Come and join Chatterbooks 
Chatterbooks reading groups are where children aged 8 to 11 have a really good time talking about books.
Run by The Reading Agency, Chatterbooks reading groups take place all over the country in libraries, schools and wherever people want to set them up.
Join Chatterbooks for free, sign up for our eletter, get tips to get started plus lots of lovely stuff from children’s publishers - all from Reading Groups for Everyone.
If you buy Chatterbooks goodies or sign up for Chatterbooks training you will also get ready to use activities and exclusive offers to help get children fired up and excited about reading.
I've always been a total bookworm and practically lived in my local library when I was a child. I wish I'd been able to join a Chatterbooks reading group then. It would have been such fun to make new friends and discuss all our favourite books. Lots of members write to me and send me their stories and drawings and book reviews – they obviously love being part of a Chatterbooks group.
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Chatterbooks patron.
Spies and Thrillers activity pack
25 April 2013
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Our themed activity pack for this month is Spies and Thrillers - and true to its name it's packed with thrilling espionage activities you can use with your Chatterbooks children's reading groups. There are code-making and code-breaking puzzles, ideas for spy disguises and how to tell and Goodie from a Baddie.
We also have some extra spy activity sheets you can download here. Chatterbooks groups can invent their own spy gadget, just like 007!
Get the Spies and Thrillers activity pack
You can download Spies and Thrillers or sign in to SlideShare and download the pack there (preview below).
Spies… more
15 May 2013
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Oxford University Press have created reading group guides for eight of their most recent children's fiction titles. Download and use the guides to discuss these books with your own children's reading group.
The books
About Moon Bear
When twelve-year-old Tam is sent to work at a bear farm in the city, he has never felt so alone. He hates seeing the cruel way… more
2 May 2013
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We have just produced a great new children's reading group activity pack with Macmillan Children's Books, based around one of their exciting new books, Lost Worlds by Andrew Lane.
Chatterbooks are our children's reading groups and these new activity packs can be used by anyone running a children's reading group. Full of fun activities to get your group enjoying and talking… more
2 May 2013
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Chatterbooks Reads is our monthly promotion with publishers that brings some of the best in children's publishing to libraries, schools, parents, reading groups and book clubs. Each month librarians, publishers and children's reading groups select their favourite new titles. Chatterbooks Reads are a great way to help you find a good read for your children.
Ready to read this summer?
We have… more
26 April 2013
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Each month we produce an activity pack with a different theme to provide ideas and inspiration for people running our Chatterbooks children's reading clubs. The recent Spies and Thrillers theme went down really well with the Chippenham Chatterbooks club.
Here, librarian Tracy Hager of Wiltshire libraries tells us how they used some of the ideas for a Chatterbooks session.
Our February… more
22 April 2013
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We have just produced two great new children's reading group activity packs with Hot Key Books, based around two of their new titles, The Spin by Rebecca Lisle and The Great Galloon by Tom Banks.
Chatterbooks are our children's reading groups and these new Chatterbooks activity packs can be used by anyone running a children's reading group. Full of fun activities… more
17 April 2013
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The disaster relief charity ShelterBox has launched its fourth annual Young ShelterBox Illustration Competition in collaboration with Chatterbooks reading clubs.
The search is on to find the UK's best young artists, whose drawings or paintings will be published in a picture book entitled The Day the Bombs Fell. This will be the latest in a series that vividly brings… more
17 April 2013
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Each month we produce a Chatterpack with a different theme to help with session ideas for Chatterbooks children's reading clubs. A recent Chatterpack was Fantastical Creatures themed which went down really well with the Chippenham Chatterbooks club. Here, group leader Sara Miles tells us how they used the Chatterpack for a Chatterbooks session.
For some of the boys in… more
4 April 2013
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Chatterbooks Reads is our monthly promotion with publishers that brings some of the best in children's publishing to libraries, schools, parents, reading groups and book clubs. Each month librarians, publishers and children's reading groups select their favourite new titles. Chatterbooks Reads are a great way to help you find a good read for your children.
