Fresh starts, compassion, and magic: January highlights at Better Reading Kids

After the year that was 2020, we’ve had a grand kickstart to the new year. Kids, especially, had to quickly learn to navigate life through a pandemic and adapt to online learning. The plus side of staying home, however, meant that little ones had plenty more time to read – an activity that’s now become routine for many young readers.

In January, we saw titles that provided escapism through fantasy with underlying core themes of friendship, compassion, and bravery – crucial traits in these unpredictable times.

These were the top titles on our reading list in January:

Little Gem by Anna Zobel 

When her spell at Witchcraft School goes wrong, Gem lands in an unfamiliar, empty cottage, outside a strange, colourful town. Everyone in Ellsworth Pining thinks Gem is their new village witch, even when Gem tries to correct them. And Gem’s new friends do need her. The Weather Worker is missing, and there are tales of a terrifying beast in the woods. Gem might know a spell that could help – if she can get it right. Ages 7+

Star by Ondine Sherman

Sky’s aunt and uncle are expecting a baby, her boyfriend Oliver seems more interested in their YouTube channel than in talking, her father is settling into life in West Creek, and her best friend Lucy is in a new relationship. The problem is, Sky is still trying to work out where she fits in. When she learns about an animal cruelty situation close to home, Sky is desperate to help. But when she’s asked to take her activism to a new level, Sky starts to question what doing the right thing really means. She’s spent so long searching for her people. Will she risk losing them? Ages 12+

The World Between Blinks by Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin

Whenever cousins Jake and Marisol get together, adventure follows. They have their late Nana to thank for that. Her epic trips and treasure hunts were the stuff of family legend. This summer, with the whole family reuniting for one last vacation at Nana’s home, the cousins are in for a legendary trip of their own. Following a map Nana left behind, Jake and Marisol sneak out to a nearby lighthouse – then accidentally slip into another world … The World Between Blinks is a magical place, where all kinds of lost things (and people!) end up. Everywhere they turn, the cousins find real mysteries from history – plus a few they thought were only myths. Ages 8+

The Secret Explorers series by SJ King

This group of brilliant kids come together from all four corners of the globe to fix problems, solve mysteries and gather knowledge all over the planet – and beyond. Whenever their help is needed, a special sign will appear on a door. They step through to the Exploration Station, and receive their mission. Blast off into space, explore the depths of the ocean, adventure in Egypt, and roam the earth with dinosaurs. Here, we give an introduction to each book in the series so you can get to know the plot and characters before young readers join in on their adventures themselves. Ages 7+

The Forest of Moon and Sword by Amy Raphael 

Twelve-year-old Art lives in a small village in Scotland. Her mother has always made potions that cure the sick, but now the townspeople say she is a witch. One cloudless night, Art’s mother is arrested and taken to England. Art mounts her horse, taking a sword, a tightrope, and a herbal recipe book, and begins a journey through wild forests, using nature’s signs and symbols to guide her. Ages 8+

Friday Barnes 9: No Escape by R.A. Spratt 

Friday Barnes is back with a new mystery to be solved. It’s two years later. Friday steps out of prison, a shell of her former self. She’s still wearing the same brown cardigan, but she swears she’s never solving mysteries again! Yeah right – who is she kidding? She can’t suppress her brilliant deductive mind and is soon drawn back into the intrigues of Highcrest Academy. hen Uncle Bernie rings, pleading with Friday to fly to Italy and help him protect the Uffizi Galleries from a team of art thieves. Will Friday be able to protect Italy’s finest artworks? Will Melanie stay awake long enough to help her? And will Ian still be as gorgeous as a Greek god and twice as annoying? Ages 9+

Beneath the Trees by Cristy Burne

Cam and Sophie feel like they’ve been travelling forever to get to the rainforest and the river and their cousins. They just want to see a platypus in the wild, but with the rain tipping down and the river turning wild they can’t see a thing. Until suddenly, they can. A platypus is just below them, and it needs help! But when their rescue attempt goes horribly wrong, it’s not just the platypus that needs saving. Ages 6+

Elvis Eager and the Golden Egg: Monty’s Island 3 by Emily Rodda

The most unexpected things wash up on Monty’s Island, and a golden egg might be his most amazing find yet! But when a pair of flying monsters and a mysterious explorer arrive, it seems the eff is about to hatch into a very big problem. Can Monty find a way to solve it? Surely he can. All he needs is a little help from his friends. Ages 6+