The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Blog
National Non-Fiction November 2020
Welcome to National Non-Fiction November 2020 the Federation of Children’s Book Group’s annual celebration of all things factual A potted history … Ten years ago, Adam Lancaster, who was the Chair of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups at the time, launched National Non-Fiction Day at FCBG’s annual conference in Reading. The day was to […]
The Ship of Shadows- A fabulous chat with Maria Kuzniar!
I was thrilled to pose some questions to Maria Kuzniar about her wonderful debut The Ship of Shadows, which published in July with Puffin Books. What made you want an all-female pirate crew? It has been met with so much fanfare and with good reason- it turns out we were all waiting for such a […]
Lockdown, and the Landscape of Literature
by Lucy Strange It is a sad fact but, as the years go by, I forget the plots of the many books I have read and loved. The characters slowly blur and fade, as do their deepest desires and their darkest secrets. But the landscapes of these stories never seem to leave me. The ups […]
Top Tips for Writing an Authentic Novel – Blog Tour Feature
by Boy Everywhere author A.M.Dassu If you want to write an authentic and truly representative book, THE most important question to answer before you begin your work is; why do I want to write this? The answer will tell you not only why you’re writing this book, but who you’re writing it for. Is it […]
Kids Love Zombies
Guest Post by Joseph Coelho Kids love zombies! I don’t know why, maybe it’s the lure of the forbidden fruit, they hear they are drooling, disgusting rotten fiends that eat brains and think “I want some of that”. I discovered this unsettling fact whilst working in schools as a poet engaging kids with literacy through […]
The Haunting of Aveline Jones
Phil Hickes is the debut author of The Haunting of Aveline Jones, published by Usborne. It is a spooky mystery perfect for ages 9+. I was completely hooked as Aveline and her mother drove into town, first discovering the child sized scarecrows…I couldn’t wait to see where this adventure would take Aveline! I was so […]
Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon
Guest Post by Nick Tomlinson The hardest thing about writing the second Molly Thompson book was persuading Molly Thompson to be in it. Coming up with a theme was easy. The book is coming out in October, and I learned that there’s going to be a blue moon this Halloween! A blue moon is the second of two full moons occurring […]
Why do Readers enjoy a good scare?
Guest Post by Danny Weston, author of The Witching Stone. The gothic is imprinted into us from childhood. Think for a moment about the first stories we are given as children – Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel… these are horror stories, pure and simple. Here’s the basic plot of H & G. ‘A […]
Owl and the Lost Boy – Blog Tour Feature
Q&A with author Amy Wilson How would you best describe your book to someone that has yet to read it? A magical adventure through whole worlds of peril. Owl – daughter of Jack Frost himself – is fighting an eternal summer and with her friends must find Autumn before she and the rest of the […]
The 2020 FCBG Children’s Book Award
As with so much this year, Covid-19 played merry havoc with our plans to celebrate the 40th Children’s Book Award in London back in July. It didn’t manage to dampen spirits though and at 2pm on Saturday 10th October, we opened our online doors and held the ceremony virtually. Although not exactly as we had […]
Ben Miller talks about the importance of reading together
Actor, comedian and bestselling children’s author Ben Miller answers questions about the power of imagination and the importance of reading books aloud. Ben writes classic family-friendly stories which delight adults and children alike. His third children’s book, The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale is a story about the special bond between siblings, and the […]
Jungledrop – Q&A with author Abi Elphinstone
Being able to ask questions to one of your favourite authors is entirely exciting but also nerve wracking. With a new baby and a toddler to entertain, Abi still manages to create incredible and uplifting stories. Read on for her amazing answers about The Unmapped Chronicles! Abi, so many of us, adults and children alike, […]
CLiPPA, Shortlist Announcement
Why I love the CLiPPA By 2020 judge Tracey Guiry, director of the Poetry Archive Winning the CLIPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) is an ambition for any poet writing for children. Prizes can give a fantastic boost to a poet’s profile; the publicity around the winning of a major prize can increase a poet’s visibility to new audiences, such as the children and […]
The Monsters of Rookhaven – Blog Tour Feature
The latest title from Padraig Kenny, author of Tin and Pog was published by Macmillan on 17th September and features illustrations by Edward Bettison. The Monsters of Rookhaven tells an incredible middle grade story that will have readers empathising, questioning, debating, and left in awe of the adventure they have undertaken alongside Mirabelle, a character […]
Unipiggle
Perfect for younger readers, Unipiggle is a superb, brightly illustrated series. Unipiggle is a unique and fun loving combination of unicorn and pig owned by Princess Pea. They live in Twinkleland and get into plenty of trouble! Read on for insight into how Unipiggle came to be from author-illustrator, Hannah Shaw. My Unipiggle publishing journey […]
Looking for diverse characters in children’s historical novels
by Julia Golding Here’s a challenge for you: list the first five characters from the children’s historical fiction that come to mind. To qualify they have to be in a book about a period not in the lifetime of the author, so historical books that were contemporary to the writer don’t count, like the Little […]
The Poetry Holiday
Guest post by Ana Sampson As lockdown descended across Britain this spring, many of us turned to our bookshelves for comfort. I spend a lot of time in Tudor England, sitting with Thomas Cromwell as his boys brought in the candles (The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel), riding through England and France with […]
The Klaus Flugge Prize at Five
Andrea Reece of the Klaus Flugge Prize celebrates the award in its fifth year, and how much it says about the importance of picture book illustration. The winner of the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize has just been announced and it is Eva Eland for her book When Sadness Comes to Call, published by Andersen Press. […]