Wednesday 31 October 2018
A Halloween Round-up of spooky and tempting treats from Penguin / Puffin
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 31, 2018
Labels:
Death in the Spotlight,
First Prize for the Worst Witch,
Halloween 2018,
Helen Nicoll,
Jan Pienkowski,
Jill Murphy,
Meg and Mog,
Penguin Publishing,
Puffin Books,
Robin Stevens
We do love a spooky read or three at Halloween, and Penguin have a dazzlingly brilliant selection of books to tempt kids this year, truly something for everyone and all ages.
We'll kick off with "First Prize for The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy.
Released back in September, this is the latest outing for Mildred Hubble, the titular magical mighty girl who never seems far away from chaos and cauldrons.
Even though she's the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, her heart is always in the right place and she's the best friend anyone could ever wish for.
The story begins as summer term has started at Miss Cackle's Academy. Astonishingly, Mildred has made it through to Year 4 without being kicked out - and this year she has her eyes firmly on a very particular goal.
But the Detective Society is never far away from danger, and it's clear there's trouble afoot at the Rue.
Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then a body is found.
Now Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime before the murderer strikes again.
Read More
We'll kick off with "First Prize for The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy.
Released back in September, this is the latest outing for Mildred Hubble, the titular magical mighty girl who never seems far away from chaos and cauldrons.
Even though she's the worst witch at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, her heart is always in the right place and she's the best friend anyone could ever wish for.
The story begins as summer term has started at Miss Cackle's Academy. Astonishingly, Mildred has made it through to Year 4 without being kicked out - and this year she has her eyes firmly on a very particular goal.
As crazy as it sounds, Mildred Hubble wants to be Head Girl - the school's very highest honour.
Can Mildred possibly keep trouble at arm's length long enough to prove her worth? She's absolutely determined, but then Ethel Hallow - her arch enemy - is equally determined to scupper her plans.
Can Mildred possibly keep trouble at arm's length long enough to prove her worth? She's absolutely determined, but then Ethel Hallow - her arch enemy - is equally determined to scupper her plans.
Completely immersive and imaginative, "First Prize for The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy is out now, published by Puffin Books.
Something for younger readers now, and a book that we've loved so much we've actually completely worn our copy out - it's literally hanging by threads so it's rather good that it's being re-released as a paperback.
It's 46 (WHAAAT?) years since "Meg and Mog" by the late great Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski was first released.
I remember the books vividly as a child, and they were always firm favourites - with our school library copies being similarly well loved by just about every one.
Revisiting the first book again has been an absolute treat, the story of Meg the Witch, her fuzzy and fusspot cat Mog, and their friend Owl is utterly timeless and perfect for reading to little ones on Halloween Night.
It's no surprise to learn that the book went on to spawn an entire series of massively successful titles, with stark and simple illustrations perfectly underpinning the fabulously atmospheric and spooky stories.
You can read our original reviews of many Meg and Mog books on our blog here.
"Meg and Mog" by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski is out now, published by Picture Puffin.
Finally, a set of books that have somehow eluded us on the blog up till now - but we've been given a great introduction to these fabulously dark stories with the very latest title in the series.
"Death in the Spotlight" is the latest book in Robin Stevens' captivating "Murder Most Unladylike" series, combining darkly delicious murder mysteries with silky-smooth humour, mystery and suspense.
Fresh from their adventures in Hong Kong, Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells are off to the Rue Theatre in London to face an entirely new challenge: acting.
But the Detective Society is never far away from danger, and it's clear there's trouble afoot at the Rue.
Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then a body is found.
Now Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime before the murderer strikes again.
Hazel and Daisy are the sort of heroines that C absolutely adores. Quick witted, brave, daring and absolutely determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, this has been a brilliant introduction to the series for her - and now she's equally determined to work her way through the rest of the books.
Absolutely fantastic stuff, particularly the theatrical setting which slotted right in with C's renewed interest in drama and acting, with exquisite timing.
"Death in the Spotlight" by Robin Stevens is out now, published by Puffin Books.
(All books kindly supplied for review).
"Mrs Blackhat" by Mick and Chloe Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 31, 2018
Labels:
Chloe and Mick Inkpen,
Hodder Children's Books,
Mrs Blackhat
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"Moon River", based on the song by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini. Illustrated and presented by Tim Hopgood (OUP / Oxford Children's Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 31, 2018
Labels:
Andy Williams,
Henry Mancini,
Johnny Mercer,
Moon River,
OUP / Oxford Children's Books,
Tim Hopgood
Here's a rather nifty idea for a children's book, adapting a classic song into a dreamy journey around the world...
