September is World Kid Lit Month: a month for everyone of any age to explore the world through international children’s books.
How do you take part? It’s simple, just read a book for young people from another country. If you use social media, share what you’ve enjoyed with the hashtag #WorldKidLitMonth. Are you a seasoned explorer of children’s literature? Then why not take the Explorer Challenge, and push your reading boundaries with the World Kid Lit bingo charts of ideas of books from, or set in, other countries, and books translated into English from other languages. You’ll find hundreds of book reviews and creator interviews at World Kid Lit blog, introducing you to children’s and YA books from over 180 countries and translated from over a 100 different languages.
Whether you celebrate at home or at school, in your library or bookshop, or on social media, September is the perfect time to expand your reading horizons and find a more inclusive selection of books for the young people in your life. I have earmarked a couple of books on my heaving ‘TBR’ shelves and will, I hope, be able to share my thoughts on them over the next month. Happy travels wherever you fly by book!
New for 2025: Reading Challenge Award for Schools
This is an inspiring way to start the academic year and promote reading and its many benefits. The World Kid Lit Reading Challenge Award, launching in September 2025, is a new competition for schools to promote international and inclusive reading. In 2025, the pilot year, schools anywhere in the world can enter, as long as English is one of the main languages of instruction. Students can read any books that fit the description of “world literature for young people”, and the Award is for the most imaginative, innovative or inclusive presentations where students reflect on what they’ve read. See here for more details, including how to enter.
This latest addition to the Lenny series is perfect for reassuring young children, and indeed their parents, as they embark on the important transition from home to nursery school. Lenny Goes to School contains all the thoughtful elements found in the previous books; vibrant illustrations, special moments between children and adults and the small details that matter and are comfortingly familiar.
The book opens with Lenny and his mum walking along the street to playschool. His mum offering words of encouragement and Lenny bursting with excitement. Once there, after a quick goodbye, Lenny settles into playing with the various activities, sitting next to his new friend Lucy to sing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’, and tucking into to his break-time juice and snack before playing outside on a tricycle. A quiet story-time follows and very soon it is the end of the day and Mummy is there to collect Lenny and give him a hug. Lenny can’t wait to go back tomorrow and play with Lucy again.
The gentle, warm tone of the narrative is comforting yet also captures all the important aspects of early childhood experiences. Wilson-Max guides children through the new routines that will quickly become everyday for them, highlighting the positive and easing them gently into anticipation rather than fear of the new. This would be an extremely helpful book to share with a child before they start at nursery or playgroup and would have value for those moving on to reception class too. It is ideal preparation and could by used by families to open up conversation about what to expect. The book also offers the opportunity to share nursery rhymes together, an important part of language development and a regular feature of nursery school life. My grandson enjoys his Lenny books very much and I know this one will be treasured just as much as the the others and will help him too. Recommended by us both! Published by Alanna Max on 14th July. Thank you to Fay Erek for providing my review copy.
Tom Palmer’s debut picture book bears all the hallmarks of his award winning historical novels for children, balancing comprehensive research and historical facts with an empathetic and accessible text. Carolina Rabei’s atmospheric illustrations in a watercolour style convey beautifully the bond between Judy the special dog and the sailors for whom she acted as both look out and morale booster. In War Dog Tom Palmer pays tribute to a loyal and remarkable animal and provides a thoughtful look at the role, and bravery, of animals in wartime for his readers.
War Dog tells the moving true story of Judy, a ship’s dog aboard HMS Grasshopper who, as the ship’s mascot, has many duties including catching rats, listening out for danger and acting as a source of hope and a reminder of home. Judy had an uncanny ability to detect incoming aircraft, giving early warnings to those on board ship. She loves the crew and they in turn love Judy. When, with her fellow sailors, she is captured by enemy soldiers she endures life as the only animal officially registered as a prisoner of war, sustaining morale and aiding survival in a Japanese POW camp. The important bond between Judy and one particular prisoner, Frank, is beautifully depicted through both words and pictures and is at the heart of the ensuing story in the prison of war camp. War Dog is a perfect picture book for sharing in the classroom being suitable for younger primary children and covering many themes including loyalty, courage, companionship and love.
Illustration by Carolina Rabei
The additional biography and Dickin Medal notes at the end of the story add to the narrative providing background to Judy’s wartime exploits and quoting her citation, “For magnificent courage and endurance in the Japanese prisoner of war camps...” The PDSA Dickin Medal is sometimes referred to as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross and Tom Palmer provides brief information of two recipients of the award, a cat named Simon and Upstart the horse. He also mentions Glen the parachuting dog who may not have won a medal but showed great bravery prior to the Allied invasion in 1944. Tom Palmer fans will no doubt recognise Glen from his earlier book, D-Day Dog.
There are some excellent resources linked to War Dog on the comprehensive website created by Tom Palmer and his wife Rebecca which you can find here. You may also like to explore the Dickin Medal section of the PDSA website which provides more background information and a full Roll of Honour.
