Gifts to read

Lynsey Pollard, Director of Little Box of Books, asks: Is there anything better than getting books for Christmas? No need for batteries and other players, and they don’t break as soon as you open them. With a book (especially one from Little Box of Books) you can disappear for the day, meet new people, experience new cultures and surface in time for your tea or turkey sandwiches.

If you’re after books wrapped and ready for Christmas order a box from us, some of these will be in there, alongside some gifts, puzzles and activities. To get £5 off a 3-month subscription put code SONSHINE5 in at checkout from www.littleboxofbooks.co.uk

Picture books – from babies to early readers

Knock Knock Alien by Caryl Hart, Illustrated by Nick East

This is a rip-roaring, intergalactic counting adventure. A little girl of colour is the leading astronaut, meeting all kinds of space creatures. They hijack her house in their efforts to get home, blasting her and her sleeping Gran into space with them. A brilliant, light-hearted rhyming tale from Hachette that will have everyone laughing.

Play Time, Puppy! Illustrated by Jo Byatt

Also published by Child’s Play this board book is a big hit with our one year old, who loves the little dog puppet that pokes out of every picture. Here you’ve got a young child playing with their puppy and all their toys. The gender of the main character isn’t clear so it’s a lovely book for showing how little it matters.

Sophie Says She Can, She Will by Esther Marshall

This newly-released, inspiring, empowering book encourages kids to think about all the things they can possibly be and the direction their lives may take. Sophie is a strong-minded main character, who will show all children the options that are open to them in this lovely rhyming story. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to STandTall a charity which supports women and girls to get back on their feet after being abused or bullied, to help them realise their full potential.

There’s Room for Everyone by Anahita Teymorian

Tiny Owl are a brilliant small and inclusive book publisher who are changing the landscape of children’s books one story at a time. This one is all about how in all other situations, creatures make space for each other and live peacefully side by side. But for some reason humans struggle. This book is a must for explaining how important it is to be kind and welcoming to each other.

Winter Illustrated by Ailie Busby

Child’s Play have been doing inclusivity in children’s books for close to 50 years and their books are excellent at featuring a diverse cast of characters; we’ve seen children in leg braces, with eye patches, parents with cochlear implants. This board book celebrating winter is no exception. It talks about all the fun activities you can do in the winter, from eating soup to feeding the birds. Look out for the dressing up scene with the little boy proudly dressing as a fairy as he plays with all his friends.

Chapter books for 8–11 year-olds

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

The main character in this book is being brought up by his mum while his dad is in prison. It’s a brilliant book (published in the UK by KnightsOf Media) touching on gun violence, bullying, social class and a boy who needs the support of his community to achieve success.

A Company of Eight by Harriet Whitehorn

A story (from Little Tiger’s new YA imprint, Stripes) filled with strong women, including a heroic, engaging protagonist. It has everything a book needs; a circus, sword fights, pirates and plenty of plot twists.

More About Little Box of Books

Little Box of Books. curates collections of books from top publishers and authors, books that show diversity in race culture, background and family set up, that smash gender and disability stereotypes. We sell them in a subscription, or as one-off gifts or in bigger boxes for schools or people who want to diversify their bookshelves in one fell swoop. We choose books that teach our children the vocabulary they need to express their feelings and books that demonstrate the importance of kindness. For every box we sell we donate a book to Doorstep Library, a charity who reads with children who live in some of the most disadvantaged pats of London.