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Tuesday 30 October 2018
ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book Roundup - October 2018
Welcome, welcome to another packed bag of amazing chapter books in our October Chapter Book Roundup. Though the cold weather is pressing in, and the spookiness of Halloween is just around the corner we're bringing you another devilishly awesome selection of books to tempt you away from Pumpkin Spiced Latte and all those trick-or-treat sweets.
So let's kick off with the third book in the awesome "Royal Rabbits of London" series by Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore, with glorious illustrations from Kate Hindley.
"The Royal Rabbits of London: The Great Diamond Chase" is a rollicking romp packed full of adventure and fantasy.
The biggest, most beautiful diamond in the whole world has been stolen from Buckingham Palace!
Nobody knows how the sneaky thief managed to take the Siberian Diamond from right under the Queen’s nose – but Shylo and the loyal Royal Rabbits of London will do whatever it takes to solve the case and return the jewel to its rightful place.
Then they discover that Russia's elite sharp-toothed secret-agent minks are in London, could they have anything to do with the theft...?
But nothing is quite what it seems, and the Royal Rabbits soon realise they might need a bit of help from an old friend to solve this mystery...
A brilliant story, a taut plot and tons of character, "The Royal Rabbits of London" by Santa Montefiore, Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrated by Kate Hindley is out now, published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books.
We love covering titles that ease the transition between picture books and chapter books (not that kids should really ever give up on picture books!) and so it seems apt that a picture book superstar should be the genius behind a fab little series that are definitely purrrfect for younger readers beginning their solo reading journeys.
"Nice Work for the Cat and the King" by illustrative genius Nick Sharratt is the second book in the "Cat and the King" series.
This time though, all is not well in the Royal Kingdom.
Alas and alack, The Royal Money Box is almost empty and the King is faced with the prospect of hocking the family jewels just to pay the bills (and of course purchase a few tasty treats for both Cat and King to enjoy in the meantime as well).
There's nothing else for it - the king has to get a job - but what kind of job would be fit for a king? Butcher? Baker? Candlestick Maker?
Morrigan is a much-feared Wundersmith. So, instead of the Society helping Morrigan to embrace her power, she is only taught that all Wundersmiths are evil and she must suppress her mysterious ability at all costs.
To make things worse, Nevermoor is quickly turning from a place of safety into one of danger. Society members are going missing, someone is blackmailing Morrigan's new friends, turning them against her.
Read More
So let's kick off with the third book in the awesome "Royal Rabbits of London" series by Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore, with glorious illustrations from Kate Hindley.
"The Royal Rabbits of London: The Great Diamond Chase" is a rollicking romp packed full of adventure and fantasy.
The biggest, most beautiful diamond in the whole world has been stolen from Buckingham Palace!
Nobody knows how the sneaky thief managed to take the Siberian Diamond from right under the Queen’s nose – but Shylo and the loyal Royal Rabbits of London will do whatever it takes to solve the case and return the jewel to its rightful place.
Then they discover that Russia's elite sharp-toothed secret-agent minks are in London, could they have anything to do with the theft...?
But nothing is quite what it seems, and the Royal Rabbits soon realise they might need a bit of help from an old friend to solve this mystery...
A brilliant story, a taut plot and tons of character, "The Royal Rabbits of London" by Santa Montefiore, Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrated by Kate Hindley is out now, published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books.
We love covering titles that ease the transition between picture books and chapter books (not that kids should really ever give up on picture books!) and so it seems apt that a picture book superstar should be the genius behind a fab little series that are definitely purrrfect for younger readers beginning their solo reading journeys.
"Nice Work for the Cat and the King" by illustrative genius Nick Sharratt is the second book in the "Cat and the King" series.
This time though, all is not well in the Royal Kingdom.
Alas and alack, The Royal Money Box is almost empty and the King is faced with the prospect of hocking the family jewels just to pay the bills (and of course purchase a few tasty treats for both Cat and King to enjoy in the meantime as well).
There's nothing else for it - the king has to get a job - but what kind of job would be fit for a king? Butcher? Baker? Candlestick Maker?
It takes many comical disasters, and a surprisingly helpful visit from a dragon, before both cat and king find their perfect jobs.
Gigglesome, brilliantly illustrated (as you'd expect from the genius illustrator of "Pants" and "More Pants") and a lovely easy breezy read, "Nice Work for the Cat and the King" by Nick Sharratt is out now, published by Alison Green Books.
Next, a real treat from someone who absolutely masters the Fantasy Fiction Genre with aplomb.
Cornelia Funke's "The Glass of Lead and Gold" is absolutely perfect for this time of year as the colder weather has us all wrapping up cosily.
In the snow-covered city of Londra, young Tabetha survives by finding treasures in the mudbanks of the river Themse.
On Christmas Eve, a sinister stranger asks her to keep her eyes open for a priceless, long-lost magical object: the Glass of Lead and Gold.
