December 2024’s set of recommendations for book clubs features diverse family picture book reads, Christmas cheer, first chapter book forest fun, fantastic footballers, out of this world comedy, thought provoking fables and adventure teen romantasy. Perfect for the weeks before the holiday season, December 2024’s picks include titles by Zeshan Akhter, Catherine Ard and Paul Daviz, Nicola Edwards and Pauline Gregory, Lucy Cochran, Ali Rutstein, Ewa Jozefkowicz, Matt & Tom Oldfield, Emily Stead, John Murray and Seth Burkett, Fiona Katauskas, Candace Savage, and David Fenne.
December 2024 book club recommendations
My Name is a Gift by Zeshan Akhter, illustrated by Åsa Gilland
This picture book explores the significance of names through the story of Sitara, who learns about the history and meaning behind her own name. As she grows, Sitara faces challenges with pronunciation but embraces her name’s cultural roots. The book includes a thought-provoking section to encourage children to reflect on their names. This story will help children aged 0-5 think about, understand, and respect cultural and personal identity. Highly recommended.
0-5 year-olds | Author’s website
My First Ocean Atlas by Catherine Ard and Paul Daviz
Explore ocean habitats, from coral reefs to deep-sea vents, with this beautifully produced hardback. Bold, accurate illustrations showcase creatures like sharks, penguins, and glowing deep-sea life. The book combines factual content with an interactive “Spot It” game, encouraging children to explore and learn. Created with marine biologist Dr. David Ferrier, this atlas provides an engaging introduction to ocean life for aspiring marine biologists aged three and up.
3+ year-olds | Author’s website
Elves on Strike by Nicola Edwards and Pauline Gregory
There’s a snag in Santa’s workshop on Christmas Eve! The elves are exhausted, tangled in tape, and threatening to strike. Will Christmas be cancelled, or can one quick-thinking elf save the day? With exciting lift-the-flap elements and bright festive illustrations, Elves on Strike highlights the importance of planning and preparation through a lively story about the true spirit of Christmas.
3-6 year-olds | Author’s website
Waiting for Santa by Lucy Cochran
Join in the chaos and joy of a family outing to meet Santa when Ren, Harry, their parents, and their mischievous cat Moloko brave a long shopping centre queue. When Moloko escapes, what will they do? This charming story blends patience, excitement, and festive magic, and Heidi McKinnon’s vibrant scenes are full of fun and talk-worthy detail. It’s ideal Christmas storytime reading for EYFS and KS1.
3-6 year-olds | Author’s website
A Beginners Guide to Choosing the Perfect Pet by Ali Rutstein
Every Family Should Have a Pet is a funny guide for kids, offering quirky advice on choosing the perfect pet. Forget puppies – this book suggests out-of-the-box options like crocodiles as peaceful companions! With its playful tone and unexpected scenarios, it gives young readers a fresh take on family pets. Full of clever twists, it’s perfect for classroom read-alouds or a laugh with the family. Read our full review.
3-6 year-olds | Author’s website
Shyla’s Wood Wide Web by Ewa Jozefkowicz
Take a magical journey through Willow Wish Woods, exploring the fascinating world of fungi! With her grandmother’s binoculars in hand, Shyla and the Woodland Explorers uncover the hidden connections between trees and fungi, known as the Wood Wide Web. Guided by magical creatures, Shyla learns how to protect the forest. Perfect for 5-7 year-olds, this series blends adventure, friendship, and environmental awareness, with charming illustrations by Gillian Flint bringing the story to life.
5+ year-olds | Author’s website
Ultimate Football Heroes 2024 by Matt & Tom Oldfield, Emily Stead, John Murray and Seth Burkett
Ultimate Football Heroes 2024 recaps the best moments from the 2023-24 football season, covering top leagues like the Premier League, Women’s Super League, and Champions League. The book highlights key events, including Jude Bellingham’s debut season with Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé’s final year with PSG. With stats, quizzes, and stories from football’s biggest stars, this special edition is a must-read for young fans, offering an inside look at the year’s most exciting matches and players.
8+ year-olds | Author’s website
Hi From Outer Space by Fiona Katauskas
Aspiring cartoonist Alex meets Hi, an alien researching Earth leaders for a school project. Over three days, the unlikely duo encounters chaotic events, from a viral TikTok to a haunted shoe shop, while Alex finds inspiration for her cartoon competition entry. Laugh-out-loud situations are interwoven with thought-provoking leadership and friendship plot points. It’s a unique blend of fun and imagination that fans of the Treehouse series will love.
8-12 year-olds | Author’s website
How to Know a Crow by Candace Savage
Candace Savage’s How to Know a Crow explores the life cycle and behaviours of the American crow, following a young crow named Oki from hatching to adulthood. Aimed at children aged 6 to 10, this book uses factual content to answer questions about crow families, communication, and play. Suitable for curious young readers and educational settings, it combines detailed information with illustrations by Rachel Hudson to support learning about these intelligent birds.
9-12 year-olds | Author’s website
So Over This by David Fenne
Steven and Freya race through a dangerous world, hunted by enemies at every turn. Their journey across Scotland sees them face old foes and try to thwart Zachary’s sinister plans. The third book in the Overemotional series, this fast-paced adventure is packed with tension, thrills, and teenage dilemmas. David Fenne blends fantasy with humour, continuing Steven’s fight to protect his friends and tackle the changes ahead. It’s perfect for KS4 book clubs.
14+ year-olds | Author’s website
Themed day / social media opportunities for December 2024
These hashtag days might provide current and relevant talking points for secondary-aged pupils aged 13+ in KS3, KS4 and KS5, especially when linked to related literature.
- December is ‘Gift Of Sight Month’, highlighting the importance of eye health. Barlows Primary School has PowerPoint resources here.
- December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities #IDPWD. United Nations has a page on its website that will inspire whole school ideas.
- December 3rd is Tree Dressing Day. The Woodland Trust has published lots of free ideas for schools to get involved.
- December 8th is Christmas Jumper Day. We recommend this website which has lots of ideas and fundraising opportunities.
- December 8th is also Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day. Wired Magazine has some interesting ideas that might be useful for librarians to integrate with science fiction books. It’s also ideal for late homework excuses or forgetting the Christmas Jumper Day.
- December 10th is Human Rights Day. The United Nations has produced a series of resources that will be useful for schools looking to organise awareness and events.
- December 29th is World Mangelwurzel Day (originally an ancient Cornish tradition.) Celebrate this unusual vegetable by carving it, cooking it, throwing it, making musical instruments out of it, writing odes to one, or hiding lots of them in strange places for people to find unsuspectingly. In a controversial move for 2024, turnips are deemed to be acceptable. #wheresmewurzel
Extension activities:
- Have a look at our writing competitions for December 2024.
Other recently released titles to have a look at:
- Our latest December 2024 books of the month.
- Our rundown of the best books released this autumn 2024.
- Our December 2024 books of the day on Twitter. These can also be viewed on uk.Bookshop.org.
- Our guide on how to run a school book club covers both primary school book clubs and secondary school book clubs.
Click one of the buttons below to buy all this month’s recommended book club titles, or class sets of any of these books, from Bookshop.org UK or Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.
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