Ready to read this spring?
We have… more
26 March 2013
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Our themed Chatterpack for this April is Fantastical Creatures - it's packed with fantastical ideas you can use with your Chatterbooks children's reading clubs. There are activities to inspire Chatterbooks groups to draw their own mystical creatures, create a magical wizard character and to learn how to speak Dragonese.
Get your Fantastical Creatures Chatterpack
You can either download the Fantastical Creatures… more
26 March 2013
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We've just produced a great new Chatterpack with Orchard Books based around their exciting Sea Quest series.
Chatterpacks are activity packs that can be used by anyone running a children's reading group. Full of fun activities to get your group enjoying and talking about the books they are reading.
About Sea Quest
Deep in the water lurks a new breed of Beast.… more
21 March 2013
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My Super Sister is the magical new series from the bestselling and much loved children's author Gwyneth Rees. Macmillan has activity-sheet posters to give away - 20 per pack (there are 75 packs up for grabs).
About My Super Sister
Emma knows that having superpowers isn't always easy, especially when you have to keep them secret. But it's even harder when your… more
8 March 2013
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The Ladybird Live roadshow, an exciting event for pre-school children, is visiting the North East in April in association with The Reading Agency, Northumberland Libraries, Darlington Libraries, Gateshead Libraries, South Tyneside Libraries and Stockton Libraries.
These fun events will include storytelling, facepainting and colouring activities, while there will be expert reading advice on hand, and the chance to win lots of… more
8 March 2013
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We are running a poster drawing competition for Chatterbooks groups, offering the chance for three budding illustrators to win a copy of The Great Big Book of Feelings by Mary Hoffman and illustrated by Ros Asquith. One overall winner will receive two extra titles of their choice from publishers Frances Lincoln.
Get involved
To be in with a chance of winning,… more
8 March 2013
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Chatterbooks Reads is our monthly promotion with publishers that brings some of the best in children's publishing to libraries, schools, parents, reading groups and book clubs. Each month librarians, publishers and children's reading groups select their favourite new titles. Chatterbooks Reads are a great way to help you find a good read for your children.
Ready to read this spring?
We have… more
28 February 2013
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As the days are still a little gloomy, why not bring some early spring cheer by celebrating colour as part of your activities for children over the Easter holidays?
Pantone books for kids are brought to you by Abrams Appleseed, an imprint focussed on fresh and new content for pre-school and beyond. Pantone Colours (9781419703294) is all about engaging with colour,… more
19 February 2013
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World Book Day is fast approaching (Thursday 7 March) and to help you celebrate, here's our World Book Day Chatterpack. It includes tips for running Chatterbooks children's reading clubs, and ideas for a special World Book Day session. There are loads of activities you can use, inspired by the eight World Book Day £1 books - there's guaranteed to… more
19 February 2013
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Our themed Chatterpack for this month is Poetry - and true to its name it's packed with ideas you can use with your Chatterbooks children's reading clubs. There are activities to inspire Chatterbooks groups to write their own poems; from acrostics and riddles to haikus and rap.
Get the Poetry Chatterpack
You can either download the Poetry Chatterpack here. Or alternatively… more
11 February 2013
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Out in February 2013 is a new series by Mo O'Hara called My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish. Ideal for children aged 7+, Macmillan is offering some extended chapter samplers with activities in the back. The packs come in bundles of 10 samplers, there are 200 packs to giveaway.
If you would like a pack of samplers, please contact Amy Lines at… more
1 February 2013
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Chatterbooks Reads is our monthly promotion with publishers that brings some of the best in children's publishing to libraries, schools, parents, reading groups and book clubs. Each month librarians, publishers and children's reading groups select their favourite new titles. Chatterbooks Reads are a great way to help you find a good read for your children.
Ready to read this spring?
We have… more
