Helen (@helenbyles) - Britain 1877, a place where aquariums were extremely popular, especially with the upper class of society. They marvelled at all the amazing sea creatures, but there was one creature that stood out from all the rest. The beautiful Octopus. An amazing creature that even today fascinates people around the world. There is … Continue reading My Friend the Octopus
Pick any page inside this book and inspiration awaits. It is designed perfectly for the intended reader as each 'passage' is short in text length whilst being powerful in context, and this layout allows readers to pick at what they read, and adds to the enjoyment factor when recommending or gifting this book to young … Continue reading Writes of Passage – Words to Read before you turn 13
Look, it's Roar Roar Lion Written by Camilla ReidIllustrated by Clare Youngs I absolutely love the foil detailing to the illustrations throughout this book, which feature large mammals including a zebra, monkey, hippo, and of course lion, with the sentences revealing the sounds the animals make each time too. As little ones admire the stunning … Continue reading Brilliant Board Books for Babies from Nosy Crow
Girl power, Indian Women who took on the World Written by Neha J Hiranandani Published by Scholastic In 1998 the Indian government issued a stamp celebrating the life of Savitribal Phule. Savitribal was a rebel, married to a man when she was 9 years old, he helped her to read and write it was her … Continue reading Non Fiction recommendations to Inspire and Engage
There are stars above my head and a few hundred faces waiting for me to leap into a talk about hares, sharks, global weather systems and the power of our sun. I’m standing on the Starlight Stage at Hay Festival and only a few deep breaths before this I was waiting backstage wondering what I’d … Continue reading A Wild Hay Day by Dom Conlon
The shop of Impossible Ice Creams Written by Shane Hegarty Illustrations by Jeff Crowther Published by Hodder Children Books (on 9th June 2022) Imagine moving to a new town, well that doesn’t sound to bad. Imagine moving to a new town, and owning an ice cream shop - well that still sounds OK! But Imagine … Continue reading 2022 Middle Grade Must Reads – June (Part One)
Sam (@SamJDThomas) - I am delighted to have had the opportunity to read Kerry Gibb's upcoming publication - due to be published on 23rd May - The Elephant Squad, and be able to share my review of this absolute must read release of 2022. It is also a title definitely worthy of children's book recommendation … Continue reading The Elephant Squad
I have had the incredible opportunity to interview Karl J Mountford, illustrator of The Riddle of the Sea, a book originally published in Dutch through the beautiful storytelling of author Jonne Kramer, and now translated into English by Laura Watkinson. I have been admiring Karl's stunning illustrations since The Uncommoners : The Crooked Sixpence by … Continue reading The Riddle of the Sea – Interview with Illustrator Karl James Mountford
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun Written by Varsha Shah Illustrations by Sonia Albert Published by Chicken House Ajay was dumped in the slum as a baby, he is known as a Mumbai railway kid. He sells newspapers to make money but his dream is to be a journalist. He and his friends are lucky enough … Continue reading 2022 Middle Grade Must Reads – May (Part One)
This time last week I had the pleasure of heading to London for my first in-person book event since early 2020, when Covid 19 put a halt to gatherings, and in doing so has played a large part in how book events are predominantly virtual now. I have longed for the opportunity to be amongst … Continue reading My return to in-person book events featured The 100 Story Hotel!
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