Discover Scallywag Press: New Picture Books for Children

Posted on January 10, 2025 by alibrarylady

Scallywag Press now five years old, is a small publisher whose books are worth seeking out. They specialise in publishing talented newcomers and re-issues of established creators and classics. Here are three of their recently published picture books to give you a taste of their catalogue.

Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee

Milo’s Hat Trick definitely comes under the description “re-issues of established creators and classics.” Originally published in 2001 this quirky and amusing story accompanied by Jon Agee’s distinctive illustrative style is an absolute gem. Milo the Magnificent is a magician with a problem. He is not at all magnificent in any aspect of magic; his card trick is botched, his rope trick is tangled and ‘his hat trick is pathetic.‘ The theatre manager, Mr Popovich, has had enough and tells the unfortunate Milo that he must pull a rabbit out of a hat tomorrow night, ‘or else.’ So Milo sets out to catch a rabbit for his act and instead catches a bear and not just an ordinary bear but a bear with a hidden talent. Will the bear come to Milo’s rescue?

Over the ensuing pages the story can in no way be described as predictable and it is this that makes it work. Nearly every page turn reveals something to make the reader or listener giggle. Much of the story is told through the illustrations and this, I think, adds to the reader’s engagement. This would be a terrific book to read aloud to young children but the humour will appeal to older ones too. It is also fun for the adult involved. The style of the appealing illustrations is almost cartoon like and there is a slapstick feel to the story in some ways. However, it is also cleverly paced and the slightly deadpan delivery made me smile. Milo’s Hat Trick is delightfully eccentric and enjoyable and was published in October.

Bunny’s Most Fabulous Holiday Ever by Brian Fitzgerald

Brian Fitzgerald illustrated The Bear Who Had Nothing To Wear by Jeanne Willis, also published by Scallywag and his jolly, colourful illustrations helped bring Bear to life. Bunny’s Most Fabulous Holiday Ever is his first solo picture book and his cheerful illustrative style is paired with a kind and positive text about friendship.

Bunny has carefully planned her annual holiday. Each year she takes her caravan to a peaceful spot, away from others where she can relax on her own. Unfortunately this year she wakes up on her first morning to discover that a monster has set up camp next door to her. Bunny is aghast! She watches in horror as he plays, surfs, meditates and barbecues. When a storm arrives she is at first happy when the monster’s tent blows away and he is left sorrowfully sitting under his umbrella. But then Bunny has second thoughts and starts to feel a little sorry for the poor monster. She tentatively approaches him and gradually realises that holidays, and life, can be a lot happier when you share them with someone.

This a delightful story and the illustrations cleverly support and portray the text. Initially grey and sombre, colour is introduced as the growing friendship between the two develops. I particularly like the use of vignettes and panels to move the narrative along and the expressions on the two friends’ faces are a delight. Bunny’s Most Fabulous Holiday Ever! is a rather fabulous picture book and would be lovely to share with young children. Although it would probably prompt conversation and comment the story alone may give youngsters pause for thought. This is a cheerful, upbeat picture book with kindness at its core.

Hannah and the Violin by Satoshi Kitamura

In 1983, Satoshi Kitamura received the Mother Goose Award for the Most Exciting Newcomer to British Illustration for Angry Arthur and since then his distinctive illustrative style has become familiar to adults and children alike. He has created more than 20 of his own books and has collaborated with respected authors including Hiawyn Oram, Jon Agard, and Colin McNaughton. Scallywag Press has republished Kitamura’s early titles such as Lily Takes a Walk and now Hannah and the Violin, originally published in Japan in 2008, will be made available in the UK in February by this publisher.

While Hannah is playing alone in her garden she spots a leaf which she thinks looks a little like a violin. Picking it up she decides to see if she can play it and soon all manner of things are playing and dancing to the music alongside her. The birds are singing, the insects are dancing and ‘an orchestra of clouds arrived and joined in.’ When Hannah is eventually called in for dinner she plays for her parents too, alongside a little band made up of her toys. This is a wonderful celebration of music, imagination and creativity with the colourful double page spreads a delight to explore for children. Hannah and the Violin has endless possibilities in the classroom, encouraging an interest in music, the various instruments and the ‘music’ available to us in our environment. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of imaginative play. A wonderful picture book for children in Early Years settings upwards.

I should like to thank Sarah Pakenham at Scallywag Press and Laura Smythe for my review copies of these three books.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

My Name is Samim by Fidan Meikle

Posted on January 8, 2025 by alibrarylady

My Name is Samim is a powerful, at times heartbreaking, debut novel by Fidan Meikle, an Azerbaijani-British writer, linguist and translator. Meikle tells the story of a thirteen year old boy from Afghanistan who is fleeing his home after the death of his parents in the hope of finding safety. This remarkable and deeply moving story conveys the reality of the experience of refugees and provides the reader with the opportunity to learn, to understand and to empathise.

When Samim was nine years old his parents and younger sister were killed in a bombing raid. Together with his best friend, Zayn, he left his home country and travelled through Iran and onward to Europe in the hope of reaching England and a safe haven with his uncle whom he had not seen for several years. The horror of his dangerous journey is vividly conveyed and the unimaginable becomes more real to the reader. On his arrival in England Samim is first placed in a detention centre, despite his youth, and subsequently with a foster family. Once there he is required to prove to the authorities that he qualifies for asylum status. Through a series of interviews Samim relates his family background, the reasons for needing to escape from Afghanistan and the events that took place during the years he spent travelling to the UK.

