The School Library Association has announced that Walker Books will be funding 40 memberships for schools to join the SLA, as part of celebrations of their 40th anniversary.

Karen Lotz, Walker Group MD, said:  “For forty years, we at Walker have aspired to create a nurturing environment where our authors and illustrators can feel valued and inspired to create their very best work. We pride ourselves on the quality of the list our creators have produced and on the integrity of the program’s conception and execution, from editing and design to manufacturing.  The most critical step, however, is getting the right book to the right child at the right time.  We are deeply aware of the profound role that a school librarian has in building a safe environment and curating a high-quality collection where each child is able to discover a love of reading for themselves. In recognition of your invaluable partnership with Walker over the decades, and as a way of thanking the library and educator community, Walker Books are delighted to sponsor 40 free memberships to the School Library Association for one year. We really value everything you do and hope that this gesture allows 40 schools and numerous children to benefit from the many resources that this wonderful institution provides to its members.”

SLA CEO Alison Tarrant said: “It’s a wonderful birthday gift from Walker; and a lovely way for them to show their appreciation for all the brilliant work that school library staff do. We work to ensure every school is supported in their use of the school library and all the amazing work and activities which that encapsulates. This illustration of appreciation for the important work of school library staff is particularly appreciated during these uncertain times.”

The School Library Association is a membership charity supporting everyone involved in school libraries, whether they are a librarian, teacher, TA, PTA or Headteacher. We believe that every pupil is entitled to effective school library provision and the educational, emotional and developmental benefits that come with it. We are committed to supporting, promoting and sustaining high quality reading and learning opportunities for all in a diverse and changing world.

Membership covers all school staff, and includes

• a quarterly journal full of best practice articles, ideas, tips, and the latest digital and book reviews
• access to an advice line
• exclusive members-only resources and CPD
• discounts off SLA publications, training and the weekend course
• a mentoring service
• exclusive member benefits including competitions, give-aways and discounts

Applications are open to UK schools who haven’t previously been a member. Successful applicants will be picked at random except insofar as the SLA will aim to split them evenly between primary and secondary schools.

The deadline for applications is 12^th June 2020. Schools can apply here.

The Children’s Bookshow, a charity that inspires school children with a love of reading through an annual programme of theatre performances and in-school workshops with the very best authors and illustrators from around the world, is now working out how best to support teachers, children and parents in circumstances that prevent it carrying forward with its usual programmer of live events..

The plan is that the children who would have received a free book from the Bookshow, thanks to funding from the Unwin Trust, will still be able to do so once they are back in school. The team is contacting schools with high levels of deprivation to ensure that those children will be the first to receive their free books. During the summer term, free downloadable resources that celebrate the authors and illustrators with which the charity works will be available on the Children’s Bookshow website.

A new tour will take place in Spring 2021 (five performances) and autumn 2021 (ten performances).

Sian Williams, Founder and co-director of the Children’s Bookshow said: “Our motivation is knowing that our work makes a difference to children and witnessing how our unique programme helps nurture a love of reading. We work closely with teachers around the country who tell us that the Children’s Bookshow is a highlight of their school calendar. We are sorry to delay the autumn 2020 tour, but we need to make sure that dates work for all the schools, venues and artists involved. We plan to have five performances in spring 2021 and reschedule the remaining ten in autumn 2021. In the meanwhile we are finding ways to get the free books into the children’s hands.”

The 2020 Children’s Bookshow tour was due to kick off in late September with shows booked at: The Liverpool Playhouse, The Old Vic, London, Stafford Gatehouse, Exeter ‘s Northcott Theatre, The Lyceum in Crewe, Manchester’s Home theatre, The Theatre Royal in Newcastle, Ipswich’s New Wolsey Theatre, The Theatre Royal in Margate, The Warwick Arts Centre, The Elgiva Chesham (in collaboration with the Stephen Spender Trust), L’Institut Français in London, The Wolverhampton Grand and ending in late November at the Hull New Theatre.

Authors, poets and artists booked for these shows include Children’s Bookshow favourites:
Michael Rosen, Neil Layton, Val Bloom, Jo Empson, Alexis Deacon, Catherine Rayner and Rachel Rooney.

