by Cathy Cassidy Where do ideas come from? Sometimes they come from what is happening in the world around us, from a desire to battle injustice and tell a story that might just change someone’s opinion, open someone’s eyes. We’re all looking for the truth, after all. Now and then a story lodges in your […]

by Dominique Valente The world of Starfell had existed for a number of years for me before the character of Willow Moss appeared around eight years ago. She emerged while I was driving home from work and thinking about the idea that so many fantasy stories feature ‘the chosen one’ – the lost princess who […]

The shortlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize, which awards the most exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration, was announced last night, Wednesday 15th May. For the first time, there is an all-female shortlist, and a good showing for the Cambridge School of Art – four of the six shortlisted illustrators are graduates of Martin […]

by Alex Bell The idea of exploring unknown places has always been fascinating to me. In years gone by, people really had no idea what they might find when they set out for the great horizon, but they went anyway. It’s interesting to wonder about the type of person who would commit themselves to such […]

Al’s Awesome Science is a young fiction series written by Jane Clarke and illustrated by James Brown. The series follows science-mad twins Al and Lottie as they plan to build a time machine and test out various scientific theories to develop their design and prepare for space travel. The chapter books, ideal for children who […]

by Mel Darbon Rosie Loves Jack is a story about love and one girl’s journey to be reunited with the boy who makes the sunshine in her head. It’s a story about never giving up despite the odds that are stacked against you. It’s a book that will help you see the world through new […]

by Bren MacDibble Travelling tales and tales while travelling are what I’m all about lately. We hit the road exactly a year ago after city life became all too busy and difficult and following a house fire. We sold everything we had left in Melbourne, bought an RV and a trailer to put the motorbikes […]

The shortlist for the 2019 Branford Boase Award was announced yesterday (Wednesday 1st May 2019). The Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children. Uniquely, it also honours the editor of the winning title and highlights the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent. The shortlist […]

By Rehan Khan As a storyteller I’m fascinated by how ideas move from one culture to the next. How information is exchanged, from which knowledge is built, and wisdom garnered. I’m particularly interested in what unites cultures – the shared myths, legends, narratives – as opposed to what shatters them into a thousand shards. Whilst […]

Self-Care for Kids and Parents We teach our kids how to brush their teeth, to safely cross roads and the importance of healthy eating, self-care for kids is about broadening the focus to include practices that boost our children’s emotional and mental wellbeing. We all want to raise compassionate, resilient kids and we achieve this […]