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Children's reading lists

Christmas gifts for 2024: Books for 9 to 12-year-olds

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Features

Katie Kirby’s countdown to the return to school

A photo to a young girl writing in her green diary on a pink background

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How to start a diary

Write Your own Diary with Lottie: activities and advice from the hilarious Lottie Brooks!

Lottie Brooks’s Essential Guide to Life

From hilarious MEGA-bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a brand-new Lottie Brooks book with a twist! 
 
Hi, Lottie Brooks here! I’ve just found out that you’ve all been reading about my most EMBARRASSING moments for years . . . it’s meant to be my TOTALLY SECRET PRIVATE DIARY!! 
 
Seems like it’s only fair then that it’s YOUR TURN! 
 
Lottie has been sharing her most cringe-inducing moments for years, and this book sums up all of Lottie’s knowledge and wisdom for a totally ESSENTIAL guide to life. Lottie and her friends are here to help you through those tweenage years with their best advice on school, friendship, crushes and, most importantly, SNACKS. 
 
Filled with BRAND-NEW stories and Lottie inspired activities, plus space for you to write and draw as well, grab a pen (and maybe a KitKat Chunky, for energy) and get ready to learn from Lottie! 
 
What will you find inside: 
<ul><li>Tips and advice from Lottie</li><li>Hilarious activities including Would you Rather, design your Drink of Dreams, list your top snacks, quizzes and more!</li><li>Space to write and illustrate your very own diary</li><li>Takeovers from Jess and Amber</li><li>Mum’s guidance on the ‘Amazing Journey to Womanhood’ (hmm, actually you might want to skip that page)</li></ul>

Katie Kirby is a writer and illustrator who lives by the sea in Hove with her husband, two sons and dog Sasha. 
 
She has a degree in Advertising and Marketing and after spending several years working in London media agencies, which basically involved hanging out in fancy restaurants and pretending to know what she was talking about, she had some children and decided to start a blog called 'Hurrah for Gin' about the gross injustice of it all. 
 
Many people said her sense of humour was silly and immature so she now writes children's books. 
 
Katie likes gin, rabbits, over-thinking things, the smell of launderettes and Monster Munch. She does not like losing at board games or writing about herself in the third person.

The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks

From hilarious number one bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a brand-new Lottie Brooks story. 
 
Lottie Brooks is BACK and she's as BRILLIANT as ever! 
 
At long last Lottie and Daniel are an official couple and everything seems to be going brilliantly (except for Amber being increasingly mean and jealous, but what's new there?). 
 
Meanwhile Toby's new year's resolution is to get a dog, and for once Lottie and him see eye to eye. Pot Noodle, the cockapoo, becomes the newest member of the Brooks family. He's VERY cute but also not toilet trained AT ALL. 
 
Lottie soon finds having a new boyfriend and a new dog means she has little time for anyone else, leaving her best friends pretty upset. How is Lottie meant to keep everybody happy and stop Pot Noodle from pooing on the carpet?! 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book ever' 
Katie has managed to capture the essence of what this group think and feel in a positive, life-affirming fashion' 
 
Have you read all of Lottie's embarrassing diaries? 
Book 1: The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks 
Book 2: The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks 
Book 3: The Mega Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks 
Book 4: Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip 
Book 5: The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks 
Book 6: The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks 
 
Available to pre-order now: Lottie Brooks's Totally Essential Guide to Life

From hilarious number one bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a brand-new Lottie Brooks story. 
 
Lottie Brooks is BACK and she's as BRILLIANT as ever! 
 
At long last Lottie and Daniel are an official couple and everything seems to be going brilliantly (except for Amber being increasingly mean and jealous, but what's new there?). 
 
Meanwhile Toby's new year's resolution is to get a dog, and for once Lottie and him see eye to eye. Pot Noodle, the cockapoo, becomes the newest member of the Brooks family. He's VERY cute but also not toilet trained AT ALL. 
 
Lottie soon finds having a new boyfriend and a new dog means she has little time for anyone else, leaving her best friends pretty upset. How is Lottie meant to keep everybody happy and stop Pot Noodle from pooing on the carpet?! 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book ever' 
Katie has managed to capture the essence of what this group think and feel in a positive, life-affirming fashion' 
 
Have you read all of Lottie's embarrassing diaries? 
Book 1: The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks 
Book 2: The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks 
Book 3: The Mega Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks 
Book 4: The Totally Disastrous School Trip of Lottie Brooks 
Book 5: The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks 
 
Available to pre-order now: Lottie Brooks's Totally Essential Guide to Life

Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip

Lottie Brooks continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments and plenty of lols. 
 
