In 2021, Scorpio Books opened a dedicated children’s bookshop in the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s CBD. ‘Telling Tales: Scorpio Children’s Books’ is located directly across the courtyard from Scorpio Books.
The sunny new shop is a treasure trove for the children of Ōtautahi, and the child within us all. The thoughtful selection of books aims to ignite imaginations and a thirst for knowledge in a new generation of readers. Our team at Telling Tales believe that books, and the stories they hold, have a unique capacity to inspire and connect us to a better future.
What’s our age range?
Telling Tales is a book shop predominantly for children 14 and under – but that’s just the simple answer. Like their readers, books don’t always fit into neat categories. There’s plenty of books in the Young Adult (YA) genre that might suit younger readers, and plenty of books pitched at 10-year-olds that teens still love as comfort reads. So, while YA lives at Scorpio Books (15+), we’ve got a section at Telling Tales called ‘Young Teen’ that caters to advanced middle grade readers and those up to about 14. If you’re unsure which shop or section you’ll find a particular title in, please ask. We’re always happy to point you in the right direction.
With the best range of carefully curated books in Christchurch, including a robust Gardening section, Scorpio Books is staffed by friendly, knowledgeable, eclectic readers always ready to help with a recommendation.
Browse the shelves, settle into a comfy chair and discover the best new releases and classics, fiction and non-fiction, on almost any topic you can think of. And if we don’t have what you want and it’s still in print, we’ll order it in for you.
Established over 45 years ago, Scorpio Books is a Christchurch institution. Lose yourself in this treasure trove for booklovers.
Scorpio Books offer all CHS Members a 10% discount (valid at both Scorpio Books & Telling Tales)
Everyday Permaculture: Sustainable Living For Every Space
Everyday Permaculture: Sustainable Living For Every Space By Anna Matilda Gibbons $47.99, Paperback Whether you’re a renter, homeowner or apartment dweller, Everyday Permaculture is the guide to sustainable living for everyone. This book gives practical and simple ways for people to incorporate permaculture and other eco-friendly habits into their lifestyle, no matter where they live. … Read More
The Good Life – Scorpio Book of the Month
The Good Life By Gillian Swinton $45.00, Paperback Gillian Swinton is trying to live self-sufficiently: living off the land and adapting to the seasons. With her partner Hamish, their two dogs, a cat, a few sheep, some bees and a lot of chooks, they are also building community and remembering not to take it all … Read More
A Naturalist’s Guide to the Fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand
A Naturalist’s Guide to the Fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand By Ruben Mita $29.99, Paperback ‘A Naturalist’s Guide to the Fungi of Aotearoa New Zealand’ is an easy-to-use introductory identification guide to 267 species of New Zealand’s fungi, described at species or genus level; perfect for residents and visitors alike. High quality photographs are accompanied … Read More
Spanish Gardens – Scorpio Book of the Month
Spanish GardensMonty Don $95 Hardback Based on his new BBC travel series, bestselling author Monty Don takes us on a personal journey through the gardens and green spaces of Spain. For over a decade, Monty Don has travelled the world, using gardens and green spaces to get under the skin of our most beloved cities … Read More
The Botanists’ Library – Scorpio Book of the Month
The Botanists’ Library: The most important botanical books in history By Carolyn Fry $65, Hardback Discover a vast treasure trove of botanical knowledge in The Botanist’s Library, a superbly illustrated collection of 300+ seminal books and illustrations from throughout history. From the earliest manuscripts penned by visionary naturalists to the modern tomes that continue … Read More
The Natural Gardener – Scorpio Book of the Month
The Natural Gardener By Richard Unsworth $65, Hardback From the earliest crop plantings to the most elaborate formal gardens, humans have cultivated gardens for millennia. Recently there has been a shift away from clean lines and perfectly trimmed hedges to more naturalistic plantings: the new natural garden is considered and curated, taking its cues … Read More
Outside In- Scorpio Book of the Month
Outside In By Sean A Pritchard $75, Hardback (limited stock so get in quick!) In his debut book, garden designer Sean A Pritchard shows you how to plan a garden so that every month of the year there’s something to bring indoors and display in an engaging way. From the cheery joy of early … Read More
Why Women Grow
Why Women Grow By Alice Vincent $28 Paperback | $39.99 Hardback Women have always gardened, but our stories have been buried with our work. Alice Vincent is on a quest to change that: to understand what encourages women to go out, work the soil, plant seeds and nurture them, even when so many other responsibilities … Read More
The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise
The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise By Olivia Laing Pre-orders now available | $49.99 ‘A garden contains secrets, we all know that: buried elements that might put on strange growth or germinate in unexpected places. The garden that I chose had walls, but like every garden it was interconnected, wide … Read More
Visionary: Gardens and Landscapes for our Future
Visionary: Gardens and Landscapes for our Future By Claire Takacs with Giacomo Guzzon $75.00 Available from Scorpio Books In Visionary: Gardens and Landscapes for our Future photographer Claire Takacs and landscape architect Giacomo Guzzon introduce stunning private and public gardens from around the world that have addressed both sustainability and climate change with outstanding results. Be inspired by … Read More
The Light Eaters: The New Science of Plant Intelligence
The Light Eaters: The New Science of Plant Intelligence By Zoë Schlanger $38.99 Order from Scorpio Books A narrative investigation into the new science of plant intelligence and sentience, from National Association of Science Writers Award winner and Livingston Award finalist Zoë Schlanger. Look at the green organism across the room or through the … Read More
Organic Vegetable Gardening
Organic Vegetable Gardening: A month-by-month guide to growing your own food By Xanthe White Due in-store 7th May 2024. $45. Pre-orders now available. The expert guide to growing your own vegetables organically in New Zealand. In this revised bestseller, expert landscape designer Xanthe White takes readers by the hand and walks them from backyard … Read More