Books & Reading Archives - Everything's Famtastic

October 26, 2023March 27, 2024

Popular Book Series for Tween Boys They’ll Love to Read

Hey there, fellow bookworms and parents on the lookout for captivating reads! If you’re in search of the perfect chapter books for boys aged 9-12, you’re in the right place. I know that choosing the perfect book can sometimes be a challenge, but that’s what I’m here to help with!

What makes these recommendations so special? Well, they’ve been carefully considered by a young book lover (AKA my son 😅) right in this age group! You might already know that all 3 of my children are book ~~addicts~~ connoisseurs… Who better to guide you through the adventurous realms, fantastic plots, and captivating characters than a boy who’s been there and read that?!?

In this blog post, we’re diving into a world of fantasy, packed with thrilling adventures, brave (and funny!) heroes, and suspenseful stories that will keep your own young reader turning the pages.

So, get ready to embark on a fun journey that combines laughs, thrills, excitement, and the joy of reading. It’s time to discover the best chapter books for boys aged 9 to12!

April 13, 2023April 26, 2023

Irresistible Young Adult Fiction that Teens Love to Read

It’s never been a secret here that all 3 of my kids LOVE reading. And as they get older, so does their taste in books. Given that we now have a teen and 2 tweens in the house, Young Adult fiction novels make up the largest part of the pile of books that get lugged home after a family visit to the library.

When I say that my kids love reading, what I mean is, if they aren’t eating a family meal or physically out of the house, they are at home perched somewhere comfortable with a pillow and a book.

And if there has ever been an excuse for kids to celebrate a love of reading, then World Book Day on April 23rd is a pretty darn good one!

Over the past couple of years, each of my 3 children have put together their own personally recommended lists of book series for different ages of fellow bookworms here on my blog. (You can find the links to them all at the bottom of this blog post 👇).

But in this blog post, my Miss 14 wanted to share her picks for YA fiction. With a mix of fantasy and relationships, mystery and manga, your teen will be sure to discover a new book here to get lost in!

March 10, 2022April 23, 2024

Awesome Book Series for Girls aged 9 to 12: What to read now?

In honour of World Book Day, I thought it was about time to let my younger daughter publish another list of her must-read book series for girls. A couple of years back, she put together a list of recommended reads for girls aged 6 to 9 but now that she is almost 11, it’s time for my little bookworm to update her reading recommendations for older girls like herself.

I’ve talked about this before, but my 3 children are ADDICTED to reading.

Like, when we go to the library, they borrow so many books they each take a sports bag with them to lug the latest literature home with them. And then the bags are so heavy the kids actually can’t carry them by themselves anyway.

Or like when we are in a Doctor’s waiting room and there is nothing to do but pick up scrappy old comic magazines or books for toddlers, my kids will read those too.

My kids love reading so much that my eldest daughter a while back also wrote a list of her own recommended book series for tween girls and my 8-year-old son also put together a list of his top book series picks for boys aged 6 to 9 .

To discover what some must-read books for girls aged 9 to 12 are, you’ll need to READ on…

November 18, 2021April 10, 2022

Sensational Book Series for Boys Aged 6 to 9 Years

This week’s post is going to be all about books. The fun kind. For boys. It’s a change of pace from the last few posts I have written here. And afterall, the season of gift-giving is coming. Maybe you’ll find some inspiring gift ideas. 😉

By the way, I have some great gift ideas for bookworms which might help you out, if your kids are anything like mine and your book collection has grown to epic proportions!

But for now, let’s get back to the world of books.

Both of my daughters LOVE books and were so determined to share their ~~addiction~~ love of reading with others, that they begged me to let them write a list of book series they highly recommend. You can read those lists here: book series for girls 6 to 9 and book series for girls 9 to 12.

But God forbid my son be left out of the action. He too wanted to share his love of reading with other kids (Hello, Bookworm #3 of the family!) and voila! Here we are.

If you are ready to dive into the world of unbeatable book series for boys, then you’ll want to keep reading!