War Dog by Tom Palmer and Carolina Rabei is published on 14th August by Scholastic just in time for the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day on 15th August. I should like to thank Tom Palmer and Rachel Phillipps at Scholastic for kindly providing my review copy.
Schools across the country have now broken up for the summer holidays and if you are looking for ways to encourage children to enjoy books and stories I hope that some of the books and links I am sharing below will be helpful to you.
The theme for the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge is Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors and it is hoped that this will inspire children to tap into a world of imagination through reading, exploring the magical connection between storytelling and nature. This challenge launched on Saturday 21 June 2025 in Scotland and online and on 5th July, in England and Wales. The website includes suggested titles, activities, news, games and quizzes so there is lots available to motivate children to read over the summer.
Books for Topics’ Summer Reading Bingo is an activity that keeps the focus on reading for pleasure experiences rather than specific texts, with activities like make a den and read inside, read in the dark using a torch and read to a pet or a soft toy. Children can choose what they read for the challenges, although the Books for Topics team have included some Summer 2025 recommended children’s books for those looking for new ideas.
The Story Museum Launching The Story Arcade – just in time for the school holidays this award winning museum is launched a new exhibition to the public on Saturday 19th July. The Story Arcade is a new permanent interactive gallery, celebrating the evolution of storytelling through video games. Visitors will discover — and play — landmark games representing milestones in the evolution of one of the world’s most participated-in story forms from early plot-driven classics like Space Invaders to the vast, open-world adventures of modern games such as Never Alone. There will be custom built arcade machines accessible to all.
The John Burningham Estate have just launched a wonderful art competition based on John’s beautiful picture book ‘Seasons‘. https://johnburningham.co.uk/competition/ Children have the chance to win a bundle of picture books and art supplies for their school by designing their own summer meadow collage based on John’s work and can be inspired by three gorgeous films featuring author illustrator, Petr Horáček. This is a lovely idea and is something that may inspire children to be creative this summer. Petr Horáček and Helen Oxenbury will choose the winning designs and the closing date is 8th September.
In addition to this competition the estate are also displaying John Burningham’s original illustrations for Ian Fleming’s classic tale Chitty Chitty Band Bang at a brand new National Trust Mottisfont’s exhibition. This is the first time ever that all the original illustrations are on show together. If you live in the area or are visiting on holiday you may like to find out more on the website here.
And now on to some entertaining books that I hope will make young readers smile this summer…
Cruise Ship Kid: Thief at Sea! by Emma Swan illustrated by Katie Saunders
A brand new series gets off to a enthusiastic start with this jolly interactive detective adventure. The accompanying press release says that Thief at Sea was inspired by the author’s childhood growing up on a cruise ship. Having never cruised in my life I am now wondering what I’ve missed! Told in a diary design format with quizzes and doodle like illustrations by Katie Saunders combined with Emma Swan’s chatty narrative style this should have high appeal for a wide range despite being over 300 pages in length. It would be a good recommendation for children who have enjoyed the Tom Gates series.
Ten year old Silver is the daughter of the deputy cruise ship director and consequently is rather left to her own devices once the ship and its passengers have left port. As these passengers are in the main adults, and frequently older adults, Silver has never had a best friend of her own. This means that she finds it difficult to interact with any children she does meet and is much more at ease with ‘The Gang’ of over eighty year olds who are guests on the ship. As the story unfolds Silver not only decides to try and solve the mystery of some missing watches but also make a best friend resulting in much drama, humour and personal discovery.
Told from Silver’s point of view young readers will no doubt relate to Silver’s predicament and the handling of her attempts to forge friendships raises some interesting points about whether it is wise to change in order to fit in. There are some genuinely funny moments and some of the older characters are wonderfully entertaining however it is the likable Silver who is at the heart of this and I think children will be coming back to find out more in the second of the series. Published by Usborne Books on 3rd July and I should like to thank Fritha Lindqvist for my proof copy.
Grimwood: Rock the Vote! by Nadia Shireen
Pitched at readers aged 7 upwards the Grimwood series is quite frankly enjoyable for anyone of any age who enjoys a giggle. Nadia Shireen turns her focus on the world of politics in this latest instalment of the tales of the Grimwood gang of friends but, fear not, the campaign trail for the new mayor, despite some dastardly doings, is just as jolly as past readers would expect.
Titus has grown weary of his duties as Mayor of Grimwood. The daily grind of caring for all his friends has taken a toll and he wants to follow a long held dream of his own. This is the cue for many of the other characters to put their own names forward as his successor. Which one will do best in the debate? Can any of them cope with the intensive questioning on the podcast? Who will win the popular vote? And most important of all who is the new arrival who says they want to be Mayor? So many questions and Rock the Vote! will answer them all!
There is much to like about this happy story and adults who are keen to encourage children to enjoy books will, I think, enjoy reading Rock the Vote! aloud too. All the regulars appear including the soft hearted fox Ted, the irrepressible Willow the rabbit and of course Sharon the party loving crow. The brilliant illustrations are great fun and add to the humour with many of the plot details conveyed well. With regular asides from Eric the Woodlouse, a ‘completely useless map‘ and pen portraits of each of the characters provided this is an appealing package. The fabulous cover gives potential readers a clue as to what to expect! Published by Simon and Schuster on 31st July. Thank you to Kirsten Grant for my review copy.
