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Grendel the monster stalks the land

After struggling to make any sense of the awful and indescribable events in Oslo and Utoya I happened to listen to a radio programme with Michael Morpurgo.

Legends and folktales, he said, “ are warning tales, to alarm and terrify us, and to remind us of our own frailty.
The tales of Beowulf and Grendel in Norwegian folklore are bold and scary, Grendel preys on people, bringing death and destruction. Beowulf confronts Grendel and kills him but this is not the end of it. Evil is not so easily vanquished.

'Whatever the evil one is called, - witch,devil, troll or dragon, we have to be watchful and wary."

The last in the Harry Potter series, The Deathly Hallows part 2 shows the horrors that confronting evil can bring.

Books for children have a way of dealing with this through story, adventure, spine chilling experiences. Not all children's books are there for the happy ending, it is the way that children can understand the emotions that are most difficult. We put those emotions in the cupboard at our own expense.

As Michael Morpurgo says, “ The monsters are out there, and they are not like Shrek, they are like Grendel.”

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Sue Martin
Dolphin Booksellers the best in children's books always on line


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Helen Limon has won the 2011 Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children's Book Award to Helen Limon for Om Shanti, Babe, a story about growing up, family and friendships that the judges described as '...fabulous . . . laugh-out-loud funny'.

dv 2011
The tale of teenage Cassia, who is forced to drop her preconceived ideas when she joins her mother on a business trip to south India, takes in fair trade and environmental issues alongside Cassia's struggles to accept her mother's new Indian partner, her spiky tussles with fashion-mad friend-to-be Priyanka and her crushes on pop star Jonny Gold and Dev, a boy she meets on a train.

Pictured: Helen Limon (2011 winner) Tom Avery (2010 winner – Too Much Trouble is published today) and Karon Alderman (2011 runner up)

The Award, was founded jointly by Frances Lincoln Limited and Seven Stories, the national centre for children's books, in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945-2001) to encourage and promote diversity in children's fiction.

The prize of £1,500 plus the option for Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln Children's Books to publish the novel is awarded to the best manuscript for eight to 12-year-olds that celebrates diversity in the widest possible sense.

Australian author Michelle Richardson received a Special Mention for Tek, a book about a young girl from the Aboriginal Australian Murrinh-Patha community who can communicate with the
ngepan, the spirits of the dead.

Tom Avery, was the winner of the award in 2010 also celebrated the publication on June 23rd of Too Much Trouble.

Sue Martin: Dolphin Booksellers the best in children's books always on line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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berNiki Daly has won lots of awards for his brilliantly crafted books. This is latest release with Frances Lincoln (5th May) and follows Not so Fast Songolo, Once upon a Time and the very well loved Jamela's Dress.

Bernard loves his aunts, but he hates being kissed by them. It's time to take a stand. "No more kissing!" said Bernard, and he means it.

Look out for Spiderman and the medieval helmet, which is the best protection against the amorous embraces, until he opens the visor...

Eventually, led by Aunt Tallulah, his aunts find ways to send their kisses without leaving lipstick all over Bernard's cheeks.

A great story, delightful illustrations and an ending that's just right for Bernard.

dolphinBuy on line at Dolphin Booksellers, just click on the Amazon link and you will get a really good price for the book, still in hardback as a new release.

Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books, always on line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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DSCF0342Travelling to Sydney means more than just a visit down under.

On our second visit this year to develop a literacy project for children and families we met with some great people; yr 4 children, school teams, parents, authors,publishers and many more.

The project, Books go Walkabout, brings authors and illustrators to children from both sides of the world! Ambitious, yes but really exciting. Some of that eternal Aussie optimism catching hold.

We are finding ways of working through the systems and enabling a dialogue to take place from one country to the other. It will share stories and bring new dimensions to children as authors from across the world can bring their perspective.

Our first venture is with a school in Sydney and an English author, Ifeoma Onyefulu. Ifeoma travels to a different part of Africa most years taking the most amazing photos and building stories.

This is followed by an Australian author, Lindy Batchelor sharing her work with a school near Cambridge.

Much work to do in pioneering a new fledging venture and our work in business structures is a key part in making it a success.

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Sue Martin - SmithMartin Partnership - broadening horizons in communities


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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rgHow can a dusty old picture draw the past and the present together?

In The Rabbit Girl by Mary Arrigan the mystery unfolds. In one time period two evacuees are brought together on the far side of Lake Windermere. They are living with country people and finding life very different from life in the city of London during the war.

They find a friend turns out to be a very famous artist. She has time for them and they get together whenever they can. But time is not on their side and Tony has to return to London as his father is killed in a bombing raid.

Two generations later in a pet shop the story is brought back to life and the grumpy old man is not all he seems. Mallie is intrigued by an old picture of a rabbit and a girl which she gives to her Mum as a present. But it has something very special hidden within it that will reveal a very special secret.

maA great read from Mary Arrigan and published by Frances Lincoln in April this year. It follows on from Nesty's Gold and let's hope there are more stories to come from Mary.

 

 

Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books always on line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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ttJackie Morris, children's book illustrator and author has some wonderful illustrations of tigers. These fill many of her books with colour and splendour, and capture that engaging image of the tiger in the wild. Yet, within the picture lies a sense of majesty,strength and compassion.

The original watercolour from the book, Lord of the Forest, illustrated by Jackie and written by Caroline Pitcher is being donated by Jackie and auctioned on eBay in aid of the 21st Century Tiger.

