The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog

Q&A with Ginny Myers Sain

We were pleased to ask author Ginny Myers Sain some questions about her atmospheric and thrilling, Dark and Shallow Lies. Her answers are fantastic! Can you please describe your novel in a few sentences? DARK AND SHALLOW LIES is a book that asks, “How do you keep a secret in a town full of psychics?” […]

Interview with Klaus Flugge Winner- Flavia Z. Drago

Flavia, Congratulations on winning this most prestigious award. The longlist was incredible and we can imagine the debates and discussions held over Gustavo, the Shy Ghost. A clever and brilliantly illustrated book, this is already very popular in schools and libraries. We so appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions! How did it […]

The Great Dream Robbery by Greg James and Chris Smith

The latest title from the dynamic duo of Greg James and Chris Smith is as funny as you would hope. Their blog post below is equally as funny! Scroll down and enjoy the antics! We’re often asked how we get the ideas for our stories. (We’re occasionally asked why as well, but let’s not go […]

Lore of the Wild by Claire Cock-Starkey

There is much to appreciate in nature and Claire Cock-Starkey introduces readers to an enchanting way to liven up your walks, and views of nature. Read on for her blog and see some of the images from inside! Lore of the Wild is a real passion project for me. I have held an interest in […]

Polly Pecorino, The Girl Who Rescues Animals by Emma Chichester Clark

Polly Pecorino is a young girl with an incredible ability to understand animals. She rescues flies from puddles and bears from kidnappers! We are thrilled to welcome Emma Chichester Clark to our blog with a piece she has written about her latest book. How have you found writing fiction for the first time, and how […]

The Monster Belt Blog Tour

Author Ruth Estevez has written a piece for the FCBG about the inspiration behind The Monster Belt. An interesting blog to read- fascinating and mythical elements combine! Inspiration behind The Monster Belt Ruth Estevez Inspiration came from different sources, but the catalyst was reading a paragraph in The Readers Digest Book of Strange Stories and […]

Rules for Vampires by Alex Foulkes

Read on for a super piece from Alex Foulkes about her journey to writing Rules for Vampires. As a school librarian, Alex understands fully the power of a great school library and librarian. A school librarian becomes an author by writing a children’s book in the library I had spent a long time writing before […]

Hunting the Shadowghast by Thomas Taylor

When I planned out my five-book series of mystery stories set in a fictional seaside town, I always knew there would be one based on an end-of-pier show. And, of course, in Eerie-on-Sea, the theatre at the end of the pier would have to be a particularly tumbledown and seagull-haunted place of faded grandeur, dust […]

Happy Here- In All Primary Schools…

All primary schools in England to be supported to bring inclusive and representative stories into the classroom This past week, every primary school in England received a free copy of Happy Here, a new anthology from 20 of our best Black British writers and illustrators. Published by inclusive publisher Knights Of, Happy Here includes stories […]

Q&A with Lauren James

Green Rising is Lauren James latest book and it has climate change at its core. We asked Lauren a few questions about this book and about what we can begin doing now to make a positive impact on our planet. Reading the prologue puts you in the middle of the action and introduces you to […]

Q&A with Britta Teckentrup

We were so excited to be able to ask the wonderful Britta Teckentrup a few questions about her latest book, When I see Red. A book that deals with the emotion of anger. Read on for her amazing answers! When I See Red von Britta Teckentrup When I See Red is a powerful account of […]

Diary of An Accidental Witch

Perdita and Honor Cargill have written a guest post for the FCBG about writing together as a Mother and Daughter team! On Writing Together We’ve been writing together since Honor was about sixteen and honestly, we’re both a little surprised that it’s still working. And it is – because if it wasn’t and there was […]

Grimwood by Nadia Shireen

Grimwood is Nadia Shireen’s first foray into middle grade writing and it is a delightful tale. Read on for a fantastic guest post from Nadia about writing this book and her inspirations. Even though I’ve been making picture books for around a decade now, I still think of myself as something of a beginner. But […]

Q&A with Caroline Crowe

Caroline Crowe is the author of The Fairy Dogmother, a charming tale of Cinderella for pooches! We had a few questions to ask Caroline and she was lovely enough to take the time to answer them! You have taken the classic Cinderella story and given it a brilliant twist. How much fun was it to […]

Feeling Good About Me

Buster Books have published Feeling Good About Me, an activity book suitable for children to complete. Written by Ellen Bailey and Lesley Pemberton, it aims to help children with understanding and exploring their emotions. Lesley has written a special and timely piece for the FCBG all about the Effects of the Pandemic on children. The […]

Q&A with Zoe Armstrong

Curious Creatures Glowing in the Dark is a wondrous and factual book filled with exceptional illustrations. We sent some questions to author, Zoe Armstrong and her answers are fantastic. Many thanks to Zoe for taking the time to answer them! Where did the initial idea for this book come from and what made it so […]

Monster Hunting for Beginners- Blog Tour

Our stop on the blog tour features a Q&A with Ian Mark!!   Where did the idea and inspiration for this book come from? The book has actually been in existence in one form or another for more than ten years, so it’s hard to remember precisely how it began. I think it’s safe to […]

Birds Eye View by Frann Preston-Gannon

We are delighted to share a guest post from Frann Preston-Gannon on the making of her newest children’s book, Birds Eye View. Making Bird’s Eye View Next year I mark a decade as a published children’s author and I have worked on over 25 books in that time. I enjoy making lots of different types […]