logo
From mysteries to a genius doctor and robots, ten great children's books to thrill your kids this half term

From mysteries to a genius doctor and robots, ten great children's books to thrill your kids this half term

Scottish Sun26-05-2025

Books help improve the development of your children's brains: from speech and language to memory
PAPER CHASE From mysteries to a genius doctor and robots, ten great children's books to thrill your kids this half term
THERE is nothing like getting stuck into a good book in the holidays, no matter your age.
But research has found kids reading enjoyment has plummeted to its worst level in almost two decades.
Advertisement
11
There is nothing like getting stuck into a good book in the holidays, no matter your age
Credit: Getty
That is despite the National Literacy Trust studies showing reading for pleasure benefits empathy, confidence and wellbeing.
Children's author Adam Kay, whose new book Simon Gets Sneezed comes out in July, told The Sun: 'Not only does a love of books award you a lifelong membership to an infinite world of stories and adventure, reading for pleasure is crucially important for children.
'It literally improves the development of their brains: from speech and language to memory and attention.'
So here, books editor Veronica Lorraine brings you ten of the best new children's books for half term.
Advertisement
Puppy's Wobbly Bottom by Kit Frost
JOIN Puppy and friends for a colourful, fun and hilarious rhyming adventure – can you follow the actions and do the Wobbly Bottom dance?
(Farshore, Preschoolers, £6.99)
11
Puppy's Wobbly Bottom by Kit Frost
Credit: Supplied
Oh No, Flo! by Catherine Cawthorne
FARMER does all the jobs on the farm, and she does them perfectly.
Advertisement
When Farmer falls ill, her loyal sheepdog Flo must come to the rescue.
11
Oh No, Flo! by Catherine Cawthorne is about Farmer and her dog
Credit: Supplied
(Templar books, age 3+, £7.99)
Sleep Tight Disgusting Blob by Huw Aaron
A DELIGHTFULLY disgusting, utterly unique rhyming tale.
Advertisement
Man starts personalised children's books company after being made redundant and it's expected to turn over £1.3 million this year
It's bedtime for Blob, although they just might need some persuading . . .
11
Sleep Tight Disgusting Blob by Huw Aaron is a delightfully disgusting, utterly unique rhyming tale
Credit: Supplied
(Puffin, age 3-7, £7.99)
Dadbot by Jack Noel
FULL of robots, puns and dastardly dad-napping, this hilarious graphic novel series is perfect for fans of Bunny Vs Monkey and reluctant readers.
Advertisement
(Piccadilly Press, age 7+, £8.99)
11
Dadbot by Jack Noel is a graphic novel full of robots, puns and dastardly dad-napping
Credit: Supplied
Beano Betty And The Yeti by Hugh Raine
BETTY isn't supposed to have a yeti living in her room, but what the grown-ups don't now won't hurt them?
Will it end in disaster or will Betty and the Yeti become friends?
Advertisement
11
Beano Betty And The Yeti by Hugh Raine
Credit: Supplied
(Farshore, age 6+, £9.99)
Dexter Procter, The 10-Year-Old Doctor, by Adam Kay
DEXTER started speaking at four seconds old.
By the age of three, he had 87 A-levels.
Advertisement
11
Dexter Procter, The 10-Year-Old Doctor, by Adam Kay
Credit: Supplied
And by ten, he was working as a paediatrician at the hospital.
(Puffin, age 6+, £7.99)
Words Can Fly by Donna Ashworth
POETRY collection serves as a compassionate guide through the journey of childhood, crafted with wisdom and warmth by the author.
Advertisement
(Templar Books, age 7+, £16.99)
11
Words Can Fly by Donna Ashworth is a poetry collection that serves as a compassionate guide through the journey of childhood
Credit: Supplied
Serial Chillers: The Witch In The Woods by Jennifer Killick
HAZARD is an ordinary town where strangeness is a way of life.
When Travis, Zayd, Siline and Danielle start a school project, it changes everything.
Advertisement
11
Serial Chillers: The Witch In The Woods by Jennifer Killick
Credit: Supplied
(Farshore, age 9+, £7.99)
Heir Of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray
BLAZE, a Rain Singer, is born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire.
Then she is thrust into battle – and the limelight.
Advertisement
11
Heir Of Storms is about Blaze who is born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire
Credit: Supplied
(Penguin, Young Adult, £9.99)
Rival Darling by Alexandra Moody
VIOLET is left heartbroken by the captain of the ice hockey team and vows never to date a jock again.
Then meets the captain of the Ransom Devils…
Advertisement
11
Violet is left heartbroken by the captain of the ice hockey team and vows never to date a jock again in Rival Darling
Credit: Supplied
(Electric Monkey, YA, £9.99)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Meteoric rise of Olivia Rodrigo revealed from Disney star writing songs at 13 to headlining Glastonbury & 14 Grammy nods
Meteoric rise of Olivia Rodrigo revealed from Disney star writing songs at 13 to headlining Glastonbury & 14 Grammy nods

