Our Favourite Books for 8 and 9 Year Olds

I am really enjoying reading to slightly older children now, being able to pick books with more of a storyline and I am finding that I often enjoy them too. I thought I would share some of the books the bigger boys and I have really enjoyed recently and I would love to hear any recommendations.

The Christmasaurus - Both boys voted this as the best book I have read to them.  Written by Tom Fletcher it is a wonderful book full of humour and excitement and we enjoyed The Christmasaurus and The Winter Witch just as much.  I know it isn't the perfect time for reading a Christmas book but Archie has been asking if we can re-read it already so I couldn't resist adding this magical story.

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant - Nizrana Farook, the author visited Dylan's school pre-covid, but it took us another year before we got round to reading the book.  This is a tale of adventure set in Sri Lanka and opened up a lot of questions about different cultures and ways of living.  This book is aimed more at 9-12 year olds and I think for independent reading Archie especially would struggle, but he enjoyed having it read to him.

The Storey Treehouse Collection - I haven't tried reading these books to the children, but this is Dylan's favourite series for independent reading and books he happily got stuck into, even as a reluctant reader. He got the newest one for Christmas but there is a whole series and I think they are great for 6-10 year olds depending on their ability.  They are full of fun illustrations which make them less intimidating for younger readers.

The Danger Gang - This is another Tom Fletcher book but I couldn't not include it as we have just finished it and both children loved it.  This book is written as a series of letters, one for each month about the freaky goings on in a town called Freaky and we love how each of the Tom Fletcher books references the others in little ways. (We have read the Creakers too).  We all can't wait to see what he writes next.

The Secret Seven - This Enid Blyton collection is dated and I have to explain words and ideas to the children sometimes (and look them up myself too), but the themes of friendship and adventure seem to resonate with the children as they ask for the books and enjoy the stories.  I bought the collection on a special offer and we are working through it slowly, reading the books in between others (we are currently on book 5). I like the way that the books my mum read as a child and that I read as a child can still spark their imagination now, over 70 years since they were written.

I would love to know what children's books your children of this age like reading independently or like having read to them.

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52 Books in 52 Weeks

I set myself a challenge at the beginning of 2020, that I would read 52 books this year, the equivelent of one per week.  I was an avid reader as a child, something that followed me through life and culminated in my studying an English Literature degree at Reading Uni.  I loved studying literature, but I found that the extensive reading lists and pressure to read widely around the topics meant I wasn't able to fit in reading for fun and all the crime thrillers I had previously enjoyed were neglected.  Motherhood seemed to turn my brain to mush for a while and books were not a priority, and reading stopped being such a big part of my life.  I have tried to get back into it many times, but I thought a challenge would really help (nope, not competitive at all).  

I started out with some safe books, following a series I had started last year, easy reading page turners but I wanted to make sure I read well, adding variety to keep it interesting.  I finished book 52 in early November and realised I have learned a few things throughout the year that I should share, so here goes.

1. The best way to find time for reading is to make it part of your daily routine.  For me, this means turning off the tv/laptop at 11pm each night and reading until I am ready for sleep. It might be first thing in the morning, over lunch or another time, but make it part of every day.

2. The classics are that for a reason (with the exception of Middlemarch, possibly the most boring book I have ever read).  I tried to add a few that I had managed to miss during education and realised why they were still so popular many years on.  To Kill a Mockingbird and The Colour Purple were new reads for me that I really enjoyed.

3. Reading doesn't have to be expensive.  I love buying a new book and can spend hours browsing the shelves in a bookshop, but I can't afford to buy 52 new books a year so I chose a few, ones that I really wanted to read and couldn't get hold of any other way.  I also used the library, charity shops and book swaps with friends.  Some of the books I have loved this year I found for 20p in the local charity shop and it has been fun borrowing books that friends recommend.  My local library also offered a service over lockdown where you could submit favourite genres, authors and likes and they would pick books for you to pick up.  I am hoping this is something they continue!

4. If you feel in a rut, try diversifying your reading list.  Try different genres, different authors or different styles.  I found some great book-instagrammers who recommended books I probably wouldn't have found on my own and loved them.  I also tried non fiction, travel writing and autobiographies as well as the stories I am usually drawn to.