As word of the Glass spreads across the city, Tabetha finds herself with some unlikely companions, not least a one-armed girl and a rather impressive soup chef.
But will Tabetha discover that there are even greater fortunes to be found than the magical Glass?
Fusing a fabulous alternative view of London with a deliciously brilliant story mechanic based around treasure hunting, mudlarking and magic, this is a truly brilliant and atmospheric read that'll make your toes tingle!
"The Glass of Lead and Gold" by Cornelia Funke is out now, published by Pushkin Children's Books.
Now something completely different, dazzlingly fresh and original - and very colourful indeed.
"Inkling" by Kenneth Oppel introduces Ethan - a young lad who becomes the unlikely hero in a thoroughly absorbing fantasy story from an author who has a truly unique voice in middle grade publishing.
Mishaps and madness ensue when magical drawing ink comes to life in the Rylance home and 11-year-old Ethan tries to prove he's just as talented as his famous artist father.
This is moving but light-hearted story about grief, family and a sixth-grade rivalry.
Next, a real treat from someone who absolutely masters the Fantasy Fiction Genre with aplomb.
Cornelia Funke's "The Glass of Lead and Gold" is absolutely perfect for this time of year as the colder weather has us all wrapping up cosily.
In the snow-covered city of Londra, young Tabetha survives by finding treasures in the mudbanks of the river Themse.
On Christmas Eve, a sinister stranger asks her to keep her eyes open for a priceless, long-lost magical object: the Glass of Lead and Gold.
As word of the Glass spreads across the city, Tabetha finds herself with some unlikely companions, not least a one-armed girl and a rather impressive soup chef.
But will Tabetha discover that there are even greater fortunes to be found than the magical Glass?
Fusing a fabulous alternative view of London with a deliciously brilliant story mechanic based around treasure hunting, mudlarking and magic, this is a truly brilliant and atmospheric read that'll make your toes tingle!
"The Glass of Lead and Gold" by Cornelia Funke is out now, published by Pushkin Children's Books.
Now something completely different, dazzlingly fresh and original - and very colourful indeed.
"Inkling" by Kenneth Oppel introduces Ethan - a young lad who becomes the unlikely hero in a thoroughly absorbing fantasy story from an author who has a truly unique voice in middle grade publishing.
Mishaps and madness ensue when magical drawing ink comes to life in the Rylance home and 11-year-old Ethan tries to prove he's just as talented as his famous artist father.
This is moving but light-hearted story about grief, family and a sixth-grade rivalry.
When Ethan’s class is given the task of creating a graphic novel and magical ink jumps out of his father’s sketchbook, a strange series of events is set into motion. To his younger sister, Inkling is Lucy, her beloved dog; to his father, Inkling is a second chance at a dwindling career and a chance to solve his family’s money worries. Friends and enemies alike try to use Inkling to ace tests and create bestselling comic books, but to Ethan, Inkling is his friend – and he must do everything in his power save him.
Perfect for arty kids who love creating and drawing their own comics - but want a story with a real touch of magic about it, "Inkling" by Kenneth Oppel is out now, published by Walker Studios.
It wouldn't be much of an October Chapter Book Roundup with at least a couple of spooky books would it? So how about a new collection from a legendary children's author.
Enid Blyton's "Stories of Magic and Mischief" is a brand new collection of 30 short stories taken from Enid's many, many tales published in children's magazines and newspapers.
This new collection gathers together a brilliant selection of tales featuring witches, goblins and all manner of spooky folk.
It's absolutely perfect for seasonal reading and sharing.
Enid Blyton's "Stories of Magic and Mischief" is a brand new collection of 30 short stories taken from Enid's many, many tales published in children's magazines and newspapers.
This new collection gathers together a brilliant selection of tales featuring witches, goblins and all manner of spooky folk.
It's absolutely perfect for seasonal reading and sharing.
With lots of humour and fantastic characters these classic tales are ideal for younger children being read to and for newly confident readers to read alone.
Each story stands alone and is the perfect length for reading at bedtime or in the classroom.
"Stories of Magic and Mischief" by Enid Blyton is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books.
We also can't do without a good witch story to go with Halloween can we? So how about "Witch Girl" by Jan Eldredge, perfectly described as Goth Girl meets Ghostbusters in this read-in-one-sitting mystery adventure with the perfect spine-tingling balance of fun and scares!
Evangeline Clement spends her days learning the ways of magic from her witch grandmother.
When they are called to a creepy old mansion to solve an unusual case, Evangeline encounters an enemy unlike any of the terrifying monsters she has faced before.
Evangeline Clement spends her days learning the ways of magic from her witch grandmother.
When they are called to a creepy old mansion to solve an unusual case, Evangeline encounters an enemy unlike any of the terrifying monsters she has faced before.
