Tag Archives: childrens_books

War Dog: The true story of Judy, hero of WWII by Tom Palmer illustrated by Carolina Rabei

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 … Continue reading

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Summer Holiday Reading Fun for Children

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 … Continue reading

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Margaret McDonald Wins 2025 Branford Boase Award

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 … Continue reading

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Reading Matters – children’s book news

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 … Continue reading

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Zeki Goes to the Market – words by Anna McQuinn Pictures by Ruth Hearson

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 … Continue reading

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Higher Ground written and illustrated by Tull Suwannakit – a diary of resilience and hope

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 … Continue reading

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The Dawn of Adonis by Phil Earle: kindness and courage in children’s literature

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 … Continue reading

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New Children’s Books: Adventure, Friendship, and Magic

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 … Continue reading

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Interactive Learning: Brilliant Books for Pre-schoolers

Recent research indicates that there has been a decline in both children’s reading for pleasure and the frequency of parents reading aloud to children. For some, sharing books is no longer seen as something to enjoy. How to encourage a … Continue reading

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New books from Barrington Stoke in June

The Elixir by Lindsay Gavin illustrated by Kristina Kister A thrilling mix of history, sorcery and invention, Lindsay Galvin’s first novella for Barrington Stoke is a wonderful example of the blend of fact and fiction that this author does so … Continue reading

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