The narrative structure enables the reader to experience the events Samim has witnessed and been part of as he answers questions during the interview process. We learn that he left the Ghazni province in Afghanistan during 2015 following the bombing of his home. With Zayn and his Uncle he spent two years in a stone cutting factory in Iran before moving on to Turkey, Greece and eventually to Italy . The stories of people Samim meets and interacts with on his journey form an important part of the story. There is cruelty from some, but it is the kindness and the resilience of others that resonates powerfully throughout the book. The bereft young father with a love of astronomy who inspires Samim and Zayn and the kind grandmother who brings the young boys into her family and supports them are two who stand out. There are other youngsters whose bravery is inspiring and moving, including a young girl named Darya. The loss of Zayn weighs heavy on Samim who experiences both guilt and sorrow. Zayn’s voice is a constant presence in the book, his humour and spirited attitude boosting his friend even when he is no longer here.

My Name is Samim is an impressive debut. I was completely immersed in Samim’s story as I read and his determination, quiet courage and his loyalty to others ensures that this young boy is a character who stays with the reader long after you turn the last page. There are subjects covered within the storyline such as refugee trafficking, gender identity and bullying that require a degree of emotional maturity yet despite the subject matter and sometimes harrowing incidents there is hope and great kindness conveyed.

My Name is Samim will be published in March by Floris Books in their Kelpies range and is suitable for the upper middle grade audience of about 11 or 12 upwards. Update: since writing this review I have been told that publication will now be in May. This will tie in with National Refugee Week marked in June.

Update: Teacher Resouces

In readiness for Refugee Week, taking place from 16th – 22nd June Floris Books/Kelpies have created some excellent teacher resources suitable for upper KS2 and KS3 to use with My Name is Samim. This learning resource pack has been created by the author to help teachers lead insightful class discussions and activities based on the book. Activities are suitable for pupils aged 10+ and can be downloaded here.

You may also like to read this guest blog written by Fidan Meikle for Just Imagine about using refugee stories in the classroom.

I should like to thank the publishers and Kirstin Lamb for generously providing my early proof copy.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Reading Matters – Children’s Book News

Posted on January 4, 2025 by alibrarylady

Welcome to the first Reading Matters newsletter of 2025 and I hope that everyone had a happy and healthy Christmas holiday. Happy New Year to you and I hope that 2025 is a good year for you and your families. This round up includes both a look back at the best of 2024 and a preview of some books we can look forward to at the start of this new year. There are events and resources too so why not settle down and explore.

If you have not read my monthly round ups of news before I hope that this newsletter gives you the excuse to sit down with a cuppa, relax and catch up with what you may have missed during a busy time of year.

What I’m reading…

You would hope that the Christmas holiday would have resulted in some free time to enable me to make some progress with the numerous books sitting on my ‘to be read’ shelves. Alas, not really! However I would like to share some great books that I did manage to find time to read since my last newsletter. The World Between the Rain by Susan Cahill illustrated by Holly Ovenden is a magical portal story that also conveys ways in which people may cope with grief and loss. It is an absorbing and, ultimately, comforting read. This is a stunning debut and one that I am glad that I have read. I would recommend this as a purchase for secondary school libraries and think that it would appeal to fantasy lovers of about 12+.

Another book, for a much younger age group, but also conveying a thoughtful exploration of dealing with emotions is the picture book, Ebbs and Flows. Written by Sarah Surgery and illustrated by Gozde Eyce this lovely story follows a little girl named Pia as she navigates her changing emotions throughout the day. Sarah Surgery cleverly describes the natural rhythms of a day and the facial expressions of the different emotions experienced by the little girl are captured well by Gozde Eyce. This would be a helpful book to prompt conversation about feelings, either in the classroom or in the home. It may also enable young children to have a greater understanding of their own responses to situations and an empathy with others’ changing emotions too. It is published by Brilliant Monster Books and you can find out more about their books on their website.

Barrington Stoke have several books being published over the coming weeks and I have reviewed three that were published this week. Each of them are written by established and popular authors, and would, I think, encourage potential bookworms. Created by Vashti Hardy, Gill Lewis and Jenny Pearson with illustrations by Agnes Saccani, Irina Avgustinovich and Aleksei Bitskoff they will also appeal to a range of tastes.

Regular readers of Reading Matters will know that I enjoy sharing books with my 2 year old grandson and now sometimes include his recommendations too. Thanks to Veronica Price’s review of Tatty Mouse Christmas we have been enjoying that over the festive period. His bedtime favourites continue to include all the Zeki series by Anna McQuinn and Ruth Hearson which he loves and takes into bed with him, and also Goodnight, Everyone by Chris Haughton which is re-read up to four times a night at the moment. Last but not least Peepo by Allan and Janet Ahlberg is enjoyed by both grandson and son often. I like the balance between the old and new in the little chap’s library.

News, articles and resources…

The end of 2024 saw the publication of several ‘best of’ book lists and I have included a few here that may be useful to you.

Just Imagine Reviewers’ Books of the Year 2024 – Just Imagine reviewers have selected their favourite books of the year 2024. The selection can be viewed in video format and as a list with links to the full reviews.

The best children’s books of 2024, chosen by top authors and illustrators – Book Trust asked authors and illustrators including BookTrust’s Writer in Residence Patrice Lawrence, Axel Scheffler, Emma Carroll, Nathanael Lessore and Rashmi Sirdeshpande among others the question: What is your favourite children’s book published in 2024? Follow the link above to find out which books they chose!

TOPPSTA 100 Must Read Children’s Books of 2024 – sorted into age categories these are the top rated books reviewed by readers on the TOPPSTA website.

The best children’s and YA books of 2024 – From a boy on a snowy midnight adventure to a gothic family caper via a young offender inspired by poetry, the Guardian children’s book critics pick their favourite titles of the year

BBC Radio4 Children’s Book Club 2024 – Each year a panel recommends children’s books on different themes and for different age groups and will feature old favourites, classics, new releases, books you can borrow from the library and books to delight the whole family. This year’s suggestions from Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Cressida Cowell are worth a look.