George and Lenny Are Always Together by Jon Agee
Jon Agee’s distinctive illustrative style and deadpan humour is just perfect for this amusing look at friendship and the need for some time and space apart. George the bear and Lenny the rabbit are inseparable best friends and they love it that way. They are never alone and do everything together. Then one day Lenny decides that he needs some quiet time alone. George is utterly mystified by this as an idea. He warns Lenny that he will be lonely and that doing things together is much more fun. However Lenny persists and goes off to ‘be alone’ and George bids him a reluctant goodbye. Lenny enjoys lots of his favourite activities; reading, building with bricks, blowing bubbles and drawing. Then some quiet thinking. His thoughts then wander to his friend George. He wonders how George is coping alone. Luckily he doesn’t have to look far to find out!
This is such a clever portrayal of friendship which will appeal to quite a wide age range. Almost everyone appreciates some time apart from even their closest friends and this book allows children to consider this concept in an age appropriate manner. The expressive illustrations are superb at conveying the changing moods of the two friends and help young children to appreciate the emotions of Lenny and George more easily. The cover showing the two friends mirroring each other’s actions exactly is difficult to resist. Agee has a gift for using his illustrations to tell the story and Lenny’s resolute stance as he stands on the foot of the slide confronting George is wonderful. I wonder how many children will spot George’s hiding place before the reveal too! George and Lenny Are Always Together is a delight of a picture book and highly recommended for children of about 4 upwards. Published by Scallywag Press on 3rd July and I should like to thank Laura Smythe for my review copy. You may enjoy the video below of Jon Agee drawing the two stars of the story.
Hello Baby: Animals and Hello Baby: Look at Me
Two lovely new board books from Priddy Books arrived this month and they are perfect first books for our tiniest readers to enjoy and explore. These chunky little books are perfect for small hands to hold and explore with cut outs, curved edges, tiny patterned ribbon tags for little fingers to latch on to and a mirror to help catch baby’s attention. The bright, striking and bold illustrations depict familiar objects or animals and there are different patterns in contrasting colours to stimulate and encourage interaction.
Small enough to be transportable yet sturdy and able to withstand enthusiastic use these board books are cleverly designed with striking, bold patterns and splashes of colour that babies will love to look at. Research has shown that black and white are the easiest colours for babies to perceive, along with strong blue and red, and that clearly defined graphics improve early recognition. All of these elements are incorporated into these appealing books. The Hello Baby series of books would be perfect presents for a new baby and a lovely way to stimulate babies and encourage interactivity and a familiarity with books from the earliest age.
if you missed my final Reading Matters round up of the school year you may like to catch up with it here as it contains many more book suggestions and helpful links.
Debut author Margaret McDonald added the Branford Boase to her impressive list of awards at a thoroughly enjoyable ceremony held at the Centre for Literacy for Primary Education earlier this week. McDonald and her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu are winners of the 2025 Branford Boase Award for outstanding debut novel for young people with Glasgow Boys, a moving, beautifully written coming-of-age novel exploring the power of identity, community and masculinity. This brings to three the number of awards Glasgow Boys has received (it also won the Carnegie Medal for Writing and the UKLA Award) but the Branford Boase Award is unique in honouring editor as well as author.
The Branford Boase Award was set up in 2000 to commemorate prize-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase. As this year’s winners, McDonald, Swan and Badu join a list that has shaped children’s literature over the last quarter century. Winning and shortlisted authors include Frances Hardinge, Kevin Brooks, Meg Rosoff, Patrick Ness and Maisie Chan, and winning editors include David Fickling, Fiona Kennedy, Barry Cunningham and Bella Pearson.
Nathaniel Lessore Winner of Branford Boase Award 2024 Photo: Anne Thompson
Nathanael Lessore, winner of this year’s Waterstones Children’s Book Award and the 2025 Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal, was awarded the 2024 Branford Boase Award for Steady For This. Lessore was a judge this year and says, “The Branford Boase Award is special. Celebrating the relationship with editors and writers, and focusing on debuts, it’s such an accomplishment to be shortlisted. It celebrates the collaborative aspects of literature, while directing a spotlight onto stories from authors we haven’t heard from. I was one of those authors, and I’m eternally grateful for the shortlisting and the win. It was the first time I felt I could be proud to be a writer. And I got to share that with my editors.”
In her excellent speech at the award ceremony Julia Eccleshare, chair of the judges, stressed the importance of today’s books being written for today’s young people, not for the children and young people of her, and my, generation. Nathanial Lessore’s entertaining speech which brought laughter to the room also highlighted the strength of this year’s shortlist and drew attention to the fact that diversity is about much more than race and colour but includes religion, class and much more. All children should be able to see themselves in the books they read. In the light of recent research regarding reading for pleasure and the importance of own choice in reading material it is vital that the stories and characters are relatable for current readers. The Branford Boase Award shortlist in its diversity and range should be a source of hope for those whose role is to bring books and young readers together.
