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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
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 […]
National Share A Story Month Booklist
Tomorrow sees the proper launch of our annual initiative National Share A Story Month. Every May, we encourage readers to get involved with sharing stories under the umbrella theme for the month. The theme for NSSM 2023 is “Sail Away in a Story” and our booklist is a fantastic and easy way to start getting […]
Spellstone by Ross Montgomery
At our recent conference, delegates were treated to a presentation led by Ross Montgomery where he talked about his new title and discovering new parts of London, some truly hidden places. Discover a bit more in his guest blog for us today. Usually when I write a new book, I give myself a treat: being […]
Captain LooRoll by Matt Carr
The power of humour in picture books is explored by author-illustrator, Matt Carr as we meet his latest character, Captain Looroll! I got into making picture books sort of by accident but I think it was partly a reaction to reading so many children’s books to my kids at bedtime over the years. My […]
The Branford Boase Shortlist Introduction by Darren Matthews
The Branford Boase is an highly acclaimed award for a debut author and their editor. The longlist and shortlist are spectacular and worthy of reading. We are excited to share a blog from CLPE Advisory Teacher and Judge, Darren Matthews about this shortlist. The Branford Boase Shortlist 2023 An introduction by judge CLPE Primary […]
It’s Her Story, Irena Sendler by Margaret Littman
Graphic novels are incredibly popular with readers of all ages. In this series, It’s Her Story, Sunbird Books and the creators are bringing historical figures to life through graphic novels. Irena Sendler is the latest story to be told and we hear from creator, Margaret Littman about how she came to write this story. […]
The Deadlands by Skye Melki-Wegner
The Deadlands is a new series by author, Skye Melki-Wegner and she shares her inspirations in her guest blog with us! She also talks about the Power of Stories, which we know is vital for young readers. The Power of Stories Skye Melki-Wegner A few years ago, I found myself working at a museum […]
Sharing Stories by Anne Fine
Sharing Stories If there’s a greater pleasure in the world of books than sharing stories with others, then I would love to know about it. I look back on my time as a parent and a grandparent, and it seems to me that the happiest times have been when we’ve been stuffed in a […]
The Journey of ‘A Child Like You’ by Na’ima B Robert
We know that each author has a journey to publication and it is always so fascinating to read their perspectives. Have a read through of Na’ima B Robert’s story about her book, A Child Like You. The Journey of ‘A Child Like You’ by Na’ima B Robert My new book, ‘A Child Like You’, was […]
Nature Heroes Series by Jess French
Jess French has written a lovely blog for us about her new series, Nature Heroes. The first two are available now and the series focuses on a group of friends who are keen to protect nature and wildlife. The latest two books in the series have a wider scope, but each of the characters still […]
Q&A with Lisa Thompson
The Treasure Hunters has strong Goonies vibes and we were thrilled to ask author Lisa Thompson a few questions. The Treasure Hunters is a brilliant adventure reminiscent of The Goonies. Where did your idea come from for this story? I picked up my daughter after she’d been on a weekend of hiking and camping as […]