Entries by FCBG blog

Delegates at our annual conference in April will have been gifted a copy of this new story thanks to the generosity of Owlet Press.  We are delighted to welcome author Barbara Slade as writes about her inner child and the impact on her writing. For nearly three decades, I’ve been blessed with a solid career […]

Alex Neptune by David Owen

Our theme Sail Away in a Story is perfect for the stories David Owen has been writing.  Set around a seaside town and then out to sea, Alex Neptune is an exciting new hero.  Read on for David Owen’s thoughts on writing sea-based tales.   There’s a reason children’s authors can’t stop writing about the […]

CLiPPA Shortlist Blog by Jay Bhadricha

CLiPPA 2023 Shortlist Blog I think poetry for children is pretty exciting. In fact, I don’t think poetry for children is just for children; with the diversity of voices, form and, well, beautiful illustrations, I think poetry for children is for everyone. The problem is that there’s a wealth of really great collections out there […]

Starboard by Nicola Skinner

Starboard by Nicola Skinner is a brilliant book that celebrates our theme of Sail Away in A Story perfectly.  We are thrilled to welcome Nicola to the blog today to gain some insight into her love for a ship and how it inspired a story. SAIL AWAY IN A STORY I have an insatiable desire […]

Antarctica by Mario Cuesta Hernando

Readers are in for a translated treat today as we have a blog from Mario Cuesta Hernando about his book on the “Continent of Wonder”, Antarctica.  He has written firstly in Spanish and then in English. ANTÁRTIDA. EL CONTINENTE DE LOS PRODIGIOS Había pasado casi un año desde que me dieran la noticia y aún […]

Sail Away in a Story – The Indestructible Tom Crean by Jennifer Thermes

We hear so much about heroic explorers who have traversed the world and this new book will introduce readers to a man who sailed on board some of the most famous frozen expeditions in history.  Read on for a guest blog from author-illustrator, Jennifer Thermes, about the “Indestructible Tom Crean”.     Imagine leaving your […]

Bigfoot Island by Roderick O’Grady

Roderick O’Grady has just published a sequel to Bigfoot Mountain, entitled Bigfoot Island and it features the same well-loved characters from Bigfoot Mountain, Minnie and Kaayii.  Roderick O’Grady shares his inspiration behind his stories with us today. A shaky 40 seconds of cine-film shot by a man in 1967, largely regarded as a hoax, has […]

Set Sail in a Story by Richard Pickard

Son of the Sea is the second book from Richard Pickard and both this one as well as Tentacle Boy have a firm sea setting.  Richard Pickard describes his favourite places as inspiration in his guest blog for us today.  Son of the Sea publishes soon so grab a copy of Tentacle Boy to occupy […]

Ankles Away by Jenny Moore

Jenny Moore’s recent book, Odelia and the Varmint, fits our theme perfectly!  Pirates leap off the pages of her mother’s book and come to life and Odelia forms part of the crew!  Read more about this exciting story from author, Jenny Moore! The waters of children’s books are teeming with pirates of every variety, from […]

The Story Thief by Graham Carter

When we were building the theme of “Sail Away in a Story”, we knew we wanted to include The Story Thief in our plans.  It has a sound basis in reading and sailing and is delightful to read aloud.  We were thrilled to share copies of this book with our member groups.  Author-illustrator Graham Carter […]