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⚔️Battle of The Books!⚔️

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Welcome to our first ever Battle of the Books!
Jess and Lily from Sheffield take on their mum Sarah.
But who will win ALL THE GLORY AND GLOATING RIGHTS?
We Need YOU to decide! Vote for your favourite and help crown the ultimate champion!

Results revealed in next week’s blog…


⚔️ Grown up contender: Sarah
Current Favourite adult read: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig publisher: Canongate Books
Age: None of your beeswax! 🐝
Occupation: Awesome Mum to Jess, Lily and Charlie
Recently started as head of fundraising for Grow Uk who help 16 – 24 year olds engage in nature based activities to boost skills, confidence and horizons.
Special Skills: Multitasking wizard, expert book chooser, infectious giggler extraordinaire!

Book pick: Zog by Julia Donaldson publisher: Alison Green Books

What is Zog about?
This is a great book about a dragon who tries his best . He ends up getting it wrong regularly but meets  wonderfully helpful people along the way. I think it’s a book about ambition, friendship and trying your best, even when things are tricky or hard.
Zog always gives 100% and I love him for it!

What makes this book impossible to put down?
It’s a short book with a catchy rhythm of words. You are really rooting for Zog as he goes through school and you want him to do well. The illustrations are beautiful too. There is a follow up booked called Zog and the flying doctors which is brilliant, and all about girl power! 

You’re trapped in an escape room with one of the characters for the day. Who is it and what
qualities do they have to help you on the way to freedom?
Definitely Pearl…she is fantastic in a crisis she is knowledgeable,  calm under pressure and very determined too. She is a problem solver and seemingly always has what is needed to help. She would definitely be able to escape!

Convince the voters using only three adjectives. Why should your book win? 🏆
Fun, inspirational and beautiful!


⚔️ Kid Contenders: Jess and Lily
Parents: Mum, Sarah (their contender!) and Dad, Paul (who loves sci-fi books!)
Siblings: Big brother Charlie, who likes reading biking magazines
Current Favourite Reads: Jess and Lily are starting to explore the world of chapter books
Age: 10 (only just! Happy double digit birthday ladies!!! 🎂)
Likes: Random day trips, playing with friends and Eurocamp holidays

Book Pick: Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney publisher: Puffin

What is the book about?
It is about a boy called Greg and what he gets up to with his family. It’s really funny.

What made you want to read this book?
We saw it at school and lots of our friends had read the first book and some of the extra books in the series, so we thought we would give it a try!

You need help from one of the characters to complete a secret mission.
What is the mission? Who do you pick to join you and why?
Our mission would be to rescue an elf and Manny would be the best character to help because he is tiny and can fit in small spaces to smuggle the elf back to the north pole! And get back home without anyone noticing him. He could give the elf a piggy back if he needed it!

If this book were an animal, what would it be and why?
Diary of A Wimpy Kid would be a zebra because the story is all over the place like the stripes on the zebra 🦓

Convince the voters using only three adjectives. Why should your book win? 🏆
Funny, interesting and weird!

So now, dear voters it’s over to YOU! 🗳️
Pick your favourite book, cast your vote in the comments, and find out next week who takes the glory! 🎉
Only your votes will decide! 👀

***VOTING HAS CLOSED***


From Book Battle to Book Snap!
While you’re deciding which book takes the crown, we’ve got some extra reading inspiration for the family! Book Snaps are fun, fast book recommendations for busy grown ups and kids!

Picture book: Tyrannosaurus Veg by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Katherine Manolessou
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Book Snap For: Kids who love dinosaurs, playful rhyming books, laughs… and perhaps a little encouragement to eat their veggies!

Middle Grade: Crooks and Nannies: A N.A.U.G.H.T.Y. beginning…by Chris McGuire, illustrated by Martin Baines, published by Candy Bar Books
Book Snap For: Readers who enjoy slimy silliness, mischief and giggles. Perfect for those who love Diary of A Wimpy Kid

Kids Non-Fiction: The Big Book of Nature Artby Yuval Zommer published by Thames and Hudson ltd
Book Snap For: Anyone who loves nature, wildlife and making art and crafts from what they find outside. (On a side note…speaking from personal experience it makes a gorgeous gift too!🎁)

And by popular request we’ll be including one each week for the grown ups too!
(Contender Sarah’s suggestion!)
Midnight Library by Matt Haig published by Canongate Books
Book Snap For: Adults who love “what if” adventures, reflective tales and hopeful reads that lift the spirit

Next Week…

🥳Battle of The Books results reveal and our first Storyteller! feature with a very popular author/illustrator.
But can you work out who they are with these 3 clues? 🧐
⚽ This author/illustrator could have been a semi-pro footballer at 18! But the world of art won instead.
🐶 They have a dog called Ringo
👑 And they once showed a REAL QUEEN how to draw her crown!