January 28, 2021September 25, 2021

Cheap & Easy Awesome Activities to Stop Kids Saying They’re Bored

I’ve been hearing from a lot of fellow mums lately, about how hard it is to keep their kids busy and entertained these days. I hear you. (I am one of them trust me! 😉)

For a million reasons not limited to: the kids being at home more, household budgets getting tighter, chaotic work schedules, fewer activities outside of the home being an option, even lousy weather, parents just like you are struggling to come up with new ideas to keep their kids occupied and happy.

Last year I published a great post with tons of fun ideas (Psst! That are not TV!) to keep your children occupied when school’s closed .

In the list you’ll find a range of things for kids to do when they’re bored. There are indoor activities and outdoor activities, sporty activities and quiet ones, as well as social and independent activities for kids of all ages.

No matter whether you have toddlers, tweens or teens in the house not only will the ideas on that list stop your children from saying “Mum I’m bored!”, they are all budget-friendly! Fun and cheap ideas for kids?!? Yes please!!

Because I keep hearing people ask for help on how to keep the kids entertained when they’re stuck at home, I thought it was time for a fresh update of my kid- (and mum-) friendly ideas. But this time I am not the only one here with the suggestions.

I have called on a group of fantastic fellow mums to share their top tips for clever ideas to keep kids busy. I’m really excited to have them all on board, because as we mamas all know, what works for one family isn’t guaranteed to work for the next.

Have fun reading the dozens of ideas in this post and pick and choose as you please, the best boredom-busting activities for your kids.

November 12, 2020January 18, 2023

Guide to the Greatest Gifts Book Lovers will Adore!

I love my kids. I love how they constantly have an abundance of creative ideas! And I love how they are always asking about Everything’s Famtastic and offering me ideas of what I could write about here. This post is the result of exactly this type of enthusiasm and brain-storming. Well, sort of… in a roundabout way… 😉

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All 3 of my kids are MASSIVE bookworms. My 2 daughters have been so for a loooong time. And my son, who just started school this year and always had an affinity for books, can now proudly read for himself. Suffice to say, that this bilingual household is overflowing with German and English children’s books!

A while back my eldest daughter wrote a (now very popular!) post about super books series for girls aged 9-12. And then my younger daughter published her list of must-read book series for girls 6 – 9 years. So naturally, they keep prodding me to write even more blog posts here about kids’ books.

But this article isn’t about books per se, rather about creative gifts for the book lover in your life. These gift ideas are perfect for bookworms of any age, especially if you are trying to avoid adding to the already sagging bookshelf!

So, what present do you give a book lover, if not books?!? Well, in this list we have thought of all the things an avid reader needs to stay comfortable, undisturbed and busy in their reading “happy place”! There’s also printables to keep an eye out for.

Be careful though! These gift ideas are SO GOOD that your bookworm may get so settled, you might never see them again! Take a look for yourself…

March 19, 2020June 26, 2021

17 Sensational Ideas to Keep Kids Busy When School is Closed (and TV is Not One of Them!)

Wow, how quickly the world changes. One minute your kids are at school and you’re rocking your everyday life. The next- kablam!- you’ve got your kids at home with you all day because the schools and kindergartens and child care centres are closed.

Well, at least that’s how it is for me, here in Germany. How about where you’re living?

In our town it started last week already when the local high schools closed. Then it was ALL schools and kindergartens. And then it was all children’s extra-curricular activities, you know, like sport, music lessons, youth groups and so on. And then all forms of possible entertainment outside of the home, like public libraries, museums, cinemas, zoos and pools. Everyone is being reminded to stay at home as much as possible and not mingle with others. That now rules out organising playdates for the kiddos. The latest news today is that playgrounds are closed too.

Sure, the schools are doing their best to keep up with the changing times and send over some homework for the kids to work through. But it’s not the same (for them or for you) as being out of the house learning for hours and hours every day.

I know a lot of people have been falling back on TV and DVDs to entertain their children at this challenging time. It is certainly a simple and easy way to keep them occupied for a while. Unless they all argue about what to watch and whose turn it is to select the program … 😉

There will be no judgement or finger pointing here. To each his own, as they say. But our kids usually only watch TV on weekends and if we can avoid it, we’d love that they didn’t sit glued to the sofa for hours every day.

