reluctant readers


Chaos in the New Collins Big Cat Catalogue

Collins Big Cat 2024 Reading Catalogue with Shinoy and the Chaos Crew by Chris Callaghan

Thrilled that the new 2024 Collins Big Cat International Reading Catalogue is now available.
Extra thrilled that it has a double page spread of my ‘Shinoy and the Chaos Crew’ books!!
This is a 48 book set with readers, graphic novels and nonfiction books.
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I LOVED creating these characters and stories, and I hope children all over the world will enjoy reading them.
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The nonfiction were written by cleverer folk than me, some of the reading books by the awesome Zoë Clarke and the whole lot illustrated by the amazing Amit Tayal.
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Check out the catalogue here

For more details of the Shinoy and the Chaos Crew series, click the link here!

Collins Big Cat 2024 Reading Catalogue with Shinoy and the Chaos Crew by Chris Callaghan

Webinar Now On YouTube

Chris Callaghan Collins Big Cat Webinar Turning reluctant readers into reachable readers

I recently did a webinar for the lovely folk at Collins Big Cat about my own experiences of being a ‘reluctant reader’ and some of the things I’ve learned from talking to children like me.

It’s now available on YouTube here.

I’ve tried to be as honest as I can about this subject as there are often some misunderstandings as to why some children don’t engage with books. I hope it’s of some use for all of those amazing people who work so hard to encourage a love of stories in our young readers.


FREE Webinar Coming Up …

Join me for a FREE webinar about ‘Turning Reluctant Readers into Reachable Readers

Thursday 7th December 2023 at 4pm (GMT)

I didn’t engage with books as a child, and I will be talking about my own experiences on this subject.

I’m also going to bang on about the importance of stories, the problems with book snobbery and I’ll also try to dispel the myths that some ‘readers’ may have about ‘non-readers’, while hopefully offering some practical solutions.

I’ve been very lucky. Stories (if not books) have ALWAYS played an important part of my life. Anyone who knows me through my various career incarnations will know I’ve always had my head in the clouds. Eventually becoming a reader made a university education possible for me, as a mature student. And now, working in a world of stories is still unbelievable.

ALL children, regardless of upbringing, should have the same opportunities as everyone else – whether or not they decide to take them.

It would be lovely if you joined me. Please click on the link here for more information and to register.


My Experiences as a Reluctant Reader

My new series of books, ‘Shinoy and the Chaos Crew’, are largely aimed at young people who would not normally choose to pick up and read a book. In an article I wrote for my publisher, I talk about my own experiences of being a ‘reluctant reader’ when I was young. Sometimes people who don’t read much (or at all) are not those who are uninterested in stories, as some people think, but are those that LOVE stories. Reading can be a slow way to access a story, which does put readers like me off. I wrote my new series with this in mind and wanted to bring the story bursting into the readers mind as soon as possible.

You can read the whole article here (don’t worry, it’s very short!).