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Meteoric rise of Olivia Rodrigo revealed from Disney star writing songs at 13 to headlining Glastonbury & 14 Grammy nods

Olivia says she 'doesn't want to be the biggest pop star that ever lived' STARLET TO SUPERSTAR Meteoric rise of Olivia Rodrigo revealed from Disney star writing songs at 13 to headlining Glastonbury & 14 Grammy nods Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WITH buzzing music fans watching, Olivia Rodrigo will take to Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage on Sunday to bring the world's most famous festival to a close. At 22, she will be the second youngest ever to do so, after Billie Eilish in 2022 — and the only female act headlining this year. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 11 Olivia Rodrigo at a Beverly Hills party earlier this year Credit: Getty 11 Young Olivia with parents Chris and Jennifer Credit: Disney Channel/Youtube 11 Olivia playing New York last year on her world tour Credit: Getty Her meteoric rise to fame has taken her from Disney Channel starlet to 46million monthly listeners on Spotify, 14 Grammy nominations and collaborations with David Byrne and Lily Allen. So how did a Disney child actor come to make this journey through the ranks to grab the most prized slot at Worthy Farm? Known for her heart-on-sleeve hits including Drivers License and Good 4 U, it seems Olivia was always destined to achieve her goals. 'I want to be a songwriter — I don't want to be the biggest pop star that ever lived,' she said in an interview. 'I worked my whole childhood and I'm never going to get it back. 'I didn't go to football games, I didn't have this group of girlfriends that I hung out with after school. That's kind of sad.' Raised in a southern California town by her teacher mum Jennifer and therapist dad Chris, Olivia was only 12 when she made her acting debut as the lead in the American Girl doll franchise movie. Before that, the self- professed 'theatre kid' had been writing songs — before going on to learn piano and guitar — and was inspired by Taylor Swift's country tones. She once declared herself the 'biggest Swiftie in the world', and was also a huge fan of the in-your-face energy of Nineties and alt-rock groups such as No Doubt. In 2016, Olivia was cast in Disney's Bizaardvark and three years later she starred in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a mockumentary that sees a bunch of teens putting on a stage production of the hit. Olivia Rodrigo praised for her 'iconic' FireAid performance - but fans all have the same complaint 'I remember being in meetings when I was 13, and they were asking me what I wanted my brand to be,' she told Vogue. 'I was just like, 'I don't even know what I want to wear tomorrow'.' Between High School Musical takes, the young actress worked away on her guitar, writing more music, until eventually Disney bosses invited her to create an original song for her character to sing in the show. The piano ballad that emerged — All I Want — went viral, and she was soon in line for a record deal. But unlike others who went from Disney favourite to superstar, such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, Olivia shunned the in-house label and decided to do things her own way. And inspired by Taylor, she also made sure she had the rights to her masters from the start. 11 Child star Olivia as Paige, right, in 2016 Disney show Bizaardvark Credit: Getty 11 Olivia playing the Other Stage at Glasto in 2022 Credit: Getty 11 Olivia with co-star Joshua Bassett in 2019 Credit: Getty Everything changed overnight in January 2021 when Olivia released her debut single Drivers License in the middle of winter lockdown. It became the first song on Spotify to hit 80million streams in just seven days. The tune also shot straight to No1 on charts globally and propelled her into what she called a 'crash course in adulthood'. 'That was the craziest time of my life,' she said back then. 'I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot, and I called my A&R guy. 'It had just gone No 1 on Apple music, which is hard for a pop act to do. 'We were looking at each other on FaceTime, speechless. 'That was the moment I knew that it was going to be something bigger than I expected.' I just remember everyone being so weird and speculative about stuff they had no idea about. Olivia Rodrigo The story of a heartbroken teenager watching her ex move on quickly led fans to speculate it was about a rumoured love triangle with her former High School Musical co-star Joshua Bassett and Disney actress Sabrina Carpenter. Its lyrics — 'You're probably with that blonde girl, who always made me doubt' seemed, to the TikTok gossipers at least, to be a nod to Espresso singer Sabrina, even though this was never confirmed. Still, two weeks after Drivers License went global, Sabrina released Skin, which featured the lines 'maybe you didn't mean it, maybe 'blonde' was the only rhyme' and, 'you been tellin' your side, so I'll be tellin' mine', raising eyebrows even further. The ensuing soap opera proved a struggle for both the young stars, while Joshua Bassett ended up in hospital. He claimed he had heart failure amid the stress. Olivia said: 'I put it out not knowing that it would get that reaction, so it was really strange when it did. 