Resources
Mary Poppins activity pack
This is a pack of reading ideas and activities inspired by P L Travers’ well-loved book Mary Poppins, brought to you by The Reading Agency in partnership with Disney and publisher HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Buckle and Squash activity sheets
Three Buckle and Squash activity sheets for your Chatterbooks groups: a wordsearch, a draw-your-own, and a design a doorhanger activities.
Scary Tales activity sheets
Download these Scary Tales activity sheets in time for Halloween. Activities include a tutorial on how to fold your own paper bats, a chilling crossword and spooky Bingo.
Winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2013 announced
Sean Carroll’s The Particle at the End of the Universe has been named as the winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2013. The book is published by OneWorld Publications and tells the story of the hunt for the elusive Higgs boson. Sean Carroll said: “I feel enormous gratitude towards the thousands of physicists at the Large Hadron Collider and the millions of people who express their love for science everyday!” Professor Uta Frith, Chair of the judges, said: “The decision...
Setting up a teen reading group
“It can be daunting setting up a new library teen book club and it can take a while to become popular, so hang on in there. Begin by publicising it; talk to teens in your library and local schools, use social media and produce attractive flyers too. Once the club gets going then give the kids control and listen to them, give them snacks. Make it fun and enjoy it yourself too!” Andy Hodgkinson, young people’s librarian, Gateshead Libraries Whether you are an old hand who would like some new...
Running a Skype reading group event
In November 2011, Poole Library hosted a Skype reading group event, Jennifer Oliver from Poole Library tells us how it happened: In a unique experiment, a Poole Library reading group ‘met’ American author, Rebecca Makkai, and a reading group from the United States via a Skype internet link. The four thousand mile link-up connected Hamworthy Library, Poole, with Vernon Area Public Library, Chicago, across six hours’ time difference. Both groups were meeting to discuss Rebecca’s novel, The...
Ann Cleeves Murder Mystery Night pack
Award-winning crime writer Ann Cleeves has equipped librarians and reading groups with everything they need to hold spine-chillingly successful murder mystery nights. Having previously written a murder mystery script based on her novel The Glass Room, starring her well-loved detective character, DI Vera Stanhope, for independent bookshops, festivals and public libraries, Ann Cleeves has now produced a special murder mystery night pack. The pack includes her script, a CSI report, and...
Reading Groups for Everyone letter, flyers and posters
We have nearly 2,000 reading groups and book clubs registered on Reading Groups for Everyone – which is really great but we know that there are many, many more out there. Our research found that there were 10,000 reading groups linked to libraries alone! So we’ve been thinking about how we can help you to spread the word about Reading Groups for Everyone to encourage more people to join the website and put their reading groups and book clubs up. The more groups we have on the site the...
Chocolates, sweets and other treats - Chatterbooks activity pack
This activity pack is inspired by everyone’s favourite, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. The pack is jam-full with lots of yummy ideas for your Chatterbooks children’s reading group, plus suggestions for lots more tasty books to read.
Action and Adventure - Chatterbooks activity pack
This month we’re bringing you an action packed new activity pack jammed with great new action and adventure stories, plus ideas for activities in your Chatterbooks children’s reading group, and suggestions for much more reading. It’s time for a book adventure!
Mick Manning and Brita Granstrӧm activity pack
Mick Manning and Brita Granstrӧm are husband and wife author-illustrators of a wide range of inspirational non-fiction picture books. This activity pack introduces you to a selection of their books to enjoy in your Chatterbooks children’s reading groups, together with ideas for discussion and activity around these fun and educational titles.
The Chocolate Box Girls activity pack
This is special activity pack for your Chatterbooks children’s reading groups, all about Cathy Cassidy’s series The Chocolate Box Girls and with the spotlight on Sweet Honey, the latest book in this fab series. This pack is full of great activities for your group to enjoy, plus ideas for discussion topics, details of more books by Cathy, and suggestions for more books to read about sisters, best friends – and chocolate! There’s also a chance to hold chocolate themed parties in libraries,...