There's also a secret about her own family that will shake her to the tips of her silver-toed boots! EEK!
Beware! This is a story to read with the lights on.
(Actually it's not too scary for little ones, a great entry point to spooky stuff for newly emergent solo readers, in fact!)
"Witch Girl" by Jan Eldredge is out now, published by Scholastic.
Our next book is a scintillating read for children who can wholly identify with the feeling of being displaced when moving house, moving to a new country or coping with a huge tragedy or change in their lives.
"Corey's Rock" by Sita Brahmachari and Jane Ray tells the story of ten-year-old Isla, who has moved from Edinburgh to the Orkney Islands with her parents, to start a new life after the death of Isla's beloved young brother.
Isla's mother's family is from Orkney and her father's is from Africa, and she finds island life is very different to her former city home.
Her discovery of the old Orcadian legend about the selkies, half human, half seal people, becomes the key to adjustment and acceptance as Isla begins to escape into her own imagination and fantasies.
Many strands are woven into this deceptively simple story - loss and discovery, legend and reality, the pleasures and problems of settling into a new place, the need to make new friends, the coming to terms with sadness.
Illustrated throughout by Jane Ray, and endorsed by Amnesty International, this is a heartfelt and often emotional read.
"Corey's Rock" by Sita Brahmachari and Jane Ray is out now, published by Otter-Barry Books.
Our next book was so well received by my daughter that she finished it off in record time, and instantly dived back in for a second read.
A.F. Harrold's "The Afterwards" begins with a tale of friendship, between Ember and Ness. The pair are besties, are inseparable but then the worst happens - and Ness dies.
Ember cannot cope with the loss of her friend, but hatches a plan. Ember will venture to the Afterworld to bring Ness back.
Breathtakingly original, deliciously dark, often bittersweet and funny but absolutely riveting from start to finish, taking in themes of friendship, loss, grief and hope.
Utterly amazing and highly recommended.
"The Afterwards" by A.F. Harrold with illustrations from Emily Gravett is out now, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books.
We know you all love a celebrity-penned book, and with our next selection we're playing catchup with Neil Patrick Harris' awesome "The Magic Misfits" series, having missed out on the first book.
In "The Magic Misfits: The Second Story" it's a hearty welcome back to Carter, Leila, Theo, Ridley, Izzy and Ollie, the titular gang of kids with a penchant for prestidigitation.
The Magic Misfits all felt like outsiders, until they found each other and a shared love of magic.
Leila didn't have the easiest start, growing up in an orphanage and getting bullied for being different. But she has a super-cool secret skill... Leila is an escape artist! And it comes in pretty handy when belonging to a group of magical best friends.
When a famous psychic comes to town Leila and her pals realise they won't be able to escape the big mystery coming their way. They soon find themselves chasing mad monkeys and banishing ghosts from haunted hotels... the Magic Misfits will do everything they can to save the town, will their magical skills be enough?
Join the Magic Misfits as they discover friendship, adventure and more than a few hidden secrets, in the series that has a magic trick or two up its sleeve. Who knows, you might love the tricks in the book so much that you'll fancy trying your own hand at them too!
"The Magic Misfits: The Second Story" by Neil Patrick Harris (AKA Count Olaf!) is out now, published by Egmont.
The next book is wholly appropriate for Halloween. Let's get back to "The Nothing To See Here Hotel", the fabulously spooky creation of Steven Butler and Steven Lenton.
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti!" is the followup to the aforementioned book, and once again Steven and Steven are cooking up a brilliant smorgasbord of crazy characters and situations to rival any lumpy old dump in Transylvania!
Having just saved the hotel from a goblin prince, Frankie Banister and the guests are looking forward to enjoying themselves and celebrating the summer holiday of Trogmanay!
"Corey's Rock" by Sita Brahmachari and Jane Ray tells the story of ten-year-old Isla, who has moved from Edinburgh to the Orkney Islands with her parents, to start a new life after the death of Isla's beloved young brother.
Isla's mother's family is from Orkney and her father's is from Africa, and she finds island life is very different to her former city home.
Her discovery of the old Orcadian legend about the selkies, half human, half seal people, becomes the key to adjustment and acceptance as Isla begins to escape into her own imagination and fantasies.
Many strands are woven into this deceptively simple story - loss and discovery, legend and reality, the pleasures and problems of settling into a new place, the need to make new friends, the coming to terms with sadness.
Illustrated throughout by Jane Ray, and endorsed by Amnesty International, this is a heartfelt and often emotional read.
"Corey's Rock" by Sita Brahmachari and Jane Ray is out now, published by Otter-Barry Books.
Our next book was so well received by my daughter that she finished it off in record time, and instantly dived back in for a second read.