Woe is me. So much is wrong in my life... 
 
Still look like a tomato 
Am stuck indoors whilst my friends go bowling without me (rude) 
My parents are leaving me to go out on a 'Date Night'. GROSS! 
 
After a summer of meeting handsome French boys and getting a tiny bit sunburnt. OK, fine - a lot sunburnt, Lottie's heading off on a week-long residential school trip. A whole week away from embarrassing parents and Toby's tasty air biscuits! 
 
But the trip soon turns into a total disaster. The other girls staying at the camp are MEGA-MEAN, best friend Jess is spending all her time with new girl Isha, and Lottie's diary gets stolen! 
 
Who knew a school trip could cause so much DRAMA?! 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book ever' 
Katie has managed to capture the essence of what this group think and feel in a positive, life-affirming fashion' 
 
Have you read all of Lottie's embarrassing diaries? 
Book 1: The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks 
Book 2: The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks 
Book 3: The Mega-Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks 
Book 4: Lottie Brooks’s Totally Disastrous School-Trip 
Book 5: The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks 
Book 6: The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks 
 
Available to pre-order now: Lottie Brooks's Totally Essential Guide to Lif

Lottie Brooks continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments and plenty of lols. 
 
Woe is me. So much is wrong in my life... 
 
Still look like a tomato 
Am stuck indoors whilst my friends go bowling without me (rude) 
My parents are leaving me to go out on a 'Date Night.' GROSS! 
 
After a summer of meeting handsome French boys and getting a tiny bit sunburnt. OK, fine - a lot sunburnt, Lottie's heading off on a week-long residential school trip. A whole week away from embarrassing parents and Toby's tasty air biscuits! 
 
But the trip soon turns into a total disaster. The other girls staying at the camp are MEGA-MEAN, best friend Jess is spending all her time with new girl Isha, and Lottie's diary gets stolen! 
 
Who knew a school trip could cause so much DRAMA?! 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book ever' 
Katie has managed to capture the essence of what this group think and feel in a positive, life-affirming fashion.

The Mega-Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks

Lottie Brooks is BACK for more extremely embarrassing adventures as she goes on holiday and gets her very first boyfriend! 
 
THINGS THAT ARE RUBBISH IN MY LIFE: 
· Have the most disgusting little brother in the entire world 
· Have to get braces when am on the brink of having my first kiss 
· Mum is making cottage pie for dinner. VOM. 
 
Finally summer has arrived and Lottie has BIG plans - scrolling through Instagram, dreaming about MEGA-crush Daniel and sunbathing by the pool on their family holiday to France. 
 
Then Lottie meets new CRUSH Antoine. The language is a tiny bit of a barrier but does it matter when he's THAT good looking? 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book ever' 
Katie has managed to capture the essence of what this group think and feel in a positive, life-affirming fashion' 
 
Have you read all of Lottie's embarrassing diaries? 
Book 1: The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks 
Book 2: The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks 
Book 3: The Mega-Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks 
Book 4: Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip 
Book 5: The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks 
Book 6: The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks 
 
Available to pre-order now: Lottie Brooks's Totally Essential Guide to Life

Lottie Brooks is BACK for more extremely embarrassing adventures as she goes on holiday and gets her very first boyfriend! 
 
THINGS THAT ARE RUBBISH IN MY LIFE: 
· Have the most disgusting little brother in the entire world 
· Have to get braces when am on the brink of having my first kiss 
· Mum is making cottage pie for dinner. VOM. 
 
Finally summer has arrived and Lottie has BIG plans - scrolling through Instagram, dreaming about MEGA-crush Daniel and sunbathing by the pool on their family holiday to France. 
 
Then Lottie meets new CRUSH Antoine. The language is a tiny bit of a barrier but does it matter when he's THAT good looking? 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book eve

Lottie Brooks Bundle

Katie Kirby is a writer and illustrator who lives by the sea in Hove with her husband, two sons and dog Sasha. 
 
She has a degree in Advertising and Marketing and after spending several years working in London media agencies, which basically involved hanging out in fancy restaurants and pretending to know what she was talking about, she had some children and decided to start a blog called 'Hurrah for Gin' about the gross injustice of it all. 
 
Many people said her sense of humour was silly and immature so she now writes children's books. 
 
Katie likes gin, rabbits, over-thinking things, the smell of launderettes and Monster Munch. She does not like losing at board games or writing about herself in the third person.