Making their first appearances with the Children’s Bookshow are: Yuval Zommer and from overseas, Sydney Smith, Kathrin Rohmann, Jorg Muhle and Marta Altes.

The Children’s Bookshow team is currently busy rearranging the shows and school visits. Check their website for updates:
https://thechildrensbookshow.com

Andersen Press have announced the release of a free eBook, Staying Home, created by author Sally Nicholls and illustrator Viviane Schwarz, available from 9am this morning.

It is a book that very much speaks to the current situation. A family of energetic raccoons is going through a day in lockdown: no school, nursery or work. The elders explain to the youngest members of the family how they’re doing their part to save lives just by staying at home.  The aim is to help parents going into the second month of quarantine, explain a little more about the Coronavirus pandemic, and how important it is we all isolate at home.

Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books, will share the story on Friday 24^th April at 10am on their social media channels.

Andersen Press are offering the book free of charge online.

Staying Home is available to download, free, from Andersen Press’ website:
http://www.andersenpress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/STAYING_HOME_medium-res.pdf

Watch a reading by Sally Nicholls on Seven Stories’ Facebook page, as part of the Seven Stories Digital Storytime with Andersen press partnership; Friday 24^th April, 10am www.facebook.com/7Stories

Charlie Sheppard, Publishing Director and Sally’s editor at Andersen Press said of the collaboration, ”We love Sally’s books, and are proud to work with her on her fiction and picture book titles – when she suggested this we leapt at the chance to do something that might help stave off boredom for families out there in the middle of lockdown. The chance to also work with Viviane made the book irresistible. We hope through our channels we can share the experience of Staying Home with young families everywhere.”

Author Sally Nicholls says, “Like many authors, I’ve been finding it hard to concentrate on writing projects. My husband and I are at home at the moment with two children aged four and two, and I wanted to write something which reflected their new lives. The day-in-the-life format is a very familiar one in picture books. Like most stories for young children, this one is somewhat idealised – there’s no sense that the family are worried about money and the parents are remarkably patient. But it does contain more screen time and fighting than you’ll find in most examples of the genre. I love Viviane’s warm, energetic raccoon family. They’re making the absolute best of a difficult situation, and they’re doing it with affection and good humour. I can only hope I’m managing half as well!”

Illustrator Viviane Schwarz adds, “I was busy working on a book that I am writing myself – a book about feelings and worries, and I was feeling rather worried and stuck myself, seeing the trouble to come. So when Sally mentioned that she felt the need to write a book about what family life might be like right now, I said I would illustrate it, and as fast as I could. We considered making it a cosy bear family, but then decided that the family would be raccoons instead  because we both like them. Also, it’s quite easy for bears to hibernate, they’re used to it. raccoons are a lot more lively! – After a day of scribbling I suddenly realised that in German a raccoon is called “Waschbär”, a wash-bear, because they wash their food. I watched a lot of videos of them splashing around in the water, and it helped with the bathroom scenes. Wash your hands like raccoons, stay in and be kind to one another.”

A free digital book, written by members of the team at Nosy Crow, with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, was released this week.

The book answers key questions in simple language appropriate for 5 to 9 year olds:

• What is the coronavirus?
• How do you catch the coronavirus?
• What happens if you catch the coronavirus?
• Why are people worried about catching the coronavirus?
• Is there a cure for the coronavirus?
• Why are some places we normally go to closed?
• What can I do to help?
• What’s going to happen next?

Kate Wilson, Managing Director of Nosy Crow, says, “We were very aware that many parents and carers are struggling to explain the current extraordinary situation to children, many of whom are frightened and confused. We thought that the best thing we could do would be to use our skills to produce a free book to explain and, where possible, reassure children.”

And Axel Scheffler adds, “I was glad when my publisher, Nosy Crow, asked me to illustrate this question-and-answer book about the coronavirus. I think it is extremely important for children and families to have access to good and reliable information in this unprecedented crisis, and I hope that the popularity of the books I’ve done with Julia Donaldson will ensure that this digital book will reach many children who are now slightly older, but might still remember our picture books.”

Free download