In 2015, I took part in a Youth Libraries Group (SE) conference in Winchester. The keynote speaker, Julia Eccleshare, began by asking the audience comprised of librarians and participating authors to turn to each other and name the book or books that turned us from someone who read into a reader. With the others at our […]

This is a superb blog post from author Gemma Fowler on world building, and how notebooks and scribbled notes may not make it into the book but shape the characters, the setting and the story. Fantastically written blog post for a fantastically written book, City of Rust! When I was thirteen I realised that magic […]

A guest post from Ally Sherrick Award-winning children’s author Ally Sherrick reveals the inspiration behind her new middle grade historical adventure, ‘The Queen’s Fool’ … ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ As you might guess, it’s probably the question authors get asked the most when they visit schools. And of course the answer is […]

The Federation of Children’s Book Groups has its AGM this coming weekend on the 17th of April. As a celebration, and a nod to the missed conference this year, we are pleased to be offering members a chance to take part in a brilliant quiz with the exceptional Christopher Lloyd. Read on for more information […]

The Supreme Lie is an emotional, twisting and intense book- worthy of a dozen prizes! Well thought, well written and brilliantly thrilling, this is one to savour! We were thrilled to be given the opportunity to ask author Geraldine McCaughrean a few questions! A crisis in a book with a supreme ruler running away- an […]

We were thrilled to be able to read What Happened to YOU? and then pose some questions to author James Catchpole. This is a wonderful book which features Joe, a young boy with one leg, who is happily playing and attempting to answer the inevitable question, What Happened to you? by those around him. Delving […]

Written by Hannah Groves, SLA While some associate ‘reading for pleasure’ with reading fiction, school library staff are well aware that many children also enjoy an array of non-fiction and eagerly engage with books about sport, celebrities, world records and more. But what about science? How many young people do you think read science books […]

By Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers, a charity supporting children with parents serving in the British Armed Forces My name is Louise Fetigan and I am the founder of Little Troopers, a charity dedicated to supporting the thousands of UK children who have parents serving in the British Armed Forces. I set up the […]

Insight into the incredible illustrations by Greer Stothers My name is Greer Stothers, and I am an illustrator who specializes in natural science illustration. This means I’ve worked for museums and paleontologists, but also work more creatively on projects introducing children to the natural world – like Kaleidoscope of Creatures, which explains animal colourations to […]

BUSY SPRING, NATURE WAKES UP by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss Published by Words and Pictures 16th March 2021 Has the promise of spring, with the sunlight, warmth and new life it brings, ever felt so welcome as it does this year? Spring sunshine is nature’s alarm clock, telling wildlife to wake up after winter. […]