That a book should win both an award for debut novels and the Carnegie in the same year and for the role of the editors to be recognised by the Branford Boase Award is important. This is recognised by the winning author, Margaret McDonald who said,
“Glasgow Boys is a piece of my soul and to have it recognised in this way is unbelievably special, but also to have my incredible editors Alice and Ama recognised for the magnificent work they did, taking such care of Banjo and Finlay, is more than half of the joy.”
Margaret McDonald and her editors Alice Swan and Ama Badu Winners of the Branford Boase Award 2025 Photo: Anne Thompson
This year’s Branford Boase Award Ceremony was the type of celebration that engenders enthusiasm and positivity and there was a warmth and sense of hope in the room. Thank you to everyone at CLPE for their friendly welcome and a special thank you to Andrea Reece for organising the event with aplomb.
Welcome to my final round up of children’s book news for this academic year. What a lot of awards news there has been! I’ve tried to include as many of the winners and shortlists as possible to help you choose your summer reading or new books for the next school year. There are some book related activities for the summer highlighted and yet more research findings. I do hope that what I have included is helpful to you.
Not only is this the final Reading Matters of the school year but also the final regular round up that I will feature on this blog. Five and half years ago when I first started compiling useful links to children’s news items I had little idea what I was taking on but it has been a rewarding way to be part of the children’s book community. Over that period others have started to produce some brilliant newsletters providing a range of resources for all so, for a variety of reasons, I have decided to retire Reading Matters. If you want to keep up to date I would wholeheartedly recommend signing up to the excellent weekly newsletters provided by Sian Hardy of the Literacy Hive. The website is a treasure trove of resources, sorted and presented in a style easy to navigate successfully, so is well worth exploring if you have not done so already. Also The Open University Reading for Pleasure monthly newsletter provides a wonderful selection of ideas, suggestions and book recommendations. As a long standing member of the School Library Association I find their regular news bulletins helpful and they are equally informative for anyone in education not only school librarians. If you use all of these I promise you won’t even notice Reading Matters is no more!
What I’m reading…
My reading since the last Reading Matters has been varied and ranged from board books shared with my grandson, to brand new fiction, and an informative guide for disabled children and teens. How to be Disabled and Proud(or at least sorta ok with it …)is written by journalist Cathy Reay and illustrated by artist Jaleel Hudson, both of whom are disabled. This is a book that really makes you think about attitudes and stereotypes and is recommended for secondary school libraries in particular as it would be invaluable for that transition phase of children’s lives.
The first in a brand new series for newly confident readers, the welcome return of an old favourite, a ghostly train ride back in time and how to overcome the difficulties of being a young carer all featured in my look at some newly published fiction for primary age readers earlier this month. You can read my reviews here. Several new titles from Barrington Stoke hit the bookshelves too and include the second in a steampunk/fantasy series from Vashti Hardy. A thrilling mix of history, sorcery and invention can be found in Lindsay Galvin’s first novella for this publisher. And finally there is friendship and forgiveness lots of snappy dialogue, witty banter and moments of hilarity in the latest jolly caper from Simon James Green. Here is a link to my reviews if you would like to find out more.
My little assistant reviewer is a big fan of Priddy Books, his current absolute favourite which I have to read again and again is Ten Little Dinosaur Eggs. However I have a suspicion that some of their new titles may push this off the top spot soon! I can recommend the latest batch of interactive and appealing board books which I have reviewed here On a side note the little chap has now discovered Oh No George! by Chris Haughton, another that he loves and insists that I read accurately, I am not allowed to ad lib even a little! A new book in the Zeki series is welcomed by grandson, his parents and by me. Zeki Goes to the Market is a delight and no doubt will be cherished just as much as its predecessors.
A newly published book that will most definitely feature on my favourite books of the year list is The Dawn of Adonis by Phil Earle. This companion novel to the award winning When the Sky Falls is superb and will, I think, be enjoyed by both children and adults. Last but not least Higher Ground is is a coming of age story of resilience and hope, told in a blend of graphic novel, picture book, and diary entries. This was published in March and is well worth seeking out.
News, articles and resources…
Building a Classroom Reading Culture with Jon Biddle – I hope that it is not too late for you to book this training session on Sunday 6th July at 7pm. You will have to be quick though! Jon will share lots of practical, and sustainable, ideas about how to help create a love of reading in schools. Having attended the most recent of Jon’s webinars I can vouch for the fact that these are helpful, interesting and informative. If you can’t make this one fingers crossed there will be some more during the next school year.
Summer Reading Challenge – the theme for the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge is Story Garden – Adventures in Nature and the Great Outdoors and it is hoped that this will inspire children to tap into a world of imagination through reading, exploring the magical connection between storytelling and nature. This challenge launched on Saturday 21 June 2025 in Scotland and online, and today, 5th July, in England and Wales. The website includes suggested titles, activities, news, games and quizzes so there is lots available to motivate children to read over the summer.
