliant things ever invented”. Narrated by the Curiosity Crew and jam-packed with fun facts, both you and your the kids are bound to gain new insights into history as you read.

For ages 11+: The Chocolate Box Girls: Bittersweet by Cathy Cassidy

A chance to gain an insight into the complicated world of the teenage romance, but this time it’s from a boy’s perspective. Narrated by Shay, “the boy with the cool blonde fringe and the blue guitar”, the fourth volume in Cassidy’s Chocolate Box series gives young girls a chance to understand heartache from the point of view of the boys who occupy so much of their time.