Lottie Brooks is in her first year of secondary school, and not be dramatic, but her life is ALREADY over. 
 
She's too flat chested to wear a bra, she doesn't have glamorous swooshy hair and she is expected to start her new school without any friends! 
Dive into the boxset of Lottie's first two books: 
 
The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks 
Lottie is 11 ¾ and about to start secondary school- though she'd rather go into hibernation with her hamsters, Sir Barnaby Squeakington and Fuzzball the Third. 
Join Lottie as she navigates the perils of growing up in her fantastically funny story of friendships, embarrassing moments and KitKat Chunkys. 
 
The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks 
Lottie's back for spring term, and ready to face anything. And also is determined to no longer be known as Cucumber Girl. 
She plans to kick start the new term by impressing her mega-crush Daniel in the school musical as a singing crab. But as friendship woes take over her life, it looks like school isn't going to be as easy as she hoped. 
 
Praise for Lottie Brooks 
 
'As the mother of a ten year old hoodie gamer girl, it is a joy to see the screens off. No amount of coaxing about the utter joy of a book had worked before, but Katie has managed to capture what this group think and feel in a positive, gently parent-mocking, life-affirming fashion.' Becci, Amazon 
 
'My daughter is 12 and I cannot get her to read. However, I bought her a copy of The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks . . . and she's hooked!' - Vickles, Mumsnet

The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks

The hilarious new sequel to The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by the bestselling creator of Hurrah for Gin. 
 
Lottie Brooks is back for spring term at secondary school and ready to face anything. No more trying to impress mean girl Amber. And absolutely no more being nicknamed Cucumber Girl. 
 
A lead role in the spring musical gives Lottie a chance to dazzle her mega-crush Daniel with her talent as a singing crab but it's not all singing and dancing at Kingswood High. Lottie's friendship with Molly and Jess seems to be falling apart no matter how hard she tries to keep her BFFs together. 
 
Is Lottie on track for another epic friendship fail? 
 
Readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: 
My daughter couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days. Read at breakfast, walking downstairs, tea time, in the bath. 
My 9-year-old daughter devoured it in two nights, and all I could hear from her was giggling and the occasional "Mum! Listen to this! This is SO me!". 
My 12 year old reluctant reader took this book, read 100 pages in one night and proclaimed it 'the best book ever' 
Katie has managed to capture the essence of what this group think and feel in a positive, life-affirming fashion' 
 
Have you read all of Lottie's embarrassing diaries? 
Book 1: The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks 
Book 2: The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks 
Book 3: The Mega-Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks 
Book 4: Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip 
Book 5: The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks 
Book 6: The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks 
 
Available to pre-order now: Lottie Brooks's Totally Essential Guide to Life

The hilarious new sequel to The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by the bestselling creator of Hurrah for Gin. 
 
Lottie Brooks is back for spring term at secondary school and ready to face anything. No more trying to impress mean girl Amber. And absolutely no more being nicknamed Cucumber Girl. 
 
A lead role in the spring musical gives Lottie a chance to dazzle her mega-crush Daniel with her talent as a singing crab but it's not all singing and dancing at Kingswood High. Lottie's friendship with Molly and Jess seems to be falling apart no matter how hard she tries to keep her BFFs together. 
 
Is Lottie on track for another epic friendship fail?

Katie Kirby

From hilarious bestselling author, Katie Kirby, comes a brand-new Lottie Brooks story. This time it's CHRISTMAS!!! 
 
Dear Santa, 
 
For Christmas this year, I would like: 
 
Two hundred KitKat chunkies (full-size not multipack) 
Baby Bella to stop shouting 'BUM' in public spaces 
A new brother who doesn't fart on me and call it a 'tasty air biscuit' 
Antoine or Daniel (I can't decide!) to surprise me on Christmas Day with a grand romantic gesture 
Cash (lots of it!) 
A new diary (I'm really getting through them!) 
 
Lots of love, 
 
Lottie xxx 
 
PS. Please could you put a chocolate orange instead of a real orange in my stocking this year? 
 
Lottie Brooks LOVES Christmas - there's presents, all the KitKat Chunkys you can eat AND no school for two weeks! But this year, Christmas might be a bit more chaotic than usual. The whole Brooks family are visiting for the festive break (along with some surprise visitors . . .), there's a Secret Santa to organise, and the hammies won't stop attacking Gavin, the Elf on the Shelf! 
 
Will Lottie survive the festivities intact or will she have to hide in the fort of shame until it's all over?

Katie Kirby

The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks

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