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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
DESIblitz Literature Festival by Indi Deol
/by FCBG blogRepresentation is a huge topic in publishing, especially as publishers and readers want every child to have the opportunity to see themselves in a book. We have a guest blog today from Indi Deol about DESIblitz, a South Asian Literature Festival happening now in Birmingham. The DESIblitz Literature Festival, the UK’s leading South Asian Literature […]
Using the School Library Association Book Award by Helen Cleaves
/by FCBG blogHelen Cleaves is on this year’s Information Book Award judging panel. She is Librarian at Ibstock Place School, an independent co-educational day school for pupils aged 4 -18 located in Roehampton, south-west London. The Information Book Awards – a secondary school librarian’s view How did you get involved in the IBA? I spotted on […]
Meet Magic Cat Publishing
/by FCBG blogDiscover what motivated Rachel Williams and Jenny Bloom to set up Magic Cat Publishing in 2019 and what drives their current publishing programme. Visit https://www.magiccatpublishing.co.uk for more information. Publishing non-fiction in the current climate The first book we published back in March 2020 was Slow Down, written by Rachel and illustrated by Freya Hartas. The idea came […]
Aliens by Joalda Morancy
/by FCBG blogNeon Squid is a new imprint of Macmillan Children’s Books, born in the midst of the pandemic, which ‘creates beautiful non-fiction for inquisitive kids (and kids at heart), and believes that ‘the most amazing stories are the real ones’. In today’s blog, author and scientist Joalda Morancy explores a topic that has captured the imagination […]
Every Word Tells a Story by Tom Read Wilson
/by FCBG blogAs well as being a TV presenter, actor and singer, Tom Read Wilson is a devout logophile who hosts a regular podcast Tom Read Wilson has words with … and has been posting his Word of the Day videos since 2016. Here he introduces his book Every Word Tells a Story, a fascinating and entertaining exploration of the origins of […]
Human Kindness by John Francis
/by FCBG blogAs November 13th is World Kindness Day, we are delighted that John ‘The Planetwalker’ Francis has agreed to answer some questions for us about his experience of remaining silent for 17 years, and his new book for children which is packed full of inspiring stories about kindness, optimism , respect and resilience. How did 17 […]
Read more
/by FCBG blogThe Reflecting Realities Report is an important report that many educators, researchers and many involved with children’s publishing will be reading today and over the weekend. Ambitious and vital, this certainly provides food for thought. Today the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) released 5 years of data in their annual Reflecting Realities Survey of […]
The Case for Non-Fiction by Dan Nunn
/by FCBG blogIn today’s guest blog, education publisher and author Dan Nunn makes a strong case for the role and continuing importance of non-fiction books in school for young readers. Dan is the Senior Content Strategist, International for Raintree Publishing, whose latest book, Exploring Canals (Raintree, 2020) was inspired by his own son’s interest in the subject. […]
Secrets of the Dead by Matt Ralphs
/by FCBG blogThis November marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. In a fascinating new book published in collaboration with the British Museum, author Matt Ralphs explores how the living communicate with their dead, and how present and future generations can learn about past civilisations from the remains they leave behind. Here Matt shares […]
Luminous by Julia Kuo
/by FCBG blogJulia Kuo is a Taiwanese-American author-illustrator, who has worked with the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and Science Friday. She has written and illustrated Let’s Do Everything and Nothing, and illustrated I Dream of Popo, I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story, and The Sound of Silence, among others. Her […]
Reading Non-Fiction Aloud by Ben Harris
/by FCBG blogBen is the English lead and a Year 6 teacher at an Essex primary school. In today’s piece, he describes the excitement and engagement that can result from reading non-fiction aloud in the classroom and suggests some great ‘read-aloud’ books to look out for. For more recommendations follow him on Twitter @one_to_read or visit https://afewtoread.blogspot.com Reading […]
An Interview with… Andy Seed
/by FCBG blogWe are delighted that the author of a whole host of fantastic factual books is opening our programme of guest blogs for National Non-Fiction November with this top notch interview! Since I am best known for my interview books, I thought it would be appropriate to interview myself for this blog post! Let’s see how […]
Welcome to National Non-Fiction November
/by FCBG blogWe are looking forward to a month of celebrating all things factual – even though non-fiction isn’t just for November! But although information books are being published, read and enjoyed throughout the year, NNFN provides an opportunity to shine a spotlight on some of the best books around, while celebrating the positive impact that […]
Three Hares Trilogy by David Ross
/by FCBG blogAuthor David Ross has written a piece today that takes a close look at the research, ideas and development used in his trilogy, The Three Hares. Hello! My name is David Ross, and I am, with Scott Lauder, co-author of a YA trilogy called the Three Hares. It’s a fantastic adventure that takes the reader […]
Where the Poppies Now Grow by Hilary Robinson
/by FCBG blogOn the 11th of November, we pause to remember those who sacrificed their lives in World War I and II. Schools often look for poems, stories and images to poppies to share with the children. Where the Poppies Now Grow is a popular book in schools and author Hilary Robinson shares the background and inspiration […]
Illustrator Focus- Jenny Bloomfield
/by FCBG blogWe spoke to Jenny Bloomfield, illustrator of The Worry Jar, about her creative process and what it was like to illustrate a picture book. When did you first get into illustrating? I’ve always loved drawing, but it wasn’t until I started drawing every day that I started to think of myself as an illustrator. I […]
Breaking Down the Wall by Wibke Brueggemann
/by FCBG blogHistory finds a place in many children’s books and can be a great way for building understanding and empathy over past events. In this book, the Berlin Wall will fall and that had a huge impact across the world. Check out the blog today from Wibke Brueggemann. Breaking Down the Wall by Wibke Brueggemann I […]
Q&A with Helen Mortimer
/by FCBG blogWinter weather and the festive season are approaching and October is a busy month in publishing stories to suit the season. The Winter Wish is a story filled with winter magic and we were lucky to read an early copy and send some questions to author Helen Mortimer. Helen, your story is enchanting and […]