It can be overwhelming deciding what to buy at the book store. So many books! So many fun, colourful covers! So much money spent, you want to be sure it's a winner! We have the best tips on how to select books for your children. Did you know there is a Five Finger Rule when it comes to deciding if a book is too easy, too hard or just right for your child?

Plus we get the lowdown on all the best books coming from Penguin Random House from now until December 2025 with Children’s Sales Representative Shinola Govender. Hint: A Taylor Swift toddler book is on the cards, a gripping new book in the Percy Jackson follow up series by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro and a book shelf of new graphic novels and fantasy books for tweens. We cannot wait!

Spotify: Follow the Book Tree Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/1O9BkqRJqRBr3QOAXA0ewL?si=2b1080333b9144cc

Apple: Follow the Book Tree Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-book-tree-podcast/id1768091211

Literacy activist Marjorie Brown uses book quizzes to spark a love of reading and boost literacy in schools in South Africa. "Reading is just as important as sports for our general wellbeing" believes Brown and we couldn't agree more.

Anti-Apartheid and literacy activist Marjorie Brown has transformed children’s lives by running the International Kids' Lit Quiz and starting her own local version, Phendulani Quiz for disadvantaged schools. She was nominated for the Global Teacher Award and embodies the passion and commitment the South African education system needs. The competitions, which focus on the top readers from Grade 5-7, connect and celebrate children with a passion and skill for reading. The international finals will be held on 13 August 2025 at St John's Prep in Johannesburg.

You can find out more about Kids Lit Quiz here and Phendulani Quiz here...

www.kidslitquiz.com and www.phendulani.com

Book Reviews this month include:

Claris the Chicest Mouse in Paris by Megan Hess ( Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing), Dance To Your Own Beat by Refiloe Moahloli and illustrated by Gabi Boy (Pan Macmillan), The Comet by Joe Todd Stanton (Flying Eye Books), Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey and illustrated by Mika Song (Chronicle Books) and the YA book, Uprooted by Naomi Novik (Pan Books).

Find us on Apple and Spotify. Follow us on @booktreetalk

We know that books can make us feel better. But did you know there is a therapy that prescribes reading as a tool to improve your well-being?

Bibliotherapy is the healing art of reading and it’s helping children and adults to process life events, normalise their issues, offer relatable characters and situations and find healing between the pages of a book. While it is not a cure-all, scientific studies show that reading helps adults and children with certain health, mental and developmental conditions.

The origins can be traced to World War One, when soldiers were given books and poetry to ease their suffering and trauma. It returned in the 1990's and has experienced a recent surge in popularity.

We talk to Bijal Shah, bibliotherapist, author, book curator and founder of Book Therapy about her reading journey.

Find out more about Bijal’s work here: https://www.booktherapy.io/pages/about-bijal.

Her books: The Happiness Mindset and Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading are available on Amazon.co.za

Why do so many children love the Percy Jackson series? Tess Rayner, co-founder of Akasha School, interviews her son, 12 year old Tom, who is racing through the series.

Our book reviews this month include Vampi The Flying Guinea Pig by Lori-Ann Preston, Bongi Ballerina Takes A Bow by Kristien Potgieter, Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love and Where The Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan.

In this episode I interview Xolisa Guzula, author and literacy scholar about her new book Together Apart: The Story of Living in Apartheid.

This is an important children's book. Yes, it’s been 30 years since Apartheid ended. And we still need to understand how it shaped South Africa in so many ways, both visible and invisible. Xolisa explains why she co-wrote this book now, with historian Athambile Masola (Ph.D) and how it can be shared with children to explain differences and promote caring and understanding.

I also talk about why getting children out of screens and into books is vital. With the Netflix series, Adolescence out, you need to know about the toxic Incel culture and what misogynistic voices our kids are exposed to. Let this series jolt you awake to become aware of what your children are consuming. And give them the love, support and safety they need at home to weather the truly difficult time of being a teenager in this crazy world. For support on this, contact Klik'd, a local company providing digital guidance to parents. 

Finally we review three proudly South African books for your little ones, to inspire their self-belief and confidence. Brave Like Me is a true story of braveness in the face of discrimination by Zulaikha Patel, the gorgeous All That I Am – A collection Of South African Poems and Songs is edited by Refiloe Moahloli and The South African Alphabet of Affirmations has powerful kid's affirmations in all 11 languages.

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Award-winning author and illustrator Emily House shares her journey and tips on how to find your style, create a portfolio and pitch your work. Books reviewed include One More Story, a beautifully illustrated picture book about the adventure of reading, the hilarious Rabbit & Bear Series about a grumpy rabbit and a cheerful bear, and Storm Child, a young teen story following a surfer girl navigating her family’s financial difficulties.

Get your child hooked on creative writing. The Kingsmead Young Writers’ Competition 2025 is open to all 6-18 year olds and it opens on February 3rd and closes on March 31st 2025. Entry forms here: https://kingsmead.co.za/bookfair/young-writers-comp/ywc-2025/

For tips on how to make your writing stand out and avoid some common pitfalls, we chat to author and judge, Nicole Rimensberger.

We then look at why we still LOVE fairy tales – and you should too - and review My First Lift the Flap Fairy Tales for ages 2-5.

Show And Tell by Marleen Lammers is a wonderful local book teaching acceptance and diversity for ages 5-7.

Finally, our parent’s pick is the bestselling Let Them by Mel Robbins. Find out why this mantra will leave you happier and less controlling.

Discover the best children’s books to buy, with Verushka Louw, Children's Sales Representative at Jonathan Ball Publishers. Find out why non-fiction books make the best gifts for kids, and get expert tips on how to get your children reading. Plus, we’re all joining the heartwarming “Jolabokaflod’ trend from Iceland where everyone cosies up with a good book on Christmas eve!

Lori-Ann Preston, author of the Trixie and Thabo series, talks about her writing process, writing competitions, rejection letters, mischievous characters and the power of self-publishing.

Plus our favourite picture book of the year: Big Shoes To Fill, an exciting new debut from Upile uThixo Bongco. And The Garbage King, a moving story written by Elizabeth Laird for ages 10-15, about the power of courage and friendship between two boys living on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Have you heard about the Substack phenomenon? Everyone's on it. We share a list of great children's book authors' substacks to follow.

Dyslexia & Reading Skills

How can you help dyslexic children with their reading skills? And how old should children be when they learn to read? Annelize Clark, Occupational Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Intervention, and Foundation Phase Teacher at Bellavista SHARE, a remedial school in Johannesburg, shares her insights.

https://bellavista.org.za/

Plus two of the best new children’s books:

A page-turning middle grade reader, Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse by Cathy Fitzgerald (Jonathan Ball Publishers) and the perfect local early chapter book for age 6-9 year olds: Cook-Off At Gogo’s Spaza by Salamina Mosese (Human & Rousseau).

Lorato Trok, director of Nal'ibali, a national reading campaign, explains how teaching in mother tongue may improve SA’s literacy levels and why hearing stories is as important as reading them.

https://nalibali.org/

Plus a few book recommendations. Best new picture book, Who Ate Steve, by Susannah Lloyd (Nosy Crow), the trending Lottie Brooks tween series by Kate Kirby (Puffin Books) and Singing for Mrs Pettigrew, stories and writing inspiration from one of the world’s best loved story tellers, Michael Morpurgo. (Walker Books).