From the 21st March for 10 days you can bid in the auction for the painting.

21st Century Tiger is a unique fund raising partnership between the Zoological Society of London and Global Tiger Patrol.They raise money to support conservation products throughout Asia.

Jackie says." Even though in my lifetime I may never see a tiger in the wild, my world is a richer place for knowing that these wonderful creatures are there.... It is my hope that when I have grandchildren tigers will still walk through their dreams and through the forests of the world as living creatures and not something from history, creatures of myth."

Information can be found at 21st Century Tiger

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Dolphin Booksellers - bringing you the best in children's books always on line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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A great story" Yipes!" blinked the itzy bitzy rabbit. " What are you going to do?"

" Have my lunch, growled the bear. " And my lunch is...YOU!"

Poor old Grizzly Bear, there was nothing left to eat in the woods. Because he had eaten it all!

From tasty toes to biting in half, this bear means business when he comes across the rabbit. But unlike other animals Rabbit is not scared.

He has intriguing reasons why the bear should not eat him for his lunch and it works!

A great story in a picture book retold in a very appealing way. The drama, the pictures, the way it is presented and the rhyming text make it a joy to read and to share.

It comes from Sean Taylor and illustrated by Hannah Shaw,the team who put together Crocodiles are the best Animals of All- short listed for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009.Newly published by Frances Lincoln, this book is a great one to read and to buy.

Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books always


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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dvTime for sending your entries for the Diverse Voices Award. This is the third year that Frances Lincoln in partnership with Seven Stories will be searching through entries.

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award promotes diversity in children's books, it encourages new authors to write about aspects which touch children from all over the world. It enables books to be published which recognise and celebrate diversity.

flThe award is held in memory of Frances Lincoln who was an advocate for hearing the voice of children in all sorts of situations, especially those who were unable to access books and reading.

For the winner there is a prize of £1500 plus an option for Frances Lincoln to publish the novel.

The details are on the Seven Stories website, which is great site for a wander. There's lots happening.

The winner of last year's Diverse Voices Award was Tom Avery with Too Much Trouble

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Closing date for entries is February 25th. So get writing, it's worth it just to get that story finished!

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books always on line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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opPoetry is back on the agenda!

It certainly was for all those who entered the Old Possum’s Children’s Poetry Competition. On Friday 10th December the winning young poets were presented with their book prizes.

There were twelve prize winners and a further eight received commendations. They were all between the ages of 7 and eleven. One of the poems is featured below.

Home

Hearing my dad on the computer.
Hearing the quiet buzz of the heater.
Hearing the cars rushing past.
I know I am home.

Smelling paint as I walk past the wall.
Smelling the food being cooked.
I know I am home.

Touching the peach wall when I walk in.
Touching my toys and start playing with them.
I know I am home.

Setting the food on the table ready to eat.
Seeing the furry stairs in the corridor.
I know I am home.

By Michael Hills, aged 8, from Yateley Manor, Hampshire

All winning entries are on Children's Poetry bookshelf . The judges of the Old Possum’s Children’s Poetry Competition, led by Chair Roger McGough, selected twelve children as winners of the Competition, with a further eight receiving high commendations. The judges awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes to children in two age groups (7-8 and 9-11).

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This international Poetry Competition, now in its fifth year, is run by the Children’s Poetry Bookshelf, a poetry book club for young people run by the Poetry Book Society. To link with National Poetry Day on Thursday 7 October, children aged 7-11 were invited to submit poems on the theme of ‘Home’.

The partnership with the British Council boosted entries to the ‘International Learners’ category for children based outside the UK who are learning English as a foreign or second language. In total, well over 3,000 entries were received from schools and individual children worldwide, nearly a quarter of which were from 31 countries other than the UK.

Roger McGough said:

“’Home' proved to be a fruitful subject for this year's crop of young poets and the judges relished those poems in which the child's imagination was let loose. More than attention to domestic detail, the sounds and smells, the furnishings, the judges relished those poems in which the child's imagination was let loose. Above all, it was a delight to witness very young writers discovering the power and the joy of language.”

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers, the best in children's books, always on line


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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cbThe Children's Book Show 2010 came to a triumphant end last night (17 November, 2010) with a sell out event at L'Institut Français, London. The popular event was also part of the Youth Festival.

Quentin Blake, the inaugural Children’s Laureate who has also been referred to as a ‘national institution’ and one of France’s most highly acclaimed illustrators illustrator Francois Place (best known in the UK for his illustrations for Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse) talked about their work, showing exquisite examples, and then treated an enthusiastic audience to an amazing drawing duel.

A wonderful evening watching and listening to two people who are good friends but also expert in their fields. They so much enjoyed their work and seemed unruffled by their fame. But then an audience of children are always good at asking the questions that you hadn't thought about and didn't really want to share on a wide scale. But Quentin and Francois just answered away.

Seeing a book in pictures first, meant that for Francois, he “ ...wondered where the words would go?” and Quentin liked to tell the story in pictures and leave the words to children's minds.

The artists took it in turns to transform each other’s drawings, keeping the audience guessing what would happen next. Much laughter later a splendid wordless story had been created on one sheet of paper. At the end of the show there was a round of applause when one young person asked the artists to do another drawing. The artists took up the challenge and picked up their pins, giving the audience another chance to see two masters of their craft at work.

A finale to a national programme that has seen children across the country involved with authors and illustrators, a great way to explore children's books and we look forward to 2011 in even more places.

Sue Martin, Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children's books always on line


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.