The latest title from Padraig Kenny, author of Tin and Pog was published by Macmillan on 17th September and features illustrations by Edward Bettison. The Monsters of Rookhaven tells an incredible middle grade story that will have readers empathising, questioning, debating, and left in awe of the adventure they have undertaken alongside Mirabelle, a character […]

Perfect for younger readers, Unipiggle is a superb, brightly illustrated series.  Unipiggle is a unique and fun loving combination of unicorn and pig owned by Princess Pea.  They live in Twinkleland and get into plenty of trouble!  Read on for insight into how Unipiggle came to be from author-illustrator, Hannah Shaw. My Unipiggle publishing journey […]

by Julia Golding Here’s a challenge for you: list the first five characters from the children’s historical fiction that come to mind. To qualify they have to be in a book about a period not in the lifetime of the author, so historical books that were contemporary to the writer don’t count, like the Little […]

Guest post by Ana Sampson As lockdown descended across Britain this spring, many of us turned to our bookshelves for comfort. I spend a lot of time in Tudor England, sitting with Thomas Cromwell as his boys brought in the candles (The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel), riding through England and France with […]

Andrea Reece of the Klaus Flugge Prize celebrates the award in its fifth year, and how much it says about the importance of picture book illustration. The winner of the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize has just been announced and it is Eva Eland for her book When Sadness Comes to Call, published by Andersen Press.  […]

Guest Post by J.M.Joseph Teaching English kept me busy in the weeks leading up to the launch of Fire Boy, my debut novel. I was deep inside Camp Green Lake and Holes with one class; skirting past Act I of Romeo and Juliet in a second; and revising commas in the third (ugh). Though February […]

Liz Hyder and her editor Sarah Odedina have just been announced as the winners of the 2020 Branford Boase Award, which honours the author and editor of the outstanding debut novel for children. They won for Sarah’s novel Bearmouth, a powerful dystopia, based on real-life stories of nineteenth century child miners and told in a […]

Serena Patel has taken 2020 by storm with the publication of two Anisha, Accidental Detective books, the first in March and the second in September.  Anisha has all the skills to solve mysteries alongside her best friend, Milo.  Both books are entertaining, funny and full of insight into a busy and noisy Indian family life.  […]

Q&A with Author Kimberly Pauley What inspired you to write The Accidental Wizard?  Believe it or not, it was a bet. For almost 10 years, I’ve had a yearly bet with some fellow authors. Brian Farrey (The Vengekeep Prophecies, etc.), inspired by Stephen King, started it. Catherine Ryan Hyde (Pay it Forward, etc.) and I have participated […]

Q&A with Author Dominique Valente 1. Willow Moss is the newest favourite magical star on the scene.  How does it feel knowing readers have taken her into their hearts?  Ah! Thank you so much. It’s honestly so incredibly humbling, strange and wonderful. I’m so surprised and delighted that readers have responded so well to her. She’s this character […]