Books for Topics Summer Reading Bingo – this well thought out challenge is designed to keep children motivated to read over the summer holidays. Summer Reading Bingo is an activity that keeps the focus on reading for pleasure experiences rather than specific texts, with activities like make a den and read inside, read in the dark using a torch and read to a pet or a soft toy. Children can choose what they read for the challenges, although the Books for Topics team have included some Summer 2025 recommended children’s books for those looking for new ideas.
The Story Museum Launching The Story Arcade – just in time for the school holidays this award winning museum is launching a new exhibition opening to the public on Saturday 19th July. The Story Arcade is a new permanent interactive gallery, celebrating the evolution of storytelling through video games. Visitors will discover — and play — landmark games representing milestones in the evolution of one of the world’s most participated-in story forms from early plot-driven classics like Space Invaders to the vast, open-world adventures of modern games such as Never Alone. There will be custom built arcade machines accessible to all.
Love My Books Website – Parents and carers do you want to make sure your children continue to develop as readers during the summer? Have a look at the Love My Books free, book based resources for children 0-11. There are lots of creative ideas for story fun, advice & videos.
Books for Topics: 2025-2026 Year Group Recommended Reads – yes, I know that everyone is probably counting down the days to the end of term but just in case you want to do some planning for next year Books for Topics is here to help you. Each of their recommended reads book lists has just been updated and they cater for children from Early Years up to Year 8. Divided into genres or interest areas these lists are a terrific mix of new releases and old favourites. There are posters and lists to download too.
Books for Topics: Transition Lists – also from Books for Topics (Thank you, Alison Leach!) are these helpful lists of books to use in primary schools to ease the transition to new classes/year groups.
Just Imagine: The Reading Journey – another valuable link for those planning for the next academic year. Just Imagine have created a new approach to reading records designed to help children develop their reading identities and teachers to maintain an overview of volitional reading in their classes. You can find out more about this initiative and sign up via the link above and watch the introductory webinar here.
The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlists Announced – the shortlists for these awards were announced on 3rd June and there are 13 different categories including audiobook, graphic novel, poetry and wellbeing across an age range and are well worth exploring. The winners will be announced in September.
Jhalak Prize Winners Announced – this award has three categories and the winner of the Children’s & YA Prize Winner is Nathanael Lessore for his brilliant book, King of Nothing published by Hot Key Books. You read more about Nathanael, his winning story and the other books on the shortlist on the official website. I can add my own personal recommendation too as this has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far.
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education to become a part of The National Literacy Trust – On Sunday 1 June 2025, the National Literacy Trust and the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) announced that CLPE is to become a subsidiary charity of the National Literacy Trust, effective immediately. The charities said in a statement: “By joining forces and combining resources, expertise and networks, the new structure aims to turbo-charge the charities’ combined impact on literacy education in the UK and internationally.“
Ross Montgomery Wins the 2025 Children’s Book Award – Now in its 45th year, the Children’s Book Award is the only national award voted for entirely by children. This year’s winners in each of the three categories were announced in June and the overall winner is Ross Montgomery for his novel, I Am Rebel. The wiinner of the Younger Children’s category is Grotti by Leonie Lord and Malcolm Duffy won the Older Readers’ category with Seven Million Sunflowers. The Books for Keeps article above gives more information and you can watch a recording of the award ceremony here.
National Literacy Trust Research Findings 2025 – This report is based on 114,970 responses to The National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey from children and young people aged 5 to 18 in early 2025. It includes findings on reading enjoyment, frequency and motivation and explores responses by age, gender, socio-economic background and geographical region. The findings show that the reading crisis persists, however this is a glimmer of hope in that it also shows that children are motivated to read by books that cover their hobbies and social interests and when they are given freedom of choice. This is an aspect that anecdotally school librarians have been aware of and commented on in the past and is something that needs to be built upon.
YA Book Prize Shortlist Announced – The YA Book Prize launched in 2014 to celebrate great fiction for teenagers and young adults and aims to get more teens reading and buying books. The shortlist is selected by a team at The Bookseller and the winner is selected by a panel of expert and teenage judges, who are asked to pick the book they believe is the best written and that they would be most likely to share with young adults. You can view the shortlist of ten books via the link above.
The School Library Association Information Book Award Shortlists Announced – From the original 34 longlisted titles , the judges have selected a shortlist of just 12 books across three age categories: 0–7 years, 8–12 years, and 13–16 years. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony in November, where four Children’s Choice selections – one in each age category and an overall winner – will also be awarded, based on votes from schools participating in the IBA Book Club.
Winners of Carnegie Children’s Book Awards Announced – the winners of the UK’s longest running awards for children’s books were announced on 19th June at a ceremony at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the award wining musical Matilda. In a year where new talent triumphed, 27-year-old Scottish debut author Margaret McDonald, has won the Carnegie Medal for Writing for her “life changing and emotional” novel Glasgow Boys. She is the youngest winner for this award in its almost ninety-year history. The winner of the Carnegie Medal for Illustration is Olivia Lomenech Gill for Clever Crow an “innovative” non-fiction picture book. The winner of the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing is King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore. The second debut to triumph this year is Homebody by author-illustrator Theo Parish which has won the Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration.