'I just remember everyone being so weird and speculative about stuff they had no idea about.' 11 Loved-up Olivia and boyfriend Louis Partridge in January Credit: GC Images 11 Olivia was awarded three Grammys in 2022 Credit: Getty 11 Olivia with her idol Taylor Swift in 2021 After Drivers License, Olivia's career went from strength to strength. Her second single, Deja Vu, was certified four times platinum in the States, then May 2021 saw the release of her debut album Sour, with pop-punk hit Good 4 U going six times platinum in the US. She earned rave reviews from critics, while artists including Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne heaped praise upon her. Her first live performance in the UK was at the Brit awards in 2021, while her festival debut here was at Glastonbury the following year. During her set there, she brought on Lily Allen and sang Allen's 2009 hit, F*** You. Olivia also joined her heroes No Doubt on stage at 2024's Coachella in California, and performed alongside Chappell Roan in LA last August. Earlier this month, she sang with Talking Heads' David Byrne during her headline set at New York's Governors Ball. The pair belted out a cover of the band's hit Burning Down The House. Documentary Olivia Rodrigo: Driving Home 2 U (A SOUR Film) — which followed the making of her first album — debuted exclusively on Disney+ in March 2022. 'I don't kiss and tell' And Netflix released Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour, about her global trek, last October. Heartbreak remains her favourite subject to write about. But she has kept much of her private life under wraps since the storm over that debut single, and once insisted: 'I don't kiss and tell.' Instead, most of her feelings are expressed in her music. Take her 2023 hit Vampire, in which she brands a mystery older ex a 'bloodsucker' who was only with her for fame. She dated producer Adam Faze for seven months before things came to an end in early 2022, then entered into a short relationship with music executive Zack Bia that same year. But despite her earlier pain, she is now loved up with British actor Louis Partridge, known for playing Sid Vicious in a series about the Sex Pistols. He said in an interview last year: 'Dating probably shouldn't be done in the public eye . . . there's enough going on between two people. 'You don't need the voices of thousands of others in your head.' 11 Olivia with her guitar during her Disney days Credit: Getty 11 Olivia will take to Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage on Sunday Credit: Getty But that has not stopped them from going, in true Gen Z style, 'Instagram official'. And last November, Louis, 22, took Olivia to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United take on Chelsea. Dealing with the pressure of publicity is far from the only trouble Olivia has found herself in, though. Hole singer Courtney Love took to social media to call out similarities between the artwork on her 1994 album Live Through This and promotional material for an Olivia Rodrigo concert, both of which featured the singers dressed as prom queens clutching flowers while mascara ran down their faces. 'My cover was my original idea. A thing you maybe have to actually live life to acquire?' wrote Nineties rock star Courtney, though the pair seemed to patch things up. However, allegations of copyright infringement involving hits on Olivia's debut album and songs by Taylor Swift and Paramore would go on to cost the star millions. Both acts ended up receiving not only 50 per cent of the royalties from the tracks they had inspired, Deja Vu and Good 4 U, but were included in the songwriting credits. Olivia's outspoken nature did not help, as she had previously mentioned Tay's Cruel Summer was the direct inspiration for her hit. Even last week, she was accused of making a Nashville venue take down Taylor Swift imagery before filming there in 2023, though it was later confirmed the removals were done for legal reasons. 'I was so green as to how the music industry worked, the litigious side,' Olivia has said. Headlining Glastonbury alongside The 1975 and Neil Young shows that Olivia has come a long way, especially amid rumours her third album could be released this year. She may look like the sweet girl next door, but her determination to direct her own career proves she is as punk as the rest of them.