A.F. Harrold's "The Afterwards" begins with a tale of friendship, between Ember and Ness. The pair are besties, are inseparable but then the worst happens - and Ness dies.
Ember cannot cope with the loss of her friend, but hatches a plan. Ember will venture to the Afterworld to bring Ness back.
Breathtakingly original, deliciously dark, often bittersweet and funny but absolutely riveting from start to finish, taking in themes of friendship, loss, grief and hope.
Utterly amazing and highly recommended.
"The Afterwards" by A.F. Harrold with illustrations from Emily Gravett is out now, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books.
We know you all love a celebrity-penned book, and with our next selection we're playing catchup with Neil Patrick Harris' awesome "The Magic Misfits" series, having missed out on the first book.
In "The Magic Misfits: The Second Story" it's a hearty welcome back to Carter, Leila, Theo, Ridley, Izzy and Ollie, the titular gang of kids with a penchant for prestidigitation.
The Magic Misfits all felt like outsiders, until they found each other and a shared love of magic.
Leila didn't have the easiest start, growing up in an orphanage and getting bullied for being different. But she has a super-cool secret skill... Leila is an escape artist! And it comes in pretty handy when belonging to a group of magical best friends.
When a famous psychic comes to town Leila and her pals realise they won't be able to escape the big mystery coming their way. They soon find themselves chasing mad monkeys and banishing ghosts from haunted hotels... the Magic Misfits will do everything they can to save the town, will their magical skills be enough?
Join the Magic Misfits as they discover friendship, adventure and more than a few hidden secrets, in the series that has a magic trick or two up its sleeve. Who knows, you might love the tricks in the book so much that you'll fancy trying your own hand at them too!
"The Magic Misfits: The Second Story" by Neil Patrick Harris (AKA Count Olaf!) is out now, published by Egmont.
The next book is wholly appropriate for Halloween. Let's get back to "The Nothing To See Here Hotel", the fabulously spooky creation of Steven Butler and Steven Lenton.
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti!" is the followup to the aforementioned book, and once again Steven and Steven are cooking up a brilliant smorgasbord of crazy characters and situations to rival any lumpy old dump in Transylvania!
Having just saved the hotel from a goblin prince, Frankie Banister and the guests are looking forward to enjoying themselves and celebrating the summer holiday of Trogmanay!
Yes, you read that right. Trogmanay is in the height of summer. Which doesn't explain the sudden arrival of a huge snowstorm. Everyone's completely puzzled until the arrival of a Yeti family and a number of mysterious guests.
Something sinister seems to be taking over the hotel and celebrating is the last thing on anyone’s mind…
Sheer brilliance with suitably spooky writing, and wonderful illustrations, this is sure to be another screaming success for Messrs Butler and Lenton.
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti!" (The Nothing To See Here Hotel Book 2) by Steven Butler and Steven Lenton is out now, published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books.
Our next book is bang on trend, being suitably magical and mysterious, spooky and shivery - and also out this very day in Hardback and digital formats.
"Wundersmith" is a fantastic story set in the brilliant "Nevermoor" universe, written by Jessica Townsend.
Imagination, discovery and friendship await Morrigan Crow when she escapes her deadly curse and joins the Wundrous Society.
It promises her protection and belonging for life - but then Morrigan doesn't receive the welcome she hoped for.
Morrigan is a much-feared Wundersmith. So, instead of the Society helping Morrigan to embrace her power, she is only taught that all Wundersmiths are evil and she must suppress her mysterious ability at all costs.
To make things worse, Nevermoor is quickly turning from a place of safety into one of danger. Society members are going missing, someone is blackmailing Morrigan's new friends, turning them against her.
And worse yet, Ezra Squall, the most evil man who ever lived, is determined to lure Morrigan from the Society by promising to reveal the true nature of the Wunder that calls to her. A call which is becoming ever harder to resist.
Has Morrigan's dream of escaping her cursed life ended before it truly began?
Has Morrigan's dream of escaping her cursed life ended before it truly began?
Scintillating, crackling with originality and magic, this is an absolute treat for girls and boys who have moved on from Percy Jackson and Harry Potter and want a thoroughly absorbing and gripping new read to get their teeth into.
"Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow" by Jessica Townsend is out today, published by Orion Children's Books.
Phew! Our book bag goes on and on but we've got so many brilliant books to share with you, let's see what's next without further ado!
"Al's Awesome Science: Blast Off!" by Jane Clarke and James Brown continues the successful fiction series mixing up high-jinks with a good dose of practical science which you can try out at home.
Al and the gang are celebrating the twins' birthday but Al has a more important mission in mind. How can he get his fantabulous Time Machine into space?
