Resources
Inspiring Art Chatterbooks activity pack
Here’s a Chatterbooks pack full of books and ideas about art –to inspire your groups in their reading and talking about and enjoyment of art, and in being artists themselves.
Step by step: draw a leopard
An easy, step-by-step activity sheet teaching children how to draw a leopard. Perfect for arty Chatterbooks sessions!
David Wiesner discussion guide
Delve into David Wiesner’s book Art and Max with your Chatterbooks group using these discussion points.
James Patterson activity pack
This special James Patterson pack is full of fun activities for Chatterbooks groups: write your own comic, design your own cut-out bookmark, crosswords puzzles and much more!
Classic children's books - Chatterbooks activity pack
In this Chatterbooks pack we offer a list of some favourite children’s book classics and ask ‘What do you think is a classic book?’ You will find discussion and activity ideas relating to the books in our pack, and a mix of titles featured in more detail, including retellings, picture book favourites, newer titles, and examples from some of the different series of children’s classics.
Write Your Own Storybook activity sheets
We have two activity sheets for you to download from Usborne’s creative book Write Your Own Storybook. Perfect for Chatterbooks children’s reading clubs.
A Whisper of Wolves Chatterbooks activity pack
A Whisper of Wolves is the first title in an exciting new 4-part fantasy series, Guardians of the Wild, by début author Kris Humphrey. It’s especially for young pre-teen readers – an adventure encompassing animal companionship, courage, and protection of the wild and everything that lives in it. Here is a Chatterbooks pack for your reading groups with discussion and activity ideas exploring the themes and characters in this book, plus a list of more reading ideas.
National Reading Group Day 2015 logo
This year National Reading Group Day takes place on Saturday 20 June. Download the logo to join in the celebrations.
Shakespeare Chatterbooks activity pack
Hark! Here is a special Chatterbooks activity pack for Shakespeare Week 2015 – Celebrate in Libraries with details of books for young people about Shakespeare, and retellings of his plays, plus ideas for discussion and fun activities.
My Heart and Other Black Holes - Reading Group Guide
Aysel and Roman are practically strangers, but they’ve been drawn into an unthinkable partnership. In a month’s time, they plan to commit suicide – together. Aysel knows why she wants to die: being the daughter of a murderer doesn’t equal normal, well-adjusted teenager. But she can’t figure out why handsome, popular Roman wants to end it all….and why he’s even more determined than she is. With the deadline getting closer, something starts to grow between Aysel and Roman – a feeling she never...
Green is Best Chatterbooks activity pack
This is an activity pack about all kinds of things Green. It has green men and green creatures, and explores the colour green – but it is especially about learning and caring about the world we live in.
Gobstoppers Chatterbooks activity pack
Want books that make you laugh? Here are four great books in Macmillan’s Gobstoppers collection which were new in 2015, plus ideas for activities in your Chatterbooks reading group.
13 Storey Treehouse poster
Andy and Terry need help finishing their treehouse! Print out this poster to help them complete their amazing 13 storey treehouse.
Guess How Much I Love You storytime kit
It’s twenty years since the publication of Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, one of the world’s bestselling and best loved picture books. Walker have put together this brilliant storytime kit for libraries to celebrate!
World Book Day 2015 Chatterbooks activity pack
Here’s our 2015 World Book Day Chatterbooks activity pack. It includes tips for running Chatterbooks children’s reading clubs, and ideas for a special World Book Day session. Look out for our new World Book Day activity pack coming in 2016.
Alien Invasion Chatterbooks activity pack
In this Chatterbooks Alien Invasion pack are stories about other beings and other worlds – and about how this earth might seem to travellers from other planets! An activity pack filled with out-of-this-world fun for your Chatterbooks groups to read and talk about – plus further book suggestions, and activity and discussion ideas for your group.
Winter Wonderland Chatterbooks activity pack
Looking for ideas to use with children in your Chatterbooks reading groups in December? Here’s our amazing Winter Wonderland activity pack filled with fantastic wintry children’s books, and all kinds of fun activities to keep you warm in the cold. Make an advent calendar, learn to walk like a penguin, or have a go at our Christmas quiz. Ho Ho Ho!
Info Challenge Chatterbooks activity pack
November 7 is National Non-Fiction Day and to celebrate we’ve created an amazing info challenge activity pack filled with all kinds of wild and crazy (and true!) information. The pack is bursting with activities guaranteed to boggle your mind with the most fascinating and unusual facts.
World of Norm Chatterbooks activity pack
Here is our Chatterbooks activity pack all about the wonderful (if maybe at times unfair) World of Norm by Jonathan Meres.
Colour in Elmer!
Download these fabulous Elmer activity sheets and help him get his colour back!
Chatterbooks activity pack - Superheroes, Comics and Cartoons
This Chatterbooks activity pack takes a look at comic books and cartoons – and lots of other graphic ways of telling stories. As well as a wealth of reading suggestions there are ideas for discussion and group activities – including making your own comic books, and being superheroes!
Reading groups for blind and partially sighted people
Anyone should be able to join or set up a reading group whether blind, partially sighted or sighted. Here a few helpful tips from RNIB to consider. Venue Location is key – if difficult to access or find it may mean a blind or partially sighted person cannot attend. Do any members have another disability such as being hearing impaired or a wheel chair user? Consider if there will be any carers or guide dogs which could affect space. Set the room in predictable fashion to make it easier for a...
Running a reading group event
Sarah Davis, reader development coordinator at Greenwich libraries gives us her top tips for running an author event: For the last three years part of my role as the reader development coordinator for Greenwich libraries is to organise as well as to facilitate author events. During this time I have learned that each event is different and even well organised events do not always go according to plan! Here are my tips for running author events: The timing of your event is an important...
National Poetry Day 2014 activity pack
There are all sorts of poems – simple, complicated, scary, funny, sad, rhyming ones, limericks, haiku and shaped ones. Many tell stories. Poetry is about using words and language imaginatively and creatively. Everybody can have fun writing and listening to poetry.
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...