Books for Topics Teachers’ Favourites for 2024 – Books for Topics invited teachers to vote for their best classroom read-alouds, the books that were the biggest hit with pupils and the top books to support the curriculums. The books that their community of teachers and librarians voted as their favourites in the various categories can be found on the website linked above. Thank you to Alison Leach founder of Books for Topics.

Books For Topics Ones to Watch: New Children’s Books Spring 2025 – turning to 2025 this is a tempting overview of some great titles being published over the next couple of months chosen by Books for Topics.

The Reader Teacher: January 2025 Children’s Books I’m Most Excited About – Scott Evans is back with his monthly video highlighting a selection of children’s books being published this month. There are picture books, fiction and information books included.

The Literacy Year Calendar – this excellent resource created by Sian Hardy at The Literacy Hive is a mine of useful information and links to resources. It will help you to plan around forthcoming events, competitions, awards and special days and weeks highlighting aspects of literature and literacy.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2025 -The National Literacy Trust has teamed up with award-winning author Tom Palmer to produce free resources for use in the classroom or at home, to help schools commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. Secondary teachers and students (ages 11 to 14), are invited to join a free online commemoration event featuring award-winning writer, Tom Palmer, author of After The War in conversation with Holocaust survivor, Alfred Garwood and Child survivor, Antoinette Mutabazi. The online event takes place Monday 27 January10.00am to 10.45am. There are also accompanying free resources available to download for use in the classroom.

Children’s and teens roundup: the best new picture books and novels – Sibling rivalry, a massive shark, anti-Nazi resistance in Norway, a brilliant romcom, and a tale of power and betrayal are among the latest selection of new books for children chosen by Imogen Russell Williams.

Inclusive Books for Children Awards 2025 Longlist – this longlist was announced shortly after the December Reading Matters and the shortlist will be revealed on 20th January. The IBC Awards recognise the best new inclusive children’s books published in the UK across three categories: books for babies and toddlers (aged one to three), picture books (for ages three to seven) and children’s fiction (for ages five to nine). Definitely an award worth following so do please have a browse of the titles in the various categories via the link above

The invisible problem with children’s books: Julian Gough on bridging the gap between reading picture books and young fiction/chapter books – this is an interesting and thought provoking article in The Irish Times by the author of the popular Rabbit and Bear series. As a former school librarian I know how important these ‘bridging books’ are in a child’s reading development and even more importantly in encouraging their enjoyment of reading.

There are three great online events in January hosted by Just Imagine in their An Evening In series of events suitable for teachers, librarians and adults who are interested in children’s literature:

An Audience with P J Lynch – This event takes place on January 9th at 7:00 pm. P. J. Lynch is an acclaimed Irish artist and illustrator of children’s books. He was the fourth Irish Children’s Laureate from 2016 to 2018. Amongst his awards are two Kate Greenaway Medals and three Christopher Awards. In this special event we will be celebrating P J’s contribution to children’s literature. I have never heard this celebrated illustrator in an interview before and am very much looking forward to this.

We Love Poetry! -Join Nikki Gamble on January 16th at 7:00 pm as she discusses all things poetry with Stephen Lightbown, author of CLiPPA shortlisted And I Climbed And I Climbed, James Carter, who will talk about his new book Boing!, and Sarah Ziman, who will talk about her debut poetry collection Why Did My Brain Make Me Say It? And Simon Lamb A Passing on of Shells completes a strong line-up.

Animal Characters and the Development of Empathy – Join Nikki Gamble on January 23rd at 7:00 pm as she talks to Gill Lewis, Ben Garrod, Emma Chinnery and Nicol Baker about writing animal fiction and what it offers young readers.

David Fickling Books and The Phoenix comic announce an epic new comic-book imprint, The Phoenix Comic Books, launching in January 2025 – There will be a The Phoenix Comic Books launch as part of the 2025 Waterstones Family Festival, followed by a year-long programme of events and workshops linked to the new imprint. A key element of the launch is the announcement of The Phoenix Comic Club, an exciting comics community for readers, where they can access drawing, writing, and comic-creation tutorials from a wide range of brilliant artists and comic creators. You can find out more on the via the Love Reading4Kids article linked above or on the Phoenix Comic website.

National Storytelling Week – this annual event will take place from Saturday 1st February to Sunday 9th February and the theme this year is ‘Reimagine your world’. We are urged to be aware that the most extraordinary story can come from the most ordinary place if we use our imaginations. The National Literacy Trust have organised online storytelling workshops for a range of age groups and created resources to accompany them. You can find out more and sign up for the workshops via the link to the NLT website above.

The Island of Brilliant: By the Fireside: join Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Nadia Shireen in the January episode of their podcast where they discuss what is happening in the world of children’s books. I haven’t had a chance to listen to this episode yet so have it earmarked for the weekend.

Finally, some book reviews that caught my eye recently…

I Follow the Fox by Rob Biddulph – a new title from this popular creator of picture books is always welcome and I Follow the Fox’s setting in the snow makes it perfect as a winter read. This lovely review by Lucy Staines for Books for Keeps has encouraged me to seek it out. “The mix of magic and family is just right, the sense of danger and loss perfectly balanced with the comfort and security of home.” 