5. It is ok to start reading a book and decide it isn't for you, but make sure you give it a real chance.  One of the most interesting books I read this year was one I put down 20 pages in and almost didn't pick it back up.  There is only one that I started and really couldn't get into but I tried three times just to give it a real chance.  We won't all love or appreciate the same books and that is ok.

6. Instagram is a great place for inspiration.  I have picked up lots of books based on the recommendations of book influencers but I have also found many parenting or lifestyle bloggers I follow have shared what they are reading and loving and have influenced me to hunt something out too.  I have loved Book of Cinz this year and have a whole folder on Instagram of books she has shared that I want to read!.

7. Once reading becomes a habit and you find interesting books, it is so easy to fall back in love with it.  I have read the 52 books I had challenged myself to and I am half way through a fascinating number 53 (War Doctor about surgery on the front line by David Knott)with a pile next to my bed ready to go!  I won't share every book I have read this year, but I will pop down a top 10 for anyone needing inspiration.  If there is anything you think I should add to my reading pile then please leave a comment or pop me a message.

Where The Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens 

The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides

Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo

Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari

Around the World in 80 Trains - Monisha Rajesh

Becoming - Michelle Obama

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Little Girl Lost - Carol Wyer

The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Christy Lefteri

Slow Boat - Hideo Furukawa

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My Achievements in 2019

It is my first post of 2020 and I wanted to look back at the last year because when I think about it, it was a pretty big one for me! I want to write down five of the biggest things that I did last year, not as a family necessarily, not even as a mother but as me because I feel like 2019 was the year I started to rediscover my own identity a bit more.

For eight years I have had a baby at home and last September Finn joined his brothers at school and Cora started nursery part time and suddenly I have two days a week where I can do whatever I choose.  The freedom is wonderful although the reality is that the 5 hours or so goes pretty quickly and is mostly taken up by work or running errands, but still.

So here are my five achievements from the past year

1) In March I decided to start running and I could barely manage half a kilometre before having to stop and walk.  I kept going though, pushing myself each time and in September I ran a half marathon in Bristol.  I remember the sensation as I crossed the finish line feeling simultaneously like I could conquer the world and pass out on the spot but I am so proud that I kept at it, I didn't stop and I ran 13.1 miles.

2) I had only left Cora overnight until September but this year I managed to go away twice without the children, once for a weekend with some friends and once for four nights with my Mum and Sister.  It was so lovely to be able to get away and really relax and recover, coming back to real life with a little more energy.  It feels like an achievement to have got this far and the children be secure enough that they don't mind and I really felt like it did me a lot of good.

3) Having a little bit of free time made me decide to volunteer as a school governor this year.  I am still learning the ropes and I think there is always going to be more to learn about but it feels great to have some focus and it is fascinating seeing how the education system runs from inside it.  

4)I took my first driving lesson on my 17th birthday and finally, many years later, I got my pink driving licence.  I didn't tell anyone I was learning as I didn't want the pressure, especially having failed my test when I was learning before and I sobbed so much when the examiner told me I had passed.  It seemed much harder to do as a proper adult but I love the freedom it has given me and I am making plans for 2020 to maybe drive a little further out than the 20 minutes from home which is currently the longest drive I have done!

5)Visiting new places is always on my to-do list and last year I visited three new countries, Croatia in the summer ( which is one of the most breathtaking countries I have ever been to), Greece in October where we spent a wonderful week in Crete and then Tunisia in November which was pure luxury.  I loved discovering new places and I feel so lucky to be able to travel through my blog sometimes. 

I honestly can't see myself accomplishing as much in 2020 but I have set myself some goals, one of which is to read 52 books this year as reading is something I have always loved and has fallen to the side a bit since I have had children.  I also want to get more creative with my photography and try new things.

What are you most proud of achieving in 2019?

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Early Reader's Christmas Books List

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #CollectiveBias

Waterstones, Christmas Books, Early Readers

We are at the beginning of what I consider to be one of the most exciting journeys my child is going to travel - he is learning to read.  I have always been an avid reader, and my mum tells me as young as 18 months I would sit in the corner looking at picture books whilst my friends played.  Once the written words started making sense, I would take a torch to bed to read under the covers, and take an hour getting ready for school as I had a book permanently in my hands.  My love continued through an English literature degree and even now, whilst I don't find nearly as much time as I would like, I love to curl up with a good book.