Kick Off: Football action Chatterbooks activity pack
This Chatterbooks activity pack celebated brings you some great football titles to enjoy – fiction and non-fiction. We also have some special football-themed reading group activities devised by author Tom Palmer, as well as suggestions for much more reading. So boot up and get ready for fun and games!
Best Friends Forever Chatterbooks activity pack
In this Chatterbooks Best Friends Forever pack there are stories about besties, gangs and playing out, for your Chatterbooks children’s reading groups to read and talk about – plus further book suggestions, and activity and discussion ideas for your group.
Michael Morpurgo Chatterbooks activity pack
This is our Chatterbooks activity pack celebrating Michael Morpurgo and his two books Private Peaceful and A Medal for Leroy, made for the 100th anniversary of World War One in 2014. The pack is full of thoughtful and engaging activities to get children reading and discussion books.
Pirates and perils of the deep Chatterbooks activity pack
Ahoy, me Hearties – and shiver me timbers – here be a Chatterbooks pack full of swashbuckling pirate fun, activity ideas and challenges, and great reading suggestions for your Chatterbooks children’s reading group.
The Dark Wild activity pack
We’ve just produced a great Chatterbooks activity pack with publisher Quercus Books full of fun activities to get children reading. This pack is inspired by two absorbing adventures, set in a world being destroyed by human misuse and abuse, where the last creatures have been driven into hiding. They are stories rich with suspense, humour, emotion and thought-provoking content.
Furry Friends activity pack
In this fantastic Furry Friends activity pack we have some great new stories and picture books about all kinds of animals, plus ideas for activities in your Chatterbooks children’s reading group, and suggestions for much more reading.
Dragonese Dictionary
This Dragonese Dictionary from Hodder Children’s Books makes a fantastic activity for your Chatterbooks group when looking at the Fantastical Creatures Chatterbooks activity pack.
Fantastical Creatures Chatterbooks activity pack
Our Fantastical Creatures Chatterbooks activity pack is stuffed 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.
Spies and Thrillers activity pack
Check out our super secret Spies and Thrillers activity pack. True to its name, this pack is jam 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.
Lost Worlds Chatterbooks activity pack
We have just produced a great new children’s reading group activity pack with Macmillan Children’s Books, based around one of their exciting books, Lost Worlds by Andrew Lane. This activity pack is filled with fun ideas, including inventing and naming your own robot and even planning a Free Running route across your town.
Family Fun and Adventures activity pack
Our themed activity pack for this month is Family Fun and Adventures – and it’s bursting with brilliant activities around having adventures with the family. This pack is perfect to use with your Chatterbooks children’s reading groups. Play ‘family bingo’,draw a family portrait and learn how to make your own family tree!
Dirty Bertie activity pack
We’ve produced a great new children’s activity pack with Stripes Publishing, based on their Dirty Bertie books written by Alan MacDonald and illustrated by David Roberts.
WW1 Chatterbooks activity pack
We produced a great Chatterbooks activity pack commemorating the First World War for the 100th anniversary in 2014. The pack is full of thoughtful and engaging activities to get children reading.
Once Upon a Time activity pack
Once upon a time The Reading Agency put together a very special Chatterbooks activity pack… This pack is all about sharing and telling stories. It has some great activities for your Chatterbooks children’s reading group, plus a selection of stories and story collections to read, tell, listen to, and enjoy.
Jacqueline Wilson activity pack
Delve into this exciting activity pack which celebrates the release of Jacqueline Wilson’s 100th book, ‘Opal Plumstead’, and features her other historical novels, the Hetty Feather series. Explore fun historical fiction with your Chatterbooks children’s reading group and talk about what makes life in the Victorian era different to how children grow up today. Have a go at creating your own storyboard, try acting as a character in the Victorian era, and design a circus style poster for your...
Timmy Failure library poster
Timmy Failure library poster – Reading leads the way to greatness!
Timmy Failure reading log
Got to keep track of all the good books you read – including Timmy Failure books!
Timmy Failure detective kit
This detective kit is packed with activities for aspiring crime solvers everywhere, with a welcome letter from the Timmy Failure author-illustrator, Stephan himself!
