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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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lbfMore books than you could ever imagine under one roof! We went along on our annual trip to the bookfair at Earl's Court in London.

From ebooks to publishers,and with representations from countries across the world we had to start with a coffee before we could even plan a route through the stands of the London Book Fair Lots of information and ways to make books and reading accessible for everyone. We met with Frances Lincoln publishers, who produce some excellent children's books and are renowned for their leading work in diversity and culturalism.

The producers of ebooks were especially interesting and the team from California were great as they were prepared to help, " We can do anything". a great perspective on working life and definitely a way forward.

The stand for Australia was next to Abu Dhabi, quite a contrast, but two countries with diverse ethnic groups and attitudes, side by side. Interesting conversations on the Children's Book Council in Australia and on the Abu Dhabi Bookfair 2011.What a joy to work with children's books and to see just how far stories and information can spread. What better way to bring cultures and people together.

Sue Martin, Dolphin Booksellers - Bringing 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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Once upon a time..... there were children who went back to school in their pyjamas just as it was getting dark, for bedtime stories...

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We are working with a children's centre in the London Borough of Wandsworth. As part of the work in engaging with literacy and families Stories at Bedtime was born!

The thought of cosy stories, hot chocolate and with the Big Bookmark guiding the way the first event was a huge success. Over 30 children brought their parents and snuggled down for the stories, then went into other parts of the nursery for more stories before bedtime.

James, aged 2 just had to give in to and was fast asleep in his pushchair before the stories finished. But I'm hoping he will come to the next event in the spring.

Try our Big Bookmarks from Dolphin Bookbox to develop and promote your ideas, you may not send everyone to sleep but it will make an impact.

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Sue Martin
Dolphin Booksellers - bringing 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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The celebration of books and reading worldwide. World Book Day is now marked in over 100 countries across the globe. In the UK and Ireland we will hold World Book Day on Thursday March 3rd. Schools and bookshops are already getting prepared, full of ideas for events with reading, books and stories.

wbdThe World Book Day website has loads of resources and activity suggestions, all free to download. If you register on the on-line portal you will receive information and updates. A great way to access ideas and support to ensure that you have some great activities happening at your centre.

nbtNational Book Tokens and participating booksellers including Dolphin Booksellers enable the £1 token which can be used to purchase one of the £1 books or against another book as available.

Dolphin Booksellers will be keeping you up to date with activities and events as they happen. Keep looking even after March 3rd as other countries go for April 23rd 2011.


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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basketBooks for Children's Centres and Communities

A new project!!!

We wanted a place for books to be part of the Centre, there for children and families.

Space to sit and read together.

Time to look and to buy a book, or simply to have a chance to read in comfort when the children are happy too.

DolphinBookshelf also supports the Centre by giving a discount on all books sold.

Contributing to sustainability.

It links to a whole range of literacy ideas and projects too. It will help the Centre to keep literacy at the heart of its work, and bring a whole new world into the building.read supp

Brought to you by Dolphin Booksellers, part of SmithMartin Partnership LLP as an initiative to bring books into Children’s Centres and community buildings.

The pilot project has started. It is going well and centres are adapting the way of presenting books depending on the setting. Some have the basket right at the reception so parents can buy straight away. Others take the baskets and books as part of story time sessions.

Let us know if you are interested, they are great books in a basket made from English willow from a charity working with the homeless - so it's a winner all round.

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Sue Martin - Dolphin Booksellers bringing 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.