October 2007 Archives

Michael Rosen was delivering the Patrick Hardy lecture tonight on the subject of:
The Bigger Picture � Celebrating Our Picture Books

THE CHILDREN�S BOOK CIRCLE is a lively discussion forum for people involved in children�s books. Founded in 1962 as an informal association of children�s book editors, the CBC has expanded to embrace anyone with a professional interest in children�s books � publishers, librarians, authors, illustrators, teachers, booksellers and agents. The Patrick Hardy Lecture is one of the highlights in the CBC�s calendar. It is delivered each year by a distinguished speaker on a relevant � and often controversial � topic of their choice. Past speakers have included Julia Eccleshare, Jan Mark, Anne Fine, David Almond, Anthony Horowitz and Meg Rosoff.

ACHUKA was impeded from attending the lecture by OFSTED.

Will Richard and Judy make it child's play for the unsung authors? - Yorkshire Post

Shanville Monthly 87

Iron Hand by Charlie Fletcher - Times Online

Sunday Times Children's Book Of The Week

Iron Hand by Charlie Fletcher

The story has atmosphere, psychological depth (we learn what has damaged Edie) and breathless action in both the present and the past ... NICOLETTE JONES

Review: Outcast by by Michelle Paver | Review | Guardian Unlimited Books

S F Said reviews Outcast by Micheel Paver

"immediately accessible and absorbing"

76 Pumpkin Lane by Chris Mould The Worst Witch to the Rescue by Jill Murphy Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman by Francesca Simon Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf by Catherine Storr How to Twist a Dragon's Tail by Cressida Cowell The Tar Man by Linda Buckley-Archerramps The Stuff of Nightmares by Malorie Blackman - Review Times Online

The Teenage Book Prize review | Children's Books - Times Online

Booktrust Teenage Prize Shortlist

The Medici Seal by Theresa Breslin

Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann

The Penalty by Mal Peet

Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff

My Dad's A Birdman by David Almond - Times Online

Sunday Times Children's Book Of The Week

My Dad's A Birdman by David Almond

Despite its themes of loss, mental illness and the burdens borne by carer children, this original and touching tale is an affirmation of love, trust and hope.... NICOLETTE JONES

Governor-General's Awards for Children's Literature : Shortlist

TEXT

Hugh Brewster: Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose: The Story of a Painting: Kids Can Press
Christopher Paul Curtis: Elijah of Buxton: Scholastic Press
Iain Lawrence: Gemini Summer: Delacorte/Random House
John Wilson: The Alchemist's Dream: Key Porter Books
Eva Wiseman: Kanada: Tundra Books



ILLUSTRATION

Wallace Edwards: The Painted Circus: Kids Can Press
Joan Fitzgerald: The Blue Hippopotamus ( text Phoebe Gilman): North Winds Press/Scholastic
Jirina Marton: Marja's Skis: (text: Jean E. Pendziwol) Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press
Dusan Petricic: My New Shirt ( text Carl Fagan) Tundra Books
Duncan Weller: The Boy From the Sun: Simply Read Books

Review: The Declaration by Gemma Malley | Review | Guardian Unlimited Books

Diane Samuels on The Declaration by Gemma Malley:

This is a crafted story with a desire to tackle serious contemporary issues about humanity's relationship with death, nature, science and personal and social responsibility. Where it falls short is in the writing, which tends to the prosaic, resorting to passages that tell the reader how it is rather than allowing the characters to live and breathe. ..

My Dad's A Birdman by David Almond, Reviewed by Amanda Craig

Amanda Craig on My Dad's A Birdman by David Almond:

My Dad's a Birdman is an enchantingly wise, funny and subversive book. The lucid, comical, brightly coloured illustrations by Polly Dunbar owe much to Quentin Blake, and strike just the right note. Children of 5 to 7 will love it, but the ones who should take it most to heart are adults. I fear it will preach only to the converted, but if you know a depressed child, or a despairing parent, this could be just the ticket...

Richard & Judy Kid's Books Club is showing children that books aren't pants, says television producer Amanda Ross

Richard & Judy's Best Kids' Books is on Channel 4 at 8pm on Thursday
www.richardandjudybookclub.co.uk/childrens

Javno - Bestseller

The redhead actress [Julianne Moore] - whose debut children's book 'Freckleface Strawberry' follows the story of a seven-year-old girl trying to come to terms with her red hair and freckles - is planning to concentrate on her budding literary career.

TD Canadian Children's Literature Award

Sarah Ellis : Odd Man Out : Groundwood Books

Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction

Jan Thornhill: I Found a Dead Bird: The Kids' Guide to the Cycle of Life and Death: Maple Tree Press

Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award

Sara O'Leary: illustrated Julie Morstad : When You Were Small

Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

Eve Wiseman: Kanada: Tundra Books

Deakin Newsletter October 2007

Andrea Deakin's online newsletter, October edition

Highly Recommended as always

Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman Kiss by Jacqueline Wilson - Review from Times Online

Double review by Amanda Craig in yesterday's Times:

Sally Gardner's French revolution review | Children's Books - Times Online

Sally Gardner profiled by Amanda Craig

Julia Eccleshare, winner of the Guardian children's fiction prize 2007 | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Books

This year's winner of the Guardian children's fiction prize [Jenny Valentine - for Finding Violet Park] tells Julia Eccleshare how she got inside the skin of her teenage protagonist...

Stories that linger a lifetime - Times Online

Today is National Bookstart Day, an annual celebration to support the charitable Bookstart programme that gives three packs of free books to every child up to the age of 3 in the UK. Yesterday The Times asked writers, actors and other well-known names to recall the books that they most enjoyed when young..

theBookseller.com

The shortlists are as follows:

The Most Fun Story with Pictures:

Melrose and Croc Together at Christmas by Emma Chichester Clark

Charlie Cook's Favourite Books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

You're a Bad Man, Mr Gum by Andy Stanton and David Tazzyman

Best Book with Facts:

Why is Snot Green? by Glen Murphy

The Worst Children's Jobs in History by Tony Robinson

A Little Guide to Wild Flowers by Charlotte Voake

The Book I Couldn't Put Down:

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce

The Bad Spy's Guide by Pete Johnson

The Outlaw Varjak Paw by SF Said and Dave McKean

Not so much a lesson, more a song and dance | eG weekly | EducationGuardian.co.uk

To mark National Poetry Day, Michael Rosen suggests fifteen ways to make a classroom poetry friendly ...

Michael Rosen has put together ome good suggestions here (from Tuesday'sa Guardian), though you get the impression he would rather have limited it to 10, as one or two of them are on the lame side, viz:

13. Invite a poet to your school and ask her (sic) questions.

I sympathise. In the past I've been asked to do something similar for World Book Day, and it's always hard to come up with more than a handful of fresh and practical ideas.

Path to Pooh�s playground is blocked - Times Online

About a teenager - Times Online

For the first time, Nick Hornby has written a novel for teenagers. In his first interview about the new book, he explains how his own adolescence influenced it...

feature article from yesterday's (London) Times

Horror as pupils are taught violent poem of the teacher attacking students with guns| News | This is London