Royal Family paid multi-million sum by Marvel so new Avengers superhero movie can be filmed at Windsor Great Park
Royal Family paid multi-million sum by Marvel so new Avengers superhero movie can be filmed at Windsor Great Park

Scottish Sun

time3 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Royal Family paid multi-million sum by Marvel so new Avengers superhero movie can be filmed at Windsor Great Park

Up to 300 crew and cast will be on site for filming this summer THOR KING & COUNTRY Royal Family paid multi-million sum by Marvel so new Avengers superhero movie can be filmed at Windsor Great Park Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLLYWOOD bosses are paying a king's ransom to film the latest Marvel superhero movie next to Windsor Castle. They are shelling out millions to shoot scenes for Avengers: Doomsday over the summer in Windsor Great Park. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Marvel is paying the Royal Family millions to film next to Windsor Castle Credit: Getty 4 A 1960s-style US house has already been built Credit: Peter Jordan 4 The upcoming Marvel film boasts an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth as Thor Credit: Alamy The blockbuster boasts an all-star cast including Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Sir Ian McKellan returning as Magneto. King Charles, who is Ranger of Windsor Great Park, is said to have been made aware but is set to be on his Balmoral estate in Scotland during filming. Marvel multiverse movie Avengers: Endgame is the second highest grossing movie of all time, raking in more than £2billion. Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, has paid a fortune in location fees to erect its sets next to Windsor Castle in Berkshire — with the money going towards maintaining the park. Windsor Great Park is owned by Crown Estates and the King gets 25 per cent of its annual profits. The exact price tag is not known but a source said: 'Several million pounds is chicken feed to Marvel when their movies make billions. 'But the money will go to the upkeep of Windsor Great Park so the King of course has a keen interest. 'Some of the profits of Crown Estates make their way to the Royal Family so it's a win-win for everyone. 'The Royal Family may even be persuaded to pop by and have a look at Thor in action.' Planning documents estimate up to 300 crew and cast will be on site for filming this summer. Enormous helicarrier takes off in Marvel's The Avengers Although the scenes to be shot at Windsor and the actors involved in them are being kept under wraps, the files show one set is listed as Luke Cage's House and the other is Annie Reynolds' House. Cage is the alter-ego of Power Man with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, while Reynolds is thought to be a new character as the mother of Sentry. Our exclusive photos show a 1960s-style US house for Cage that has already been built. 4 King Charles is Ranger of Windsor Great Park Credit: Getty The royals are likely to have a keen interest in the blockbuster film. Charles is patron of the British Film Institute and appeared at the premiere of Gladiator II last year. William has been President of Bafta since 2010. In 2023, Wills and Kate took kids George and Charlotte to meet the cast and crew of Lord of the Rings telly spin-off The Rings of Power, being filmed in Ascot. The Princess of Wales has previously revealed Prince Louis' favourite superhero is Marvel character Spider-Man. A spokesman for The Crown Estates did not want to comment.

Inside Emily Atack's son Barney's 1st birthday party with famous guest as Rivals star celebrates milestone
Inside Emily Atack's son Barney's 1st birthday party with famous guest as Rivals star celebrates milestone

Scottish Sun

time4 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Inside Emily Atack's son Barney's 1st birthday party with famous guest as Rivals star celebrates milestone

Her long-running showbiz pal joined in on the celebrations PLAN OF ATACK Inside Emily Atack's son Barney's 1st birthday party with famous guest as Rivals star celebrates milestone Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EMILY Atack threw a lavish party for her son Barney as he celebrated his 1st birthday. The bash included a very famous guest as the former I'm A Celebrity star celebrated the huge milestone. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Emily Atack celebrated a huge family milestone in style and with a special celeb guest Credit: Getty 6 She celebrated the first birthday of her son Barney whom she welcomed in june last year Credit: Instagram 6 The TV personality put on a lavish buffet and garden party for her nearest and dearest Emily, 34, first rose to fame in 2008 when she played Charlotte Hinchcliffe in the hit TV sitcom, The Inbetweeners. She recently starred in the hit Disney+ series Rivals based on the 1988 novel of the same name by Dame Jilly Cooper. The TV personality gave birth to her first child, Barney, in June 2024 with her partner Alistair Garner. Now she is celebrating his first birthday with a lavish birthday party with her nearest and dearest. This included an appearance with her longtime friend and colleague Leigh Francis - who is also known by his TV alter-ego, Keith Lemon. Emily took to her Instagram story as she shared a behind-the-scenes sneak peek into the big day. The first image showed the comedian standing next to Emily's brother George Atack, who shared a striking resemblance with the TV personality. She humorously captioned the snap: "Twinnys." Emily has a long history of working with the Virgin Radio presenter as she has appeared in a number of his shows. In 2012, she appeared in Lemon La Vida Loca, before featuring in The Keith Lemon Sketch Show three years later. Emily Atack returns to TV after giving birth as she opens up about motherhood and naked scenes in Disney's Rivals She also worked with Paddy McGuinness in both series of The Keith & Paddy Picture Show. In 2020 she was made a team captain in the long-running ITV comedy panel show, Celebrity Juice alongside Laura Whitmore. Another snap showed a lavish grazing table filled with sweet treats such as strawberries, fairy cakes, mini donuts and small buckets of popcorn. The display also contained bespoke biscuits in the shape of the number one with pastel blue icing. Emily captioned the story: "Thank you @pinkgingercatering for making Barneys party absolutely perfect!" Other snaps show her family playing in plastic pens in the corner of her garden and a special painting corner for the children. The outdoor space was also decorated with bunting while guests tucked into the buffet. 6 Emily was joined by Paddy McGuinness as she joked how much he looked like her brother 6 She celebrated the first birthday of her son that she shares with partner Alistair Garner Credit: Instagram

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store