The Book Stop

29/05/2026

Any excuse for a song aye.

Brand spanking new Little People, Big Dreams.

Spoiler Alert: Yorkshire does not get a mensh.

23/05/2026

Half term, schmalf term... 😏

We’ve got stickers, activities, puzzles, colouring, and books galore to keep busy minds buzzing and little fingers occupied!

Whether you’re looking for a rainy-day rescue, a screen-free afternoon, or just an excuse to browse some brilliant books, we’ve got you covered.

Pop into our little book shop and stock up on half-term essentials 📚✨

22/05/2026

✨ So… here’s what the grant is funding! ✨

Introducing 📚 The Golden Bookmark Book Awards 📚 — a brand new reading celebration designed to put children at the heart of discovering books they LOVE.

We’ll be working with 10 Calderdale primary schools to provide:
⭐ Free books
⭐ Interactive school visits
⭐ Author experiences
⭐ A creative competition
⭐ A live awards celebration with all six shortlisted authors

This project is all about removing barriers and making reading opportunities accessible to the children who need them most ❤️

We know funding and transport can often stop schools from taking part in enrichment opportunities — so this project has been designed specifically with that in mind.

⚠️ We only have space for 10 schools in this first round!

If you’re a teacher (or know one!) who would love to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.

Fill in the EOI form here: https://forms.gle/A5rnqqSZsTaXHdJ16
or contact 📩[email protected]

Tag a teacher or school who needs to see this 👇

21/05/2026

✨🥳🐧🥳🐧🥳🐧🥳✨

Penguin Random House (PRH) UK has named 44 independent bookshops as recipients of the Penguin Children’s Bookshop Grant 2026, out of 159 applications. 👇

21/05/2026

Still feels a little surreal to be writing this… 💛

When we took over the shop two years ago, we had so many ideas for how we could encourage more children to fall in love with reading — especially here in Calderdale. Some of those ideas felt far bigger than the two of us and what our tiny little bookshop could realistically achieve.

So to now say that we’ve been awarded the Penguin Random House Children’s Bookshop Grant 2026 honestly means the world.

This grant gives us the chance to create something we’ve dreamed about since opening the doors, and we cannot wait to share more with you very soon… 👀⭐

Thank you to everyone who has supported our little shop so far — every book bought, every recommendation shared, every kind word and every visit has helped us keep building something we truly believe in.

And thank you to Penguin Random House UK for believing in our vision too 📚✨

21/05/2026

We are absolutely over the moon to share that we have been selected as one of the recipients of the Penguin Random House Children’s Bookshop Grant 2026! 📚✨

Truly...a 'pinch me' moment.

18/05/2026

Order Children's Seahorse is Furious by Morag Hood, get an extra 10% off with code FURIOUS and support our shop through : uk.bookshop.org/shop/thebookstophx

Another triumph for Morag Hood, with her fantastic, bright and bold illustrations and cheeky humour that parents love as much as children, this book is a fantastic example of when the illustrations don't quite match the words, prompting lots of funny discussions! Not only that, but it's a great option to help open up conversations about feelings. Available in paperback and hardback!

15/05/2026

Join us for a wonderfully creative school holiday event at The Book Stop! ✏️📚✨

We’re thrilled to welcome award-winning illustrator Loretta Schauer for a special draw-along celebrating the launch of Puggle Snuggles by Mo O'Hara and Loretta herself!

Discover what it’s like to be a children’s book illustrator, hear all about the adorable baby platypus who loves to snuggle by day and party by night 🌙🦆, and create your own mini-masterpiece with Loretta leading the way.

Loretta is the illustrator behind fabulous books including Cindergorilla, Yeti's Don’t Exist and Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room.

✨ Signed copies available on the day
✨ Perfect for young book lovers and budding artists
✨ A fantastic school holiday activity

This is a FREE event, but please book your spot via our website under Events, pop into the bookshop to add your name, or send us a DM so we can make sure we have enough paper and pencils for everyone! 🖍️✏️

Come along, get creative, and meet the mischievous little puggle everyone is talking about! 💫

10/05/2026

The Indie Book Awards are the only awards curated exclusively by independent bookshops. They showcase the best paperback reads for the summer and help demonstrate the impact of independent booksellers building readerships for the books they love.

The awards comprise four categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s Fiction and Picture Book. Winners will be announced during Independent Bookshop Week, on Thursday 18 June.

Check out the shortlist and let us know which ones you think should win! All books available at The Book Stop - your summer reading, sorted.

Books Are My Bag

09/05/2026

We’d love to see you in the shop today, BUT if you can’t make it in person, snap up a book from us on and you could win a £250 gift card. Winners will be notified via email following the competition's close. Good luck!
Check out the latest list of Indie Champions in our shopfront - uk.bookshop.org/shop/thebookstophx