A stunningly beautiful book about missing someone.
From springtime to winter the pages travel with a girl and her Grandad, laughing smiling, sharing stories, Indian sweets and home-made toys. A book full of happiness.
Then one day his chair is empty, with only his slippers and a new notebook, but no Grandad.
Free delivery!
In the wonderful illustrations the girl takes the new notebook and writes her memories and draws her best pictures, all of them with her Grandad.
This is just a beautiful book from Joseph Coehlo and Allison Colpoys, published by Lincoln Children's Books. The words and illustrations match the essence of the story; that happiness can be found again even if you lose someone very close.
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.
Review or purchase this title from Amazon.co.uk here...
When Grandma says she has seen a tiger in the garden, Nora doesn't believe her. She's too old to play Grandma's games. Everyone knows that tigers live in jungles not gardens?
So even when Nora sees butterflies with wings as big as her arm, and plants that try and eat her toy giraffe, and a polar bear that likes fishing, she knows there's absolutely, DEFINITELY no way there could be a tiger in the garden... Could there?
Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books this is the debut novel from Lizzie Stewart, an illustrator and author of great talent. The story and journey line stretch deep into the imagination and will be a wonderful story to read together or alone.
Lizzie has been a freelance illustrator since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2009. In 2013 she completed an MA in Communication Design at Central St. Martin. She was selected as one of the It's Nice ThatGraduates 2009 and was nominated for a British Comic Book Award in 2013.
Her inspiration comes from folk culture, flora and fauna and life in far flung cities and a compulsive need to tell stories. Currently Lizzie lives in London and teaches on behalf of The National Portrait Gallery.
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.
Author Kim Slater presents Amy McKay with her Librarian of the Year 2016 award...
'The SLA School Librarian of the Year Award is the School Library Association’s prestigious honour to recognize the excellent work that is carried out in school libraries every day, highlighting the best practice of those whose work is outstanding.
This year Amy McKay at Corby Business Academy (www.corbybusinessacademy.org) has been awarded the honour of the School Librarian of the Year 2016'.
Award winning author Kim Slater presented Amy with her prize and you can see range of library activities, reader support and wider engagement with the library and literacy sector that Amy has achieved in her career so far here. All of which made her a very deserving winner in 2016.
Previous Winners of the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award 2015: Annie Brady – St Paul's CBS Secondary School, Dublin, Republic of Ireland 2014: Liz Millett – Weatherfield Academy, Dunstable 2013: Hilary Cantwell – St Paul’s Community College, Waterford, Republic of Ireland 2013: John Iona – Oasis Academy, Enfield, Middlesex 2012: Adam Lancaster – Monk’s Walk School, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire 2011: Carol Webb – Forest Hill School, London 2010: Duncan Wright – Stewart’s Melville College, Edinburgh 2010: Kevin Sheehan – Offerton School, Stockport 2009: Lucy Bakewell – Hill West Primary School, Sutton Coldfield 2008: Nikki Heath – Werneth School, Stockport 2007: Ingrid Hopson – George Abbot School, Guildford 2006: Anne-Marie Tarter – Ripon Grammar School, North Yorkshire 2005: Anne Robinson – Nicholas Chamberlaine Technology College, Bedworth
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.
Ifeoma's exhibition was held at Archway Library in Islington, London. The photographs displayed were from Ifeoma's travels over the last few years in Africa including Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Ghana.
There was a well attended post-exhibition talk at Archway Library on Monday 1st August and Ifeoma talked about her work, her travels and her books. The next day there was a workshop and activities for children.
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.
It brings together pictures and information about the body which is easily accessible for young children in Reception and Key Stage 1, at school, and into Key Stage 2. It's also a really useful book for the bookshelves at home.
Each page is a separate section, such as The world and me... which explains how we use our senses and bodies to see, taste, smell,speak and listen. The page on Inside my head describes the brain like a super computer with over 100 billion tiny nerve cells and only takes to 2% of the body weight and 20% of the body energy! An amazing fact!
There are lots of other books in the series, weather, ocean life, space, sharks, emergency vehicles. trains, volcanoes, rocks, minerals and gems. In fact, they cover about everything you might need to know if you are aged about 6 yrs old!
And in school, a library or at home they will be really interesting to have for children from the ages of about 4 - 8 years old.
At a retail price of around £7.99 they are a good buy in this hardback edition.
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.
Michael Morpurgo, A Lifetime in Stories; an exhibition curated by Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children's Books, Newcastle upon Tyne 2nd July 2016 - June 2017
This is a unique opportunity to visit this remarkable collection of notebooks, manuscripts and correspondence that have been part of Michael Morpurgo's story writing, life and dreams. The exhibition combines much of his life and ethos and is woven into an iconic display, on the fourth floor of Seven Stories.
Take your time…. This exhibition requires that you stop and dream a while, reminisce or ponder on the way Michael can find stories in places, wherever he is; stories from the past, stories of animals, children and people, from war time and in present day. He is a great story teller and story writer and the author of over 150 books for children, Children's Laureate and a voice for reason and peace.
This blog will take you on our journey through the exhibition and point you in some directions, we hope it will mean you also will have chance to make this journey one day over the next year. It's worth it!