The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood – School Trip! by Farhana Islam, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh – following the publication of the latest Reflecting Realities Report by CLPE is it helpful to read reviews that feature representative children’s fiction. This great review by Veronica Price of a book due to be published in April is worth a read and you may wish to put the book on your wish list for when it comes out. “Farhana Islam absolutely nails the pacing, humour and peril to create a highly entertaining story for middle grade readers. The addition of illustrations throughout by Simran Diamond Singh as well as the eye-catching typography, makes this a book that readers from age 8 and upwards will choose to read for pleasure…”

The Expanding World of Data by Tom Jackson Illustrated by Ekaterina Gorelova and Ana Seixas – a new title in the series from OUP Very Short Introductions for Curious Kids which explores what data is and how it is a bigger part of our lives than we may realize. In his helpful review for Just Imagine teacher Stephen Connor says he found this book, “enjoyable, hugely informative, and easy to access. It would certainly sit well in older primary classes, and definitely in Key Stage 3, and could work well in history, maths, philosophy and sociology lessons.”

That’s everything for this first round up of 2025 and I hope that you have found it useful. Since my usual first source of children’s book related news has faltered recently, (Twitter was great for this, X is less so in my experience) I have found it a little trickier to track down items and updates but this collection should, I hope, give you at least a taste of what is occurring.

Posted in Reading Matters Children’s Book News | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

New Books for Children from Barrington Stoke

Posted on January 2, 2025 by alibrarylady

Barrington Stoke are getting 2025 off to a great start with the publication of several new books for young readers and I would like to highlight three titles which I think will encourage potential bookworms.

The Moonlight Mystery Agency : The Birthday Cake Thief by Vashti Hardy Illlustrated by Agnes Saccani

The first in a new series in the Little Gems range for brand new readers brings Vashti Hardy’s popular magical touch to a younger audience. In The Birthday Cake Thief we meet Hana who has always wanted a pet of her own. When a friendly cat turns up at her bedroom window Hana thinks that she has finally got her wish. In fact the cat, Ace, has plans for Hana and she is whisked away to join a special detective agency. The Moonlight Mystery Agency has gained a new member! Hana’s first mission is to solve the mystery of Spark the bionic unicorn’s missing birthday cake.

The Little Gems range is perfect for new readers of about 5+ and incorporates a supportive layout and in this story is accompanied by charming illustrations and puzzles to solve by Agnes Saccani. Vashti Hardy’s Griffin Gate series for this publisher are immensely popular adapting her trademark steampunk fantasy to a shorter length with success. The Moonlight Mystery Agency will, I think, tempt the youngest audience to venture into her imaginary worlds. The author also blends a gentle observation of sibling tension into the storyline portraying the importance of patience and kindness with subtlety. This tempting package is a lovely start to a new series. Suitable for children from 5 upwards.

The Island Vet: Devil Bird Island by Gill Lewis illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich

Devil Bird Island is the third in this enjoyable series featuring Tia, daughter of a vet based on an island written by Gill Lewis, a vet herself Lewis always writes with warmth and understanding in her animal stories and this is evident in The Island Vet stories. In this latest instalment Tia and her friend visit a neighbouring island to count puffins but their trip swiftly turns into an adventure. First they rescue an animal caught in a fishing net then when night falls they hear strange wailing in the dark outside their tent. Their puffin counting has taken a rather scary turn!

Gill Lewis draws on her own experience and knowledge to create a believable and enjoyable story containing some important observations about how we need to work together to look after the wildlife around us.  The charming story is accompanied by lovely illustrations and chapter headings by Irina Avgustinovich bringing the characters to life for young readers. This is a perfect series for young animal lovers and conservationists suitable for children with a reading age of 7.

Bigfoot and the Wild Boys by Jenny Pearson illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff

As a teacher Jenny Pearson knows not only what type of story children like but she also knows what children themselves are like as people. As an author she combines this knowledge and experience in creating books packed with humour but also with an understanding and kindly observation of what matters to her young readers. Her third book for Barrington Stoke, Bigfoot and the Wild Boys is a thoroughly enjoyable story of friendship and adventure. Alexei Bitskoff once again illustrates Pearson’s fiction bringing the characters and events to life with great humour.

Joe is about to secondary school and is determined to shake off his ‘average’ persona and do something to make others notice him. When he sees a story on TV about the sighting of a Bigfoot-like beast in the local woods he decides this is his opportunity to show others that he not forgettable at all but someone who stands out from the crowd. He will capture the beast! With his best friend Tiago he sets off with no real plan or any experience in surviving ‘in the wild’. However he has watched his hero, Wildman Mike, online and feels sure that he can achieve his aim. Unfortunately things do not quite as he planned and the boys’ quest lurches from one disaster to another with sometimes hilarious results.

Bigfoot and the Wild Boys is great fun, as one would expect from this author, but it also conveys a wise message about popularity and the importance of one’s own self-esteem rather than others’ opinions. Another winner from this popular author for children aged 9+ and edited to be accessible for children with a reading age of 8.

Thank you to Poppy McLean and Barrington Stoke for providing my review copies. All three books were published this week.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Exploring Grief Through Fantasy: A Review of ‘The World Between the Rain’

Posted on December 29, 2024 by alibrarylady

Grief is like the ocean; it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim

Vicki Harrison

There are many quotes about grief, many metaphors used to describe it and frequently they use water in its various forms, be that rain or oceans, tears or the sense that one is drowning in a crushing sensation of different emotions. In her debut novel, The World Between the Rain, Susan Cahill uses these ideas in the form of a magical portal story that also conveys ways in which people may cope with grief and loss. It is an absorbing and, ultimately, comforting read.

