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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog

Q&A with Lisi Harrison

  Welcome to Spooky Season on the FCBG Blog!  For the rest of the month we are featuring titles that are sure to scare, thrill and chill!  We kick off Spooky Season with a Q&A with author Lisi Harrison about her new series, Graveyard Girls. Where did the idea come from to develop a slightly […]

Inclusive Books for Children- Meet the Judges

The judges of the inaugural Inclusive Books for Children Award were announced this morning!  Read on for further details! JUDGES REVEALED FOR INAUGURAL INCLUSIVE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AWARDS, WITH A TOTAL PRIZE FUND OF £30,000 FOR BEST BOOKS DEMONSTRATING INCLUSIVITY New charity, Inclusive Books for Children (IBC) announces an illustrious judging panel for its inaugural […]

Best Friends Forever by Lisa Williamson

  I wrote the first draft of Best Friends Forever (back then known by its working title ‘Sugar Dirt’) with no real sense of what it was, or whom exactly it was for. It was Autumn 2021 and having struggled to make any real headway with the Young Adult project I’d been working on throughout […]

Totally Deceased by Sue Cunningham

Tell us about the concept of your debut Totally Deceased? Totally Deceased is a funny supernatural YA murder mystery where seventeen-year-old Jess wakes from an emergency heart transplant to find she’s being haunted by her donor. High-maintenance trust fund teen Tilly is convinced she was murdered and refuses to rest in peace until Jess agrees to […]

The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson

Author and illustrator, Giselle Clarkson shares some insights into her new book and why she was inspired to create it. Over the past year, when people asked my what my upcoming book was about I would struggle to summarise it. As the title suggests, The Observologist is primarily about being observant – but it’s not […]

Nature Writing for Children by Elena Mannion

Today we welcome Elena Mannion to the blog talking about Nature Writing for children and her passion for the British Countryside. Nature Writing for Children My passion for nature made it a delight to create a small patch of British countryside as the setting for The Happy Hedgerow – idealised perhaps, but in its essence […]

Dyslexia Awareness Week

As its Dyslexia Awareness Week we have a guest blog from Naomi Jones and Rebecca Ashdown, author and illustrator of the picture book Thunderboots.  They kindly sent each other a few questions to answer! Rebecca asked Naomi … Naomi, I know you’re really passionate about dyslexia being a superpower. I’m really interested in how being […]

Cotton Cloud Refuses to Rain by Elizabeth Hill

From wondering “What if…” to the publication of Cotton Cloud, this Q&A with Elizabeth Hill will allow readers a rare glimpse into an authors life and writing!  Check out her favourite books list below as well! Can you tell us a bit about your new book? Cotton Cloud Refuses to Rain is the story of […]

The Dress in the Window by Robert Tregoning

Sitting down to create what would become, The Dress in the Window, I set myself a goal – to write a story that challenged a gender stereotype with zero shame in it whatsoever. Great! But being the theatrical person I am, I wanted some drama in the story and if that wasn’t going to come […]

Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

We are thrilled to welcome Kayvion Lewis to the blog today, answering a few questions about her book, Thieves’ Gambit. Thieves’ Gambit is about nine teen thieves from nine different countries who are all invited to compete in an international, underground thieving competition. It’s a round-the-world adventure full of glamorous galas, car chases, backstabbing, first […]

Where Can We Go by Dai Yun

We are delighted to welcome Dai Yun to the blog with a Q&A that shares some brilliant insights into the story and how schools may choose to use it. Can you tell us a bit about your new book? Where Can We Go? follows the home-searching journey of a polar bear family: Papa, Mama, Masha […]

Spooky booklist

On the first of each month we share a booklist compiled by FCBG Members.  As we head into darker evenings and a spookier time of year, these books are sure to delight many readers! This list is available for downloading from our website along with other recently published lists. Booklists

Klaus Flugge Winner- Mariajo Illustrajo

Earlier this month, Mariajo Ilustrajo was named winner of the Klaus Flugge Prize for most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration. She won for her book Flooded, published by Frances Lincoln. Flooded is a funny but powerful demonstration of the impact of climate change in which animals attempt to carry on with […]

Channel Fear by Lisa Richardson

We love promoting debut authors through the FCBG blog!  Today we welcome Lisa Richardson, author of Channel Fear, a thrilling YA novel.  She shares a bit about her inspiration with us!       With a long-held dream to see my book on a shelf in my local bookstore, Channel Fear is my chilling YA […]

Butterfly Wings by Samuel Larochelle and Eve Patenaude

We are sharing a lovely Q&A today with both the author and illustrator of Butterfly Wings.  You can get a great sense of the time and energy that both author and illustrator have into the process of creating a book, one that deals with climate anxiety. Butterfly Wings – a guest blog from author Samuel […]

The Magic of Forests by Vicky Woodgate

The MAGIC OF FORESTS and all things non-fiction BY VICKY WOODGATE I just LOVE the beginning of an idea, followed by the research and then its pitch time! It might be my favourite part of the book making process. I love the seed of an idea, pun intended J and with The Magic of Forests, […]

The Wolf Twins by Ewa Jozefkowicz

Book recommendations are always welcome from authors.  Ewa Jozefkowicz has chosen several titles that feature twins as characters which is inspired by her own set of twins. Double trouble – Top children’s stories featuring twins   Twins have always held a unique and intriguing place in children’s books as they bring with them a sense of […]

Wolf and Bear by Kate Rolfe

Kate Rolfe is a brilliant new talent whose strikingly beautiful debut picture book, Wolf and Bear, publishes this month. Kate sat down with her editor, Suzanne Carnell, Publisher of the Two Hoots imprint at Macmillan Children’s Books, to discuss her work. Full of heart and hope, Wolf and Bear will strike a chord with children […]

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