The WCBF starts at Winchester Discovery Centre in Jewry Street in Winchester on Saturday 26th October and all the information is now available online at www.hants.gov.uk/wdc check it out and come along to see some fabulous authors!
I’m getting ready for The Wessex Children’s Book Festival, held in Winchester in October, as we are the official bookseller for the event. With Eoin Colfer, Mark Walden, Tony Robinson, Korky Paul and many others it will be an exciting time for any visitor! The details of the Festival are not available on the internet at the moment, I’ll let you know as soon as they are.
I know this logo has last year’s date on it – I’ll replace it with the new one as soon as I can.
I am happy to recommend books for children if you’re stuck for ideas. Just tell me the gender and age of your child and their reading habits; like their favourite authors or genre or a recent book they have enjoyed, also if you need a suggestion of a book that might enthuse a reluctant reader I’m here to help. Just email me at clare3bears@yahoo.co.uk
This series of books published by Orion are brilliant for new readers, with really good authors such as Lauren St John, Kaye Umansky, Marcus Sedgwick and Francesca Simon and an increasing range of titles, I always manage to find at least one to suit every child. These books are definitely worth seeking out if you have a child moving on from a school reading scheme.
this great book by Jill Jennings is publishing in September so make a note of it because it is a treat for younger readers; Tom is on a school trip to a museum to see the cutting-edge robot Boffin Brainchild. Tom has to leave to catch up with his class and Boffin decides to go with him. Despite Tom’s best efforts to lose him Boffin manages to get on the school bus and Tom’s life starts to get complicated! As the story develops the reader starts to empathise with both Boffin, as he really wants to be a boy with a family not a robot stuck in a museum, and Tom, who has to lie to his parents and teachers to keep Boffin’s true identity secret.
Boffin Brainchild by Jill Jennings £5.99 9780955609114
Books for Keeps is the UK’s leading, independent children’s book magazine. It was launched in 1980 and ever since has been reviewing hundreds of new children’s books each year and publishing articles on every aspect of writing for children. There are over 12,500 reviews on our new website and more than 2,000 articles including interviews with the top children’s authors and illustrators.
I write a monthly review for this online magazine, it is a great resource for anybody interested in children’s books.
This is an absolutely brilliant website that allows you to search by author or series to see the book sequels in order.
Children’s Book Sequels
I don’t want anyone to think that I’m a regular reader of the Sunday Telegraph, I’m too much of a lefty liberal for that, but, when stuck in a pub with no one to talk to and realising that I’d hadn’t put a book in my bag (duh!) it was that or The Sun on Sunday. Enough excuses – here’s the article I found:
When history is too horrible for parents
I cannot believe that anybody has these views of Roald Dahl, the Horrible Histories and particularly David McKee, where these parents are missing the point by miles and miles, if they even know what and where the point is. I think they are also underestimating their children enormously. I can only concur with their views of ‘Tintin in the Congo’ which is truly offensive but of it’s time, in the same way that Enid Blyton’s books are.
Hitler’s Angel by William Osborne, £6.99
What if Hitler had a daughter? Two children who have escaped Nazi Germany and settled in Britain are recruited by the British Government to kidnap the girl for propaganda purposes. They are chosen because of their language skills and, because as children they will be able to move around in Germany without arousing too much suspicion. The story is thrilling as the children face multiple dangers – not only do they not know who the girl they have to rescue is, but the girl herself has no idea of her disturbing background. This is a great read as a thriller, but also asks deeper questions about the girl and the awful situation she is in.
Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes, Hardback, £9.99
Shirley Hughes is famous for her brilliant picture books so this is a new departure for her. She has placed her story in Nazi occupied Florence where Paolo, Constanza and their mother fight for the freedom of their city. Paolo is fascinated by the Italian Resistance and wants to join them, after an unpromising start they realise that a young boy riding a bicycle can get by unnoticed. When Paolo starts his dangerous activities his sister and mother are brought into danger too. This is an exciting thriller but the humanity of the characters shines through making the reader really care about the plight of this family.
Clare3Bears Children's Book Reviews 