Halloween is approaching and it is the anniversary of the death of thirteen year old Marina’s father. In the previous months Marina’s younger sister has been busy with her circle of friends and her mother, Maeve, has lost herself in the obsessional cleaning of their home. But now Maeve has fallen into a deep sleep from which Marina is unable to waken her. This strange sleeping sickness has also overtaken all the adults in the village where the family live. Only Ursula, the girls’ newly arrived grandmother, appears unaffected by this phenomenon and it is she who tells Marina stories of the forgotten gods and the strange world between the rain in the West of Ireland. Shortly afterwards Marina finds herself transported to a mysterious, watery world inhabited by unusual creatures, demons and gods. As she struggles to make sense of her predicament she also knows that she must return to her own world and to her own family who need her.

The World Between the Rain is unlike anything I have read recently yet there are elements that feel familiar. The strange world that Marina visits contains facets of her own yet portrayed in a fantastical way reminiscent of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland. Just like the author, as a child I longed to find a portal to another place like Narnia and Marina, through her sadness, does just this. Susan Cahill has blended magic, folklore, family life and bereavement together in this absorbing story in a manner that encourages the reader to think and reflect. It would, in my opinion, be a helpful book for a teen or young adult who is grieving to read. Even as an adult who has experienced family loss in the last year I found this a thoughtful and, despite the moments of drama and thrills, soothing story. The author has highlighted the many different ways in which people can experience and cope with grief and the impact that this can have on families. Sadly, death in a family can sometimes cause stress between those dealing with the enormity of their loss. This story’s ending provides much needed hope and consolation.

The setting and the names are interesting aspects of this story. Set in the village of Ballinaday on the coast of the West of Ireland, although not a real place it is based on the author’s home town in West Cork. The Irish phrase Béal an Átha translated to Ballina in English means “mouth of the ford” and can be found in places situated on rivers or river mouths. The name Marina of course has connections to the sea too. When she travels between the rain Marina first finds herself in a strange, floating city called Ishka, the pronunciation of the Gaelic for water, uisce. The use of language and imagery throughout the book adds to the magical feeling of the other world created for Marina but also for her emotions and experiences. As a reader it is interesting how one accepts the imagined as real quite quickly. The fantasy world full of dreamweavers, gods and monsters is beautifully executed and the adventure a compelling one of friendship and bravery. The gradual reveal of the hidden stories behind some of the characters adds to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of their attitudes and motivation. The manner in which the contemporary and the fantastical worlds are blended works extremely well.

The World Between the Rain is refreshing in its originality and comforting in its message of acknowledging the enormity of grief and the importance of memories in keeping lost ones close after they have died. A stunning debut and one that I am glad that I have read. Thank you to Susan Cahill for her beautiful and wise story, Holly Ovenden for the excellent illustrations throughout and the stunning cover. Thank you also to Mikka Haugaard at Everything With Words for kindly providing my review copy.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Blog Tour: The December Witches by Jennifer Claessen with illustrations by Heidi Cannon

Posted on December 4, 2024 by alibrarylady

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour to mark the publication in November of The December Witches, the final book in the A Month of Magic trilogy. This series blends family relationships, magic and Arthurian legend in exciting adventures that will appeal to lovers of fantasy. With the arrival of the movie version of Wicked I have a feeling the demand for stories featuring witches will be high so this is well timed.

In this final book Clemmie celebrates her 13th birthday but her special day is marred by magic going wrong in a dramatic fashion. She discovers that she has been chosen to be the One True Witch and struggles with this concept. There is chaos as she and the other young hags endeavour to stand up to the ancient powers. In order to survive she must release the magic that is overwhelming her and threatening her very existence. The importance of family bonds despite loss and difficulty is threaded through the magic and excitement of this dramatic finale to the series.

Jennifer Claessen and her publishers have kindly shared a chapter from The December Witches today which will whet your appetite to find out more.

DECEMBER_WITCHES_chapter6 (1)Download

The December Witches was published by Uclan Publishing in November. I should like to thank the publishers for my review copy and Graeme Williams for his help in preparing this blog post. Please do follow the rest of the blog tour to find out more and for your chance to win a free copy of the book.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reading Matters – Monthly Children’s Book News

Posted on November 30, 2024 by alibrarylady

Welcome to this latest round up of what has been happening in the world of children’s books over the last month. My news round ups are usually published on the first Saturday of the month but I have brought this one forward by a week to help you with Christmas ideas for both school and home. It is impossible to include everything as this would be the most enormous article for you to read so I have tried to provide a snapshot of a busy month for you. There are book award announcements, research, resources and some Christmas related items too. I do hope something here is helpful to you.

What I’m reading…

At the start of November I participated in #WitchWeek24 which this year marked the centenary of award winning author Joan Aiken. If you missed the blogposts marking this event you can find my contribution on Chris Lovegrove’s blog here. If you are a fan of Aiken’s work I can also recommend browsing Chris’s blog which contains many fascinating reviews of her books.

Sometimes books, particularly those written for children, can provide hope and encouragement and I have recently read a really beautiful story by Coral Rumble. If ever you are searching for a book to encourage empathy and kindness, soothe a worried mind and stimulate an interest in our natural surroundings I can thoroughly recommend Jakub’s Otter. Stories don’t have to feature magic, battles and dragons to help children be brave, sometimes kind, thoughtful understanding can be empowering.

As you know we have just celebrated National Non Fiction November and I have read three recently published books that I would like to recommend. EUREK-HER! Stories of Inspirational Women in STEM  by Frances Durkin illustrated by Nur Ventura is a cleverly produced book to both inspire and encourage children to try out their own scientific discovery. It would be an excellent purchase for school libraries being both a useful reference tool and an appealing book to browse for individual interest. You can read my full review here. Become A Chess Champion: Learn the Basics from a Pro by James Canty III and Brian Lambert is suitable for beginners but would also be helpful for anyone looking to develop their skills further. Secrets of the Ocean: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired by Nature by Alicia Klepeis illustrated by Kaja Kajfež s a winning combination of narrative and facts will have great appeal for young animal lovers. If you want to find out more about these two titles you can read my reviews here.

