Have you ever thought you’ve caught a glimpse of a strange creature from the corner of your eye? Or fancied that the light aircraft flying overhead is actually a dragon? You could just be right. If The Companions are to be believed, mythical creatures walk among us and it’s our responsibility to protect them. Connie … Continue reading ‘Secret of the Sirens,’ by Julia Golding, artwork by Kate Forrester.
I have long been a fan of the work of amazing illustrator/ author Elys Dolan. Her picture books have had my whole family crying with laughter and caused my husband to declare ‘Weasels’ one of his favourite children’s books ever (along with George’s Marvellous Medicine.) Imagine my excitement then, when I received a new chapter … Continue reading Beginners’ Guides from the most bonkers mind of Elys Dolan.
One of the things I love most about children’s authors, is the seamless way they blend challenging and sensitive issues with humour to make the subject matter approachable for children. ‘Walls’ fits brilliantly into this category with its main character Ned struggling to come to terms with his parents’ divorce and break-up of peer friendships. … Continue reading ‘Walls,’ by Emma Fischel, cover by Sarah Darby.
Protecting our oceans in a hot topic at the moment, with campaigners and some big business working to try to reduce the amount of pollution being dumped into the sea. Plastic in particular is being highlighted as a significant danger and was, interestingly, the most-used word in Radio 2s ‘500 Word’ story-writing competition for children. … Continue reading Sailing the Seven Seas
The perfect collection of football poems to enjoy regardless of the highs and lows of the World Cup. This cracking collection of carefully curated poems has been in training for this year’s World Cup and is back and better than ever! From the best-selling poet, John Foster and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Korky Paul, this … Continue reading ‘Fantastic Football Poems,’ by John Foster and Korky Paul.
I was extremely excited to be invited by Scholastic to be on the judging panel for this year’s Lollies. Although the short-list is decided by the judges, the winners are decided purely by readers, librarians and teachers so make sure you visit http://www.scholastic.co.uk/lollies to vote! Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, today announced … Continue reading The Laugh Out Loud 2018 Book Awards (Lollies) Short-list!
”All girls should read The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis.” Malala Yousafzai. This novel centres around eleven-year-old Parvana and her family, who live in one room of a crumbling, bombed out apartment block in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her father was a history teacher before he was injured and would tell Parvana stories of their country’s past whilst … Continue reading ‘The Breadwinner – A Graphic Novel,’ based on the novel by Deborah Ellis.
‘Sing your own song.’ Jamie and his family have relocated to the island of his mother’s birth, a remote and tiny island in the Outer Hebrides. Rugged and wild with surging tides, Jamie has never been happier living a wilder life. But he has a secret - he’s afraid of the sea. A chance meeting … Continue reading ‘To The Edge of the World,’ by Julia Green, cover by Helen Crawford-White.
I am delighted to welcome ‘Planet Stan’ to my blog today to round off its blog tour. I am even more delighted that I had the opportunity to ask author, Elaine, some quizzing questions. The story revolves around the tricky sibling relationship between space-loving Stan and his disgusting younger brother Fred. Stan is struggling to … Continue reading ‘Planet Stan,’ by Elaine Wickson, illustrated by Chris Judge plus exclusive Q&A.
I thought you might like to have a sneaky peek at the picture books my Christmas elves will be delivering to my family and friends this year. There are so many brilliant new releases out there, it was hard to decide what to buy but I finally decided on these! Otto the Book Bear in … Continue reading A Picture Perfect Christmas
Library Girl and Book Boy 