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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
My sister is a treasure by Tracy Darnton
Picture books are ideal gifts for growing families. We recently asked author Tracy Darnton a few questions about her books and writing. My Sister is a Treasure by Tracy Darnton My sister is a treasure is delightful and heart-warming- perfect for families with a new baby. What was the inspiration for this book? Thank […]
Spirit Warriors by Ashley Thorpe
Author Ashley Thorpe shares some insights into Spirit Warriors and it is fascinating! My second book Spirit Warriors is a supernatural fantasy adventure, which takes place in an alternate Jamaica full of magic and mystery. I grew up with highly-entertaining folk stories from the Caribbean islands, often featuring characters like the trickster Anansi. But […]
Lila Mackay is very misunderstood by Gill Sims
We have a funny blog today from author Gill Sims, one that many parents will relate to! ‘You only have eighteen precious summers with your children, so make the most of them’. We’ve all seen variations on the quote about only having eighteen summers with our children, and we’ve all felt the guilt about what […]
Hangry by Kathyrn Wanless
Ever wondered what inspires authors to write picture books? Our blog today welcomes Kathyrn Wanless chatting about Hangry and how this book came to be! INSPIRATION FOR HANGRY – Kathryn Wanless Three years ago, I graduated from the wonderful MA Children’s Book Illustration course at Cambridge School of Art. It was a fantastic experience […]
The Klaus Flugge Prize – interviews with this year’s shortlisted illustrators
The Klaus Flugge Prize – interviews with this year’s shortlisted illustrators This is the tenth year of the Klaus Flugge Prize. It was established in 2016 to honour Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and a leading light in the world of children’s publishing and illustration. The £5,000 prize is awarded to the most promising […]
On the Edge by Nicola Garrard
‘If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.’ Martin Luther King. In this post, Nicola Garrard, teacher and author of On the Edge, argues there is nothing better than a children’s book to build empathy, prompt nuanced discussion and equip decision-makers of the future. I write a book when I […]
A Visit to The Story Arcade by Louisa Farrow
Recently, The Story Museum in Oxford launched a new interactive exhibition called The Story Arcade. FCBG member, Louisa Farrow, went along to the launch party to discover more. She shares her thoughts below. The Story Arcade Is there a parent out there who hasn’t worried about their child’s gaming? That worry pushes us into a […]
Cringe Club by Emily-Jane Clark
Cringe Club is a book written as a series of text messages between three special friends as they suffer through the trials of starting secondary school! Author, Emily-Jane Clark, shares some insights into this book! Adding reluctant readers to Cringe Club by Emily-Jane Clark WITH reading for pleasure among children at an all-time low, […]
Tiger, Don’t Worry by Daishu Ma
We were lucky enough to send some questions to creator of Tiger, Don’t Worry, Daishu Ma. The book and answers are just lovely. The relationship between Tiger and Mei is beautiful – what do you hope readers will take from reading their adventures? The beauty of a friendship is that your friend doesn’t have […]
The Unlikely Diary of Prince Kal the Alien by Ross Welford
It’s great to welcome Ross Welford to the blog sharing his thoughts on his tenth book published for children! The Unlikely Diary Of Prince Kal The Alien is my tenth book in as many years. (It sounds a lot but plenty of authors are more productive.) My first, Time Travelling With A Hamster, […]
Super Me by Charissa Coulthard and Sam Usher
We recently sent some questions to author Charissa Coulthard about her latest book with Sam Usher, Super Me. How did you find writing a second book? Was it more or less challenging than The Fun We Had? I definitely had second album syndrome with this book! We felt it would make sense to […]
The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers
We sent a few questions to author Becca Rogers about The Girl with Gills! The answers may just tempt you to buy the book! Tell us about The Girl with Gills and where the idea for this story came from. Living near a river, I often wonder what’s going on beneath the surface. I […]
Shoot for the Stars by Danielle Brown
Para Olympian Danielle Brown shares some insights into her career as an athlete and inspires young athletes to “Shoot for the Stars”! Shoot for the Stars Danielle Brown I started archery on my fifteenth birthday and fell in love with it instantly. It wasn’t because I was brilliant at it (I couldn’t hit […]
Bessie’s Bees by George Kirk
We always love sharing recommendations from authors about books they feel are important for our young readers! Author George Kirk shares books that represent neurodiversity for children. Neurodiverse Picture Books- Right Under Our Noses By George Kirk When I wrote my first draft of Bessie’s Bees, I didn’t know I was writing a […]
Tide Magic Series by Clare Harlow
Author Clare Harlow shares some insights into her series, Tide Magic and her three incredible characters on the blog today! Three is the magic number: Clare Harlow talks about how Ista, Nat and Ruby – the trio of friends at the heart of the ‘Tidemagic’ series – came into being. We don’t need to […]
The Wood Where Magic Grows by Andy Shepherd
Andy Shepherd writes about the magic of sharing a story and shares some excellent book recommendations for our readers. The Magic of Sharing a Story – Andy Shepherd author of ‘The Wood Where Magic Grows’ and ‘The Boy Who Grew Dragons’ series I was seven years old when I really became a reader, […]
Our World England by Sumana Seeboruth
We are delighted to welcome Sumana Seeboruth to the blog to share insights into writing Board books for our youngest readers. Our World – England As a girl, I could sit for hours writing stories, imagining adventures for my characters to pursue. Back then, my […]
Entirely Emmie by Terri Libenson
We recently asked graphic novel creator, Terri Libenson a few questions about her Emmie & Friends series! This is the ninth book in the series and it is really popular in schools and libraries- how do you continue to come up with ideas and life events for the characters? I’m so glad to hear! I […]