Lastly, I have reviewed two excellent picturebooks for Just Imagine over the last week and can highly recommend them both. Cake for Everyone is a wordless picture book encouraging children to look and find, recall and imagine, retell and discuss. A captivating book with many uses in the classroom. In Santa’s First Christmas Mac Barnett and Sydney Smith have created a Christmas picture book that captures much that children will recognise and enjoy. This is a warm and kind festive story with a difference. 

Last month I mentioned one of my two year old grandson’s favourite books of the moment, The Whales on the Bus, which I can now recite from memory! In case you are looking for recommendations for the youngest readers in your life I thought I’d pass on another of his ‘reviews’. The little chap has now been named ‘LibraryLad’ by his uncle! So without further ado, this month’s star read as suggested by him is Britannica’s Baby Encyclopedia. He spends ages poring over it and I can understand why. This would be a terrific present.

News, articles and resources…

Yoto Carnegie Nominations Announced – this announcement feels a long time ago now but took place shortly after my last Reading Matters. A grand total of 119 books have been nominated for the 2025 Medals. 64 books are in contention for the Carnegie Medal for Writing, which is awarded to a book written in English for children and young people that sparks an outstanding reading experience, and 55 books for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration, which celebrates an outstanding reading experience through illustration. This includes 3 titles that have received nominations in both Medal categories. From these nominations, the judging panel will decide the long and shortlists and finally, the 2025 Medal winners.

The National Literacy Trust: Children and Young People’s Reading in 2024: the findings of the survey carried out early this year were concerning for anyone involved in the children’s book community in any capacity. Reading enjoyment has dropped and the figures for secondary pupils and for boys are particularly concerning. There was considerable debate at the time that this report was published and I did find the levels of commitment to improving things heartening. This was particularly evident in the widespread support for the role of public and school libraries and the way in which they can make a difference. The National Literacy Trust with the tag #GrowAGenerationofReaders is committed to supporting 1.5 million young readers in the next 3 years through a task force that will combine with other agencies. I hope that the links and articles I share in this monthly round up will help support this in a small way.

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2024 – For the first time in its history, the annual CLPE Reflecting Realities survey, funded by Arts Council England, reported an overall drop in the percentage of racially minoritised characters featured in published children’s books reviewed, from 30% in 2022 to 17% in 2023. The percentage of books featuring a main character from an ethnic minority had halved to 7%. To view CLPE’s Reflecting Realities Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children’s Literature in full please use the link above. While the results of this year’s survey may be sobering, CLPE point to their wider available body of work and the guidance provided in 7 years of Reflecting Realities reporting as a tool to ensure representative literature is a permanent, integrated feature of industry output.

A response to the 2024 CLPE Reflecting Realities Survey from Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor – please do read this article from Books for Keeps magazine which provides background and helpful comment on the results of the Reflecting Realities survey.

BookTrust Early Years offers: Year two headline findings – this report made for more hopeful reading. In this briefing, Book Trust share 10 key findings from the second year of their BookTrust Early Years offers (Bookstart Toddler / Bookstart 1-2 Years and Bookstart Pre-schooler / Bookstart 3-4 Years). One key point that I noticed was that 96% of partners say these Early Years offers are effective at getting families with young children reading together.

Death to Non-Fiction! – as National Non-Fiction November comes to a close this article by author Andy Seed poses some interesting questions about the naming of factual books for children.

Non-fiction that makes you feel (with Mini Grey) – an absolutely lovely blogpost by Mini Grey on the emotional pleasures of reading non-fiction, highlighting The Fossil Hunter, The Biggest Footprint and The Observologist. Thank you to Mat Tobin for flagging this article up to me.

Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2024 – the shortlist for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2024 was announced recently, with six books chock full of tales of Arctic adventures, amazing ancestors and astrophysics. The winner will be chosen from among these six by over 19,000 young people across the country. Do have a look at the website to find out more.

2024 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards – Launched in 2016 and voted for by both booksellers and readers, the Books Are My Bag Awards feature the following categories – Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, YA Fiction, Children’s, Break Through Author & Readers’ Choice. The winner of YA Fiction Award 2024 was Holly Jackson’s The Reappearance of Rachel Price and I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery was the Children’s category winner. Congratulations to all the winners.

Waterstones Book of The Year – another win for Ross Montgomery’s I am Rebel in the Children’s Book of the Year category. “At a time when children’s literacy and reading for pleasure should be at the top of everyone’s agenda, I Am Rebel stands out as the perfect book to press into the hands of children and the adults who care for them.” Bea Carvalho, Head of Books, Waterstones.

Books For Keeps November Issue – regular readers of this blog will know how highly I rate Books for Keeps as a source of information about children’s books. This latest issue is another gem. Regular contributors to Books for Keeps highlight the books that have given them the most enjoyment in 2024, Piers Torday is interviewed by Nicolette Jones, Sue McGonigle selects information books for the Christmas stocking, plus poetry picks for the festive season and regulars including Beyond The Secret Garden and reviews.

The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition 2024 Winners – the 25th anniversary of Chicken House publishers also saw the announcement of this year’s winners of their writing competition. Huge congratulations to superstar school librarian Lucas Maxwell who has won the Times/Chicken House award, the prize of which is a £10,000 publishing contract and the offer of agent representation, for his novel You Have Selected Power Drive. Congratulations also to Tommy Finlayson who won The Lime Pictures New Storyteller Award for The Cornershop on Apocalypse Street.

