In episode 227 of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast:

Books to gift to kids who ‘don’t read’

A book for every kid – that’s the YKNR aim this festive season. Megan and Allison make the case to gift books to every kid you know – particularly the ones who ‘don’t like reading’ – with advice for choosing the right book, ‘safe bet’ book recommendations and tips for encouraging kids to open the pages, not just the present.

Books we mention

Click on the titles to find out more or buy. See contact page for affiliate disclosure.

Sign up here for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter and your chance to win our #bookmail.

Bookmail and TBR pile

‘Camp Spooky: Attack of the Aliants’ by  Pip Harry and Kate Foster, illustrated by Joanna Bartel 

‘Stories for the Kid Next Door’ by Emma Holland, art by Chris Kennett

‘This is Us: Essential Australian Poems for Young People’, poems selected by Libby Hathorn and Jude Fell, illustrated by Tull Suwannakit

Books to gift to kids who ‘don’t read’

SAFE BET JUNIOR FICTION (6-9)

‘Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish’ by Judith Rossell

Detective Beans (graphic novels) by Li Chen

Bravepaw (series) by L. M. Wilkinson, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

Ella Diaries series by Meredith Costain, illustrated by Danielle McDonald

Dragon Girls (series) by Maddy Mara 

Investigators (series) by John Patrick Green 

Underdogs (series) by Kate and Jol Temple

Dog Man (series) by Dav Pilkey

Pablo and Splash (series) by Sheena Dempsey

Worst Week Ever! (series) by Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove

SAFE BET MIDDLE GRADE (9-13)

Funny Kid (series) by Matt Stanton

Lottie Brooks (series) by Katie Kirby

Family Disasters (series) by Nathan Luff

‘Mega Rich Guinea Pigs’ by Kate and Jol Temple

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney 

Wolf Girl (series) by Anh Do

‘Stage Left, Heart Right’ (Two Hearts #1) by Kate Foster

‘All Your Wishes’ (Two Hearts #2) by Laura Sieveking 

Liars (series) by Jack Heath

Spy Academy (series) by Jack Heath

‘Minutes of Danger’ (series) by Jack Heath

‘Scar Town’ by Tristan Bancks

‘Run’ by Sarah Armstrong

‘Danger Road’ by A. L. Tait

‘The Surface Trials’ by H. M. Waugh 

‘Inked’ by Karen Wasson and Jake A. Minton

‘Ghosts’ by Raina Telgemeier 

Emmie & Friends (series) by Terri Libenson

Howzat Pat! (series) by Pat Cummins, Dave Hartley, Serena Geddes

Jo Weston’s Netball Besties (series) by Jess Black and Sam Loman

Gymnastics Diaries (series) by Georgia Godwin, Laura Sieveking, Amanda Erb

Non-fiction 

‘The Horse Encyclopedia’ by Elwyn Hartley Edwards 

The Art book DK

Guiness Book of World Records 2026

‘Everything under the sun: a curious question for every day of the year’ by Molly Oldfield

‘All About Antartica’ by Marc Martin

The Illustrated Encyclopedia (series) by Sami Bayly

‘Graphic Novel Builder: The Illustrated Guide to Making Your Own Comics’ by Edward Ross

History Hunters (series) by Mark Greenwood

SAFE BET YA (14+)

‘This Season’s Draft’ by Jason Gent

‘The Crossover’ by Kwame Alexander

‘How To Repaint A Life’ by Steven Herrick

‘The Simple Gift’ by Steven Herrick

‘The Outsiders’ by S E Hinton 

‘Rival Darling’ by Alexandra Moody 

‘Grumpy Darling’ by Alexandra Moody

‘Skin’ by Deborah Kelly

‘No Dress, No Idea’ by R. A. Stephens 

‘Wandering Wild’ by Lynette Noni 

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ by Jenny Han

Eleanor Jones (series) by Amy Doak

A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (series) by Holly Black

Scythe (series) by Neil Shusterman 

‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir 

‘Heartstopper’ (series) by Alice Oseman 

Non-fiction

My Miniature Library: 30 Tiny Books to Make, Read and Treasure by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini

‘Spies’ by David Long and Terri Po

World War II: Map by Map (DK)

Book lists we mention

60 Family Read-Aloud Novels Recommended by YKNR

125 books that boys are reading (and loving) right now

50+ new adventure books for kids

All YKNR community book lists

Episodes we mention

Episode 29: Outdoor Adventuring

Episode 53: Books About Dogs

Episode 107: Books That Spark Design Thinking 

Episode 118: New Back-To-Nature Books

Episode 178: Books About Art

Episode 218: Finding Books For Niche Topics

Our books

The Mapmaker Chronicles series by A. L. Tait

The Ateban Cipher (duology) by A. L. Tait

The Maven & Reeve Mysteries by A. L. Tait

The First Summer of Callie McGee by A. L. Tait

Willow Bright’s Secret Plot by A. L. Tait

Danger Road by A. L. Tait

The Beehive by Megan Daley

Teacher, Teacher (anthology), edited by Megan Daley

Raising Readers by Megan Daley

Connect with your show hosts

Facebook | Allison Tait | Megan Daley

Twitter | Allison Tait  | Megan Daley

Instagram at Allison Tait | Megan Daley

The YKNR community on Facebook here. 

Meet Allison Rushby, the third member of #teamyknr. Find out about Allison and her books here.