My books blog – my own books, and those by other authors.
How to write a short story: golden rules plus tips, ideas and dos and don'ts for new writers or teachers writing short stories in the classroom.
Julia and the Shark and Leila and the Blue Fox, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave, explore issues of global warming and environmental damage to wildlife.
Hannah Gold, author of the highly acclaimed The Last Bear and The Lost Whale, plus the eagerly awaited Finding Bear, talks to me about her writing.
Patrick Ness’s Different for Boys is a powerful portrayal of the subject of relationships between young males; physical, sexual and emotional.
Author Gill Lewis talks about her new book Moonflight, as well as her writing process. Plus my review of Moonflight and tips on writing animal stories.
How to write riddle rhymes and puzzle poems, with a little help from poets Kevin Crossley-Holland and James Carter.
In this post I review seven new and newly republished picture books by favourite authors and illustrators that will all make wonderful Christmas presents.
Three riveting reads from three very well-established, award-winning children’s authors who have produced their best books yet.
My review of LIghtlark, a young adult fantasy by Alex Aster, which won a 6-figure deal after she promoted it on BookTok.
Find out about the new Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho: his role, his aims, his books, and my review of ‘The Girl Who Became a Tree’.
My review of the 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal winner: ‘October, October’ by Katya Balen, plus of her other two novels to date.
It’s time for long evenings, weekends away and the summer holidays. Here are 5 fantastic summer reads for children, including an insider tip!