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Category: Featured authors

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beach hutAugust and at last a space in the diary for clearing the store of books. Well that is in the plan.

There are approximately 8,000+ books. What is it about books from the past, those children's novels that just have to be re-read? From The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner and The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo to 100+ways to make paper aeroplanes.

booksWay back in the winter we completely changed a school library into a community library. It's a fantastic space, with comfy chairs, computers, smart shelving units and books, of course.

Some of the sorted books will be going back into school, but the majority will be taken to places, mainly overseas, where books are in short supply. We are lucky that people we work with have many contacts with groups and can get the books direct to the children who need them.

So, I'll just read one or two more, then get back to packing into boxes.

Dolphin BookBox will give you information about our Community Library service, plus other things that we can supply too!

Visit the home page of Dolphin Booksellers for latest information.


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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John Agard, with The Young Inferno, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura is the winner of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education poetry award for 2009.

CLPE has a brilliant poster information sheet,which you can find on CLPE and Dolphin Booksellers.

yiThe Young Inferno is an amazing retelling of this classic by Dante. Full of action and loads of mental images, pacy and more than just engaging. The Furies are there and you will come face to face with them!

Satoshi Kitamura has captured all the action and more besides in his compelling and powerful illustrations. The teenage hoodie, as narrator of the tales into the nine circles of hell must be a hit with its audience of young people. Where else would you find Frankenstein as a bouncer.......

Frances Lincoln, the publishers, have shown yet again their skill at commissioning two of the best, in writing and illustrating,  and bringing them together in a daring retelling of this story.

Visit the home page of Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about children's books direct to you. Working with authors and illustrators in communities delivering book events with a difference.

Amazon link to The Young Inferno

Amazon link to the books of John Agard

Amazon link to the books of Satoshi Kitamura


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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Anthony Browne, illustrator is the new Children's Laureate for 2009- 2011.

Famous for many of his books, he is a brilliant choice and at Dolphin Books we send our congratulations.

It was fantastic to be present at the announcement and to feel part of the real uniqueness that the Children's Laureateship brings to the future of children's books for all our children.

Great to hear Anthony so enthusiastic about Picture Books, " They're special, perfect for sharing,. There's a gap between pictures and words and they encourage a way of looking. They are for everyone, not just for younger children."

goHis own picture books are certainly that, try Willy the Wimp or Gorilla. (...links to books below).

More details on the event and the speeches that were made will be added to the Dolphin site soon.

You can visit the home page of Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you. Working with authors and illustrators in school book events and supporting literacy projects in a community nearby.

Amazon link for Anthony Browne

Amazon link for Willy the Wimp

Amazon link for Gorilla


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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If you can keep your head when all about you

are losing theirs and blaming it on you;

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

but make allowances for their doubting too.....

The start of one of my favourite poems, by Rudyard Kipling. And I can even forgive him for referring to men only! Well, just about...

Have found a brilliant poetry website for children, called Man in the Moon. It has loads of good stuff, games, exciting websites, interviews and silly jokes. Look out for the cat, pacing up and down like Einstein waiting for an idea or inspiration.

And if you click through, you will find an excellent description of, and ways to use, similes and metaphors.

The rhyming pattern and way poems are written, help to make them easily remembered. From the start of language development, children recite the pattern, later they remember nursery rhymes and games.

In Shakespeare, we find the use of the iambic pentameter, the most common metrical form in English poetry, as in the first line of Richard the Third,' Now is the winter of our discontent'. All to do with the number of syllables, stressed and unstressed. Rhythm being measured in small groups of syllables, called feet. 'Iambic' describes the type of foot and 'pentameter' means a line has five feet.

Maybe there is a poem that you keep in your head, like a story you keep in a book.

You can visit the home page of Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you. Working with authors and illustrators in schools and book events,


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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MA3 Illustrators in conversation and a woolly armadillo, that took central stage!

Jackie Morris, Petr Horacek and Jan Fearnley were talking about their illustrations at the Federation of Children's Book Groups conference.