CLiPPA (CLPE Poetry Award) Winner Announced – The winner of the UK’s only award for published poetry for children, the CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) was announced on 20th June, in a ceremony at the National Theatre. Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, illustrated by Tor Freeman and published by Frances Lincoln is this year’s winner and is described by Roger McGough as “indisputably original and ambitious, with rhymes that demand to be spoken aloud… and proof that learning big words needn’t be even faintly soporific!” The show featured performances from all the shortlisted poets, children from schools across the UK, and live illustration by former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.
Winners of the UKLA Awards Announced – Margaret McDonald’s debut novel, Glasgow Boys, after winning the Carnegie Medal for Writing see above, has also won the 11-14+ category winner at a ceremony held at the UKLA International Conference in Liverpool on 27th June. The 7-10+ category winner was Hiba Noor Khan’s Safiyyah’s War. Full details of the winners, the shortlists and the awards themselves can be found on the link above.
Lit in Colour Teacher Conference at the British Library, London – a date for your diary for September. Hosted by Penguin Books, in collaboration with the British Library, this free, one-day event is designed for teachers and librarians across Key Stages 2-5 and will offer practical strategies, deep subject knowledge, and fresh inspiration for embedding texts by authors of colour across these key stages. Places are free but booking is essential. The conference takes place on Saturday 6th September from 9.30am – 5pm. More information can be found on the website above.
Well that’s it for this month, this academic year and from my regular round ups. However, I will still be here! I will be continuing in the world of children’s books and am looking forward to new challenges, after a bit of a summer break. From September on this blog I will concentrate on features linked to children’s book events, awards etc. and on book recommendations for librarians, teachers and families. There may be one or two over the summer period too.If you are a member of the School Library Association you will also be able to explore the book lists I am working on with them, the first of which were published this week.
Thank you for reading, sharing, commenting and supporting Reading Matters for the last five years. Wishing you a happy and relaxing summer.
Regular readers of this blog will already be aware that I rate the Zeki series highly. More importantly, my 2 year old grandson adores these stories of a little boy and his daily life. Published by Alanna Max these books are full of joy and family love but also the small details that have big importance in children’s lives. It is these recognisable details, I think, that make these books so relatable to little ones. Sharing Zeki and his world with the young children in your lives is guaranteed to produce smiles and encourage a growing appreciation of books.
In the latest title, Zeki Goes to the Market, we accompany Zeki and his mum as they explore a Saturday market together. The market provides an ideal opportunity for little Zeki to meet new people and to experience new food and, given the diversity of the stall holders, new languages too. What a learning opportunity for the little chap, and of course for our little readers and listeners!
Each double page spread introduces a new stall holder, a new language and an appropriate food. It is clear that a great deal of time and thought has gone into this process. Starting with Salve, Salvatore! and moving through Bonjour, Fleur! and my own particular favourite, Hola, Paloma! each friendly store holder tempts Zeki with a tasty offering. The vocabulary used is a joy to read aloud and provides children with the idea of a sensory experience even though they are not tasting the foods described. For example, “Zeki sips a fruity smoothie.”, ” Smell the spices. Add a sprinkle for zip and zest.” and “Have a taste. The honey buns are sweet and sticky.” Sharing this book may provide the opening to try experimenting with some of the foods mentioned allowing children to participate in Zeki’s experience.
As ever the illustrations by Ruth Hearson are just perfect. Full of colour, which changes for each stall, and detail they encourage conversation and there are some clever touches that children may enjoy noticing. Regular readers will spot Sammy the Seahorse, Zeki’s treasured cuddly, hiding in the basket behind his push along trike. This basket gradually fills with items as Mummy and Zeki explore the many tempting stalls too. I hadn’t noticed but have been prompted to spot that the wrapper from Mummy’s well earned coffee cup finds its way on to Zeki’s arm by the end of the story. There are no doubt more hidden details that I have not picked up on!
Zeki Goes to the Market is another small but perfect package and will be treasured by my favourite little bookworm I am sure. Published by Alanna Max Books in May this is must buy for Early Years settings and would be perfect for families too. If you have not already read the other Zeki books I wholeheartedly recommend them and you may like to start with Zeki Rise and Shine and Zeki Sleep Tight, perfect for starting and ending baby’s day.
Seven years in creation this beautiful illustrated book by award winning author and illustrator Tull Suwannakit is a coming of age story of resilience and hope. Told in a blend of graphic novel, picture book, and diary entries Higher Ground has a profoundly personal feel to it and although it deals with different subject matter reminds me a little of Shaun Tan’s The Arrival. Refreshingly different in style this would be a lovely book to share in primary schools.
