children's & YA recommendations on the go
Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory by Elys Dolan
The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp
Tom Gates: Epic Adventure (Kind Of) by Liz Pichon
The shortlist was judged by Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, and a panel, consisting of CBBC presenter Katie Thistleton and The Sunday Times’ Children’s Books Editor, Nicolette Jones.
Voting on the shortlists is now open and closes on 8th December.
Winners will be announced in January 2018.
Jeff Kinney, interviewed by Scroll
extract”
Tell us about the process of putting together each book. Do the illustrations come first or the diary entries? Do you bounce joke ideas off anyone to make sure they are working?
I spend about five months writing the jokes, because humour is the priority in the books. I keep the jokes to myself more and more while writing because I need people to be surprised by them. I write about 350 jokes per book. I throw away about a third of them. Then I write the manuscript for about a month and then the illustrations for about a month and a half.Do your books require a disciplined writing routine? How do you juggle other work, like your bookstore and the gaming business, with writing?
When I’m writing, I work very hard, but I’m easily distracted. I have ADD (attention deficit disorder), so it’s hard for me to stay focussed. But when I’m illustrating, I can sit there for 13 to 17 hours at a time and just draw. I’m not very structured otherwise (with other projects), I just go where the work is.Comic writing is tough –making it seem effortless for maximum impact, book after book. What’s your formula?
I hope that I make it look effortless, because there’s a lot of strain behind the writing. It’s very difficult for me to write and come up with good jokes. The way I keep it fresh is to remind myself that there is a lot to childhood, and as long as I am honest about things and kids can see themselves in the characters and situations, then I’m doing my job.
full piece via ‘I write about 350 jokes per book. I throw away about a third of them’: Jeff ‘Wimpy Kid’ Kinney.
Schoolboy turns secret agent in this hilarious spy spoof!
From the author of The Accidental Prime Minister. McLaughlin is also the illustrator.
An exciting new Tom Gates story – with space for readers to doodle in their own elements! – from award-winning and best-selling author Liz Pichon.
From the celebrated cartoonist Gary Northfield – author of The Terrible Tales of the Teenytinysaurs! – comes a brand-new illustrated chapter book series set in the time of the Romans.
Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot
CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS returns for a twelfth adventure in this highly illustrated comic book style series! George and Harold, and their doubles, Yesterday George and Yesterday Harold, have a good thing going.
Missed this welcome bit of news while I was away in North Norfolk for a few days – well done Michael Rosen and Scholastic…
Following the closure of the Roald Dahl funny books prize last month, there’s now a new funny books award on the block – the Laugh Out Loud book prize. It’s a set of awards launched by the publisher Scholastic that recognises the funniest children’s books on the market. The best part? The ultimate winner will be chosen by you!
The prize, also known as the “Lollies”, will be made up of three categories: the Best Laugh Out Loud book for 6–8s, Best Laugh Out Loud book for 9–13s and Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book. Publishers will submit their favourite funny books to a panel of judges, with poet and former children’s laureate Michael Rosen (who started the Roald Dahl prize) at the head of the panel. The shortlist will be announced in March and that’s when you can vote for your favourite laugh-out-loud read, through the “Lollies” website.
Liz Pichon’s top 10 funny books with pictures
Read more
Rosen says the new prize “will be like a great big signpost saying ‘this way laughs’”, so if you want a say in the silliest reads, this is the perfect chance to get involved.You can follow the latest updates through the hashtag #lollies, and Scholastic will also organise a series of events in schools across the country, bringing the funniest books to a classroom near you.
via Michael Rosen heads up new funny books award | Children's books | The Guardian.
Was shocked to read all the tweeets about this yesterday, and in particular the veyr strange explanation given by the Dahl estate…
ACHUKA will give full support to any new event/prize organised by Michael Rosen (see below) :
Rosen, who is also professor of children’s literature at Goldsmith’s University, where he gave his first lecture on humour in children’s books, said he was now planning to set up an event celebrating funny books, which would also look at how to get the award up and running again. “The issue with prizes is money – you need a sponsor, and a secretariat to run the thing,” said Rosen. “So the event is now my plan, and if by chance off the back of it some friendly sponsor comes along, I’ll be up for it.”
The bestselling writer stressed the importance of funny literature in getting children reading. “We keep talking about ‘reading for pleasure’ – it’s almost official government policy … A substantial part of that for young children is reading funny books … They’re a bridge to enable children to be confident with the written word,” he said.
Roald Dahl’s gruesome twosome The Twits return in new children’s app
Read more
According to Rosen, “we rarely talk about laughter. We’re northern Europeans – we shouldn’t laugh too much unless we fart. There is a reserve. And there are worries about children laughing hysterically, because they’re ‘out of control’.”
via Roald Dahl Funny prize for children's books is closed down | Books | The Guardian.