Then out of Jan's bag appeared not a canvas with the latest drawing but a woolly armadillo called Milo. Brightly coloured in a stripy outfit he was the answer to Jan's problems . Find out more about Jan's books, a very successful author and illustrator.

SGPetr's, Suzy Goose, just wants to be different to all the other ducks. On her adventures she finds herself in front of a very scary lion.

There's a fantastic video on Petr's website that's well worth a look. Plus his other books, like Elephant,who went inside. Petr started out in Prague,working in communist Czechoslovakia and also studying at the Academy of Fine Art, that was until the revolution and student strike!

SLJackie Morris, with her amazingly beautiful illustrations and huge range of books, both illustrated and written. The Snow Leopard, published by Frances Lincoln and The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems, published by Barefoot Books are two of our favourites. Her web site is full of interest,things to buy and blogs to read!

I love the shots of her studio and the walks by the sea. It makes me feel better about having lots of stuff around me, helps with the creativity, or at least that's my excuse.

Milo Armadillo - Amazon Link

Silly Suzy Goose - Amazon link

Elephant - Amazon link

The Snow Leopard - Amazon link

Barefoot Book of Classic Poems - Amazon link

You can visit our home page of Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you. Working with authors and illustrators in schools and book events.


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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knifePatrick Ness, author of 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' was talking with Nikki Gamble at the Annual Conference of Federation of Children's Book Groups, 3 - 5 April 2009.

The Knife of Never Letting Go Amazon link.

Fantastically good to listen to, and a real empathy with teenagers. He made us all think! The issue of moral dilemmas vs. a real need to do something maybe you shouldn't. The main character in the book, Todd, who struggles with himself over whether or not he can use his knife," a big ratchety one with the bone handle and the serrated edge that cuts into practically everything in the world".

Some of the questions that came up on the day got everybody thinking.

Is evil something you are or something you do?

Should you always, ultimately be on the right side and can the actions be justified?

They speak the same language but why don't they talk the same?

How loud is the world ?

The Knife of Never Letting Go, published by Walker Books is the first book in a trilogy, called Chaos Walking.

askThe second book, The Ask and the Answer is due to be published in May 2009.

This was Patrick's first novel for teenagers and it won the Guardian Children's fiction prize in 2008. An exciting read, based around the whole idea that the world is full of noise and gets even noisier when thoughts are heard and nowhere remains silent.

The Ask and the Answer Amazon link.

You can visit our home page at Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you.


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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ifeomamainpicIfeoma Onyefulu is more than just a children's writer. Her books show the colour and vibrance of Africa just as it is, a wealth of culture and life that produce riches all of their own.

The books are made using high quality photographs which Ifeoma has taken on her travels across the continent. She has a real flair for spotting the things that make life meaningful and for some beautiful images of people and children. If anyone can make you smile Ifeoma can.

She has recently won the Children's Africana Book Award (in the USA) for her book called Ikenna Goes to Nigeria. (Amazon link).  In November, last year she went to the ceremony in Chicago to receive her award.

A isOther titles she has written are A is for Africa, which is a complete alphabet of places in Africa. (Amazon link). The Big Book version is a brilliant book to have. We have used it in our homes for children just to look at, they love the size!  It's also great as a coffee table book.

Then there's Chidi Only Likes Blue. My favourite! (Amazon link). Beautiful pictures and a lovely story, but I 'll let you read it to find out. Other titles include, One Big Family, (Amazon link), Ebele's Favourite, (Amazon link), plus many more, published by Frances Lincoln.

We first met Ifeoma, when she came as a writer to our author and book event, LeytonStories. Ifeo At a Children's Centre opening, where we were holding a City Story event.  Ifeoma was famously doing some games with the children on the floor. Ed Balls,  Secretary of State for Children and Families was opening the Centre and he joined in too, as well as the head teacher.

Ifeoma is always pleased to go to schools and meet with the children and can be contacted through her web site. You can buy her books direct from Ifeoma's web site or from the Dolphin Booksellers Amazon links. Her books will give your ideas on Africa a whole new meaning! To view the Dolphin Booksellers home page click here.


