Entries by FCBG blog

An Interview with H2O

AN INTERVIEW WITH H2O   Recently Zoe and Water, stars of the book Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis, sat down together to talk. Zoe: I’ve heard your formal name is H-two-oh. Is that some kind of code? Water: H2O is my scientific name. It tells you which elements (the building blocks of matter on earth) […]

Information Book Award 2023

Information Book Award 2023 by Margaret Pemberton   Whilst this month has been a celebration of National Non-Fiction November, which is supported by FCBG, it has also been the month in which we announce the winners of this year’s Information Book Award. The Awards were set up in 2011 by the SLA, as a result […]

Water is Magic by Will Millard

Today, Will Millard, author of ‘In the Rockpool’ and ‘In the Pond’ by Magic Cat Publishing, tells us why he believes water is magic! I can remember when I realised that water is magic. I was only five years old when I dug a small hole in my back garden and sunk a washing-up bowl […]

Starting small and thinking big by Mary Auld

In today’s guest blog, Mary Auld the author of new information picture book series about life cycles Start Small, Think Big published by Mama Makes Books, has written about the inspiration for writing information books and the Arctic Tern which is the star of the first title in the series, Small, Speckled Egg. Ever since […]

Who’s Afraid of the Light by Anna McGregor

What lurks at the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean? This is something which fascinates many, including author, Anna McGregor, who introduces young readers to the wonders of the ocean’s ‘midnight zone’ in her book, ‘Who’s Afraid of the Light?’. As sunlight is rapidly absorbed as it travels through water, colours are quickly lost, leaving […]

Everything you know about Sharks is Wrong by Dr Nick Crumpton and Gavin Scott

Today, we are joined by author, Dr Nick Crumpton and illustrator, Gavin Scott, who are the team behind ‘Everything You Know About Sharks is Wrong’. Dr Nick Crumpton No matter where you look in the animal kingdom, every species has amazing stories to tell. Not actual narratives, but astonishing adaptations, evolutionary histories, and behavioural curiosities. […]

NNFN Conference

Saturday 11th November dawned bright and beautiful, if a little chilly, as we made our way to Sidcot School, ready to welcome all the delegates for our one day non-fiction conference. Months of wondering, worrying and preparing – and the day had finally arrived! National Non-Fiction November is the perfect time to celebrate all things […]

Saving the Okavango Delta by Catherine Barr

Author of over 30 books to date, Catherine Barr explains why she chose to focus on the Okavango Delta as habitat for the latest book in her ‘Let’s Save…’ series, The Okavango Delta in Botswana, Southern Africa is one of the world’s most spectacular wetlands. Every year, as floodwaters flow in from the faraway Angolan […]

Learning through Infographics by Andrew Pettie

Our guest post today is from author, Andrew Pettie, who reflects on how using infographics engages readers.   Learning through infographics By Andrew Pettie Did you know that around 70 per cent of the way our brain perceives the world is visual? Or that people can identify a picture of a familiar object in just […]

Planet Earth or Planet Water by Ben Martynoga

Ben Martynoga joins us today to consider the importance of water to life on earth.   Planet Earth or Planet Water? You drink it, shower in it, cook in it, flush it down the toilet. You only notice it when you’re thirsty, or getting soaked by an unexpected downpour. Water: you probably take it for […]