⏰Plus a reminder: February’s You Words! Story Challenge deadline is coming up soon. Details and how to enter are HERE.
We can’t wait to see what you create! ✨

🌈Your Words!

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Thanks for reading Kids’ Storyworld’s first post!

In Your Words! this week, we’re celebrating our January New Beginnings winners, sharing a top storytelling tip from author Karl Newson, and giving you all the details for February’s exciting challenge. So keep reading to get inspired and take part!

While the rest of the blog is about encouraging reading for pleasure together, each month, Your Words! will celebrate children’s stories and their wonderful imagination.

Children can write or tell their story aloud. ✒️💬
The goal is simple… to enjoy storytelling, spark ideas, and champion their creativity.

Our first Your Words! challenge got off to a mega flying start. The theme was New Beginnings, and children were invited to get creative by sending in a poem or short story of 100 words or less.

And for the record the entrants did a cracking job! Each entry was different, full of personality and truly blew me away.

📚🤓Click here to read Jan’s brilliant entries!

✨Star Storyteller!✨ Peony (6) – In Your Dreams A moving poem with vivid imagery and a reflective take on new dreams.

Ella (8) – Mia’s First Day of School A happy story capturing the excitement and overcoming nerves of a first day at school.

Chloe (8) – That Dream Celebrating simple joys and fresh starts, this beautiful poem looks forward with curiosity and wonder.

Maya (11) – New Dawn A stunning, thoughtful poem about fresh starts and discovering new possibilities.

It was tough deciding but Star Storyteller goes to Peony (6). Her poem really resonated and I could feel the warmth of the sun as I was reading it!

We originally planned to award three book vouchers, but after reading all the entries, we’re sure you’ll agree that every child deserved one. In the end, all four received a £10 National Book Token.

📝Author’s Top Tip!

Karl Newson, author of I Am a Tiger, Just Be You! and I Really Really Need A Wee! knows a thing or two (or a hundred!) about storytelling. Thank you Karl for this month’s top storytelling tip!

“Look for ideas where you usually don’t. 👀
Perhaps you’ll see a dragon cloud 🐉 soaring in the sky, or a little bug 🐞 who seems to be in a hurry, or a squirrel 🐿️ bounding off to work in a nearby tree.

Once you’ve found an idea, listen to it! What is it saying? Is it quiet or loud, fast or slow, funny or sad, perfect for school or better for bedtimes?

Now you are ready to write it down. ✍️
Don’t worry about the End just yet. You’ll know it is the end when your idea has said all it wanted to say… perhaps that dragon cloud has disappeared back into the sky? 🐉☁️
Perhaps that little bug got where it was going? 🐞
Perhaps that squirrel went back home after work and ate a big nut for dinner? 🌰

The most important thing to do is have fun making it. Make it yours! 📖⭐”

Thanks Karl! These are great ways for children to unlock ideas and bring their stories or poems to life.

February Your Words! Challenge: “Love”❤️

Up for the next challenge? Our February Your Words! challenge is all about Love! Open to children aged 5–11 in the UK, they can write or record a story or poem between 100 and 250 words — it’s completely up to them how they share it.

Here’s the fun twist: the first word must start with “L” and the last word must finish with “E”. One Star Kids’ Storyworld Storyteller will be chosen to receive a £10 National Book Tokens voucher!

Ready to share your story? We can’t wait to read your entries and see how you interpret the theme!

Send your entries to: kidsstoryworld.abc@gmail.com
Deadline: Sunday, February 1st 2026 (UK)

Terms & Conditions:

  • Only children aged 5–11 living in the UK can enter.
  • Entries must be submitted with parent/guardian permission.
  • The voucher is not redeemable for cash.
  • The Kids’ Storyworld decision is final.

Thanks for reading our first feature and stay tuned!

…Next week we’re featuring the Herrett family in Battle of the Books! Jess and Lilly take on their mum, Sarah! 📖✨