The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
Myths, Magic and Mayhem
Dragons are a superb example of myths…and of magic and perhaps mayhem as well. Read on for more dragon love from Tamara MacFarlane! Written by Tamara MacFarlane, Illustrated by Alessandra Fusi, Published by DK Books I am standing in the recently re-opened Tales on Moon Lane bookshop, thinking about the wonderful theme of Myths, Magic […]
Grandma’s House of Rules by Henry Blackshaw
When I look at the list of ideas for kids books that I keep on my phone, right at the top are the words “House of Rules”. I’d always wanted to write a book about the funny rules that families have, and I knew that my own experiences would provide rich pickings. I grew up […]
Myths, Magic and Mayhem in The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke
By Kirsty Applebaum Cover llustration by Matt Saunders, Lettering by David Dean Almost wherever we live in the world, an abundance of myth, legend and folklore can be found on our doorstep – and it can make for a wonderful source of writing inspiration. I live in Winchester, Hampshire, and a quick internet search for […]
Moonchild by Aisha Bushby
The seed of my MOONCHILD duology was sewn in Boscastle, Cornwall, in the summer of 2017. I remember it well because I was visiting on holiday and had taken part in a tour of the local area. One thing I learned stuck in my mind above all else: years and years ago, sea witches, with […]
On Mayhem… by Barry Falls
Barry Falls is an author and illustrator living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He graduated from Ulster University in 2005 and now works there as a visiting lecturer in illustration. His debut children’s book, It’s Your World Now! was published in 2019. Barry’s striking, unusual Illustration style carries echoes of Peter Blake and Oliver Jeffers, coupled […]
Ancient Greek Myths: Magic or Mayhem?
Perfectly in tune with our theme, Jean Menzies has written a fantastic guest post for National Share a Story Month! By Jean Menzies Do you know any ancient Greek myths? Maybe a friend or family member has shared one with you, maybe you have read about some in a book or even watched them come […]
Myths, Magic and Mayhem
By Liz Flanagan, Rise of the Shadow Dragons Photo Credit: Sarah Mason The theme of this month’s blog chimed loud and clear for me: ‘myths, magic and mayhem’ might even sum up my entire approach in the Legends of the Sky series. I love mythical and magical creatures and use them as a focus both […]
Mystery Writing
by Adam Baron All good books have a mystery at their heart, even ones that don’t seem to. The best way to think about mysteries in your own stories is to come up with something that you would be intrigued by. For instance, I loved Stig of the Dump when I was a child because […]
The Magic of Creating Worlds
With tips to have a go yourself! by Vashti Hardy For me, one of the things that makes writing the best job in the world is the wondrous feeling that anything is possible. Creating fantasy landscapes allows you to abandon the rules of planet Earth and set down new world rules without limits. This makes […]
Being yourself by Eloise Williams
‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ Oscar Wilde. I’ve always had problems with fitting in, whatever that means. Throughout my early life I bent myself this way and that to try to be interesting, likeable, the person everyone wanted as their friend. I’d do my best to be confident, outgoing and funny whilst really […]
We Were Wolves: Combining story-telling and illustration
By Jason Cockcroft I grew up reading comics. They were my biggest influence until I was around fourteen. This was before modern sophisticated colour printing became affordable to publishers, but I found something particularly emotional and dynamic in black and white work created in pen and ink that I didn’t recognise in colour illustration. Wonderful […]
Q&A with Simon Farnaby
A fantastic set of questions posed by the lovely folk at Hachette to hilarious writer, Simon Farnaby! What is The Wizard in My Shed about? It’s about a wizard- well, he’s actually a Warlock, which is a bad wizard- called Merdyn the Wild. When we first meet him in the story, he’s on trial in the Dark […]
Q&A with Sara Holland
A huge thank you to Sara Holland for answering our questions about HavenFall and the newly published Phoenix Flame! Her answers are fantastic and we are so thrilled to feature them as part of our Myths, Magic and Mayhem celebrations. Written by Sara Holland, Cover by Peter Strain The atmosphere and imagery involved with your […]
Myth and the Masquerading Magic of the Mechanism
by Anneliese Avery When I set about building the world of The Celestial Mechanism, for The Nightsilver Promise, I knew that I wanted to create a world full of wonder. A world where destiny was set in the stars of the Celestial Mechanism and, just like the planets and stars of this clockwork universe, every person […]
Oobleck, Nunu, and Magic Pebbles
By Jon Agee Jon Agee, perhaps needs no introduction, especially for those with a keen interest in word play and picture books. His latest book, The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau, was originally published in 1988 but is making a comeback for a new generation of reader. Read on for a fantastic piece from Jon! […]
Magic, Myth and Mayhem
By Tim Tilley Myths and magic have inspired Tim Tilley to add these elements to his own book, Harklights. Currently Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month, this is an enchanting story filled with wonderfully magical moments. Growing up, I have always loved stories with myths and magic, so it was inevitable that myths and magic […]
Welcome to the imagination-where myths, magic and mayhem collide
by Shauna Darling Robertson The Federation’s National Share a Story Month theme of myths, magic and mayhem is right up my street, and my poetry collection, Saturdays at the Imaginarium, is full of all three! The book explores and celebrates the power of the human imagination, which has fascinated me since I was a child. […]
Mystery Writing with Sophie Cleverly
A wonderful guest blog from mystery writer Sophie Cleverly!! The Violet Veil Mysteries began on a dark and stormy night… I know, we’ve all heard that one before. But in this case, it was about a decade ago, and I was lying in bed trying to think of ideas for new stories. For some reason, […]