Higher Ground opens with a storm and over two pages a deluge of rain is depicted. We turn the page to read that this has become a great flood and a grandmother, her two grandchildren and their pet rabbit are too late to escape from their block of flats. They learn to survive living on their rooftop garden, relying on scarce resources and limited space. Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months, but through life lessons and words of wisdom, hope emerges. As life continues the grandmother teaches the two children the importance of nurturing new life, seeds are planted, food is grown and they pick vegetables and fruit. This sustains them all and gradually they adapt to their circumstances coping with less and embracing the joy that can be found in small moments.
The format promotes deeper thought about the situation that this little family are in and there is much conveyed within the illustrations themselves. Emotions are portrayed beautifully and explicitly through the pictures. There is a range of styles adopted throughout with the occasional full page illustration have considerable impact. There a pages that are almost akin to a manual with instructions on tying knots, building a shelter and growing vegetables. However it is the illustrative strips that manage to portray the individual personalities so well that I found the most poignant. This is an affecting read. There comes a point when the children must move on alone and this lovely book is in many ways a wise guide to life and adapting to change and loss in its many forms.
This is most definitely a book to spend time over and to discuss. It introduces its young readers to many themes including sustainability and climate disaster but also offers hope in troubled times and a lesson in how to cope in adversity. The publishers are marketing Higher Ground as suitable for 5+ however I do think this is suitable for a wide age range and would be excellent shared in KS2 classrooms. Visually stunning and with emotion running though its text and illustrations this is lovely book. The publishers have created some teacher notes which you can download here.
Higher Ground was published in March by New Frontier Publishing and I should like to thank Phoebe Williams for my review copy.
When I am asked to justify why I enjoy reading children’s books one of the many reasons I give is that a well written story for a young audience frequently contains the best aspects of humanity. Although they may feature villains, heart stopping adventures and danger they also tend to convey fortitude, kindness and hope. Phil Earle has done this many times in his novels and this companion book to his award winning When The Sky Falls contains all of this in abundance. The Dawn of Adonis is the type of book that adults – librarians, teachers and parents – like to recommend because it is an example of quality writing with a perfectly paced plot, wonderful characterisation and historical detail. Children will like to read it because it is exciting, with moments of great tension and drama and with two young people at the heart of the story for whom they will be rooting from start to finish.
Cover illustrated by Tom Clohosy Cole & designed by Kate Grove at @andersenpress .
In 1911 London’s docks are alive with underhand deals, none so great as the arrival of a valuable, rare and exotic animal – a baby silverback gorilla. The baby gorilla stands to make one man very, very rich. That man is Goliath Deeds, a man so evil that others live in fear of his retribution should they get in his way. By his side is young pickpocket Toff Squabble who obeys Deeds’ demands of him. But then one night twelve-year-old Nettie is unwittingly drawn into this criminal underworld. Can she find a way to rescue the baby gorilla and take him to safety and who can she trust to help her in her mission?
This companion novel to When the Sky Falls provides the origin story of Adonis the gorilla and works perfectly well as a stand alone story however I believe many will be drawn to read the original if they have not already done so by the time they have finished The Dawn of Adonis. Within a couple of sentences the prologue has grabbed the reader with its intensity and high drama setting the scene perfectly for the ensuing adventure. Goliath Deeds is a villain with no redeeming qualities at all and the opening scenes with Toff reluctantly drawn into this man’s plans have a darkness that is Dickensian in feel. Meanwhile, a few streets away kind hearted Nettie is accompanying her father, a vet, in a rescue mission to save a cat. These two young people from such different backgrounds are shortly to be thrown together by circumstance and this meeting will have a profound effect on them both.
It sounds banal to say I couldn’t put this down but I genuinely could not do so. The relatively short chapters, the rapid pace of the plot, the tension and the engaging characters combine in an immersive and satisfying read. Toff and Nettie are wonderful characters as is the development of their relationship. The sparky dialogue between the two of them, Nettie’s resolute determination, bravery and compassion and Toff’s battle with loyalty, experience and what he feels to be right are conveyed skilfully throughout. Abandoned as a baby and ‘rescued’ aged 7 from the orphanage by the dreadful Deeds, Toff struggles with the idea that ‘any family is better than no family‘. Nettie meanwhile is coping with her own trauma and is still grief stricken over the death of her mother and baby brother. Their shared experience of loss is portrayed with kind thoughtfulness.
The descriptions of the London dockland area are so vivid that this story feels a little as though it is being played out on the big screen. This is not really a surprise as Phil Earle has talked about the influence of film and TV on his writing in the past. The plot builds to a gripping climax and the resolution of the story will strike a chord with those who have read When the Sky Falls. The final pages required a stiff upper lip from this reader and I confess I closed the final page with a contented sigh and a small sob.
The Dawn of Adonis is both exciting and heart breaking in places, the themes of loss, particularly the death of parents needs to be borne in mind when recommending to children and there are moments of animal cruelty too. However Phil Earle’s compassion shines through even these moments and the way in which loyalty and love triumph is such a heartening aspect of this wonderful book. I loved this and really didn’t want it to end.