It's time to learn all about rockets and force, and not just the jet blast coming from Al's dog's bum!
We really love the mix of story and science here, particularly making our own Balloon-based monorail but didn't quite feel brave enough to mix chewy mints and cola to see if we could propel a plastic bottle into space.
"Al's Awesome Science: Blast Off!" by Jane Clarke and James Brown is out now, published by Five Quills.
Phew! We hope you have a fantastic spooky time tomorrow on Halloween. Tune in next month for our final Chapter Book Roundup of the year.
"The Clue is in the Poo (and other stuff too)" by Andy Seed and Claire Almon (QED Publishing)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 30, 2018
Labels:
Andy Seed,
Claire Almon,
QED Publishing,
The Clue is in the Poo (and other things too)
It's not often we get to kick up a stink about a poo-based book, this one is 'turdally' brilliant though...
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Monday 29 October 2018
"Oscar the Hungry Unicorn" by Lou Carter and Nikki Dyson (Orchard Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 29, 2018
Labels:
Lou Carter,
Nikki Dyson,
Orchard Books,
Oscar the Hungry Unicorn
With possibly the sparkliest cover we've seen in a long time, meet Oscar, a mythical creature with a heck of an appetite!
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Friday 26 October 2018
ReadItDaddy's Third Book of the Week - Week Ending 26th October 2018: "Hello, Monster!" by Clementine Beauvais and Maisie Paradise Shearring (Thames and Hudson)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 26, 2018
Labels:
Clementine Beauvais,
Hello Monster,
Maisie Paradise Shearring,
Picture Book of the Week 2018,
Thames and Hudson
Our Third Book of the week (and no, we make no apologies for needing to stretch BOTWs to cover 3 PBs at this time of the year) is monstrously brilliant!
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ReadItDaddy's Comic of the Week - Week Ending 26th October 2018: "Retrograde Orbit" by Kristyna Baczinski (Avery Hill Publishing)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 26, 2018
Labels:
Avery Hill Publishing,
Comic of the Week 2018,
Kristyna Baczynski,
Retrograde Orbit
Have you ever had that nagging annoying feeling that you don't belong where you are? This week's Comic of the Week is a deep delve into that feeling...
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ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 26th October 2018: "Pages & Co: Tilly and the Bookwanderers" by Anna James (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 26, 2018
Labels:
Anna James,
Chapter Book of the Week 2018,
HarperCollins Children's Books,
Pages & Co,
Tilly and the Bookwanderers
Our Chapter Book of the Week this week fuses together a whole stack of our favourite elements to create a stunning new fantasy series that really draws you in with magic...
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ReadItDaddy's Second Book of the Week - Week Ending 26th October 2018: "Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators" by Alejandro Arbona and Chelsea O'Mara Holeman (Duopress Publishing)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 26, 2018
Labels:
Alejandro Arbona,
Awesome Minds: Video Game Creators,
Chelsea O'Mara Holeman,
Duopress Publishing
Our Second book of the week this week is a fascinating slice of videogame history, that's the perfect way for old-skool gamers like me to clue their kids up on some awesome innovators...
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ReadItDaddy's First Book of the Week - Week Ending 26th October 2018: "The Art and Making of The Greatest Showman" by Signe Bergstrom (Blink Publishing)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 26, 2018
Labels:
Blink Publishing,
Book of the Week 2018,
Signe Bergstrom,
The Art and Making of The Greatest Showman
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Thursday 25 October 2018
Adventures in Creative Writing Part "I'vecompletelylostcount" - The holes I'm STILL falling into after a few weeks on a "Writing for Children" course - A ReadItTorial
Creative writing is pretty tough, right? Creative writing for children? Heck, it's the literary equivalent of this little fellah...
(Yeah, that'll be me in the cowboy hat and the unconvincing moustache).
The thing is, it's not really the course's fault. Through the two assignments we've had so far (writing a 'funny' story - brutally tough, then writing an adventure story in 500 words - even tougher still) a few things have become clear. I know you love these ReadItTorial list-marathons so here's ten things I can self-critically see are wrong with my writing.
1) I cannot do the '500 words' thing.
Honestly, when anyone even breathes the phrase "500 words" I'm like this...
500 words? I've barely GOT GOING in 500 words. Particularly with the adventure story I ended up having to cheat things a bit, hacking out huge chunks of my scene setting, character building and world building to leave the slimmest of skeletons behind. Though I hate 'em, I can see the clear need for word counts. All the great advice about 'writing more' then trimming your work down really doesn't seem to work for me.
2) I suck at coming up with character names.
Thankfully I haven't fallen down the Ian M. Banks hole of naming all my characters without the use of vowels, but still it's durned hard to come up with names that fit a particular story. I've written several things where I've even resorted to calling characters "Character A" or "Character B" simply because I've had no inspiration for names whatsoever. I liked J.K. Rowling's approach of 'grave robbing' - ie nicking character names from Greyfriars Cemetery but I don't tend to hang around graveyards that much.
