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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
Fact books- No robot thinkers here by Moira Butterfield
Today, we are delighted to welcome Moira Butterfield, author of many non-fiction titles, including ‘The Secret Life…’ series to the FCBG blog. Facts books – No robot thinkers here! Moira Butterfield, author of The Secret Life…series Is a fact book just that – a straight and possibly somewhat predictable setting out of factual material […]
Welcome to National Non-Fiction November 2023
Welcome to National Non-Fiction November 2023 To kick off this year’s celebrations, last year’s NNFN co-ordinator, Chris Routh takes a look at what’s in store this November! National Non-Fiction November is one of FCBG’s three annual initiatives that offer a range of opportunities to engage young readers in reading for pleasure & personal interest. This […]
Q&A with Derek Landy, Author of Skulduggery Pleasant
We have a cracking end to Spooky Season with a Q&A with author Derek Landy! Skulduggery Pleasant is a widely popular series and now has its first graphic novel to read! Check out our Q&A below and have a safe and happy Halloween. HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE SHIFT BFROM WRITING BOOKS TO GRAPHIC NOVELS? […]
Isn’t it marvellous when things go wrong by Jack Meggitt-Phillips
Jack Meggitt-Phillips is the internationally bestselling author of the monstrously funny The Beast and the Bethany books. The latest book in the series, The Beast and the Bethany: Child of the Beast is out now. Here, Jack talks us through how he sources ideas for his books . . . Isn’t it marvellous when things […]
The Reluctant Vampire Queen Bites Back by Jo Simmons
We have a brilliant guest blog from author Jo Simmons about her spooky books, The Reluctant Vampire Queen and The Reluctant Vampire Queen Bites Back. My recent teen books, The Reluctant Vampire Queen and The Reluctant Vampire Queen Bites Back, published in 2022 and 2023, sit firmly in spooky territory. I mean, obviously! They feature […]
Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters by Ciannon Smart
Spooky Season continues with a new title sure to thrill and chill! Check out our guest blog from Ciannon Smart, author of Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters. Something Spooky this way comes . . . It might be a relief to learn that I wasn’t always fond of monsters. When I was a […]
The Train of Dark Wonders by Alex Bell
Spooky Season continues today with a guest blog from Alex Bell, author of The Train of Dark Wonders, an exciting and spooky story! One of the things I enjoyed most about books when I was a child was the tightknit friendships you often found between the main characters. Not only did they go on incredible […]
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 […]