Tuva Kahrs, Children's Editor

As audiobooks for kids continue to grow in popularity, AudioFile’s Emily Connelly explains some of the reasons why, and talks us through her pick of the five best audiobooks for kids and teens of 2022.

Adults sometimes worry that horror novels are too scary for children, but children’s author Jennifer Killick is a fan. Here she picks out five fantastic horror books for 9-12 year olds and explains that in addition to the sheer fun of reading a thriller, horror books can help kids develop courage and often appeal to reluctant readers.

The Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize celebrates books that stimulate children’s curiosity and enthusiasm to explore, innovate and debate. Alan Wilson, Chair of this year’s judging panel, talks us through the six outstanding science books for kids that made the 2022 shortlist.

Zara, age 12, is an avid reader of philosophy books. Here she shares her favourite picks, and gives adults some tips on selecting the best books to get kids interested in philosophy.

Libraries provide a space for children to read for pleasure and discover the transformative power of books. Children’s author Bahram Rahman shares his favourite picture books about libraries for children age 4-8, and explains why book-recommending algorithms cannot replace librarians.

Financial literacy is an essential life skill, but it is not routinely taught at school and not everybody has good role models to look to for financial behaviour. Reading can certainly help. Finance teacher Darren Collins recommends his top books for teens and young adults to learn the fundamentals for making sound personal finance decisions in life.

Marine biologist Helen Scales reflects on the power of stories to bring all kinds of readers into the ocean realm. She recommends books for children and young adults, and explains why her selection focuses on novels for readers age 10-14.

Verse fiction gets to the heart of a story without much text, the immediacy of the characters and the storyline making it instantly appealing to readers, including reluctant ones. Here, school librarian Alison King explains why everyone should read verse novels, and recommends her top picks for 8-12 year olds.

Every year teenagers in Ireland show their enthusiasm for reading quality young adult fiction by voting for their favourite new Irish and international novels. Great Reads Award panellist Breege O’Brien highlights her top teen reads from recent years’ shortlists.

Barbara Band, librarian and former President of the UK’s Library and Information Association, explains why reading aloud for babies is not only a great bonding experience but also an important part of early childhood development. She shares some tips on reading with babies and introduces her top baby book recommendations.