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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T3042Stump the white horse, bedraggled and forlorn has a stump in the middle of his forehead. It takes Danni to recognise that he is more than just a horse. Amazon link.

Danni is new to this country, he has made it over here, a terrible journey, which he can only remember with pain. His family are left far behind, the ways that he knew are not a part of the world he finds himself in. In the city, there are no wide open spaces to play, no freedom to run and, it seems no places to hide.

Being picked on by the class bullies is not what Danni wants at all. But then he finds Stump or as he re-names this special horse, Moonlight.  A friend and a friend in need.

But Danni is just a bit too late....

A wonderful ending with lots of sadness and promise, but you will need to read it to find out.

A great book for children of any age from about 7-11 years.

Michaela Morgan has written lots of really good books, she writes for a number of publishers, including Frances Lincoln and Barrington Stoke.

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Try 'Respect' also by Michaela. Amazon Link

Michaela joined us at LeytonStories at Newport Primary School in East London. We had some great workshops and terrific questions from the year 6 students.

Visit our home page at Dolphin Booksellers.  Lots of information and you can buy books too.


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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ghostscapeGhostscape is the first novel of Joe Layburn. (Amazon link)

Joe works as a teacher in London's East End, a far cry from his time as a journalist and televsion reporter. But maybe there are lots of connections between his book and what he had to report for the TV.

Ten year old Aisha is trying to make a life in London's East End. But she had lived in Somalia and had seen war and dead bodies. Now she was just a girl in a headscarf.

But she had never seen a ghost before, well that was about to change.....

An exciting time slip novel when Aisha is transported back to the Blitz in the 1940's.

In a world full of changes Aisha comes to rely more and more on her new ghost friend and together they work it out. But you should read the book, its really a great story.

This quotation taken from the first chapter of Ghostscape, called Bombs and Bullies, gives a little idea of the feelings the book fosters.

"Don't let her get you down,  Aisha. You're worth more than that." I liked that.  He was right.  I was worth something.  I fell asleep, leaning against him, still with a smile on my face."

Ghostscape, written by Joe Layburn and illustrated by John Williams is published by Frances Lincoln, first edition in August 2008.

Joe is a great author to have working with children and is part of a team delivering workshops directly with Year 6 children in Newport Primary School, Leyton, East London. This is part of LeytonStories, an exciting new initiative bringing children's books direct into the community.

See Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk home page here.


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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tobyaloneCoverAnnouncement of the 2009 winner

At a ceremony at the English speaking Union on 20 January Sarah Ardizzone won the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in translation 2009, for Toby Alone by Daniel Pennac.

There was great competition from some exceptionally talented authors and translators, including Henning Mankell's book When the Snow Fell and Francesco D'Adamo's book My brother Johnny.

The Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation has been running since 1996, and is given biennially.

It was designed to spotlight the diversity of translated fiction for young readers and to bring a richness to children's books into the English language from places way beyond our own lives and in cultures and countries we may never have the chance to visit.

Our feelings at Dolphin are that is just great to value books and cultures in countries that we have little experience of. Stories still give everyone a chance to experience something else, to be with that character in the story, feel what its like and learn that you're not alone.

Congratulations to Sarah and to the other short listed translators.

This is the shortlist, hope you get to read at least one, I'm going to start with When the Snow Fell.

My Brother Johnny by Francesco D'Adamo translated from Italian by Sian Williams (Aurora Metro Press, 2007) Amazon link

When the Snow Fell by Henning Mankell translated from Swedish by Laurie Thompson (Andersen Press, 2007) Amazon link

Letters from Alain by Enrique Perez Diaz translated from Spanish by Simon Breden (Aurora Metro Press, 2008) Amazon link

Tina's Web by Alki Zei translated from Greek by John Thornley (Aurora Metro Press, 2007) Amazon link

Toby Alone by Timothée de Fombelle translated from French by Sarah Ardizzone illustrated by François Place (Walker Books, 2008) Amazon link

Message in a Bottle by Valérie Zenatti translated from French by Adriana Hunter (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2008) Amazon link

The Dolphinbooksellers home page is here


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.