Open University Reading For Pleasure Newsletter Live – don’t miss out on this free magazine style rapid CPD : Rich text recommendations, bite size research, practical ideas, and poetry plus a guest appearance by Laura Muchau. A lovely way to join a reading community and share ideas. December 4th 7.30pm – 8.30pm online. Booking via the link above.

Children’s and teens roundup: the best new picture books and novels – A sensational sleigh ride; joyous poetry; amazing animals; a sinister seaside town; a deadly forest; a thrilling heist and more in Imogen Russell Williams selection for November.

Unlock the Magic of Christmas Reading with Reading Rocks’ Classroom Advent Calendar – make reading part of your class’s Christmas tradition with a virtual Advent Calendar designed to inspire a love of books and bring festive joy to your classroom. Each day, your pupils will open a new “window” to discover a special video message from a well-loved author or illustrator. This is free with registration.

Winter Wonderland Resources from The National Literacy Trust – Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah or simply wish to set aside a time for cosy reading, this resource offers lots of ideas for literacy activities to mark this Winter period, including: Writing ideas such as winter Haikus, festive science experiments and grammar games, Book recommendations to read aloud with pupils aged 3 to 14 and suggestions storytelling and performance poetry. Free to download if you register.

Sprouts: Imagine a Christmas in 4024 with Sibéal Pounder – Tuesday 10 December 11.00am – 11.45am join Sibéal Pounder online hear a special reading from the book and explore the book’s themes and Sibéal’s inspiration for writing. There will also be a live Q&A section for children to find out what it’s like to be a published author in this event for age 9-11 from the National Literacy Trust.

Books for Topics Book Gift Guides – Books for Topics have created some great lists of book suggestions for different age groups for parents and carers to give at Christmas. There are bedtime stories, information books and special gift books to choose from. Suitable for the primary age group and the lists are free to download.

Christmas is Coming: A Festive Panel with Hazel Gardner, Pippa Goodhart, and Jarvis – if you missed this Just Imagine Festive Author Panel you can now catch up with it on the link above. Special Christmas books, both old favourites and new titles are featured plus the authors’ favourite read. Great for adults but you could share clips with children too.

Poetry By Heart Festive Poetry Showcase – Poetry By Heart, the nation’s favourite poetry speaking competition, is celebrating the best festive poems in a special Poetry Showcase and encouraging everyone, young and old, to create a new seasonal tradition by gifting a poetry performance this Christmas. This poetry advent calendar also includes Poetry By Heart ‘Give it a Go’ tips to enable visitors to the website to learn their favourite poem by heart. 

Tom Palmer: Christmas News Extra – there are free Christmas resources, stories, activities, films and a lovely short story available on Tom Palmer’s excellent website.

Finally, some book reviews that caught my eye recently…

The Christmas Pine by Julia Donaldson & Victoria Sandoy – reviewed on Storysnug, The Christmas Pine, a beautifully illustrated, rhyming picture book, tells the true story of the Christmas tree that stands in Trafalgar Square. A book to share with young children of 3+ with beautiful illustrations.

The Christmas Wish-tastrophe by Cariad Lloyd, illustrated by Ma Pe – if you are looking for stories on a festive theme to get young readers in the mood this lovely review by Veronica Price may help you. This Christmas mystery set in 1812 sounds delightful and being an illustrated hardback may be a good present idea too. Veronica recommends it as ‘an essential addition to Christmas book collections‘ which is good enough for me!

The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers illustrated by Shawn Harris – this book has been receiving a great deal of attention online recently and I am most tempted by this thoughtful review by Stephen Dilley for Just Imagine. Please do read his review to find out more.

Well, that’s it for now. Having said I would try to avoid an enormous article that would be too much to read it has rather grown as there is so much happening that merits inclusion. I hope that this round up has been helpful and interesting. Over the coming weeks I will continue to share book reviews and possibly snippets of Christmas news as I come across it. Reading Matters will be back in 2025 all being well. Happy reading!

Posted in Reading Matters Children’s Book News | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

I Flew Around The World by Zara Rutherford illustrated by Jiatong Liu

Posted on November 25, 2024 by alibrarylady

When she was 19 years old Zara Rutherford set off on a daunting adventure to become the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. I Flew Around the World, Zara’s chronicle of her journey, is an enthralling read covering a wide range of subject matter. We learn about her preparations, the mechanics of flight, the geography and wildlife of the countries she flew over and landed in and the challenges she faced along the way. Over five months and thirty one countries Zara’s inspiring journey will educate and inspire a new generation of scientists and aviators.

This well presented book is extremely engaging. Zara Rutherford’s distinctive narrative voice is relatable for children and the book features photos from Zara and her family plus clear and helpful illustrations by Jiatong Liu. Beginning with the meticulous preparations such as clothing, kit and route choice, and incorporating facts about flight, the mechanics of Zara’s plane plus the history of manned flight this is a great way of learning about aviation through an enjoyable narrative. The clear diagrams of the cockpit and the plane help explain the systems and the physics behind her world breaking achievement.

There is a combination of diary entry, key facts and information plus a personal view of places, people and society in different countries conveyed in a friendly and child friendly manner. Zara’s many challenges included flying close to the wildfires in California in 2021 and being stuck in Siberia for three weeks due to the weather conditions. Through Zara’s journey the reader will also learn about earthquakes, typhoons and air pollution and in each case their importance to both the challenge of the journey and to the population affected by them is explained. On a lighter note there is a world map illustrating the author’s favourite foods from around the world such as moose spaghetti in Alaska and mahi-mahi fish from the Caribbean. This balance of the the personal and the scientific is striking across the whole book and is a great way for children to learn from an enjoyable factual book.