I am so excited that Dylan is already showing such enthusiasm.  Whilst we have tried never to push him, we have made sure he has the resources and time should it be what interests him, and he has proven that he does want to learn.  As we progressed from letters and sounds to small words, we have wondered about the next step, whether we continue as we are until the school give us a direction, or whether we continue providing the resources for him to learn at his own pace, whatever he decides that to be.  

I went to Waterstones to look at the different options for young readers and to choose a Christmas present, and liked that there was so much variety, especially once they start progressing.  I saw the familiar books of my childhood, although with a slightly updated cover (definitely the same pictures), alongside new books from new authors with colour and fun.  Here are my picks for the first stage:

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Me and Mine February

Pictures tell a story, and this is the story of us.  Not glamorous, not particularly exciting but our story nonetheless.  Bedtime is busier with two; two bodies to wash, two pairs of pajamas to dress with, two faces to wash, two sets of teeth to clean. And then there is one cuddle, one family and one story.  We curl up on Dylan's beanbag next to his bed, and he chooses a story to read.  

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Personalised Book Bundle Giveaway

My children have a lot of books.  They have them in their playroom, in their bedrooms and in the nappy bag for trips out.  I loved books as a child (I still do) and I really want to instil in them a love of reading, an imagination and an appreciation of the written word.

A book can transport you to a magical place, it can give you time away from reality, it can teach you, it can show you how to express your feelings.  We have books that have been read to death, with bent corners and tatty covers, and books that live on the top shelf as they are special, ones that come out only for bedtime stories.

I have a wonderful giveaway for you this week, to win your choice of personalised story as well as a bundle of themed books to go with it.  What's more, is that the winner will get their books in plenty of time for Christmas - the perfect present for a special little person.

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Tidy Books Review and Competition

Our new house has a huge living room - big enough that we are splitting it in two with an invisible line, and having an adult end and a play room end.  Planning the play room has been really exciting and a full post will follow, but for now I am sharing the gorgeous bookcase we have.  I have mentioned before that Dylan is a mini-bookworm and nothing has changed.  He will most often pick books over toys and his collection is growing at quite a rate!  This is something I definitely encourage as a lover of books myself and I cannot wait to introduce him to some of my old favourites when he is a bit older.

Tidy Books have sent us one of their stunning bookcases in light blue and it is the perfect way for Dylan to show off his books in the new room whilst still keeping them tidy.  The bookcase

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My Little Reader

When I was younger I always had my nose in a book.  I would ignore the TV, choosing the written word instead and it would take me twice as long to do anything as I couldn't put down that day's book whilst I was doing it. The love of literature never left me and I ended up doing my degree in English Literature.  Unfortunately at the moment I find very little time to indulge this pleasure as having a toddler, working part time and blogging takes up pretty much all of my day!

It is nice to see that this is something I have passed down to my son, and he is happiest sat on the floor surrounded by his books.  He likes to be read to but he loves to read to himself.  He picks up a book, opens it, points to the words and babbles his own version of what is going on in the picture.  He reads a whole book this way, turning every page and when finished he puts it back down before choosing another and starting again.

TV is ignored and toys seem invisible.  He is most content around his books and he is growing quite a collection.  He will read anything from board books, to paper paged ones, to a random catalogue that falls through the door.  He has his favourites but won't ignore any.  I love watching him delve into a new story and I wonder what he is thinking about, whether his imagination is taking him to beautiful places already.  

At the moment we have story time in the mornings as he gets far too excited when the books come out that he cannot really have a bedtime story yet.  Every morning we cuddle up and read a book and we point to the pictures and turn the pages together.  I find it very difficult not to read all the words before we turn over but he goes at his own speed, favouring some pages more than others.  I love watching him learn and cannot wait to teach him to read!

Since his birth I have been told constantly that Dylan is the spitting image of his daddy and it is nice to see that he got something from me.  I hope his love for books continues, maybe I might get to read more too that way!  Until then, I love the peace that I get when he is sat on the floor looking at his books and I love watching his imagination grow.

Do your children love reading?  Did it start when they were little or did they grow into it?

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