Welcome to the October issue of Reading Matters and a look at what has been happening in the world of children’s books over the last few weeks. It’s been busy! So much so that this round up can’t possibly include everything as it would be too huge for you to get through but I hope that this selection will be useful to you.

What I’m reading…

Sometimes I feel the need to read a book in the knowledge that I don’t ‘have’ to review it. This week, on the 1st October I pulled a book off my shelves which has been sitting there since I bought it nearly two years ago, repeatedly pushed back as I try to keep up with the books sent by publishers for me to read and review. October, October by Katya Balen, as many of you already know, is a perfect read for this time of year. Katya’s writing style is, I think, rather special, each word matters and adds meaning and understanding to the story. There is such depth of feeling in each sentence that as a reader sometimes I have to re-read a paragraph or phrase. The character of October is equally distinctive, her thoughts and emotions conveyed so well. Late to this I know but what a beautiful book. This stunning review by Gordon Askew explains the appeal of this story so much better than I can.

It’s a treat to share books with my thirteen month old grandson who I’m glad to say is already showing excellent taste. His current favourites at home are the Zeki series by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw and the Britannica Baby Encyclopaedia. I’ve now introduced him to one loved by his Daddy, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle which is, of course, a hit and a new interactive board book, Peekaboo Lion by Camilla Reid and Ingella Arrhenius, a brilliantly designed book from Nosy Crow that is guaranteed to produce smiles every time he sees it.

I’m already earmarking books for my grandson to enjoy when he’s a little older and one published this week is high on my list. My Nature Trail by Rachel and Paul Lawston published by Pikku Publishing is an excellent way of introducing young children to nature. It combines information and activity suggestions for each season and incorporates pages where children can write down notes on what they have seen and done. Perfect for schools but equally valuable for families this is a attractively produced and extremely appealing book.

A special treat this week was Nikki Gamble’s audience with Sydney Smith. An hour and a half flew by as conversation and discussion flowed and we gazed at Sydney’s fabulous illustrations. It was an enlightening insight and I learned much from this award winning picturebook creator’s comments and thoughts. As soon as it ended I ordered a copy of his new book, Do You Remember? as the preview made it irresistible.

Finally, in case you missed it last week I have also compiled a reading round up for September reviewing a selection of great books for different ages and tastes.

News, articles and resources…

Step inside your story with Patrice Lawrence, Robert Tregoning and Viviane Schwarz – apologies for the very late notice but I wanted to highlight this free online event hosted by the British Library on Tuesday 10th October at 11.00 -12.00. Join authors and illustrators Robert Tregoning, Patrice Lawrence and Viviane Schwarz in this playful livestreamed session to inspire your students to step inside their own stories and make zig-zag books. Produced in partnership with Seven Stories. Perfect for primary school children, aged 6-11.

Leading a Reading for Pleasure School – an excellent guest article on the Literacy Hive website by Sonia Thompson, Headteacher of St Matthew’s CofE Primary School in Birmingham, the first school to win the OU/UKLA Whole School Reading for Pleasure Award in 2018 (now the Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards). So much wise comment in this guest piece, the first of two.

Literacy Hive October Calendar – this month’s notable events are collated here by Sian Hardy in an easy to navigate website full of helpful resources for teachers and school librarians. This month’s links Black History Month, the 500 Words competition and Oracy October.

Charity launches award and database to encourage diversity in children’s books – article in the Guardian about the launch of the new charity, Inclusive Books for Children. “Inclusive Books for Children survey found that two thirds of minority ethnic parents struggle to find representative books to read their children.” Please do have a look at the excellent website too with loads of book recommendations, reviews & curated lists from the expert team to find out more. This will be a valuable resource for both schools and families.

Winner of the 2023 Klaus Flugge Prize Announced – on Wednesday 13th September, it was announced that Mariajo Ilustrajo is the winner of the 2023 Klaus Flugge Prize for the most exciting and promising newcomer to children’s picture book illustration. She won for her book Flooded (Frances Lincoln Books), a funny but powerful demonstration of the impact of climate change in which animals attempt to carry on with business as normal, even while their city is flooding. You can find out more about the winning book and its creator on the website above and explore the other excellent books that were shortlisted.

Join the new Blue Peter Book Club! – in September Blue Peter unveiled a new Book badge, designed by one of the UK’s best-known illustrators, Sir Quentin Blake. The Blue Peter Book badge will be awarded to children aged 5-15 who send in their thoughts on a book, draw a character or scene and share which other books and writers they love. Find out which books have been recommended for the Blue Peter Book club and how to get involved in the Reading Agency article above.