Zara’s journey took five months in total and her story ends with the news that she is now studying electrical engineering at university with dreams of space travel next on her list. An inspirational young woman and one whose story will fascinate and inspire young readers. This would be an excellent purchase for primary school libraries and classrooms. I Flew Around The World was published by Dorling Kindersley on 7th November for age 7+ and I should like to thank the publisher and Sally Oliphant for my review copy.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Engaging Children with Non-Fiction for National Non-Fiction November

Posted on November 15, 2024 by alibrarylady

The theme for National Non-Fiction November 2024 is ‘Why Don’t You?’ which aims to stimulate discussion about hobbies and leisure activities and to encourage children to try something new. Neon Squid are a relatively new publisher whose aim is to create books that appeal to all sorts of children, from fact fans and visual learners to those who like to curl up with a good story. The two books I am reviewing today illustrate just how they are achieving this.

Become A Chess Champion: Learn the Basics from a Pro by James Canty III and Brian Lambert.

This entertaining book introduces children to the world of chess, talking them through the various chess pieces and how to use them. There are chess puzzles to solve, some interesting facts about the history of chess and famous players making this a great book to browse for pleasure alongside learning something new. James Canty uses a conversational tone throughout the text and starting with the basics moves gradually through to more complex stages of the game providing plenty of practice and clear explanations throughout. The illustrations by Brian Lambert incorporate additional information and each chess piece is given a character of its own with facial features, rather like a cartoon character, adding to the fun.

Become a Chess Champion is suitable for beginners but would also be helpful for anyone looking to develop their skills further. The adult members of my family enjoyed using this guide as a useful refresher course too! This would be a lovely book to give as a present and would be ideal for school use to support chess clubs or encourage beginners. It is well presented with a helpful contents page and a glossary making it accessible for the young reader of about 8+.

Secrets of the Ocean: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired by Nature by Alicia Klepeis illustrated by Kaja Kajfež

This book is a winning combination of narrative and facts will have great appeal for young animal lovers. It is made up of a collection of 15 short stories each of which focuses on a different marine creature. The stories are followed by a factual explanation of each creature, ‘the science behind the story’, providing a biological snapshot of the creature they have just met. This is a clever approach giving the book a slightly different tone than a traditional nature study reference tool.

The stories include swimming iguanas, penguins, deep-sea anglerfish, albatrosses, dolphins, whales and sea turtles and feature both the creatures’ habitat and other creatures with whom they live. The narrative focuses on animal families and their behaviour which children will appreciate plus threats and predators, happily ending with escape. A younger child may enjoy listening to the stories for their own sake even if they do not yet have the reading fluency to read them independently.

The author, Alicia Klepeis has written over 200 books for children covering a range of subjects in both non-fiction and fiction and you may like to explore her other titles for differing age groups on her website here. Kaja Kajfež’s illustrations are beautiful bringing each creature to life on the page and the gold embossed cover of this hardback book is most appealing having a slightly traditional appearance. This, like the other title reviewed here, would make a good present for children.

I should like to thank the publishers, Neon Squid, and Malu Rocha for providing my review copies. If you are interested in exploring some more factual books for children from this publisher I have reviewed a couple here.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

EUREK-HER! Stories of Inspirational Women in STEM written by Frances Durkin Illustrated by Nur Ventura

Posted on November 11, 2024 by alibrarylady

This month sees the annual celebration of factual books, National Non-Fiction November, organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups. For more than 30 years award wining publisher b small publishing have been creating books that celebrate children’s enthusiasm for discovery. I am consistently impressed by how they balance reader appeal and engagement with learning in the books they produce. EUREK-HER! Stories of Inspirational Women in STEM was published in September and is an excellent addition to their catalogue.

EUREK-HER! is a hardback book with an eye-catching cover that explores the lives of 20 different women who each made a significant discovery or invention. It begins in Ancient Mesopotamia with Tapputi Belatekalli who used distillation to create perfume and travels through time and around the world to finish in Kenya with Nzambi Matee who in 2020 was named a Young Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme. Each of the women depicted is inspiring in their own way and it is fascinating to compare and contrast their differing backgrounds. Although many were well educated and some came from wealthy backgrounds there are others who were lacking in opportunities early in life and were largely self taught. The women’s individual fields are broad ranging too including medical advancements such as life saving malaria treatment to the setting up of a global business selling teddy bears. Subjects such as astronomy, marine biology and DNA are all featured ensuring that young readers can find something that piques their interest.

The book also features step-by-step activities to try at home created by Jenny Jacoby such as designing your own periodic table, making a lava lamp or a pond viewer or designing a bridge. The illustrations are stylish and clear with the overall design of the book by Vicky Barker adding to its appeal. Key words within the text are highlighted in bold with a definition for these being provided in the glossary at the end of the book. The contents are presented at the beginning of the book in a flow chart design with the linked activities listed in a box below. The activities are also incorporated within the appropriate biographies.

Cleverly produced to both inspire and encourage children to try out their own scientific discovery EUREK-HER! Stories of Inspirational Women in STEM is an excellent purchase for school libraries being both a useful reference tool and an appealing book to browse for individual interest. Aimed at age 8+. There are also free teaching activities to download from the publisher’s website here.

The Reading Agency are hosting a free 60-minute online workshop with the author Frances Durkin on Tuesday 19th Nov from 1.15pm -2.15pm. It’s perfect for children in Key Stage 2 and will explore the incredible inventions and astonishing discoveries which are featured in her book. Frances’ workshop will last approximately 40 minutes, and will be followed by a Q&A. You can find out more and register for the event here.

I should like to thank Naomi Weeks and the b small publishing for providing my review copy. EUREK-HER! Stories of Inspirational Women in STEM was published on 2nd September.

Posted in Book Review | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments