tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53459633596906381932024-02-19T12:13:42.868+00:00Armadillo Blogarmadillo magazinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05474285352323940124noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-34204309719153098112012-05-21T12:58:00.003+01:002012-05-21T12:58:42.887+01:00New Blog<span style="font-size: large;">Armadillo Blog now has a new name and a new look, if you follow me, and I hope you do, please visit <a href="http://armadillochildrensmagazine.blogspot.co.uk/">http://armadillochildrensmagazine.blogspot.co.uk/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">to see the new look... enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I look forward to seeing you all there and as always welcome any comments.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Louise, Armadillo Edior-in-Chief</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-35986325327163347912012-05-10T14:51:00.003+01:002012-05-10T14:51:40.248+01:00Fortune Tellers...<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Three very different and very interesting books insightfully reviewed for the Blog by Bridget Carrington </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVc1RA_03yrBK4E3Lzzfd42U4hf8jAUrdLUQ1J_7-7cnLwvMkuCgUfpjxBjVNka5U-ZY_iMevjZr3o5HYBkOXyKZwaUpvJgXoEckQ4KEGlqV2E_nFwSns2t0Ldvb_e7zo68ItOg0ZJ2HM/s1600/alfiejones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVc1RA_03yrBK4E3Lzzfd42U4hf8jAUrdLUQ1J_7-7cnLwvMkuCgUfpjxBjVNka5U-ZY_iMevjZr3o5HYBkOXyKZwaUpvJgXoEckQ4KEGlqV2E_nFwSns2t0Ldvb_e7zo68ItOg0ZJ2HM/s200/alfiejones.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We begin with an excellent independently published book. <em><strong>Alfie Jones and a Change of Fortune</strong></em> by David Fuller (RDF Publishing 2011).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A winner! As we’ve discovered before, books from independent publishers and those which are self-published are a very mixed bag, and those publishers can get very aerated if their product is adversely criticised! David Fuller’s Alfie Jones and a Change of Fortune shows just how good independently published books can be. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Alfie is nine years old and his passion is football. He has always loved playing for Kingsway Colts, where he is one of their stars, but when their elderly coach is taken ill, his replacement is only interested in promoting his own son, Jasper. Jasper and his father are bullies, and Alfie is, quite literally, sidelined for every match. Luckily, he meets a mysterious fortune-teller, Madame Zola, who helps him beat the bullies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This book is great fun, with plenty of excitement and humour, ably assisted by Rob Smyth’s illustrations. But it has very serious undertones, showing how adults as well as peers can bully children, and the effect this can have on the object of this bullying. Although Alfie is supported by his friends, he isn’t by his parents who, although they are not unkind, have no interest in Alfie’s passion for and skill in football. Instead they support Alfie’s sister’s passion for dancing. There are also positive elderly characters: Jimmy Grimshaw, the old coach, and Madame Zola, untidy, scatty, but the catalyst which empowers Alfie to outwit the bullies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This is an excellent chapter book for primary school readers, to which boys will relate, and we look forward to reading many more of Alfie’s adventures.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Moving on to a retelling from an established and popular author Bridget read <strong><em>Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings</em></strong>, retold by Elizabeth Laird, illustrated by Shirin Adl (Frances Lincoln 2012).</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGQBrOVh4GiM7KkT8FSRXDvgAdp8vo-fj5QXswNue8TahJteRQasA4fL1CTTCDHseP0ynqjosrifwqlbeq1CQpZ76W7C9zfwa1S3EMl1NPnf8LIsa8f4jRrfNv3lsN56N-cVwIaxIC44/s1600/shahnameh-7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGQBrOVh4GiM7KkT8FSRXDvgAdp8vo-fj5QXswNue8TahJteRQasA4fL1CTTCDHseP0ynqjosrifwqlbeq1CQpZ76W7C9zfwa1S3EMl1NPnf8LIsa8f4jRrfNv3lsN56N-cVwIaxIC44/s320/shahnameh-7.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Elizabeth Laird is passionate about bringing young Western audiences an understanding of the people, customs and culture of the Middle East and beyond. Shanameh is an epic poem written more than a thousand years ago, which relates the myths and legends which tell of the beginning of Persia – modern-day Iran – and which have formed an oral tradition in those lands.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The stories tell of the lives, loves and adventures of the kings, heroes, princesses, magical animals and demons.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Laird has retold them perfectly, retaining the poetic lilt within a translation which will engage young readers. Shirin Adl’s illustrations accompany the text perfectly, with full page modern, slightly quirky, representations of typical Persian art, and every page bordered by flowers and creatures which echo the atmosphere and ethos of the stories. This is a beautiful book, in content and in presentation.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Finally Bridget shares her thoughts about a book translated into English by Anthea Bell but originally from the pen and imagination of the hugely talented Kai Meyer, <em><strong>Arcadia Awakens</strong></em> (Templar 2012).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A curiously mixed set of genres are found in Meyer’s YA novel, where Rosa, an American teenager recovering from an abortion resulting from a gang rape, returns to her Mafia family roots in Sicily. Here she reluctantly falls in love with the son of a rival clan, and discovers that, in common with the rest of each family, they can shape-shift into a snake (Rosa) and a tiger (Alessandro), a legacy from their Arcadian ancestry. Thereafter they battle various odds, human and supernatural.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Meyer paints a competent picture of the Sicilian landscape – though that may owe something to my currently watching Montalbano – but the characterisation is less convincing. Myth – the Arcadian element – legend and Bond-style thriller combine in the first novel of a projected trilogy which will undoubtedly captivate a teenage audience which enjoys fast-paced adventure, fantasy, romance and angst.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We hope you will find the time to enjoy one or more of these titles for yourself.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-43575581868784750932012-04-30T11:21:00.002+01:002012-04-30T11:21:21.528+01:00Retro Books<em><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Friday's post I recieved an advance copy of 'Leopard Adventure'. This may sound like a Willard Price adventure but the award-winning Anthony McGowan has written this story, to be published by Puffin in July, inspired by Willard Price and to clebrate the 125th anniversary of his birhtday! Retro stories are very popular, classic adventure stories are ocming back into vouge and it is with this in mind that Armadillo reviewer Bridget Carrington posts her thoughts on another book, this one from an independent publisher, with a retro feel.</span></em><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The strapline promises ‘Beasts, Baddies and Bombs’, which is spot on, but we should also add Biggles into this mix. <em>In The Bother in Burmeon</em> by S.P. Moss (Circaidy Gregory Press 2012) the author has created a twenty-first-century retro adventure story very much in the Biggles style, in which the RAF and flying, danger and heroism feature big time. The difference is that Susan Moss has added a timeslip element in which Billy travels back to 1962 and meets his dead grandfather, then an RAF pilot on a secret mission to the imaginary country of Burmeon. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Billy is a fairly lonely boy in his twenty-first-century life, bullied at school and an only child with parents who are absent for much of the time. As a result he spends holidays with his Gran, and it’s then that he is transported back to his Grandpop’s exciting life fifty years before. We see what England was like then (and Moss has images of many of the things from then that inspired her story at http://pinterest.com/spmossimgrund/the-bother-in-burmeon/), and we experience an old-fashioned adventure in which Billy’s twenty-first-century knowledge and possessions can cause the occasional problem!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Readers may question the portrayal of ‘Radar’, the son of Flight Sergeant Singh, Grandpop’s right-hand man. Radar’s characterization fits well with the Biggles era but less comfortably in a novel written now. Nevertheless Billy’s final discovery about this brave, loyal friend he made in Grandpop’s time is a nice touch. Altogether, although Moss’s story would have benefitted from tighter editing, it could make a welcome modern addition for fans of the classic children’s adventure story.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-54641805554992939072012-04-02T18:50:00.010+01:002012-04-02T19:15:20.388+01:00Books for Easter<div><div><div><div><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBS0eRMKTpqfGOD1MytHcLS_QjC2WBaNG5Wa0HGCtHNnoPHv792-cSMYSeJL7Kfx8mEGAr3aek9zjNpJmaOFy0ruFg8xFacb8EcoMWX8ibtIFJie2F0TYB1HAGi33zpyofesjjct7dJA/s1600/easter_eggs_bunny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; height: 154px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726865276208950754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBS0eRMKTpqfGOD1MytHcLS_QjC2WBaNG5Wa0HGCtHNnoPHv792-cSMYSeJL7Kfx8mEGAr3aek9zjNpJmaOFy0ruFg8xFacb8EcoMWX8ibtIFJie2F0TYB1HAGi33zpyofesjjct7dJA/s200/easter_eggs_bunny.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Books for Easter Reading is the title of my school suggested reading list at this time of year. We have now broken up for Easter and parents are always keen to find some books to keep the children entertained as well as to stretch them. It is the point of the academic year when reading habits begin to wane - the weather is the main reason - children love to play outside and often have many sporting commitments. However there are so many great books to be read why not listen to the weather men. We are told by these purveyors of weather news that in 2012 the Easter weekend is going to be a wet one, so I for one will have a pile of books at the ready. They don't all require me to sit and read quietly, some are for reading aloud and sharing, others are for craft fun.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Let's start with a selection of books for the youngest readers, or rather listeners. if you have some small children surrounding you this Easter, clamouring for entertainment then these books will be the perfect choice.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">A new series, My First Picture Book, published by Random House features four different titles, I </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMJ_tiPBwPsY6rvzNmqwvj2AG1wVLZ0hilYKUVPPYE4_EsL_f0eGFv1ZmrdCpoZhrGdCKQL27Q5b-wDVb6461IRDLTirSYlDTUTvf92hf2zzvHYigzxufxO7JchFqu_SiBK1QdcAGeXQ/s1600/Bigger.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 176px; height: 200px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726866707190475106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMJ_tiPBwPsY6rvzNmqwvj2AG1wVLZ0hilYKUVPPYE4_EsL_f0eGFv1ZmrdCpoZhrGdCKQL27Q5b-wDVb6461IRDLTirSYlDTUTvf92hf2zzvHYigzxufxO7JchFqu_SiBK1QdcAGeXQ/s200/Bigger.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">have been lucky enough to review three of them. Starting with Bigger Digger by Steve Webb and Ben Mantle in which a big quarry lorry gets rather stuck and so begins a disastrous day in which a lorry, truck and digger each get stuck trying to help one another. Add to this some fabulous rhythm and rhyme in the form of the story text, vibrant pictures and wonderful sounds to be made and you have a recipe for fun. Not a fan of diggers or need another theme? Try A Quiet Day in the Jungle by Andrew Weale & Britta Teckentrup, a clam and peaceful day is being enjoyed by all the animals until a very cheeky monkey unleashes clamour and chaos, can you guess what he did before it is revealed? Boo Boo Baby and the Giraffe by Eileen Browne and Emily Bolam tells the story of a little baby setting off into a dreamy journey of excitement at bedtime, all the animals make a sound but are they all soothing and where have they come from? Find out for yourself in this charming story perfect for bedtime after a long day of Easter egg hunts!</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMBGIUB3clMfFzkMS2-8gQEVj_T1GxcfnwOCcpqWvP0WPwcJtZj_lupSBDyVg6b4WUWQ3dSzw4R34pQRbCYOj0t1NMbQPolWWW1jwu46Bd7Sq8wFlxDRqRxbupSIJIZHkYk6XxVmWDPU/s1600/Duck%252Cs.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px; height: 200px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726867240340390482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMBGIUB3clMfFzkMS2-8gQEVj_T1GxcfnwOCcpqWvP0WPwcJtZj_lupSBDyVg6b4WUWQ3dSzw4R34pQRbCYOj0t1NMbQPolWWW1jwu46Bd7Sq8wFlxDRqRxbupSIJIZHkYk6XxVmWDPU/s200/Duck%252Cs.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Of course on Easter Day what better activity to indulge in than a traditional Easter Egg hunt which is just what happens in Dawn Richards and Heidi D'hamers Duck's Easter Egg Hunt. Children will love the tile and the glittery pile of eggs on the front cover as much as they will the charming story. Duck is so excited when she organises the village Easter egg hunt that she accidentally hides her own egg! Join Duck, the three bunnies Hoppy, Poppy and Floppy and a host of other characters as they all enjoy the most important Easter egg hunt ever ... can they find the missing egg? Children, you will have to help and see how many eggs you can spot hidden throughout this gorgeous story.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">Easter egg hunts are of course just one of the many activities keeping children busy on Easter Day but when they have finished that are are clamouring for more try giving them a copy of My Carry Along Easter, an activity book with stickers from Lion Hudson with crafts by Jocelyn Miller. This book features 15 different activities for children from a spot the difference puzzle to Easter card making and fluffy chick cakes. There is plenty here to keep both adults and children amused and the charming 'carry along' handle means the book is incredibly portable too! If its raining and you are stuck indoors then why not try My Very First Easter Playtime and activity book with stickers, from Lion Publishing, to keep them amused.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">A story is required and one that fits the Easter theme? Jez Alborough's Six Little Chicks combines counting experience and a charming story perfectly themed to the time of year. Croc and Bird by Alexis Deacon, published by Random House, is an absolute delight featuring two eggs which hatch into a bird and a croc following their unusual growing up and discovering that a true family is not always what you might expect it to be. Finally for the young children there is Penguin's Hidden Talents by Alex Latimer, published by Corgi, in which a talent show - perhaps another great Easter activity - reveals to Penguin and his friends that talents may certainly be hidden but a little effort will soon bring them out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">All in all a charming selection of stories, some with an Easter theme, others perfect for the time of year, to entertain little ones.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">What if you have or are an older child? Well you may not want a vast selection of books to choose from so here are just a couple to tempt you ...</span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBdJczDq0GKlsbAK4vr7e_ZaGgY-fWpbY1qmvUk7cyghAdRr25h3n6qdw0q4V3ciooAz7pHeTkxpVZS6CIwKC4P8VaV1xYtdzaAViCFj75Frv1NZtO9Df2nkKLTFMDK4-QWFkaiHzV8U/s1600/Ghost.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 129px; height: 200px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726867903783602802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwBdJczDq0GKlsbAK4vr7e_ZaGgY-fWpbY1qmvUk7cyghAdRr25h3n6qdw0q4V3ciooAz7pHeTkxpVZS6CIwKC4P8VaV1xYtdzaAViCFj75Frv1NZtO9Df2nkKLTFMDK4-QWFkaiHzV8U/s200/Ghost.jpg" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">For anyone who finds reading a challenge or just wants a book to make them laugh the new Barrington Stoke title from Jeremy Strong should fit the bill. The Ghost in the Bath is a wet and soggy ghost story with a twist of history for good measure! Luke is in trouble - he hasn't done his history project for Mrs Rubble, he cannot find any inspiration. How does a ghost in his bath connect? Ellie is the ghost if a girl who drowned when the Titanic sunk. Her wish to find her one true loves sends Luke on a mission and inspires his history homework too but will it be enough for Mrs Rubble?</span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRUUlpPNqdbD2-jjZIcHjIh5Hq1o1ooX4MPYJ1cc7gJbtbS4g_uxYzkkwZlVuyQNDjXNLseAL2VflJLmKpO5g_vB5f-kjwTq2OL8Af_0lwSz0PoIUgYbFWBhx8r0X_x7HyY2oQHoTFWU/s1600/Court-Painters-Apprentice-c.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 133px; height: 200px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726868065004405362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRUUlpPNqdbD2-jjZIcHjIh5Hq1o1ooX4MPYJ1cc7gJbtbS4g_uxYzkkwZlVuyQNDjXNLseAL2VflJLmKpO5g_vB5f-kjwTq2OL8Af_0lwSz0PoIUgYbFWBhx8r0X_x7HyY2oQHoTFWU/s200/Court-Painters-Apprentice-c.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">Continuing on a semi-historical theme readers might be interested in Richard Knight's The Court Painter's Apprentice published by Catnip. Almost a version of A Picture of Dorian Grey for children this is the story of Johann, an apprentice painter who finds that his master's advice - to paint what he sees not what he thinks he sees gives him the power to paint a person's soul and even alter it. Talent is not something Johann is short of but his new skill can be both a blessing and a curse. Find out where it takes him and what he learns in this engaging and thought-provoking novel.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-88456994807494303052012-03-07T17:16:00.002+00:002012-03-08T12:38:23.026+00:00Are you feeling Alienated?<i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">A guest blog spot from an author this week, talking about Aliens and books Jeff Norton is also unveiling a new concept in children's books, allowing them to input their thoughts into how the book should develop and progress. Read his Blog entry here and then visit the website at </span><a href="http://www.alienatedbooks.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">www.alienatedbooks.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"> to find out more.</span></span></i><div><div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span></i></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">ALIEN INVASION by Jeff Norton</span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVUmTnN9K9GvXOxTTlORyXtS1EHF1ipcqAAJ1Ws55j3R2KQi2lUVbnXwlQIZn8COIjHDecMcVA6pPPOHtAg-QFcO-T_qZOJ5Qn3ZClvCv0G5cj5keK-smEQqZRw22XrRU8Udutc7rD9g/s1600/Alienated+Cover+%2528type%2529+lo.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 129px; height: 200px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717246860639194850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVUmTnN9K9GvXOxTTlORyXtS1EHF1ipcqAAJ1Ws55j3R2KQi2lUVbnXwlQIZn8COIjHDecMcVA6pPPOHtAg-QFcO-T_qZOJ5Qn3ZClvCv0G5cj5keK-smEQqZRw22XrRU8Udutc7rD9g/s200/Alienated+Cover+%2528type%2529+lo.jpeg" /></a>There’s something about Aliens.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I’ve always loved the idea of aliens. I can still remember being six years old and studying space in school when the first Columbia shuttle lifted off. What a way to capture a young boy’s imagination; all of those planets, a huge universe, the possibility of life on other worlds! Of course, I was a child of Star Wars, and later Star Trek and in between I devoured seminal movies like E.T. and Close Encounters, and influential books like Ender’s Game and Asimov, and as an adult, upon moving to my adopted home of the UK, came to fully embrace the alien hegemony of Doctor Who. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Aliens are invading our pop culture. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Looking ahead at the upcoming Hollywood summer blockbusters, I count five major films featuring aliens: John Carter, Men In Black 3, The Avengers, Prometheus, and Battleship. Cumulatively, that’s well over half a billion dollars being spent to bring us alien-themed stories this summer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Does the existence of extra-terrestrial life make us feel less alone in a vast universe? Are aliens the modern day (post 1950’s) answer to ancient Greek mythology, a way of understanding the human condition through the non-human? Aliens seem to provide a shared language for understanding and dealing with Earthbound issues through the lens of the ultimate foreigner. Whilst Verne, Wells, and Swift certainly dealt with the otherworldly in their writings, mass science fiction truly took off in the post-war years. Perhaps each of us feels out of place, or alienated, in a big, busy, and confusing world; insert cold war, oil shocks, Reaganism/Thatcherism, or terrorism to suit your decade. Do we view aliens as metaphors for us, or as explanation of other? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Alien pop mythology can be roughly cut in half, separating benign visitors (E.T.) and deadly invaders (Independence Day), and of course, both of those vectors can be flipped around where we humans become the visitors/explorers, benign or otherwise.</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">If good storytelling reveals truths about the human experience, what do stories involving non-humans reveal? That we have the capacity for kindness? Or, in the case of an invasion, the capacity for ultimate heroics where, despite our differences, the human race can band together to defeat a common enemy? The book Ender’s Game (currently in production as a big budget film) teaches us vastly more about what it means to be human than what it means to be alien. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Today’s young readers were literally raised by aliens. The hugely popular Aliens Love Underpants was first published in 2007 and those picture book readers are becoming today’s middle grade readers. Clone Wars and Ben 10 dominate Cartoon Network. And CBBC is mounting a new Russell T. Davies show called Aliens vs. Wizards, which begs the question, in the post-Harry Potter age, are aliens the next wizards?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">In the lead up to the Bologna Book Fair, publishers will be asking themselves what’s the next big trend. We’ve been through wizards, vampires, angels, fairies, and are currently riding the dystopian wave. What’s next?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"></span></span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I believe aliens are the next big trend that has never gone away. So embedded in our cultural psyche, now from picture-book age, aliens will grow into a mass mythos for a connected, but complicated, world.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">I suppose it’s just lucky that I was slipped the classified but unredacted memoirs of the only human boy at the high school for aliens at Area 51. Matt Knight and myself have been busy uncovering the truth, turning Sherman’s Capote’s diary entries into a book that will reveal the exciting (and very funny) truth about the aliens at Area 51. Codenamed Alienated, I’m sure it’ll join the great canon of modern alien mythology. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Jeff Norton is the author of MetaWars and founder of Awesome, a London based creative incubator. </span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.jeffnorton.com/">www.jeffnorton.com</a></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.alienatedbooks.com/">www.alienatedbooks.com</a></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></span></div><div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-2560905625185847022012-02-08T19:46:00.005+00:002012-02-08T19:53:07.431+00:00Lunch with a PhoenixPhoenix Yard Literary Lunch I was delighted to be able to accept the invitation to this occasion last week on behalf of Armadillo<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Phoenix Yard Literary Lunch</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">I was delighted to be able to accept the invitation to this occasion <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">on behalf of Armadillo and I wasn’t disappointed. This very young Publishing House is situated in a small yard just off King’s Cross Road in London and shares the fascinating old building with a team of Architects – who I gather are very useful for impromptu book reviews!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Emma Langley , Editor, Andrea Reece, Publicist, and Ellie were very enthusiastic to share their new list of books - all very varied and distinctive and it was fun to sit round a large table with Nicolette Jones, Nick Tucker, Ferelith Horden, Ann Lazim (IBBY) , Meg from Booktrust and Pip and Lesley from Bounce! to discuss their merits. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Here is a link to their latest list http://www.phoenixyardbooks.com/books.php</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><i>Happiness is a Watermelon on Your Head</i> by Daniel Hahn and Stella Dreis immediately caught my eye with its wonderful bright, colourful and zany cover. The continuing pages are just as fun as the rhyming text tells of three grumpy ladies (Miss Whimper, Miss Grouch and Miss Stern) who try to discover why their friend Miss Jolly is so happy all the time. Their antics, as they try everything from wearing fruit as hats to climbing trees and having exotic pets, are very amusing and the final pages are a riot of colour and shapes as Miss Jolly manages to make them laugh. The pages have wonderful detail to keep you amused for ages.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">As a contrast, <i>Freight Train</i> by Donald Crews has the gentle simplicity of blocks of solid colour but is no less effective. An introduction to colour, this short book celebrates the grandeur and strength of the train as it moves through the pages. This picture book has the indefinable hall marks of a classic. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Colour, or rather the limitations of just the white of the page and red and black, is the signature of <i>Little Red Hood</i> by Marjoliane Leray (translated by Sarah Ardizonne) Here we have the well known Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf but beautifully pared down to a simple conversation and illustrations which convey mood and character and attitude in scribbles of colour. This book is very entertaining and deceptive in its apparent simplicity. Great fun!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">As I move on to describe <i>Monacello The Little Monk</i> by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Jana Diemberger, I realise that Phoenix Yard Books like to use every shade and colour palette available to them! This is a short story illustrated in muted hues on wonderful soft brown pages which are perfect for the story of the strange orphaned child, dressed in the dark brown cloak and hood of a monk. Monacello roams the streets of Naples creating a mixed reaction in everyone he meets – except for the cats who are his friends. His background is a mystery as is the aura of both good and bad luck he seems to create. This is the first of a trilogy as Monacello searches for his Mother and is a haunting tale beautifully recounted by Geraldine McCaughrean in her typically skilful style. The accompanying art work is moody and haunting.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Finally, Phoenix Yard has published <i>Coping with Chloe</i> by Rosalie Warren which is aimed at top Juniors, early teens. Anna’s twin Chloe died in an accident, her parents have split up and her Mother isn’t coping. But Anna knows that Chloe hasn’t gone for ever, she is sharing Anna’s body and living with her. This intriguing story tells of Anna’s struggles at home and at school, her friendship with Joe, the new boy at school and the ups and downs of sharing your body with your twin sister…who might have different ideas from you at times. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">So overall, Phoenix Yard Books has an unusual and fascinating list. Many of the books have been translated and have stories of their own behind the publication and I recommend keeping a look out for the books they publish in the future.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Louise Stothard <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>31st January 2012</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-22539429767752543222012-01-28T18:12:00.006+00:002012-01-30T15:27:58.273+00:00Sara Grant on Best Friends<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB25m8IXLLbqqE7tjNfFm9-qMhqbaj3x5KqCnNVhnUR0RRxlc0hsg1QHLajaf2-AtRVlMPlEgQfDoNYCSJiOAdRs0fFq3vYqcm57peSf08i5m980IwyBK1QGh8eeFikbOG5KU1lllJtY/s1600/Sara+Grant+c+Faye+Thomas+2011.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 161px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703446105707528898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB25m8IXLLbqqE7tjNfFm9-qMhqbaj3x5KqCnNVhnUR0RRxlc0hsg1QHLajaf2-AtRVlMPlEgQfDoNYCSJiOAdRs0fFq3vYqcm57peSf08i5m980IwyBK1QGh8eeFikbOG5KU1lllJtY/s200/Sara+Grant+c+Faye+Thomas+2011.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Guest post by Sara Grant, author of <i>Dark Parties</i><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><strong>BFFs 4 Evva</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNLMAkrJJXgd3iXHpxCGahynfvR7hRRj2Aa71ZRBiHLHL4LGywuPuVHbuH3FKxmzZGAjj8Rs7Po5MDgrQhoOuan_mFRI9e3O2iSakJyNx9xuIvyb9ytB8ewnWpC2wuZwGIKbqLcKDfv8/s1600/Dark+Parties+final.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 124px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703446361968491554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNLMAkrJJXgd3iXHpxCGahynfvR7hRRj2Aa71ZRBiHLHL4LGywuPuVHbuH3FKxmzZGAjj8Rs7Po5MDgrQhoOuan_mFRI9e3O2iSakJyNx9xuIvyb9ytB8ewnWpC2wuZwGIKbqLcKDfv8/s200/Dark+Parties+final.jpg" /></a>Dark Parties is a love story. Sure there’s a sexy, mysterious leading man and forbidden romance. But in many ways the central love story is between two best friends – Neva and Sanna. If you are lucky enough to have a best friend, you know the importance of this relationship and that they save your life in big and small ways all the time.<br /><br />When I was Neva’s age, boyfriends came and went but girlfriends endured. I wanted to write a story with friendship at its heart. Maybe that’s strange for a book titled Dark Parties. But this feminine camaraderie is the underlying pulse of the book. Neva and Sanna complete each other. They finish each other’s sentences. Neva grounds Sanna and serves as her surrogate family. Sanna provides Neva with a spark and an energy.<br /><br /><br />When the novel opens, Neva and Sanna have decided to rebel against the government. Each has different objectives. Sanna wants to make a splash. Neva wants to make a difference. Sanna has the ideas. Neva has the connections. They host a dark party – a party in the pitch black. Their hope is to entice their friends to join them in a secret rebellion. But when the lights go out, Neva accidently kisses someone. When the lights come back on, she realizes she’s kissed Sanna’s boyfriend. Now she’s falling for her best friend’s boyfriend and discovering secrets and lies that threaten her friendship, her family and her country. Ultimately Neva must risk everything to save her best friend.<br /><br /><br />Sanna reminds me of two of my best friends. She’s part my oldest and dearest friend Courtney. We met in college. She’s the one who understands me like no other – and likes me anyway. We have been friends for more than twenty years. We have grown up and weathered many trials and tribulations together. We are separated by a big ocean but no matter how long between our phone calls, it’s like we were never apart. She knows the right thing to say no matter what my conundrum.<br /><br /><br />Sanna is also part my newest and dearest friend. From the moment we met in 2005, we had an instant connection. We are both Americans named Sara who married Brits and now live in the UK – and have a deep love for Mexican food. She has boundless enthusiasm and is never at a loss for big ideas. She never ceases to amaze me. I can always count on her.<br /><br /><br />What’s the saying? A friend helps you move, your best friend helps you move a body. If one of my friends called with an emergency – no matter what the time, no matter where I was – I’d drop everything to help.<br /><br />What would you do to save your best friend?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-71444698951868042142012-01-28T18:02:00.002+00:002012-01-28T18:12:00.469+00:00Have you been to a Dark Party?<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><b>Guest Post by Sara Grant, author of Dark Parties</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6666cc;">Why Dystopian?</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">When I finished the first draft of Dark Parties in 2009, I had an agent tell me that she didn’t think dystopian novels would sell. How times and tastes have changed. I recently heard someone call ‘dystopia’ the new ‘paranormal romance’ of young adult fiction. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">Hunger Games, Delirium, Matched, Divergent, Blood Red Road, XVI, Bumped, The Declaration. There’s definitely something in the zeitgeist. I’m sure someone out there with a Ph.D. can hypothesize about the current social and political climate that predisposes writers and readers to dystopian fiction. And maybe there’s another doctor-type who can explain something about a teenager’s brain chemistry that makes them particularly susceptible to dark, futuristic tales.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">I read an article in The New Yorker where Scott Westerfeld compared the high school experience (secondary school/Sixth Form in the UK) to a dystopia. Maybe teens intuitively understand and appreciate this genre because they are living it?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">But the reason I write dystopian fiction for young adults is far less lofty and scientific. I love the freedom – not only the freedom to imagine the future and make the rules, but also the freedom that I can afford my teen protagonist. Teenagers can save the world.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">Dystopian stories offer a complete escape from everyday life. Practically it allows writers to rid teen protagonist of pesky parents, mobile phones and the internet, which make answers and rescue come far too swiftly – and boringly. A story void of competent parents and efficient technology allows for greater adventure and risks. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">And dystopian novels allow readers and writers the freedom to explore themes in a way most contemporary teen fiction can’t. You can illuminate a particular aspect of society or human nature and whittle away the parts of the real world that don’t serve your story. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">The idea for Dark Parties came shortly after I moved from Indianapolis, Indiana, to London, England. Debates on immigration were raging on both sides of the Atlantic – and still are. What does it mean to be American or British? How ‘open’ should countries’ borders be? I wanted to explore issues of national and personal identity so I created a country that had literally closed itself off from the rest of the world. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">Another benefit of writing dystopian fiction is the ease with which it can cross borders and appeal to readers around the world. I intentionally didn’t identify the country in Dark Parties. In my mind, it’s a mixture of my two homelands – the US and UK, but it could also easily represent other countries. Dark Parties has sold to the US, UK, Germany, Poland, Turkey, China and Taiwan. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;color:#6633ff;">Now I’m completely hooked on dystopian fiction. I not only read every dystopian novel I can get my hands on but I’m already neck deep in writing another dark futurist tale – which will be published in 2013. So stay tuned for Half Lives – a race against time and a battle to save future generations. It’s about the nature of faith and power of miscommunication – and above all the strength of the human spirit to adapt and survive.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-17359031542504598222012-01-22T13:42:00.005+00:002012-01-22T13:53:53.036+00:00Authors Electric<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Despite all the talk at the end of last year about the way in which the Kindle was set to overtake publishing and reduce the sales of paper books it seems that children's books continue to go from strength to strength in all formats.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">However we at Armadillo have nothing against the Kindle, after all it has its own uses and so if your children are pestering you for a Kindle or other such device then here is an exciting new offering to consider...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Introducing<i><b> Authors Electric</b></i>: professional authors with decades of publishing experience, now producing fresh new books via a brand new blog,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Do Authors Dream of Electric Books? http://authorselectric.blogspot.com</span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">bringing together a variety of published UK-based authors of fiction and non-fiction for adults, teens and children. Many of these writers are now bringing back their much-missed out-of-print books as ebooks, with others publishing new titles at affordable prices.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Susan Price, whose Carnegie-winner The Ghost Drum is now out for Kindle, says: “The Kindle has set authors free to publish independently and sell in a world-wide market. We want our blog to become a site that people will bookmark, and where they can go to find quality writing at great prices.” </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Among the other authors for children and teenagers contributing to Authors Electric include Katherine Roberts, the first recipient of the Branford-Boase Award, Pauline Fisk, winner of the Smarties Prize, and Armadillo's very own Linda Newbery, winner of the Costa Children’s Prize. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">The new site, which is already attracting numerous hits, not only has a great selection of ebooks for all the family but also brings you a daily blog by this team of professional authors, talking openly about all things to do with writing and what it is like to be an author in this digital age. Each month, the blog also hosts a guest author talking about their work.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Their website <b><i>Do Authors Dream of Electric Books? can be visited at: www.authorselectric.co.uk</i></b></span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Launch yourself into the exciting world of electronic books and don't forget to keep us updated as to what you discover when you are there!</span></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-27160919464638753542012-01-08T17:58:00.002+00:002012-01-08T18:05:49.470+00:00A New Year Diet with a Difference!<div>Everywhere you look this last week there has been talk of diets and detox so it must be the year! I have a diet with a difference to offer you, a diet of books and for my first offering I would like to set you up with the books on the short list for the Red House Children's Book Award which from now on will be referred to as RHCBA.</div><div>In the school in which I work as a librarian, Downsend, in Leatherhead, we have set up a reading group or three for the different age groups, all these groups have been reading and sharing the books on the short list, discussing their relative merits and being candidly open and honest about how they feel.</div><div>The younger children have been enjoying the picture books, we read them together and they love exploring them in detail, something they don't always get the chance to do as they are pushed into chapter books too soon, I meet with one group again tomorrow so will report back on their progress. In the meantime however on Friday we met with the older group of children from Years 6 & 7 who have read a number of the books now between them and had some interesting thoughts to share. Today I'll start with the Tom Gates title which they enjoyed but felt that it was trying too ha to be an English Wimpy Kid. The book, they said was funny but coming after so many other books in a similar style they were slightly bored of the format and didn't find that giving it an English rather than American setting really made any difference, after all, they id, they are so exposed to American culture that the setting of a book makes little difference.</div><div>Another interesting comment was that the main character, Tom, is too good, there is too much focus on him and it takes away from the humour of the story.</div><div>For the adult members of the group, myself and an English teacher, the book is perhaps a 21st century version of The Secret Diary of Adrain Mole with which we grew up and have find memories of laughing at. It appears that this format is successful with every generation but it is how the characters are portrayed that really makes the difference between enjoyment and tedium as experienced by our group.</div><div>There ends our first instalment. The awards are voted for on 20th January and the winners announced on 11th February, a celebration we hope to attend so between now and then remember to check back here regularly for our updates. </div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-34543026112581204282011-12-23T15:15:00.007+00:002011-12-23T15:40:37.027+00:00It's Chritsmas ...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;">What is it that springs to mind at Christmas – well yes there is the obvious, tree, food, presents, family time and so on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But then come the thoughts of nativity, animals, activities, snow, classic stories and this is where the collection of books to follow fit in.<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:verdana;color:#003300;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWLHs__5-VMmcP2UY8P6RXylE0e8b0_Jngc0-WdTlEihQUnnSLMrhKD-ADPhRNGIi8j1JI2bXgb_41_FZgpPsFAzYOp0juhtSGmz9Dl5N7wSZDlEufx_jd7xrxPSGI0AWddKnuqpMuV8/s200/Nativity.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689347133035663570" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">St</span>arting with the classic nativity story in a novel format I have the pleasure of telling <span style="Comic Sans MS"">you about Rod Campbell’s Book and Nativity Set – <i>My First Nativity</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"> (</span></span><span style=" Comic Sans MS"font-size:100%;" >Macmillan, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;"><span style=" Comic Sans MS"font-size:100%;" >9780230756106). </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">Packaged in a hardback, tied up with a ribbon and with a charming cut-out window featuring the stable scene this is a lovely book for the youngest reader, a great way of introducing them to the nativity story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is a very simple story book and a set of nativity pieces to assemble (complete with instructions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bright colours, bold pictures of cute animals and a sturdy scene, this is the perfect set for young children.</span></span></p><div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 166px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92K6yALZqzqCyL6fauuDWgDay8O6CxVetbu0dd7wNywEZKMSVKALx65E1F-WVqYye0WHRik-hGZtAMxTwhB2sdCJdeGYIZqODZUZAx988Pv5iorbow_cayJh8UlS9JN8QUQoUK8IW-Jo/s200/Animals.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689347381486155826" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); font-family: verdana; "><span style="Comic Sans MS"">If it is the story of a time before the baby Jesus was born that is of </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">interest then <i>The Animals’ Christmas </i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">by Elena Pasquali and </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">illustrated by Giuliano Feri (</span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">Lion, 9780745962498)</span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">may b</span>e of interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is a retelling of the Bible prophecy that there would come a time when the lion and the lamb would lie together in peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has been woven with the nativity and combined with charming illustration for a simple story for younger readers with an important message.</span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;color:#003300;"><span style="Comic Sans MS""><i>The Shepherd Girl of Bethlehem </i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">by Carey Morning and illustrated by Alan Marks </span><span style=" Comic Sans MS"">(Lion, 9780745962320)</span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> invites its reader into the stable in Bethlehem to share with the daughter of one of the shepherds her version of the nativity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;color:#003300;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0z-2jl45C7F6_w1s-Dl468EljOBT-cvTpJKwjWVt64u6KzcT1fMAOzBbIxOfR3Ax2lZHraEsLXlkhH6WpUVwERzaOBeaX0MyfmfXNeLXh-M9VIdeyzUYjkbItjMXBVJI1ivMz4hYVoA/s200/Cary-Along.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689347535367184706" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Comic Sans MS""><i>My Carry-Along Christmas </i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">with crafts by Jocelyn Miller </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">(Lion</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">Children’s, 9780745962597) </span></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">is a book that, thanks to its carry handle, can be taken wherever its owner wants to go over Christmas which is perfect if they are craft loving children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has puzzles, stickers and crafts to enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Try making a fan, a card or even a garland this Christmas. This is a book certain to keep little ones, and probably a few adults too, nicely busy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcvT2FriqCq-XjdihZCd7CQIitpBWkDW9JhDxwrfrPrOMjT3p4jixS4Z1GJsETPY9NrMhAwj0LK7yjIYTIaV-_-N4mJEJpIfMVJ2rim8yTTU7YlE7tzqDS5bv6FwiFOCVYyWWp6S-HsY/s200/Muddle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689348931063896034" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">Last but certainly not least there is <i>Muddle Mountain</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> by Ag Jastkowska (Campbell Books, 9780230753938).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This magnetic play book with 16 magnetic characters allows the reader to join in the fun of the story taking the skiers and skaters out of their mountain chalet and moving them around the magical scene, creating their own story or following the simple text in the book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A lovely interactive, entertaining and fun book for Christmas enjoyment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lets hope for some snow of our own now!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#003300;">Have a Happy Christmas with whichever books you choose …</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-29640043687433101462011-11-08T20:22:00.006+00:002011-11-08T20:51:30.849+00:00Sally Gardner Teaser<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">We are lucky to have the brilliance of the author Sally Gardner in a guest spot today. </span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Perhaps not so in person, but fittingly, here is a sample of Sally Gardner, a sample of the first chapter of '<i>The Double Shadow'</i> her haunting, moving and compelling new novel.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" >Sally will feature in the winter edition of Armadillo, coming to a web page near you in a matter of weeks. For now enjoy this sample of her brilliance and then go on out and get the book for yourself and be enthralled ...</span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">WASTELAND</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 48.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlvxW10s9WCNoCvaH0Fapy7pbxSHHYF42mXvqW33R94s14AU7_-S-mxGm8nZrt9W-BD82bogWxSPXBFZ7OV65CUmUbO69-zbzkOy4GnDfpM_5hnhvwJJZqneJUt798YaSj5tu29vPm-s/s200/Double+Shadow+final.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672730029003562866" /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Once there was a girl who asked of her reflection, ‘If all I have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">is fragments of memories and none of them fit together, tell </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">me then, do I exist?’ </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">There was no answer, only the silence of the room and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">the hum of the green light that oozed from the television in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">the corner. She had no idea how long she had been standing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">there, maybe an eternity. Her name, her age, beyond recall. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">All she knew was there would be no tomorrow if she couldn’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">work out the riddle of yesterday. She wondered often if she </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">was going crazy, but it was hard to remember what crazy </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">looked like. In the apartment, on the windowsill before her, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">lay a dead butterfly. Its wings and its beauty disturbed her. It </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">was familiar, it had an echo of another time.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Softly, she sang a few words, her breath misty on the cold night-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">time glass, her reflection the only silent proof of her existence.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">If you go down in the woods today</span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">You’re sure of a big surprise.</span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">If you go down in the woods today</span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;">You’d better go in disguise.</span></i></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Helvetica; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></i></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">She was certain there were more verses but, like so much, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">they twinkled on the brink of things lost.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">High up in a dark tenement block, the girl looked out of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">the window to a wasteland. In the middle stood one building. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">A picture palace. She imagined that once it must have been </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">fabulous, with its mirrored facade built of thousands of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">reflective squares. How it came to fall into such decay was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">a mystery. As so much here was. The girl could see that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">the movie house had three grand silvered steps leading up to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">diamond-paned glass doors. Now all smeared with the grime </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">of neglect. The place looked haunted, having scared away </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">every other building that might have kept it company, leaving</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">it isolated. There, at the very edge of the world, the other </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">buildings formed a protective circle, shoulder to shoulder, arm </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">in arm, joining with rows of tall houses and one black tower </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">to make an impenetrable wall, a mix of apartment buildings </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">and tenement blocks whose fronts were laced with a spider’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">web of fire escapes, water tanks and balconies. Behind this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">barricade she could see skyscrapers turning their Venetianblinded </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">eyes away. There was no way out. This was landscape </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">with no colour, no trees to break the endless monotony of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">grainy black and white, just the ever-present eerie hum of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">green light. It was this light that, in the darkness, filled her</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">nightmares. Perhaps it was the sound of crazy, perhaps it was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">the end. How was she to know?</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-19105700209050433952011-11-03T19:36:00.003+00:002011-11-03T19:45:35.600+00:00Murderous Envy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcigOF6eZ1qCkBY900aZ26uYZLtY0gggU2CF6KmsRaMBSV85icoue7fE3Y9j0V9v8BXsX8N2X4Wik29qa7MKF0Az7yUJhwbY7HBkmDbs2MyMfskiLsvp3iVa_qSJ90jrGhc_oAXWj4iTA/s1600/Envy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcigOF6eZ1qCkBY900aZ26uYZLtY0gggU2CF6KmsRaMBSV85icoue7fE3Y9j0V9v8BXsX8N2X4Wik29qa7MKF0Az7yUJhwbY7HBkmDbs2MyMfskiLsvp3iVa_qSJ90jrGhc_oAXWj4iTA/s200/Envy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670856041687877186" /></a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>364</o:Words> <o:characters>2078</o:Characters> <o:lines>17</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>4</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>2551</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>11.1539</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotshowrevisions/> <w:donotprintrevisions/> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:usemarginsfordrawinggridorigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">At last – a proper murder story for YA readers – no vampires, no werewolves, but just a little bit of something slightly spooky!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m a long-standing murder story fan, and I was gripped from the first page to the last.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>The book is <b>Envy,</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; color:green"><i> the first in a series of thrillers about Port Gamble, or Empty Coffin, as its original name translates. The author is <b>Gregg Olsen</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>, an American writer with several novels for adults as well as real-life crime books to his name, who sets his books in an area he knows well, the Pacific north-west, and one probably little known to British readers. Here he makes full use of the rather British weather to create a damp, cool, dark environment in which dark deeds somehow seem so much more chilling!<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>Hayley and Taylor Ryan are twins with a special gift, which provides them with that little bit extra when they search out the real story behind crimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are promised that they will appear in more <b>Empty Coffin</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; color:green"><i> stories, and the first chapter of the next instalment is tantalizingly added as a postscript to <b>Envy</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As five-year-olds they suffered the trauma of a coach accident on the bridge nearby their town, an accident from which killed some of their classmates, and which has scarred the community ever since.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ten years on, it appears that another survivor, Katelyn, has taken her own life, but the twins’ determination to find the truth uncovers some deeply disturbing incidents, and some even more deeply disturbed inhabitants of this sleepy town.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">This is really good stuff, with a thrilling story and convincing characterisation, and it also has some serious messages underlying the narrative, about envy, about friendship, about revenge, about mental health and bullying, especially particular type of bullying which is on the increase among young readers: cyberbullying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The invasive nature of this, often totally unexpected, and preying on the hopes and fears of the recipients, makes it particularly vicious and private, and it eats away at the self-image of anyone who falls victim to it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>Knowing that his readership will spend much of their time glued to their computer and their smartphone, Olsen has a <a href="http://www.emptycoffinseries.com/">website</a> devoted to <b>Empty Coffin</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>, and to <b>Envy</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i> with additional material.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There’s also a link to advice, discussion and resources about cyberbullying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He also outlines the real-life cases behind <b>Envy</b></i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i>, and links to find out more about those. I can’t wait for the next book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes a well-written mystery with a twist in the tale!<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:85%;color:#003300;"><i> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>8</o:Words> <o:characters>51</o:Characters> <o:lines>1</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>62</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>11.1539</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotshowrevisions/> <w:donotprintrevisions/> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:usemarginsfordrawinggridorigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:85%;color:#003300;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana; color: green; "><i>Envy is published in the UK by Splinter, ISBN 978-1402789571</i></span><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"; color:green"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></i></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Comic Sans MS';font-size:85%;color:#003300;"><i> <!--EndFragment--></i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->With huge thanks to Bridget Carrington, Armadillo Reviewer, </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><i>for this Blog contribution -ed</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; "><i> </i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:green"><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-54450847341815600202011-10-29T15:43:00.012+01:002011-10-29T15:57:23.824+01:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">Halloween just happens to fall at one of the darkest times of year when it is also beginning to get cold and thoughts turn to warm crackling fires as well as fun and games around them, so what better way to entertain yourself this Halloween than with a selection of great books which can be read in the warm and in the light (if you so desire)!<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 187px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CsLiJTMlTkZ4bVmyQiLR0k3oQBlhVKhc37xiJX5HKQrpggeYrKYhgeGW1qycoph26C5spscKbw69oGeQmNGkqT3KaAd9gY5uWzgmVrWDqqTyuDJUrcZ-YeWR17x2pQrS72AbeGPSAy0/s200/Monsters.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668925257918379266" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';color:#6600cc;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">To begin with we must cater for t</span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">he youngest children who will be going to bed the soonest and will need a story </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">to send them off happy into dreamland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The best book for this, in my opinion at least, is <i>Mouldy Monsters </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204); font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">(Campbell Books, 9780230753954) by AnnaLaura Cantone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This book takes the fear out of monsters, after all some of them are afraid too, and shows that most of them are also very silly!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In addition to a funny story there are touch-and-feel elements on every spread - I love the <i>‘Mello Jello’s’</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> with their pink tutus and the ’<i>Fuzzy McWuzzies’</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> with their blue fur, though by far the most popular with children is the green bogies from the <i>‘Booger Beloogas’</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">!</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhUQzaIxKBT09hlr8wgB0Dqo_0mHGgsPIOIhG94P8OLSuxwjBKweLBL3BupICnVov_IZBzNpJ7dYZ0qguj4LCElte-mdt37QGOSy8VXxxccwN9K0AwEDXymErpnMn6iROHDMcVDVApyA/s200/Scariest.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668925390369036370" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">Then comes the wonderful Debi Gliori who has provided us with just the title for sharing with </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">toddlers. <i>The Scariest Thing of All</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(Bloomsbury, 9780747599692) from its cover of purple hues and red spiky writing, </span>with the exception of the cute bunny, one gets a sense of mystery before opening up to a bright and colourful meadow of long grass …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lots of larger than life scary things BIG spiders among them, are counterbalanced by a vibrancy and cute factor that is very reassuring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This book is the perfect read for little ones afraid of the dark and just a little scared this Halloween.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqP1LAVVSFMyrK1JiQ5NbTBsZKJsZUZ2uRIA8oT8lwXCCUtYCV6LNTTYVv6Ba6frBUtcj_pSQ2iqgtkeAwbm2_qydHlurfjCAx8WCfbl1xO4SeOWjx3ppQCfsJh6G1x5ujosaoIVy3HQ/s200/Ready+Steady.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668925553455493746" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">If you are story telling to a party of little ones then Elizabeth Baguley and Marion Lindsay’s <i>Ready Steady Ghost</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> (Oxford University Press, 9780192792648) is a good choice with its rhythmical text, swirly ghosts floating across blue pages and a very fu</span>nny story about a ghost who isn’t actually much good at haunting!</span></p><div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9jd4D84de4usiLItrXZwRvvA0hIrUK-NwIwCNCloOGZTKhp1ejxkEPoAKquwPRn3Tuy34kKigU6ewIxaIsofGLY1u-6qKYNXsechzdQwNG8Av2q-GSNzyalTrtLLXjh-RYLB0Nvm3e4/s200/Horrid-Henry-and-the-Zombie-Vampire-The-Times-Cheltenham-Literary-Festival_medium.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668926226260530082" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">Next come the younger readers who will adore the latest Horrid Henry and not only for its 3D moulded cover allowing curious fingers to prod the torch in awe!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you can believe it Horrid Henry has reached the grand old age of 20, he has a film, a TV series and now a very special book too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><i>Horrid Henry and the </i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""><i>Zombie Vampire</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> by Francesca Simon </span><span style="Comic Sans MS"">(Orion Children’s Books, 9781842551356)</span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> finds Henry up to his usual tricks, scaring everyone, including himself, with some monstrously funny results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Read this one if you dare, for Halloween!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6sWKK0H4n3O1Gu6gIjspEHMGphFlKJTmiFNcORwM2M2Q_Mb6f56pfUvYdItFp1_UiI_ZNJWAmdtcQFd5ES7G9ysLP4koPWJ123Lp3CWK8Huq9-SBnr76La_8xo4lf2LUuBrTCbXFkQ5M/s200/Bansi+O%2527Hara.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668926702704479554" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><span style="Comic Sans MS"">More advanced and older readers will love the second Bansi O’Hara title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><i>Bansi O’Hara and the Edges of Halloween</i></span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> by author and Armadillo reviewer John Dougherty, </span><span style=" Comic Sans MS"">(Random House, 9780440867920)</span><span style="Comic Sans MS""> may have been published back in April but is the perfect read this Halloween for its fast paced and frightening adventure story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Bansi is longing for a quiet life but life has other ideas and this adventure finds Bansi back in Faerie to rescue her mum from the Dead Cruach whilst trying to cope with Granny and Nora Mullarkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One wonders which will be more difficult!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A great adventure with lots of humour, the perfect cheering read for this Halloween. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS"font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;" ><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Comic Sans MS""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">So get your teeth stuck in to one of these great stories rather then a toffee apple this Halloween and you are guaranteed to have a great time!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-1622993887221189822011-10-24T14:19:00.012+01:002011-11-02T20:21:57.078+00:00Half Term Fun with Jacqueline Wilson<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Fancy a good day out for half term then look no further than <i>Seven Stories</i> (if you are in or near Newcastle of course). For those of you in other parts of the country the <a href="http://www.sevenstories.co.uk/">website</a> is packed with fun and there are of course always plenty of events taking place. The Internet is a great place to hunt for children's reading activities, or try your local library. In the meantime back to Seven Stories ...<br /></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><i><a href="http://http//www.sevenstories.org.uk/whats-on/daydreams-and-diaries-the-story-of-jacqueline-wilson-e49140">Daydreams and Diaries, the Story of Jacqueline Wilson</a> </i>is the first ever exhibition dedicated to this author and her work. The good news is that there is plenty of time to see it as it runs until September 2012.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">In this new exhibition Jacqueline herself (though sadly not in person) guides the visitor through her favourite stories, characters and daydreams as well as proividing an insight into her working process, providing inspiration for budding writers. See how ideas become text and find out more about working with an illustrator. This is a chance to sit and daydream as well as be inspired.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">These wonderful pictures will give you a taster of what to expect ...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj7_1GoeOBCqaG8KmYfMsFiihQ8F4hkkoWm7I4YTLEKrrWLBGdMxsTEEvTrFRQ3OY7EeqH_G-5xX43L5kVR4qQS8bAuIsxAyS7zcLd0zVPjlFf0izcOhNHw40RAQQoho2hCjeiF1Si1vY/s200/jw-6a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667052096709370354" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Jacqueline Wilson with 10 young people from the North East who took part in a Creative Writing project at Seven Stories.</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFnFsnPHlAcsVTrWJ1MgjK2AC2zj0UUxEcDmKeB_-xMfqZ2vtR5SM77TQ4F2982keG6N-NjfTqVP_0URD2Q69P_FeXAIdtWw609C0aJHG9D2GrcZ99rcYJpdyq8mLb7z8w3DdtsGNhUY/s200/jw-7a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667052713276043010" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " /></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Jacqueline Wilson relaxes in a replica of her 1950's bedroom.</span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IN4h_uB03nN-7OjkY8nEn9RMW2sdM2GktGvkBhdSXKY83albAqsqaAc1wqqLnDLjgqbboPRZJsySsbYged51Q2p0UG7bv2oOYs1Ud_UfoNE8tmrW-Xdigpr2dXopbuR91jXwqAwSLGM/s200/jw-9a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667053149718806114" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Jacqueline Wilson in front of the Dumping Ground from Tracy Beaker.</span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_f6scwbuI7vRip7rkRzWfcLT8upGBq_dCTHHU3Ji5pNMsaYjI1FDntuuh50HEfWX8V1mkHpn6rC-Tq_jMa1Q7nfxM3AmMGWk13DVB_hzzuU-3nNk1EqQgPrl7ILuLEzEa492oNrKtdTM/s200/jw-12a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667053732387750690" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px; " /></span></i></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;">Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt meet their fans in the set of Tracy Beaker at Seven Stories.</span></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><i>With thanks to Lauren Regan, Marketing and Communications at Seven Stories</i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-73022209135402023702011-10-12T19:48:00.003+01:002011-10-12T19:51:09.022+01:00Party Barefoot Style<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>146</o:Words> <o:characters>837</o:Characters> <o:lines>6</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>1027</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>11.1539</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotshowrevisions/> <w:donotprintrevisions/> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:usemarginsfordrawinggridorigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:19.0pt;font-family:Garamond; mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><i>Linda Newbery reports from the Barefoot Books party celebrating their move to new offices in Oxford. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 25px; ">Barefoot Books celebrated their move to Summertown, Oxford with a launch party on Friday (7th October), followed by a packed weekend of family activities. They've taken over a former Co-Op, architecturally mimicking the chapel next door, which in previous lives has been a bathroom showroom and an artists' shop and gallery. These are spacious premises which lend themselves well to their new role, with various nooks and corners for storytelling and activities, a cafe, and another floor upstairs with space to seat small or larger audiences. It's a bookshop with lots of face-out display combined with community and family centre, offering weekly activities including yoga for children and adults, drama, dance, crafts and of course story times.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:19.0pt;font-family:Garamond; mso-ansi-language:EN-US">The decor, both inside and out, is colourful, inviting and stylish - it would be hard to pass by without having at least a look inside. Lucky Summertown. See the website, <a href="http://www.barefootbooks/"><span style="color:#001BC6">www.barefootbooks</span></a>, for details of books and events.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-85938607833888468152011-10-06T20:46:00.003+01:002011-10-06T20:54:41.536+01:00Back - Finally - Into HistoryI am very sorry that I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ahve</span> been away for so long, I had not realised the start of a new term would be quite so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">nusy</span>. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ahve</span> however not been away from books and if you have been following me on Twitter @<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Armadillomag</span>, you'll see that I;<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ve</span> been busy with my daily reading diet!<div><br /></div><div>So what have I found to enthrall you all with today - some wonderful new titles fromB<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">arrington</span> Stoke. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Having</span> been asked to cover some history lessons at school last week - two on the Tudors and one on Victorian factories - I was thrilled to find in my post two new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Barrington</span> Stoke titles set in history. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anne Perry is busy writing a series of time-slip or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">time</span>-travel, depending on your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">preferred</span> phrase, stories. The series begins with <i>Tudor Rose </i>in which the heroine, Rosie, finds she has been <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">given a</span> very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">special</span> time <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">piece</span>, one that will send her back to the court of Queen Elizabeth, find her in the Queen's court assisting her as she <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">stands</span> firm against the Spanish <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Amarda</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rose of No-Man's Land takes our heroine to the hospitals of Flanders in the First World War where Rose meets Edith <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Cavell</span>, a nurse executed for her bravery and courage in helping soldiers escape.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reader learns some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">interesting</span> historical lessons, as does Rose, who also learns how to stand up for herself at school, learns courage and meets some of history's most important women in their darkest hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>Exciting new fiction from an award-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">winning</span> publisher and something for teen girls who may be a little reluctant to read, to really get their teeth into.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-55731251273835969922011-08-03T17:50:00.004+01:002011-08-25T19:53:03.395+01:00Philosophical Places<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 24px; font-family:Arial;">There has been a burgeoning of interest in philosophy for children in recent years, all part of the process of seeking to develop children’s thinking skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Many of its advocates have argued for a fourth ‘R’ in the school curriculum in which Reasoning is taught alongside Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.</span>
<br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial;">Stories are an important device for engaging children, not only do they provide enjoyment they also help children to begin enquiring and exploring philosophical ideas.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Arial;">As a secondary school teacher I run a philosophy club and my group of philosophers all of whom started in Year 7, aged 11, seem to have grown up very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Too young for Gaarder’s brilliant <i>Sophie’s World</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and too old perhaps for the philosophical stories for children, Bernard Beckett’s <i>Genesis</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and <i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> are possibly the answer to my question of what can they read?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4waQSdV4MrU4f4dFE5TJphueXWRF0e3r-SpDT4UfPkOhwHASPp-LmznqbPB9K995F6U_4FyT4IbI2Xs1RLmcoBXm26O44uUzaC8bcUc92wfi_SuyN4xSKbo-zh2O-8JfBufi2gzABvRw/s200/Genesis.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636673794299592930" /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><i>Genesis</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> takes the reader to Plato’s Republic -- a post-cataclysmic world isolated away from the rest of humanity -- and puts them into a Socratic dialogue between a board of examiners and a young student - Anaximander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the claustrophobic context of the examination, Anaximander questions the official history of the Republic and the role of her long-dead hero, the philosopher-soldier Adam Forde.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; line-height: normal; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4UGPQ35w1XZWAeo5ulgdzI8FslcMOisse6_dokdrJH16rUYSwNoiX6mULsCpZcBzr5L-G7zijRbvn-cz1RtZXl0aW8bs-CZvmb_fsN3VAkH0LIuX0_DW6v2x_NN22tI5TWo-dDZZ4X4/s200/August.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636673871268674130" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px; " /></span></i></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px; "><span style="font-family:Arial;"><i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> puts the reader into a different philosophical rule, that of St Augustine’s City of God in another post-cataclysmic world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This time the dialogue is between Tristan, a philosopher struggling with questions of freewill, and Grace, a street prostitute, whose life is more of a question of survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Trapped upside down in a car wreck, alone, hours away from daybreak and the chance of a rescue, <i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">’s dialogue tells the alternating stories of their lives.</span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Arial;">It is tempting to brand <i>Genesis</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and <i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> as ‘Philosophy for Teenagers’, but there is a subtle difference in resisting this and identifying these books as Young Adult Philosophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The books are written to be accessible to teenagers, with the length of story and the choice of language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The dialogical format of the books and the pace of the story however requires a more patient reader and at times, important passages need to be re-read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In fact I want to re-read <i>Genesis</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and <i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and refresh my knowledge of Plato’s Republic and St Augustine’s City of God to fully appreciate the subtly of the books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The philosophy is the foundations upon which the story is written, shaping the story rather than it being a story with some philosophical insights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Moreover the books, particularly <i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">include more adult content.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Unfortunately I do not have my answer for my teenage philosophy group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Some members I can identify as having the maturity to read and fully engage with <i>Genesis</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and <i>August</i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Others may not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Perhaps I am missing the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whether you are a child, teenager, young adult or adult, the joy of philosophy is always to read a story and ponder for any amount of time, whatever philosophical musing it stirs, great or small.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><i>Genesis</i> and <i>August</i> by Bernard Beckett are both published by Quercus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-41370280441387309442011-08-03T17:11:00.005+01:002011-08-03T17:38:23.083+01:00Theodore Boone, Strattenburg’s youngest lawyer ...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; line-height: 24px; ">13 year-old Theodore Boone comes from a family of lawyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When he is not in school, and often when he should be in school, Theodore can be found in the town’s court rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; line-height: 24px; ">His friends and even teachers ask him for legal advice.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial;color:#660000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span> <img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGJ8RqLqagahFohXLe-indpM5Xbp_xtl_E6XKIVrFaRDXz5HihfTwm1xFsAxLODHehQuyZkvP5eGCQq-cF82N_0-FU2YlmwPLUTLq55cQaIo9AWeE5etACs7yo8iwboSKlm_3GsTCydA/s200/TBoone1.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636669169184536338" /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;"><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">The first book in the <i>Theodore Boone</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> series has deservedly attracted much praise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Brilliantly written both</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-size: medium; "><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> books have compelling plots and great characterisation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Taking crime fiction in a new direction, possibly even introducing a new literary genre - the legal thriller for teenagers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is however the moral ambiguity in John Grisham’s writing which, for me, makes the stories refreshingly different from my own childhood reading material of great young sleuths like <i>Nancy Drew</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> and <i>The</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> <i>Secret Seven</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">.</span></span></span></p> <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoma55TPXLBtEJAsPuAHEAiiwKkE3b9Ap5qm1r9Gimm6dV-NjSVgTMAKqvKKXho8EONNRXjIBVm6wwPNHe4t6S3Ph7KN7fh3KAn_jalU99PaHHlX6O8YTwjReI-ww5b1Pg54dCUoKKuqI/s200/T+Boone+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636669253187637522" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 200px; " /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 24px; "></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;"><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">In Theodore Boone’s self-titled debut novel for example, the perfect murder </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;"><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">seems to have been committed in Strattenburg and a guilty man could go free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Theodore has to wrestle with his conscience, torn between keeping his promise to an illegal immigrant and ensuring justice for a murdered wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;"><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Whereas in <i>The Abduction</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">, the latest novel, Theodore’s best friend April is kidnapped supposedly by a notorious criminal just escaped from prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Theodore must find a compromise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Does he telling the police and his parents the truth in order to save April?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;">The moral ambiguity in the story is exemplified by Theodore’s uncle Ike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ike had been a practising lawyer in the Boone family firm before committing a crime for which he served a prison sentence over several years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No-one will explain, to Theodore, why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Disbarred Ike makes a living as a tax accountant but likes to use his friends to keep himself in contact with the law, friends he describes as “closer to the street”. Characterised as an aging hippie, living alone and needing a caffeine fix every morning Ike is an unlikely, but fallen hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He also seems to represent the slippery slope that Theodore himself could easily fall down: someone prepared to justify the means to satisfy the end.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;"><span style="mso-bookmark:_GoBack"><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;"><i>Theodore Boone</i></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;"> is a great new series, presenting young adults with a more complex and subtle understanding of the law.<span> </span>It is a game with rules, not necessarily to follow, but to be played.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:150%"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;color:#660000;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _GoBack"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Theodore Boone is out now, published by Hodder. Grab yourself a copy and be prepared for a thrilling read.</span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-51743204439770192922011-07-26T20:16:00.010+01:002011-07-27T10:10:05.537+01:00A further taste of history ...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Wow what a challenge! Have you decided which faction to follow? If not then I urge you to read Mary's book, <i>David</i>. It may help your decision but above all else it is a gripping read.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">How do I follow an author who is such a talent? Well I love historical novels and </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">David</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> put me in the mood for reading some more so here is just a taster of some of the books I have been enjoying in the last week and that, with the summer holidays upon us, you may enjoy too.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrYFL53c8RLGq8E3yOVdxQZaXdd_8NVtdr9XV6vKeReEVReetfV0dH4MGLeWfEXX1cRsht75N0D9DE1gIuoXXO9SlJ4TXgzv8hoaLdoORLL1dCDCvXOKlMIG8Mkmz0lfS8MgUaLYb02s/s200/viii.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633956508324265474" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">First of all there was </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">VIII </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">by Harriet Castor, then came </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Wickedness</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> by Deborah White, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> by James Rollins and I have just finished </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Emerald</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> by Karen Wallace.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Some of these names may sound familiar, others shouldn't as they are new to children's fiction! Harriet Castor is one, her brilliant and insightful portrayal of the young Henry VIII is a real eye-opener and a great page-turner too. This is a very exiciting concept, looking at historical figures and considering how their childhoods shaped their adult lives. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPC6LVRYNQV1pb9W21tiI2LQ9-zBb3bSBuegNNJYN8YX67IKoR6afaAcGd6yg-b5UVvZDuUeD3eWv85HjtOJn8zvKzRiwnwPXpx7OQxsszDG6ymfj8z1l7qm08KfD9D0geTKM2bmLdHDA/s200/wickedness.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633956289115636994" /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">In </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Wickedness</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> Deborah White brilliantly weaves past with present, 400 years separate her two heroines but they have much in common not least the mysterious Doctor an Egyptian mummy and a curse. An engaging read to look forward to.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRu1WsQEqtji5aewxgCJenM3ObGbJX0GAQp9ESzUYufcGHtGCWKZRuNFF2VpzuoDoT_doLkx-FWJo381gA8WssaUYCwW6phi6fNBwydi-W3SFGQFoypHuJcAFGGBQ82z-8OjW_qaWAqw/s200/jake+ransom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633955894577760098" /><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Jake Ransom </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">is no stranger to trouble having already battled the evil Skull King he now has to battle him once again in order to gain control of the Eye of Ra, save his sister and an ancient civilization. Just in case you are thinking that I have got stuck in Ancient Egypt too (it has certrtainly felt that way the last two weeks with my MA work) ...</span></span></div><div> </div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fF5H2ccfvNw_MJbZ8D5grdb3cCkmLzJ6ZsawOhog7TZZeZvcfBBSC51fevNuCwHpf1TIhM10v5I60dpuIR1xkcVaB_pZwOOQUGvwsNNGERyblw_rUDjI5T8n-d0Qc-RSCIzRym5l4Mc/s200/emerald.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633955776237143586" /><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">Emerald</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> brings me back to the Tudors and this time Elizabeth I, a plot to kill the queen, bear baiting and some good old traditional romance. Karen Wallace is a well established and well-known author but this, her first foray into historical fiction is fascinating and a brilliant read.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">So get stuck into some great historical ficition and be prepared to be swept away!</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-88679827564545772892011-07-20T09:29:00.005+01:002011-07-20T09:43:25.159+01:00Are you a Republican or a Medicean?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRynNus0LizPvroOX58BGvDzv1jXbP40ZCGhUz8QzQhF5FFjQRViGlR0BwEh8Hh4GNepGz-9606lq-Oe7qRr20oNBG1rPUNg61caxO7yHhYa-1E3tbDULAaOuILbdenX4ZUrFLKIoMDE/s1600/DavidLandscape.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 84px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZRynNus0LizPvroOX58BGvDzv1jXbP40ZCGhUz8QzQhF5FFjQRViGlR0BwEh8Hh4GNepGz-9606lq-Oe7qRr20oNBG1rPUNg61caxO7yHhYa-1E3tbDULAaOuILbdenX4ZUrFLKIoMDE/s200/DavidLandscape.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631349327263626866" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><i><span style="color:black;"><span style=" font-style: italic; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">‘I am all in favour of a single ruler if that ruler </span></span></span></span></i><i><span style="color:black;"><span style=" font-style: italic; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">can be a Lorenzo de’ Medici,’ he said at last. ‘</span></span></span></span></i><i><span style="color:black;"><span style=" font-style: italic; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But there are few men like him. Even his own son had none of his quality. So in general, yes, I’m now a republican.’</span></span></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">That’s what Michelangelo says to Gabriele, the hero of my book. And I </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">think that’s what I believe too. I’m not in principle against the idea of a single unelected ruler, though it strikes me as dangerous, but democratically elected rulers can be terrible too. And it is possible to have a just and charismatic unelected ruler if you are lucky.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 124px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhis4iIJofDoZkFlKSW8Wilwx1LIh8o3kS3UoEdArf7MkI6g3TxwaEMCMzQ16E5wYJ7SJ3rP-2OfQ1EdlaHM6WrGlrwNA31p3MZn508TqX6-NQlckfE2Iha1Fwog0qqVYXf62ZQMUtGTA0/s200/David+Low+Res.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631350827713629730" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I must admit to having a bit of a crush on Lorenzo the Magnificent, the de’ </span></span></span></span><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Medici who was Michelangelo’s first patron. Yes, he was both ugly and unfaithful to his wife and he took a hideous and violent revenge on the conspirators who killed his brother and nearly killed him at High Mass in the cathedral in 1478. But he was the very personification of Renaissance Man – he could equally well write poetry as fence, ride a horse, talk to a philosopher ... How many monarchs or politicians are like that today?<u> </u></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; ">And he loved art and valued it and commissioned great works, like Botticelli’s Primavera and the Birth of Venus, as well as Michelangelo’s early marble reliefs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Republicans in my book are opposed on principle to families ruling a city just because they are the richest men around and I can sympathise with them too. For some of them – the </span></span><i><span style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">frateschi</span></span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> – the great alternative to that kind of Plutocracy (= rule by the rich) was the teaching of Savonarola. He was a fiery preacher and Dominican friar, who held the city in thrall for four years with his passionate sermons and austere convictions.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I part company with him over the Bonfire of the Vanities though. All Florentines were encouraged to throw fripperies like jewellery and personal items of adornment into the flames, along with books, combs, mirrors and anything else that distracted them from the worship of God and encouraged personal vanity. But among these were what might have been great paintings and that I can’t forgive.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Just a few years afterwards, Savonarola himself was burned in the same spot, after being tortured and hanged. His followers in David are still mourning that event and it makes them dangerously fanatical. Trust Gabriele to get involved with them! When Michelangelo tells him what he thinks about politics in the passage quoted above, Gabriele says that he is a Republican too and although the sculptor says he has to think for himself, it is one of the themes of the book that you have to know what side you are on in <u></u><u></u>Florence<u></u><u></u>.<u></u><u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u> <u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwt8NzIQmN1nr32uCqbVOuZZmiIGH2Q0teSqnEz1XjjjWRHbj8fwkfEYIHszXSDfQFPYqJ2HpNzif-l4yjgBk4YH-7j9AIzI4IGEjuKqq2kBJE6KaJbAbhynFCKca6vpH1MwnI-gNBeak/s200/Mary+and+David.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631351457846693714" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Gabriele ends up on both sides in a way and it is very nearly his undoing.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Follow Mary and find out more about her books here:</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">www.maryhoffman.co.uk</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="color:black;"><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u></u></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;color:black;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/@MARYMHOFFMAN" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">www.twitter.com/@MARYMHOFFMAN</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> <u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/maryhoffman.fanpage" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">www.facebook.com/maryhoffman.<wbr>fanpage</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> <u></u><u></u></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: justify; "><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.bookmavenmary.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 204); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">www.bookmavenmary.blogspot.com</span></a></span></p></span></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;color:black;"> </span><p></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-58586981580158418642011-07-16T12:51:00.007+01:002011-07-16T13:15:47.545+01:00Perfect Picture Book Picnics<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkgUXuNcJhY3N7LQjxEcaPRCq1Lgy69-Xj-laqQgT87L-58RRIf8ktzFIVxH99frjw1yq1eq-m2DLybnAlm7CHTDzM-XWF-nsHJ13XSY77D_6fAHVgdvOwblsfLWvMaubzmJcU39JMr4/s1600/PICNIC_LOGO.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkgUXuNcJhY3N7LQjxEcaPRCq1Lgy69-Xj-laqQgT87L-58RRIf8ktzFIVxH99frjw1yq1eq-m2DLybnAlm7CHTDzM-XWF-nsHJ13XSY77D_6fAHVgdvOwblsfLWvMaubzmJcU39JMr4/s200/PICNIC_LOGO.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629922655008662658" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">As my mother fondly calls them</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> 'pic-in-ics'</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> are the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors ... or as we learnt on Thursday evening at Walker Books picture Book Picnic they are the perfect way to enjoy any space for a picnic can be held anywhere, including in the lovely lofty space Walker Books are lucky enough to have in their building. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">So it was that librarians, booksellers, bloggers and representatives from many groups with an interest in picture books gathered on a balmy Thursday evening for Pimms, sparkles, nibbles, strawberries & cream, as well not forgetting the ice cream with a flake - traditional British picnic fare and of course we were in the company of some of Walker Books rising stars - Viv Schwartz and others, watching them sketch on the picnic grass, chatting to them about a new range of floor mats and more ...</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">It was the perfect way to spend a lovely evening, the perfect way to celebrate picture books and remind ourselves that just a a picnic can be held anywhere there is a picture book for any place and any time ...</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">picinics</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"> are the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors ... or as we learnt on Thursday evening at Walker Books picture Book Picnic they are the perfect way to enjoy any space for a picnic can be held anywhere, including in the lovely lofty space Walker Books are lucky enough to have in their building.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">So it was that librarians, booksellers, bloggers and representatives from many groups with an interest in picture books gathered on a balmy Thursday evening for Pimms, sparkles, nibbles, strawberries & cream, as well not forgetting the ice cream with a flake - traditional British picnic fare and of course we were in the company of some of Walker Books rising stars - Viv Schwartz and others, watching them sketch on the picnic grass, chatting to them about a new range of floor mats and more ...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">It was the perfect way to spend a lovely evening, the perfect way to celebrate picture books and remind ourselves that just a a picnic can be held anywhere there is a picture book for any place and any time ... </span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-3848593574298153092011-07-04T15:40:00.004+01:002011-07-08T15:47:43.513+01:00An Awfully Big Blog Adventure<div>Many Armadillo reviewers are also brilliant writers of literature for children and having teamed together for <a href="http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.com/">An Awfully Big Blog Adventure</a> three years ago they are proudly celebrating their third birthday this weekend, the 9th and 10th July!<br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzD5zFAWYGtH0rR7eYh0LS4we4-4WYbstObrnWe8K0YtwM3QGnZwOzaQEOS9UIhNd9pAI2x2Ai3DaKVburRx7LGVwpa8tHrJunibLNp1DwLeXzH1AmD3MUWvAmI12c_wTw4yQBHjUFyE/s1600/button+litfest.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625509921028857106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzD5zFAWYGtH0rR7eYh0LS4we4-4WYbstObrnWe8K0YtwM3QGnZwOzaQEOS9UIhNd9pAI2x2Ai3DaKVburRx7LGVwpa8tHrJunibLNp1DwLeXzH1AmD3MUWvAmI12c_wTw4yQBHjUFyE/s200/button+litfest.jpg" /></a>To celebrate they are hosting the very first online literary festival organised entirely by children's authors. The line-up is incredible, with authors popping in every half an hour to share insights, tips, book news and giveaways. The full programme is listed below and all the posts will be archived so make sure you find some time to take a look.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div><strong>Saturday 9th July<br /></strong>9.30am Anne Cassidy Post: To Blog or Not To Blog?<br />10.00am Jo Cotterill<br />10.30am Anne Rooney & Mary Hoffman Video: Italian Inspiration<br />11.00am Celia Rees Post: Scattered Authors, the Beginning<br />11.30am Elen Caldecott Competition: Win 'Operation Eiffel Tower'<br />12.30pm Gillian Philip Competition: Win 'Bloodstone' and 'Firebrand'<br />1.00pm Liz Kessler Competition: Win 'A Year Without Autumn'<br />1.30pm Sam Mills Video: Interview with Tyger Drew-Honey<br />2.00pm Adele Geras<br />2.30pm Jane Eagland Post: The Ups and Downs of Research<br />3.00pm Enid Richemont<br />3.30pm Malcolm Rose Post: Reader Gregor Kelly questions Malcolm Rose over Forbidden Island<br />4.00pm Lucy Coats Video and Competition: Going to the Dogs--Tackling a Tricky Audience<br />4.30pm Susan Price & Katherine Roberts Post: Kindles and Kids Books<br />5.00pm Wendy Meddour Post: On Not Being a Famous Actress<br />5.30pm Miriam Halahmy & Savita Kalhan Video drama and discussion about Edgy Fiction<br />6.00pm Catherine Johnson Post: Rastamouse, the Moomins and Me<br />6.30pm Penny Dolan<br />7.00pm Linda Newbery & Julia Jarman<br /><br /><strong>Sunday 10th July<br /></strong>10.30am Emma Barnes<br />11.00 am Dianne Hofmeyr & Miriam Moss On Picture Books<br />11.30am Kath Langrish Post: Secret Rooms in Children's Fiction<br />12 NOON Nicola Morgan Competition: Win 'Write to be Published' and a crabbit bag.<br />12.30pm Julie Sykes Post and Competition: My Favourite Bears<br />1.00pm Leila Rasheed Competition: Win a critique<br />1.30pm Joan Lennon Post: The Flamingo and the Writer<br />2.00pm Hilary McKay Competition: Win 'Caddy's World'<br />2.30pm Fiona Dunbar & Keren David Video: In Conversation<br />3.00pm Josh Lacey Competition: Win 'Island of Thieves'<br />3.30pm Marie-Louise Jensen & David Calcutt<br />4.00pm Candy Gourlay Video: Creating a Legend<br />4.30pm Karen Ball Competition: An Inspiring Giveaway<br />5.00pm Linda Strachan & Cathy MacPhail Video: In Conversation<br />5.30pm Malachy Doyle Post: The Happy Book<br />6.00pm Michelle Lovric Competition: Win 'The Undrowned Child'<br />6.30pm Sue Purkiss Post: What the Dickens?<br />7.00pm Julie Day<br />7.30pm Lynne Garner<br />8.00pm Nicky Browne Video: Finding history and herstory<br /><br /><em>This schedule may be subject to change as a result of circumstances beyond the organisers' control. They'll do their best to be control freaks and not let that happen!</em></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-79951758591235966542011-06-28T17:02:00.006+01:002011-07-04T15:55:50.691+01:00Words and Pictures<em>A blog post from Bridget Carrington</em><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>When my children were small, picturebooks (so now you know which I prefer), were just emerging from their thick, yellowish paper with smudgy, stark, limited colours, into the glorious products we know today. Because they’re picturebooks, I think we often regard that element more highly than the words, but three picturebooks I’ve just read show how both parts of the book should interrelate and enhance the other.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CHgl2_ZUQdLLEQkpnvyW7tTzjD_vofywfMcOqbboe2xml9dglb2qSoemxU9DiTyR3ieQfYd9G7R5iee-xA3KxcD-avYh6bYKvA5feYuxFmjQ05QF5aDXgSoT6RA9Bzbc_4NgzKp2f-k/s1600/PBB-cover-web.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623302930195275570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CHgl2_ZUQdLLEQkpnvyW7tTzjD_vofywfMcOqbboe2xml9dglb2qSoemxU9DiTyR3ieQfYd9G7R5iee-xA3KxcD-avYh6bYKvA5feYuxFmjQ05QF5aDXgSoT6RA9Bzbc_4NgzKp2f-k/s200/PBB-cover-web.jpg" /></a>I thought the days of overtly moralistic writing had long vanished, until I picked up Diana Mather, Avril Lethbridge and Mary-Ann Mackenzie’s <em>Please Bear’s Birthday</em> (Maverick ISBN 9781848860674). According to the blurb, ‘the series teaches children the importance of good manners through nice and naughty bears’. Oh dear, these adjectives don’t inspire enthusiasm – even KS1 readers would recognise their weak and non-pc nature I think – and neither does the book, despite this being the Daily Mail ‘You Magazine’ Book of the Week. The lengthy rhyming text lumbers along with all the grace and effortless ease of William MacGonagall, while the illustrations do nothing to help, unexciting, humourless and truly reminiscent of picturebooks of the past.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xCfJy5blSBgLAJnaSNFV1ZM1ZzLGwSUrhzo7PWNWDT1QzethwHk8ccPoUnnGFBFVLYhaVep7s2GTkShKwFG2v05u8jd_dVFrXiTk3CdtMEpsk3Es-IIoZ_4-D_HmVG4DFsl8mKWCGOw/s1600/MrsMac-cover-web.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623302994414004226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xCfJy5blSBgLAJnaSNFV1ZM1ZzLGwSUrhzo7PWNWDT1QzethwHk8ccPoUnnGFBFVLYhaVep7s2GTkShKwFG2v05u8jd_dVFrXiTk3CdtMEpsk3Es-IIoZ_4-D_HmVG4DFsl8mKWCGOw/s200/MrsMac-cover-web.jpg" /></a>Compare this with two other Maverick publication, Julie Fulton’s <em>Mrs MacCready was ever so Greedy</em> (ISBN 9781848860650), with pictures by Jona Jung, and Giles Paley-Phillips The Fearsome Beastie ISBN9781848860667), illustrated by Gabriele Antonini, and you see what twenty-first century rhyming picturebooks can and really should do.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4GY_oFjUMfZWbOUYp516k3qiops8p8hFCEH1cyruUAqNy5dcxPTqMGktOwjKA_oT-zONz3KRwydzlFHs_MvM91oXVEVz-doJTgePPzuCSF4uVMfKecanYqOJ2d1UBtSW69ZcZA5SJvY/s1600/Fearsome-beastie-web.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623303072047481778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4GY_oFjUMfZWbOUYp516k3qiops8p8hFCEH1cyruUAqNy5dcxPTqMGktOwjKA_oT-zONz3KRwydzlFHs_MvM91oXVEVz-doJTgePPzuCSF4uVMfKecanYqOJ2d1UBtSW69ZcZA5SJvY/s200/Fearsome-beastie-web.jpg" /></a>Fulton’s text is more accomplished than Paley-Phillips’ which falls into the all too common trap of over-inverting and contorting word order so that it scans (and in fact it doesn’t always) and so that the rhyming word ends up at the end of the line. Generally Mrs Macready’s story has a far smoother, natural rhythm and rhyme, and the cautionary tale which emerges – exercise as well as eat, or else the consequences will be dire – is handled in a humorous, non-moralistic way so totally absent from <em>Please Bear</em>. The illustrations are big, bright and funny, and the whole book fits together seamlessly, promising to become a favourite with young readers who like to join in as the text is read to them. In contrast, although clearly a twenty-first century text, Antonini’s style of illustration in <em>The Fearsome Beastie</em> reminds me of a 1950s American cartoon, with children, houses and streets which are more US then UK. The author acknowledges Roald Dahl as an influence, and certainly the poetic style reminds me of Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, while the illustrator was clearly a fan of Sendak as well as Hanna Barbera.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fC326xMulDQv84IGvZpLnqe0nrYfA9VswgCJFyXpxxBgzchuXUcgwMfV9oeSl2ApKymF6o7AO-LXV-IvYrvYYCcd1YvA_TLZNi5t3Ru-i-rHkS3-_9XQ8v38GqTBerX6KXJKnZWYTB0/s1600/9781407116464.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623303733673591330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fC326xMulDQv84IGvZpLnqe0nrYfA9VswgCJFyXpxxBgzchuXUcgwMfV9oeSl2ApKymF6o7AO-LXV-IvYrvYYCcd1YvA_TLZNi5t3Ru-i-rHkS3-_9XQ8v38GqTBerX6KXJKnZWYTB0/s200/9781407116464.jpg" /></a>Sharon Rentta’s <em>A Day with the Animal Doctors</em> (Scholastic ISBN 9781407116440) certainly lives up to its advertising, ‘a hilarious trot round the wards’ it certainly is, as Dr Terence the baby tapir goes to work with his mum. Unlike <em>Please Bear</em>, every page is buzzing with activity, with lots for children (and adults) to find in the pictures, as well as a text which offers information on clipboards drawn onto the pages, and a thoughtful, funny look at why we end up in hospital. This makes a lovely book for bedtime reading, as it invites additional questions from young readers, and can also be ‘read’ without any of the words. How nice that Mum’s the doctor and that the nurses are male and female, and that the elderly animals are being cared for so thoughtfully. My favourite pages are the animal babies in their cots, and the children’s ward, where the patients ‘often need to do a lot of Bouncing’!<br /><br />Altogether an interesting collection, inviting reflection (can’t stop myself rhyming now, though clearly I’ve not got the hang of scansion either!) on what makes a successful picturebook. It’s not just the pictures, nor yet just the text… there needs to be that special something which knits it all into one highly entertaining whole.</div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345963359690638193.post-66575596321337941392011-06-28T16:52:00.008+01:002011-07-11T19:29:22.365+01:00Can the Wardstone protect you?<div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Having had the lighthearted fun of a birthday celebration Armadillo reviewer Simon Barrett now brings you some dark horror, a theme that must appeal to him for he is currently deep into Lindsey's Barraclough's Long Lankin (brilliantly reviewed by Louise Stothard ina recent edition of <a href="http://www.armadillomagazine.co.uk">Armadillo Magazine</a>) and declared it was most certainly not a book to be read after dark, but before we get too immersed in that let us delve into the phenomenon that is:</span></span></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Wardstone Chronicles<br /></span></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Joseph Delaney’s seminal series </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Wardstone Chronicles</span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> which began with </span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Spook’s Apprentice </span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">was always intended to take up a lot of bookshelf space. It is a credit to the strength of the story and the empathy between readers and characters that the Bodley Head has just published the eighth book, The Spook’s Destiny.<br /><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TjK1I_GgdWVR_mPpH-o_hejCBRKi57nKoIqHVekWo4e73mE7RoZ9IAruxpSa7I9NZCK2SZYOB9Cja14CPPRfbL8R7izgFuza0j7W_-Pp6f2X8sO-C1hC4pOxMr5_a4vq3erBF-ahECE/s1600/SApprentice.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 142px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623300881843855810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TjK1I_GgdWVR_mPpH-o_hejCBRKi57nKoIqHVekWo4e73mE7RoZ9IAruxpSa7I9NZCK2SZYOB9Cja14CPPRfbL8R7izgFuza0j7W_-Pp6f2X8sO-C1hC4pOxMr5_a4vq3erBF-ahECE/s200/SApprentice.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tom, the Spook’s Apprentice, has certainly grown-up since the first book and has travelled far beyond the boundaries of his home, the County. Whilst the dark has at times seemed invincible, Tom, his family and his friends have always shown the courage to win through.<br /><br />As a Religious Education teacher with an interest in philosophy, the Wardstone Chronicles provokes two enduring questions for me. Is the universe a dualism of two separate, distinct entities: light and dark? Can the means justify the ends?<br /><br />The Wardstone Chronicles began with the opposing forces of light and dark. This is perhaps typified by the character of the Spook himself, shunning all compromise with the dark and those who would use the dark. The universe however has become far more complicated. Tom’s best friend Alice was unwillingly trained as a witch, but willingly uses magic, sometimes for dark purposes. Even Tom’s mother is a reformed creature of the dark. More compelling in the series is Tom’s own nature, in which a sliver of darkness now exists deep in his being. In the latest book, Joseph Delaney hints that there is more to the universe than light and dark. Tom meets the Old God Pan who intriguingly refers to a shadow world, separate from the dark.<br /><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-7GfTl9fmh7l3XXx1IW5VEwd-T2hrLRw74LpE3PP4ScE3FZeMyCMMGBdQj5y8d9lTLuykhMgWH4gG9xANtDitrGCZ9SjJNplYFS7cQ6oCpUAVaRI6snrf1DvljpWu2bfRwoPhxYAuBY/s1600/Spook.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623301169012477330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-7GfTl9fmh7l3XXx1IW5VEwd-T2hrLRw74LpE3PP4ScE3FZeMyCMMGBdQj5y8d9lTLuykhMgWH4gG9xANtDitrGCZ9SjJNplYFS7cQ6oCpUAVaRI6snrf1DvljpWu2bfRwoPhxYAuBY/s200/Spook.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Can the dark be used to fight the dark? This question has come to dominate the books with the servants of the dark co-operating in the fight against the dark. This fight is epitomised for me in the character of Grimalkin, the Witch Assassin who has saved Tom in the past, and fights alongside him to try and bind the Devil in The Spook’s Destiny. The Spook is of the mind that the means must justify the ends and only light should be used to destroy the dark. Tom and Alice challenge this, and the world might have ended before now, if they hadn’t. I am eagerly awaiting Joseph Delaney’s next story, one that promises to reveal much more about Grimalkin....</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000066;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Only to be read after dark if you dare ...</span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10022261730623808894noreply@blogger.com0