Author Phil Earle and editor Charlie Sheppard at Andersen Press event June 2025 Photo: Anne Thompson
I bought my copy, signed by Phil, at a thoroughly enjoyable event held at the Andersen Press offices in London earlier this month to mark publication. The conversation between the author and his editor, Charlie Sheppard was enlightening and it is lovely to see the dedication to Charlie in the front of the book. During the evening we learned that there is to be a graphic novel version of When the Sky Falls in collaboration with Fred Fordham published in October and many will be looking forward to this.
The Dawn of Adonis was published on 5th June by Andersen Press and is highly recommended. This will, I’m sure, be one of my favourite books of the year.
An introduction to graphic novels highlighting friendship and fun, time travel to Ancient Greece and a historical adventure of family and magic make up this latest selection of children’s books for a variety of ages and reading abilities.
Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Mount Choco Meltdown by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson
Recent research findings regarding children’s attitude to reading for pleasure have highlighted the importance of individual choice in reigniting children’s interest in books. I think that the third in this series of funny graphic novels for new readers is sure to be hit with its warm and friendly tone plus bags of entertainment value. The second book, Escape from Balloonia is shortlisted for The Week Junior Awards and the steady growth in the popularity of graphic novels is proof that many children find this style of reading appealing.
Mount Choco Meltdown sees our three friends enter an epic cream sundae-making competition. Barry is determined to win at any cost and wants to find the best chocolate ice cream the world has ever seen! Meanwhile Blue and Pancakes just want to have fun. The ensuing quest involves scaling a mountain, confronting a yeti and a dance off competition all of which will make readers smile. Running through the humour are gentle themes of friendship and teamwork which add to the appeal of this lovely book. At the end of the story are instructions for making a comic book of your own and an amusing look at dance moves and ‘must haves’ for your adventure packing list. I would highly recommend this for new readers who are not quite ready for the Bunny vs Monkey series and it would be lovely for KS1 classrooms or school libraries. Published by Rock The Boat on 3rd July and I would like to thank Dannie Price for my copy.
Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime by Jennifer Claessen
As a child I was fascinated by time travel in both books and film so when I read the synopsis of this new title from Jennifer Claessen, author of the Month of Magic trilogy, I could not resist. A combination of adventure, new friendship and a feminist retelling of Greek myth, Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime should have a wide audience appeal.
Netta’s little brother Remy is history obsessed so when her parents take the family to an old villa in Crete for their summer holiday he is delighted but this is most definitely not Netta’s idea of fun. However shortly after their arrival Netta starts having realistic dreams in which she is dragged back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Once there she meets a young princess, daughter of King Minos, and finds herself caught up in the preparations for the opening of the King’s precious labryinth. There is intrigue, rumours of monsters and conflict in this ancient time and Netta finds herself drawn increasingly to the past and her present day self is becoming less strong. Netta and Remy gradually unite to try to work out what is happening, solve the puzzle and ultimately save Netta in an increasingly tense drama. The growing friendship between Netta and the young Ariadne is key to the plot as is the loyalty Remy shows to his older sister and this adds warmth to the mystery and excitement.
Readers will not have to be familiar with Greek Myths to enjoy this adventure and may in fact be prompted to investigate further having read this book. Jennifer Claessen also includes an explanatory note providing more detail about some of the references included such as Ariadne, Daedalus and Icarus. A welcome addition to other fiction for children based upon Ancient Greece this is suitable for readers of about 9+ and at just under 250 pages is not too overwhelming in length. Published by Fox and Ink Books (formerly Uclan Publishing) on 25th June. Thank you to Graeme Williams for arranging my review copy.
A Place of a Thousand Wishes by Sarah Merrett
Set in 1899 this tale of magic, family and friendship a A Place of A Thousand Wishes this adventure with a Dickensian feel is rooted in reality.
During the summer of that year there was a lengthy heatwave and this is replicated in this story and does, in fact, feature in the plot. Mason, the likeable main character is the son of an ice cream seller and during this historical period the ice cream trade was experiencing a boom. These details are incorporated within the plot alongside detailed description of the setting bringing the story to life, all of which provides an authentic feel to the background to this mystery.
Mason helps his father with their ice-cream business and as the story opens things are not going well for them. But when the famous wish-maker, Darlington, arrives in town Mason is staggered to find that he receives and invitation to his first performance. That night events take a dramatic turn and Mason discovers that he and Darlington share strange magical gifts. These gifts and their source are envied by some dangerous enemies and when Darlington disappears Mason races against time to rescue him or risk losing everything that is important to him.
At the heart of this story are themes of family discord, envy, greed and the abuse of power. The jealousy between people who should be close is the cause of unhappiness and difficulty in this well told historical drama. Confident readers of about 10 upwards will find this a rewarding read and the growing friendship between Mason and young Clem will appeal too. The stunning, monochrome illustrations throughout by Ewa Beniak-Haremska are perfect for the story being gothic in style with a slightly sinister feel. Published by Everything With Words on 29th May and thank you to Mikka Haugaard for my copy.
Library Lady 