Claire Barker, author of the Picklewitch and Jack series on Wobbly Friendships One of the most telling moments in my author visits is when I ask the children to think about their best friends; about how great they are.  Then I ask them if they ever… you know…get on their nerves? Straightaway a giggle races […]

We are so excited to share this year’s theme with you! We have been very busy behind the scenes working with publishers, authors and illustrators to put together a month long celebration of stories! Our theme for 2021 is… We have competitions planned, blogs scheduled and giveaways organised! It would be wonderful to have your […]

A Love of Mermaids When I was little, I thought that mermaids were the most wonderful, magical, exciting thing imaginable. The Little Mermaid was my favourite Disney film and I just worshipped Ariel. As a child I was convinced that if I concentrated really hard in the bath then I might be able to turn […]

Huck Scarry, Gstaad, January 31, 2021 I am regularly asked what must it have been like to have children’s author Richard Scarry for a father ? Well, I am an only-child. So, for me, my father was oftentimes something of a fun and funny big brother. My father loved to do things with me! He played soccer […]

By Nicola Morgan, whose latest brilliant science-based title is The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Supercharges Your Teenage Brain. (Other brains are available and all my sleep advice is for anyone!) We keep being told to avoid screens before bed because of the light. But is this true? As it happens, this is another […]

By Ian Livingstone Fighting Fantasy gamebooks first appeared in the 1980s with the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the first branching narrative book with a simple role-playing game system attached – hence the term ‘gamebook’. Usually set in worlds of monsters and magic, Fighting Fantasy gamebooks place the reader at the heart of […]

A moving piece from author Benjamin Dean on his reading history and the reasons he writes today, “for the children of today who don’t have to feel invisible.” Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow is a spectacular and joyful novel, full of heart and humour. It is currently Waterstones Book of the […]

Guest Post by author Lucy Morris My name is Lucy Morris and I am the writer and illustrator of The Song for Everyone.  Originally I trained as a fine art painter but have always had a love of writing and drawing stories.  After the arrival of my children I had the opportunity to revisit all […]

Guest Post by Sarah Haggers Holt, author of Nothing Ever Happens Here (2020), and Proud of Me (2021) The first time I went to an LGBTQ youth group was a couple of years ago – I was 39 years old. Yes, I know, not exactly the target age range.  I went because I was invited […]

SPACE DETECTIVES ARE GO! Mark Powers is the author of SPACE DETECTIVES, the first in a series of funny and exciting sci-fi mystery adventures for middle grade readers. (“Star Wars meets Sherlock Holmes”). Here, he chats to CHINWAG-500, the world’s most sophisticated robot interviewer, about his new book. *BOOTING UP* *BZZZT* GREETINGS, HUMAN. I AM […]