Michael Morpurgo was born in 1943 and went to boarding school at seven, and eventually into military officer training at Sandhurst and then he became a teacher. He found the military life difficult and as a teacher he wanted to help children to be creative, give them opportunities, take them out into the world and fire their imaginations, tell stories. There was a clash between curriculum driven tasks and this approach. Later, with his wife Clare, they moved to Devon, where they developed the City Farm for children.
He became friends with Ted Hughes and learnt that as he said, "I have a story of my own to tell and a voice of my own with which to tell it."
Interesting quotes from the videos at the exhibition in the Dreamtime corner are;
"Live an interesting life. Fill your head with this world, of which you are part, care about it deeply, make up your mind to write about events, memories, conversations and something will emerge."
"Lose yourself in the story, get into it and go for it; know the people, the place, let the dreams in your head reach the pen on your page, tell it as if to your best friend, as a secret."
There are many orange notebooks in the exhibition, school notebooks filled with Michael's writing, thoughts, changes, crossings out and revision. He works and receives inspiration wherever he is, but his favourite place is his converted shepherds hut.
There are too many books to mention them all, but my favourites are; War Horse, which only sold a few thousand copies until it was made into a stage production and is now his most famous book, Farm Boy, the sequel to Joey the war horse, Why the Wales Came, set on Samson island in the Scillies, the Wreck of the Zanzibar, Alone on a Wide, Wide, Sea, The Dancing Bear and Waiting for Anya.
I will follow this blog with something more, there is a curiosity about the books, the man and his talents at finding the story and retelling in a wonderful style, which will mean further reading and an excuse to add more of his titles to our bookshelves.
A final quote,
"I know it, lying under the sun on a summer's night. I know it watching buzzards floating over the valley where I live. It is a learnt belonging from children who stop to gaze, to breath in the world about them, to feel part of it."
Michael Morpurgo, A Lifetime in Stories at Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children's Books, Newcastle upon Tyne. A digitised archive is available on www.sevenstories.org.uk/collection
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.
The Seal Children by Jackie Morris has been republished in this captivating edition by Otter-Barry Books.
The water colours on every page are a joy in themselves and you can spend so much time just looking as they portray the story in picture.
The story is about a fisherman who falls in love with a Selkie – half woman, half seal – she gives him her seal skin as a sign of her love, and bears him two children, Ffion and Morlo, before returning to her own people. When a stranger comes to the village, telling of a land far away, the children remember their mother’s stories of the cities of gold and pearls beneath the waves….
This is a wonderful book from Jackie Morris. Presented in a beautiful new gift edition, this is a haunting story of love and freedom, for all ages.
'A lyrical story with beautifully painted watercolours' Books for keeps
A book for everyone to have, in the home to share, and to read alone, in schools for all sorts of projects in education and in the libraries. It is a book that definitely will not be staying long on the shelves but will be on the table, by the rug or in the fireside chair ready to be read time and time again.
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.
All Genevieve wanted was for her Dad, who she imagined to be a king in a castle, to be waiting for her as the princess. So, she wouldn't go to the beach with friends, " Princesses don't like beaches" she would say.
In fact she was afraid to go near the water, as her father was lost at sea.
This is a beautiful book, the illustrations are breathtaking and the story of restoration to friendship for a small child is perfect.
The Princess and the Castle is written and illustrated by Caroline Binch and is republished as a launch title for Otter-Barry Books. Caroline is the illustrator of Amazing Grace and won the Smarties prize for Hue Boy.
Otter-Barry Books is an exciting new children's imprint aiming to make a difference,push boundaries and publish books that children will love.
The Princess and the Castle is one of my favourite books and is definitely for reading alone or together at home or in school or the library.
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.
'Nothing or no-one will make mewear pink!' declares Plunkett the pig. A great fun read by the duo Dunbars, wonderful, uplifting and meaningful. A launch title for Otter-Barry Books and part of an excellent collection for Spring 2016.
Children have great determination and are not easily persuaded... I will not, I absolutely can not, you cannot make me and in fact I just won't!! Often used by young children on all sorts of occasions.
The story is based on an invitation to a party and Plunkett would love to go except the theme is Pink, Dream, Fancy, Frillsand Thrills. Plunkett is not going to wear pink!! ' I will notwear pink.' he says. The solution in the end is charming, he doesn't actually wear pink but...
Beautiful illustrations from Polly Dunbar, who already has several bestselling picture books and the words words from Joyce Dunbar are delightful, fun and playful.
Recommended for all children... Oh, and for adults too who will relate to the scenario very well!
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.
Zappy poems to read out loud, by James Carter and illustrated by Nicola Colton is published by Otter-Barry Books, the new children's publishers.
A brilliant introduction to poetry for young children, poems easily learnt and performed, great titles and include colours, animals, space, music and fairy tale fireworks.
James Carter is a prize winning poet, guitarist and educational writer, he gives poetry performances and workshops and is a great choice for schools on author in school.
Nicola Colton is an Irish illustrator with a playful, folktale art style and these are really good at making the poems come to life in the book.
Zim Zam Zoom! is one of the launch titles for Otter-Barry Books, an exciting new imprint aiming to make a difference, push boundaries and publish books that children will love.
Recommended for schools and libraries and for armchair moments!
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.