50 Books To Read in Year 7 – school librarian Lucas Maxwell has created a list of 50 books he recommends to Year 7 students starting secondary school this term. Divided into 5 categories: Real Life, Horror, Fantasy and Adventure, Comedy and Non-Fiction there’s something here for a range of tastes and interests.

Books For Keeps September Issue – always worth a read this excellent resource for those interested in children’s books includes lots of reviews plus articles and interviews. In the latest in their Beyond the Secret Garden series, Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor consider representations of Jewish people in children’s literature there is also an interview with author Hannah Gold. The best way to keep up to date is to sign up for the Books for Keeps newsletter which can be done on the home page of their website.

Love My Books September Newsletter – this helpful newsletter includes this month’s book in focus, Ten Delicious Teachers by Ross Montgomery and Sarah Warburton, more wise advice from Sonia Thompson, Head teacher but this time on how to support your child at school and lots if new books and activity pages.

Children’s and teens roundup: the best new picture books and novels – A joyful picture-book account of family life; a magical fantasy series begins; an addictive epistolary friendship; fast-paced feminist YA; and more make up Imogen Russell Williams’ September selection for the Guardian. Also campaigner Rose Roberto discusses the decision to remove Kate Greenaway’s from CILIP’s annual award for illustration.

Book Trust Writer in Residence: Michelle Robinson – Every six months, BookTrust appoints a new Writer or Illustrator in Residence to write blogs, run competitions and give us their own unique perspective on the world of children’s books. Michelle Robinson’s core mission during her residency with BookTrust is to encourage children and grown-ups to “have fun reading together”. For the next six months, she will produce tips and activities for experiencing the pure joy of sharing picture books together.

The Diverse Book Awards 2023 Shortlists Announced – These awards were created by bestselling, award-winning author Abiola Bello and award-winning publicist Helen Lewis to highlight the best of the diverse voices published in the UK & Ireland both traditionally and self-published. The shortlisted titles are in several categories, Picture Books, Children’s, YA and Adult fiction.

Longlists For The 2024 UKLA Book Awards Announced– Sponsored by LoveReading4Kids and Reading Cloud, the UKLA Book Awards are the only children’s book awards judged by teachers. Sponsored by LoveReading4Kids and Reading Cloud, the UKLA Book Awards are the only children’s book awards judged by teachers. The books selected for the award will be titles that teachers can share with pupils as part of regular classroom experience. This year there are 84 judges covering the four categories and the fabulous books on the longlists are going to make this a difficult task. These lists are an excellent starting point if you are keen to discover new high quality children’s literature.

The Reader Teacher – Monthly Must Reads for September – each month Scott Evans selects his favourite recently published books including a picture book and a non-fiction title. There’s a free poster of the books to download and display too.

Poetry By Heart 2024 Competition – the 2024 Poetry By Heart competition was launched with a special live event at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe on National Poetry Day, Thursday 5 October. Special guests included the poets Jean Sprackland, also a judge for the competition, and Coral Rumble. Please do visit the Poetry by Hear website above to find out more about the competition and to explore their excellent resources.

The Reader Teacher: October 2023 Children’s Books I’m Most Excited About – in addition to Scott’s look back at last month, see above, he also produces a video highlighting some of the best books being published this month too.

The Week Junior Book Awards 2023 – The Week Junior Book Awards aim to inspire children to read for pleasure. From magical adventures to real-life stories, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in the category shortlists. The winners were announced this week and I was delighted to see Tyger by SF Said illustrated by Dave McKean win the older fiction category and Anisha, Accidental Detective: Holiday Adventure by Serena Patel, illustrated by Emma McCann the younger fiction. You can learn more about all the winners on the official website above.

Barrington Stoke: Free Accessible Reading Spaces Guide – Packed with advice, recommendations and expert insight, this resource is a great starting point for making your classroom, library or reading nook a valuable entrypoint for readers. It is free to download from the Barrington Stoke website above and having downloaded a copy myself I can recommend doing so, it includes links, tips and reference to research.

Illustrators team up to create calendar and raise thousands for BookTrust – For many years Peter Sheldon, ex marketing director of Peters Books, has been championing children’s reading. So much so, that for the past five years he has produced and sold a calendar in collaboration with many of his illustrator friends, Quentin Blake, Colin and Jacqui Hawkins, Michael Foreman, Colin McNaughton, Ruth Brown and Posy Simmonds (to name just a few) to raise money for BookTrust. Find out how you can purchase the 2024 calendar on the link above. This could be a perfect Christmas present! The last date for orders is 14th October and the price is £10.50 inc postage and packing.

That’s everything for this month and I hope you have found some of these links useful. Next month is National Non-Fiction November and you may like to visit the Federation of Children’s Book Groups website to find out more about this initiative and get involved. Happy reading!