3) If one idea gets 'stuck' in my head, I can never seem to get rid of it to move onto something else.
This happened with the "Adventure Story" assignment. I knew the idea I'd had was sucky, I knew that I should've just dropped the idea like a hot potato and moved on - but I kept coming back to the same damned thing, absolutely convinced that I could fix it or pep it up in some way. It's like having gum on your shoe and convincing yourself that you'll just make it to that park bench over there before it irritates you so much that you want to take your shoes off and hurl them across the road. Sometimes it's great to try and salvage a story. Other times you wish you could just fire that sucker into the heart of the nearest sun.
4) I'm far too easily led - or influenced by - other things...!
Back when I was a lot younger I remember co-writing a science fiction comedy with my brother. We called it "Space Wreckers" and it was great fun to write something together. We wrote reams, writing it all out long-form on bits of foolscap paper.
Some years later I remember reading some back (which he'd kept) and thinking with new fresh (old man) eyes "My god, it was just Red Sodding Dwarf really, wasn't it!" - We'd spent a significant amount of time rewriting something that had already become massively popular, with it subconsciously feeding our own writing. Avoiding influences from elsewhere is extremely difficult, particularly when you're writing science fiction - and consuming a lot of science fiction too.
5) I chronically suffer from "Everyone else is better than me" syndrome.
In the scope of book blogging I'm well and truly used to seeing the same ideas over and over again, and I always try to inform my own writing by making sure it's as far distanced from other children's writing that I've been exposed to as possible. But dang, I'm totally in awe of my classmates who seem to be able to spin up stories with such ease. Genuine hat tip to them all.
6) I regularly break every single one of the rules I set myself when I started out trying to write for children.
I hate cliches. I hate defaults. I hate seeing the same themes cropping up again, and again, and again in children's books and writing - yet here I am a few weeks into the course, writing 'under pressure' (well, you try writing something new every single week for a few weeks, good luck with that) and I'm all over those defaults (the bumbling dad, the two dimensional futuristic dystopia), all over the same themes (Friends are great, generational gaps are insurmountable etc etc). Some of those may be brilliant subjects for children's writing but I can't help feeling a bit disappointed with myself that I'm falling into a great deal of 'lazy writing' this early on.
7) I'm absolutely convinced I can do this. Perhaps wrongly.
Self-deprecation for fun and profit. Nah, honestly there's still this stupid belief that I can somehow produce something that will work, will catch an agent's eye, and perhaps will eventually make it into print. I have absolutely no basis for that belief other than the tiniest smidge of ability as a creative writer who has progressed from 'never being able to finish a story' to 'can finish a story but it'll need a ton of Mister Sheen to polish it before it can be submitted'.
8) I'm harshly self critical, but hate being critiqued!
Oh yars, that is so me. I'm quite fortunate that I live with the two most amazing women on the planet (my wife and daughter) and that they aren't exactly backwards in coming forwards with an opinion on anything. I know that if I get a tired shrug, a "s'ok, I spose", that this is the closest to critical gold as I'm ever going to get at home.
This is good though, having the two toughest critics to please means that when I take something out to my course every week, I should be ready prepared with a teflon skin for even the sharpest criticism, right?
Wrong. I just can't take it. I squirm inwardly when receiving even the most polite and constructive criticism of my work, it just breaks me - and yet it's the only way I'll learn to break the cycle of writing something junk that is junk and will end up in the junk pile, right?
9) I have absolutely no idea to write for particular age ranges.
Again this is something I thought might be a lot easier than it actually is. Writing for a specific "Middle Grade" age group sounds like a doddle, right? But it's far too easy (for me at least) to assume that all middle graders or my prospective audience has the same level of understanding, same vocabulary skills and perhaps is as well-read as my own daughter.
Of course, that means that quite often my writing meanders between being "OK" for lower / middle grade but then will veer off at a tangent into YA / Adult territory.
It's so subjective, there are obvious things that you can avoid and need to avoid to hit the MG range (no swearing, no vices, and absolutely no woo-hooing!) but I have the same problem trying to fit age categories to books we review, so it's no real surprise that I can't actually write to a given age range either.
10) I'm too stupid to give up now.
I don't know what it is. It's idiocy, perhaps there's a tiny bit of egotistical vanity in there, perhaps there's still the raging fist-shaking belief that "IF THEY CAN GET THAT PEESACRAP PUBLISHED THEN SURELY I CAN WRITE SOMETHING THAT WILL GET PUBLISHED TOO" (hey, I'm not the only writer who's ever fessed up to that particular character trait) but I feel like I'm actually too dumb to give up. I haven't been writing in earnest for that long, some writers (depressingly) love sharing those anecdotes about how many rejections, how many years they spent shilling their book before an agent took it on and now they're highly respected authors who can command up to 5 free sandwiches and an inordinate amount of free hot beverages at book events (getting paid? That's another thing entirely).
