Christmas gift for a 10-year-old: a personalised children's book starring them

A 10-year-old knows what makes a good story. Their book has one or two short paragraphs per page, more dialogue and a plot that builds towards a proper showdown. There's room for humour too, and in the pictures, your child is the hero, illustrated from a photo.

Make a book for a 10-year-old

Hardback in time for Christmas: order by 8 December

Big stories for 10-year-olds

By ten, many children have developed their own taste in books, films and music. They follow long series, discuss characters and have opinions about how a story should have ended. Friends matter a great deal, and children are becoming more aware of what's considered cool. But there's still room for a favourite cuddly toy and a cosy Friday night. Ten-year-olds can follow several storylines at once and enjoy being surprised. A book for this age can offer richer language, a plot with room to develop and a hero with strengths and flaws. A picture book can still be just right, as long as it doesn't feel as though it was written for a younger child.

Would you like to see a finished book before you decide? Browse our example books.

Themes for 10-year-olds

Camping brings tents, campfires, mosquitoes and noises in the dark that turn out to be a badger. There's room for suspense and laughter on the same spread, with the family gathered around the fire. For a history fan, try ancient Egypt: a pyramid with secret passages, a missing seal and hieroglyphs that only your 10-year-old can decipher before the torch burns out.

Choose a theme

What you can tell us

What does your 10-year-old do when nobody tells them what to do? That's often where the story lies. Tell us about their interests, your family jokes, their nickname and the things they're proud of. Let them help choose if you like: a 10-year-old may know exactly which style and font look right. Friends, siblings, a bearded uncle or the family cat can all have a part. Courage or perseverance could suit a story with a real challenge, while respect could guide an adventure where the group has to work together. You can write the foreword together, or keep it a secret until the book arrives.

A gift for their tenth birthday

Turning ten is a little milestone, and a book starring your child makes a fitting gift. They can read it themselves, perhaps more than once, and show it to friends, cousins and grandparents. The hardback becomes a keepsake from the years when chapter books took over, and the back cover can carry a message only the family understands. The audiobook gives a younger sibling a way to listen to their big sister's or brother's adventure. If your child would like to read their story in another language, perhaps one a grandparent speaks, the book can be translated for free with the same pictures.

Remind me before the birthday

Not quite yet? We e-mail you two to three weeks before the child's birthday, in time for a printed book. Once a year, nothing else.

You turn the reminder on in the e-mail we send. We keep only the address and the date, see the privacy policy.

Questions about books for 10 years

It means one or two short paragraphs per page, more dialogue and a story that builds towards an exciting conclusion. It's the age group suited to a 10-year-old.

No. There's more suspense than in the books for younger children, but nothing unsuitable for a child.

Yes, into any of 39 languages, free of charge. The pictures stay the same.

Yes, together with you in your account. You can edit all the text, including the title and foreword, afterwards.