Children and teens roundup – the best new chapter books
A classic Yeti romp with 28 possible endings, a Blade Runner-style thriller and more adventures on the Thames with Jessie Burton
The Guardian view on Christmas shows: they are fairy tales for our times
From Ballet Shoes to Wicked, stories of female empowerment and friendship are triumphing on stage and screen
Australian Christmas kids’ gift guide 2024: 60 great ideas for babies, toddlers, kids and tweens
Our discerning writers and editors have searched high and low for the best (and budget-conscious) children’s Christmas presents for this holiday season
There is a moral in Jamie Oliver’s story of stereotypical folk, just not one he intended
In offending Australia’s First Nations people, the chef is at least offering a cautionary tale for other celebrity authors
We all have life stories, we just need to learn how to tell them
I’ve spent two months teaching memoir writing to students in years 3 to 6. They just wade right in
Alexander Armstrong and Ben Miller look back: ‘We were really cross with each other, slamming the door and saying: That’s it’
The comedy double act on playing it cool, bombing at Edinburgh, and how their friendship endured after they branched out on their own
Picture books for children – reviews
Letters between Van Gogh and his brother Theo inspire a delightful biography. Plus, new releases from big-hitters Oliver Jeffers and David Litchfield
Jeremy Strong obituary
Author who won the Children’s Book award in 1997 and whose bestselling series made adults laugh too
Mr Fib and Little Miss Surprise join ranks of the Mr Men and Little Misses
Top-hatted liar and pink-haired character who never knows what the day will bring are added to classic series of children’s books
‘I wanted to be No 1. But a certain JK Rowling came along’: Jacqueline Wilson on rivalry, censorship – and love
Raised by a ‘scary’ father and a ‘terrible snob’ of a mother, the Tracy Beaker author has always understood the loneliness that marks so many young lives. But at 77, she’s never been happier
Beth Mead: ‘I told Saka just to curtsy when he sees me!’
The Arsenal and England footballer on her MBE, her terrible singing voice – and the best and worst year of her life
Jan Pieńkowski obituary
Illustrator and creator of the Meg and Mog children’s books, who also used pop-up and paper cut-outs to thrilling effect
Tom Gates Live on Stage! review – songs and sketches from the schoolboy doodler
Liz Pichon brings the young hero of her witty books to life in an adaptation that explodes with animations
Eighty years of children’s books: the best Carnegie medal winners
Julia Eccleshare looks back at the incredible roll-call of past Carnegie medal winners since the children’s book prize began in 1936, and wonders if any have been unjustly forgotten
Harry Potter in 2016: what’s happening this year
From the Cursed Child to Fantastic Beasts to the illustrated version of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, here’s everything that’s coming to us this year (that we know of) from the world of JK Rowling’s wizarding world