I am going to maintain my idiocy for a while longer. I said this course would be make or break, and I'm exactly half way through it. Will it all somehow click? I may write another readitorial in 5 weeks time to let you know..!
"Illuminatlas" by Kate Davies and Carnovsky (Wide Eyed Editions)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 25, 2018
Labels:
Carnovsky,
Illuminatlas,
Kate Davies,
Wide Eyed Editions
Here's a highly illuminating atlas, using a fabulous three-lens system to really immerse kids in learning about their world...
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"This Book Is Not Rubbish: 50 ways to ditch plastic, reduce rubbish and save the world" by Isabel Thomas and Alex Paterson (Wren and Rook)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 25, 2018
Labels:
Alex Paterson,
Isabel Thomas,
This Book Is Not Rubbish: 50 Ways to Ditch Plastic Reduce Rubbish and Save the World,
Wren and Rook
It's certainly been a year where a lot of people have finally and thankfully sat up and taken notice of what they put in their bins...
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Wednesday 24 October 2018
"Wiggott's Wonderful Waxworld: Terror Train" by Terry Deary (Scholastic)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 24, 2018
Labels:
Scholastic,
Terror Train,
Terry Deary,
Wiggott's Wonderful Waxworld Book 1
When you're used to dealing with the utterly unbelievable but true gruesome facts scattered throughout history, surely writing a terrifying fiction story should be easy, no?
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Tuesday 23 October 2018
"The Beano Ultimate Joke Book" by Beano Studios (Studio Press)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 23, 2018
Labels:
Beano Studios,
Beano Ultimate Joke Book,
Studio Press
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Monday 22 October 2018
"Wonder Women: A Happy Families Card Game" by Isabel Thomas and Laura Bernard "Laurence King Publishing"
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 22, 2018
Labels:
Isabel Thomas,
Laura Bernard,
Laurence King Publishing,
Wonder Women: A Happy Families Card Game
Yes, yes I know you might feel it's still a little too early to start Christmas Shopping, but time is ticking by...
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Friday 19 October 2018
Kicked off Twitter - Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible
Oh dear folks! I've just done something really stupid, and selected the wrong year accidentally while filling in my profile on Twitter. So until I can provide an official document to prove I'm not 8, I'm blocked!
Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible (hopefully!)
See you back online soon!
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Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible (hopefully!)
See you back online soon!
ReadItDaddy's Third Book of the Week - Week Ending 19th October 2018: "Grandma Bird" by Benji Davies (Simon and Schuster Children's Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 19, 2018
Labels:
Benji Davies,
Grandma Bird,
Picture Book of the Week 2018,
Simon and Schuster Children's Books
Yes, once again we had to stretch things to a third picture book of the week this week - but this one's well worth stretching for...!
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ReadItDaddy's Comic of the Week - Week Ending 19th October 2018: "Bunny vs Monkey Book 5" by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 19, 2018
Labels:
Bunny vs Monkey Book 5,
Comic of the Week 2018,
David Fickling Books,
Jamie Smart
HEY YOU! Yes, you at the back surreptitiously picking your nose and wiping it on the underside of your chair. Pay attention! Its "Comic of the Week" time...
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ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 19th October 2018: "Murder at Twilight" by Fleur Hitchcock (Nosy Crow)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 19, 2018
Labels:
Chapter Book of the Week 2018,
Fleur Hitchcock,
Murder at Twilight,
Nosy Crow
Our Chapter Book of the Week is the literary equivalent of having a cold ice-pop dropped down your back by a miscreant child...
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ReadItDaddy's Second Book of the Week - Week Ending 19th October 2018: "Red and the City" by Marie Voigt (OUP / Oxford Children's Books)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 19, 2018
Labels:
Marie Voigt,
OUP / Oxford Children's Books,
Picture Book of the Week 2018,
Red and the City
Our second Book of the Week arrived amidst the early September "Bookapocalypse" with such a huge flood of titles all arriving on the same day...
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ReadItDaddy's First Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 19th October 2018: "Planetarium (Welcome to the Museum)" by Raman Prinja and Chris Wormell (Big Picture Press)
Posted by
ReadItDaddy
at
October 19, 2018
Labels:
Big Picture Press,
Chris Wormell,
Picture Book of the Week 2018,
Planetarium,
raman prinja
Our first Picture Book of the Week this week performs an impossible feat, cramming the entire universe into a book...
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