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The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
The Tide Singer by Eloise Williams
I’ve always loved the sea. When I was young, anytime the weather forecast gave the hint of a storm, my mum and dad, me and my sister, would pull on our cagoules and head for the beach. Our favourite place was Porthcawl in south Wales. The waves would crash up and soak us. It was […]
Sail Away in a Story by Derek Keilty
We may be nearing the end of National Share A Story Month but there are still some brilliant blogs to read! Today’s blog is written by Derek Keilty about his series Flyntlock Bones! Sail Away in a Story Ahoy there, me hearties! May is National Share a Story Month- a celebration of stories and reading […]
Books to get swept away in by Clare Weze
Our theme of Sail Away in a Story brings to mind so many stories that could sweep you out to sea. Author Clare Weze shares insight into her new book and she then recommends some of her favourites to “get swept away in”. Books to get swept away in Clare Weze My second children’s book, […]
Sail Away in a Story by A. Connors
We have a brilliant blog this morning from A. Connors all about his YA debut, a terrifying and thrilling story set in the depths of the ocean. A. Connors regales us with the ideas behind this story. Sail Away In A Story A. Connors Sail away in a story… What a lovely […]
Sail Away on a Story by Judith Eagle
Another book that suits our theme perfectly is Judith Eagle’s The Accidental Stowaway! Set aboard a ship, there is action, adventure and miles of ocean. Check out our guest blog from Judith Eagle about this book. Sail Away on a Story by Judith Eagle A good story is made up of three very important things: […]
Delegates at our annual conference in April will have been gifted a copy of this new story thanks to the generosity of Owlet Press. We are delighted to welcome author Barbara Slade as writes about her inner child and the impact on her writing. For nearly three decades, I’ve been blessed with a solid career […]
Alex Neptune by David Owen
Our theme Sail Away in a Story is perfect for the stories David Owen has been writing. Set around a seaside town and then out to sea, Alex Neptune is an exciting new hero. Read on for David Owen’s thoughts on writing sea-based tales. There’s a reason children’s authors can’t stop writing about the […]
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 […]