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So what’s a Mama with a houseful of kids to do?!? I’ve prepared a list for you of non-TV fun activities to keep your children entertained and happy while school (and pretty much everything else!) is closed for a few weeks. I’ve got your back! 👍

February 6, 2020April 16, 2024

Brilliant Book Series Girls 6 to 9 Years Old will Love

Wait! What?!? Are we in February already? Whoa! I have been working countless hours behind the scenes here on Everything’s Famtastic, studying and planning and preparing great content to serve you better. And I was starting to think that February might have been a little sewing-biased. And that would have been OK. But no! Not anymore!

My younger daughter decided that enough was enough. She was waiting no longer to have her turn in the spotlight like her bigger sister before her. So for this week, sewing chit chat is off the table, and children’s book reviews are the thing everyone is talking about.

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If you remember, a few weeks back my eldest daughter (Miss 11) wanted to create a post reviewing her personally chosen and recommended book series for girls aged 9 to 12 years old. I was responsible for the general blurb, she wrote the review entirely independently. I’ve gotta say, I was REALLY proud of her and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback for her reviews 😊. *pat on the back Miss 11*

Not only our eldest daughter, but also our younger daughter and son are all complete and utter bookworms. Hand them a half-interesting book and it may well be finished within hours. Naturally Miss 8 (and Master 6, to be honest) also want to share their opinions of the best books to read. And by share, I mean, write a review here on this very blog. Who said the fam in FAMtastic didn’t stand for family?!?

So, without further ado, come and take a look at Miss 8’s recommended, best book series for 6 to 9 year old girls! I’m really excited that she wants to get on board with my blog! Read on…

November 28, 2019April 16, 2024

Best Book Series for 9 – 12 Year Old Girls To Read Now

(as Recommended by Girls!)

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Last weekend our family bit the bullet and went to another flea market (Flohmarkt, for those of you wanting to expand your German vocabulary 😉). No, not to buy anything, but to Sell! Sell! Sell! And we had definitely collected plenty of unwanted kids’ stuff to sell.

Sure we made some money. Not as much as we had fantasised about beforehand (bathtub full of banknotes, anyone?!?), but we actually did OK. Afterwards, we reloaded the car and brought the unsold stuff home again. Do you know what constituted the biggest pile of leftovers? Can you guess???

BOOKS!

I mean, we did sell quite a few, but we just had so many that the kids didn’t want anymore.

Our 3 children LOVE books. If we left the kids alone with no demands or expectations of homework, attending school, helping out with chores, speaking to another human or having a breeze of fresh air brush their sweet faces… well, I think they would probably just lie in bed and look at books all day. Do you know what the perfect word for them is? Bookworms!

The 2 girls have been begging for months to contribute towards my blog here, as a sort of “Stuff for Kids, by Kids” offering. And hey presto! I have finally got my eldest right here, helping me put together a list of highly-recommended, tried-and-tested book series. to give you some great reading ideas!

So, why wait?!? Read on to discover these compelling, page-turning, book series for girls aged 9 to 12 years, as recommended by my girl, who is (funnily enough) also aged between 9 and 12 years old 😉.

June 30, 2019November 6, 2021

Mega List of 61 Super Summer Boredom Busters for Kids

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Woo hoo! Summer has really been showing off this past week in Germany (and much of Europe, actually)! We’ve had temps up in the high 30s (around 100F). Reminds me of being back in an Australian summer. How’s the weather been in your part of the world?

I am constantly being asked how I feel about the hot weather here, while many of my compatriots (well, not really, because I am not a German citizen so that word is technically not correct. But I can’t think of a better one… “fellow inhabitants of Germany” isn’t quite as catchy 😉). Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I am constantly being asked how I am coping with the weather while many of those around me seem to be flustered, sweaty and melting. FYI- I’m all good 😉.

These past weeks I have been celebrating some of the exciting things I love about spring and summer; like strawberry season and enjoying the outdoors. And yes, we are still eating our boundless strawberry products. Can’t get enough! *nom nom*.

Since summer holidays are a HUGE deal for kids at this time of year, what a great idea it would be if only there was a long list of fantastic things to do during the school holidays. No more “Mamaaaaa I’m so boooooooored!”. Right?!? Well, drumroll please…