5-8 years

5-8 years | 8-11 years | 11-13 years | Teen/Young Adult

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Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All

5-8 years

25th anniversary edition of this poetic guide to a fearless heart

What a magnetic duo. Maya Angelou, poet, memoirist and civil rights campaigner. Jean-Michel Basquiat, the street artist whose posthumous reputation has soared in recent years. Life Doesn’t Frighten Me At All is a poem of defiance, a lesson in vanquishing childhood fears. And in a lightning strike of inspiration, it’s been paired with a selection of Basquiat’s Neo-Expressionist paintings.

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Book series for kids

5-8 years 11-13 years Teen/Young Adult

Every parent loves a book series. Keep your kids busy with these Bookstoker recommendations.

With Autumn upon us, and the nights drawing in, surely now is the time to get your kids cosily curled up with a book. Or two. Or preferably, a whole series, to keep them busy until Spring. With this in mind, we’ve cherry-picked a few, for discerning young minds.

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Virginia Wolf

5-8 years

The world of Bloomsberry soothes Virginia's turbulent mind in this charming and inventive picture book

Virginia is feeling wolfish. Scowling, growling, and howling at the moon, her thoughts are dark. Her sister Vanessa is understandably anxious; can her artistic efforts dispel the storm clouds? This striking book is inspired by Virginia Woolf’s close relationship with her sister, the artist Vanessa Bell. The healing power of art, and the bonds of sisterhood, are portrayed with the aid of some beautiful illustrations.

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Eddy Stone and the Epic Holiday Mash-Up

5-8 years

Lots of laughs in this daft nautical adventure

A pirate is sitting in Eddy’s gran’s bath. A startling event, but a very welcome one. Eddy has been having the most rubbish holiday in the history of holidays, and excitement is well overdue. Mad Bad Jake McHake has arrived, and he’s looking to recruit a gang of ‘salt-seasoned old sea-dogs’, for adventure on the high seas. Shortlisted for the Laugh-Out-Loud Awards 2017 (the ‘Lollies’), Eddy Stone’s riotous adventure is surely a major contender.

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Michael Rosen’s Sad Book

5-8 years

A comforting and illuminating read for melancholic moments

Michael Rosen’s Sad Book is an understated masterpiece. It takes a look at an aspect of our children’s lives we sometimes overlook, their capacity to deal with heartache. Michael Rosen’s son Eddie, was only 18 when he died. The author’s grief and loss is woven into this exploration of one of our less discussed emotions.

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The Cat in the Hat

5-8 years

Celebrating 60 years of Seussian genius

The Cat in the Hat has been teaching us to read since 1957. Several generations of families now know the tale of the anarchic cat who pops round to liven up a dull and rainy afternoon.

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The Moomins and the Great Flood

5-8 years

Rediscovering Moomin magic

This beautiful book is the very first story in the famous and beloved Moomins saga. With the Moominland exhibition at London’s Southbank Centre, and an upcoming retrospective of Tove Jansson’s art, it’s the perfect opportunity to rediscover their magic.
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Animalium

5-8 years

Perfect present for animal lovers of all ages

This museum is unlike any you’ve visited before. Open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, its collection boasts an unrivalled catalogue of the world’s finest and most extraordinary creatures, with each exhibit in immaculate condition and presented in fantastic detail.

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