We have read many magical, meaningful, insightful, and memorable children’s books in 2020 and we are very much looking forward to our 2021 reading list. Here is a collection of some of the books that we will be reading with you in the New Year:

Here Be Monsters by Jonathan Emmett

This picture book is one of those rare finds that is both funny and smart, whilst retaining a strong rhyming narrative, supported by illustrations that have a classical painting quality that adults will appreciate more so than children. Each page holds a mysterious monster that the reader is surprised by long before its lead character has any clue to what is going on. The swashbuckling tale is perfect for reading aloud and for practicing your best pirate voices!

The Good Bear by Sarah Lean

Deep in the woods by the house is a bear…. This novel is a great way to keep the Christmas season alive for a bit longer, whilst encapsulating the magic of the winter months. Thea arrives in Norway to spend the Christmas holidays with her father, only to find him distant and acting strangely. Feeling alone she wanders into the woods and finds a bear who is just as isolated and scared as she is. It is up to her to help him find food and comfort, but can she prove to those living nearby that he is a good bear that won’t hurt anyone?

Fairytale Frankie and the Tricky Witch by Greg Gormley

A picture book that brings in every fairytale character that you can think of, it plays with the traditional idea of the ghastly witch on the hunt for her prey, but with a surprising twist. It is not everyday that you find a frog in your cereal, a mermaid in the bath, and a knight behind the coat-stand, so Frankie knows that something isn’t quite right in the land of fairies, princesses, and knights. A witch is coming and Frankie must help everyone hide or face the witch herself!

The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery

In the midst of the London Blitz, evacuee Col, is in need of friendship, love, and a little bit of luck. His sister is in danger and he must do what he can to save her as bombs fall all around them. But just when he thinks there couldn’t be a worse enemy than the Nazis, a fantastical force, in the shape of the Midwinter King, disrupts his mission, forcing Col to rely on imaginary friends from his childhood to guide him on his adventure. A tiger, a badger, and miniature knight all featured in his childhood play, but now brought to life, they have a much more serious role to play in Col and his sister’s future.

Happy reading for a magical literary filled 2021 from Bewitched Reads.