Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books
Estranged friends navigate a sleeping world, a boy discovers he is part-alien, and the hunt for a missing mother touches lightly on mental health issues
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books
Marcus Rashford channels Scooby-Doo, more girls solve mysteries, while two historical young Black Britons join forces in theatreland
Fiction for older children reviews – magic and morality, beyond Marvel
Norse gods get a fresh incarnation from Louie Stowell and the multiverse offers up a moral dilemma in Ross Welford’s latest
Jan Pieńkowski obituary
Illustrator and creator of the Meg and Mog children’s books, who also used pop-up and paper cut-outs to thrilling effect
‘Nothing short of revelatory’: the 10 best CBeebies’ Bedtime Stories – ranked
Reese Witherspoon is about to become the latest A-lister to read a kids’ book at bedtime, but she’s got stiff competition. From Tom Hardy to Dolly Parton, here’s who to beat
Australia Christmas gift guide 2021: 160 good gift ideas, including last-minute options
From presents that give back to edible treats, Guardian Australia and a team of guest editors select the best gifts and shopping options to please everyone from kids to chronic grumps this Christmas
Marcus Rashford: ‘My life was far from a fairytale’
The England footballer, author and poverty campaigner on instilling self-belief in pupils at his old school, his favourite titles of 2021, and his hopes for his book club
Children’s books roundup – the best new picture books and novels
Foxes on the run; a feathered detective; the rescue of the Titanic; plus the best new YA novels
Fiction and nonfiction for older children – reviews
The latest instalment of a dystopian saga thrills and Stormzy’s #Merky imprint champions national and unsung stars
Children’s books roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A zombie thriller, a flooded world, poetry and a very worried pig … plus the best new YA novels
Fiction for older children – reviews
Supernatural forces that enchant a Nigerian village, a life-saving boy called Lonny and a self-help title from Marcus Rashford that hits the spot
My kids won’t even pick up a book – and it is definitely all my fault
Reading has brought me endless joy, but I have accidentally crushed my children’s enthusiasm. It is a terrible indictment
Beverly Cleary obituary
Children’s writer who drew on her experience of growing up in Portland, Oregon, for her Ramona books
Bravery, hope and escape: the best books to cheer up kids in lockdown
From polar bears to murder mysteries, Katherine Rundell’s picks will make long days feel shorter and a small world seem larger
Victor Ambrus obituary
Prolific illustrator of archaeological scenes for Time Team on Channel 4 and of books, particularly for children