IN the run-up to Christmas Helen Stanton, owner of Forum Books Kids! in Corbridge, helps you choose the pick of the crop for children, while Claire Grint, owner of Cogito Books in Hexham, does the same for adults.

Books for children

Odd Dog Out , by Rob Biddulph, tells the story of a dog who doesn’t quite fit in, but wants to find her place in the world. A lovely book about how it’s important to feel comfortable in your own skin.

A Child of Books is the latest production to flow from the pens of Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. A lyrical tale about the rewards of reading and sharing stories, at its heart is a little girl who sails her raft “across a sea of words” to arrive at the house of a small boy. She invites him to come away with her on the most magical of adventures.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (illustrated edition) by J.K. Rowling and award winning illustrator Jim Kay. This spellbinding new edition will captivate both dyed-in-the-wool fans and new readers alike, thanks in no small part to Jim Kay’s stunning illustrations. “See” Harry Potter for the first time through the prism of these gorgeous books.

Oi Dog , by Kes Gray and Jim Fields, is a different take on the usual cat-on-mat/frog-on-log type phonics books out there. Bold, bright and creative, it’s funny too!

An Elephantasy , by Maria Elena Walsh. What would you do if you woke up one morning and found a lonely elephant at your door? Well, you’d probably adopt him too, wouldn’t you? And so a surreal, but oh so charming adventure begins – one that comes complete with a fold-up forest, a grumpy dwarf, an unhelpful brother and a highly suspicious umbrella.

My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord , by David Solomons. Brace yourselves and get ready for the action-packed, and equally, if not more, hilarious sequel to the award winning My Brother is a Superhero . This time out, Luke KNOWS that aliens disguised as gym teachers are about to attack Earth, but will anyone listen? No. So one dodgy pact with a self-styled super-villain later, and Luke is ready to save the world. He just needs to find his trainers.

There May Be A Castle , by Piers Torday, is a remarkable story about love and loss from the winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

The book opens with 11-year-old Albert Mallory, known as Mouse to his family, travelling to his grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve with his mother and two sisters. In snow and poor visibility, the car crashes and Mouse is thrown from the car. When he wakes, he’s not in a world he recognises.

The Beginning Woods , by Malcolm McNeil. The Vanishings started without warning. People disappearing into thin air – just piles of clothes left behind. Each day, thousands vanish without a trace. Max was abandoned in a bookshop and grows up haunted by memories of his parents, but only he can solve the mystery of the Vanishings.

Pax , by Sara Pennypacker. Peter and his fox, Pax, are inseparable until the day Peter’s family move, 300 miles away. As Peter strikes out on his own, determined to find Pax again, the latter embarks on adventures of his own while steadfastly awaiting the boy’s return.

Smartphone Movie Maker , by Bryan Michael Stoller. Featuring expert advice on all aspects of film making with your phone – from story planning and casting through to shooting and editing – this practical guide could turn the avid texter into the next Oscar winning director.

Books for adults

Trio, by Sue Gee. This is a wonderful, emotionally engaging novel, set against the beautiful backdrop of rural Northumberland in the late 1930s. It’s a heartfelt examination of grief and the possibility of recovery, telling the story of young teacher Stephen Coulter as he struggles to come to terms with the death of his wife, and of the hope offered by new relationships and the healing power of music.

The Silent Room , by Mari Hannah. This is a must for anyone who enjoys a really excellent gripping thriller. The unbelievably taut opening chapter leaves DS Matthew Ryan desperate to discover the whereabouts and clear the name of his friend and mentor DI Jack Fenwick.

Was Fenwick corrupt? Are there forces about to close in on Ryan as he carries out his own investigations with the help of former colleague Grace Ellis? With great characters and a pace which doesn’t falter, you really won’t be able to put this one down.

The Island at the Centre of the World , by Russell Shorto. Telling the fascinating story of New York’s rackety beginnings under the Dutch colonists, this book reads like the best fiction and breathes life into an almost forgotten period in the city’s history. It is an amazingly informative read and stays with you even when walking the streets of New York today.

London in Fragments: A Mudlark’s Treasures , by Ted Sandling. This would make a great present for anyone interested in social history or for those who just love pottering around looking for discarded treasures. The book gives a general history of mudlarking and how it survives in its modern guise – searching the Thames foreshore – before looking at selections of finds and how they fit into the context of London’s rich history.

Tiny Churches , by Dixe Wills. This charming book is a celebration of Britain’s smallest most intimate churches and the remarkable history they contain. Dixe Wills has travelled the length and breadth of the country to highlight these lovely buildings and the book is illustrated with some beautiful photography, too.

The Year of the Runaway s , by Sunjeev Sahota. For those of you looking for a novel which tackles complex issues in a manner which genuinely enlightens the reader, then look no further. This book follows the fortunes of three young Indian men (who come to the UK seeking work) and a London born Sikh woman who is the “visa wife” of one of them. The complex and often divisive subject of immigration is explored with great feeling and subtlety by the author, who has created a very fine, engaging and hugely thought-provoking novel.

The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well , by Meik Wiking. However you choose to translate the concept of “hygge”, we’re sure you’ll love this beautifully-produced book, which shows us how to appreciate life’s small pleasures.

It’s a lovely reminder that sometimes the best things in life are the simple things …

The Origin of (almost) Everything , by New Scientist . Has anyone ever wondered about how the universe began, or how our eyes have evolved, or why we use QWERTY keyboards? Then this book, with Graham Lawton’s award-winning writing and Jennifer Daniel’s engaging illustrations, has the answers for inquisitive minds.

Keeping On, Keeping On , by Alan Bennett. For those who enjoyed Writing Home and Untold Stories , Alan Bennett’s highly recognisable voice and sharp observation and wit makes a welcome return with this, his third collection of prose.

A popular choice for Radio 4’s Book of the Week, Keeping On, Keeping On includes diary entries from 2005-2015, introductions to some of Bennett’s plays, as well as a selection of essays.

The Marches , by Rory Stewart.

This fascinating book is hard to classify. It’s partly a record of walks undertaken by Rory Stewart and his father in the border country between Scotland and England and partly about the conversations they had along the way about everything from national identity to tree-planting to how to manage an uprising in a foreign country.