David Maybury | Blog

The Bisto Book of the Year shortlist, and the winners, is the best kept secret in Ireland – but all will revealed on Monday! Ahead of hearing the shortlist I’m slipping on my fortune-telling garb and rubbing the crystal ball – i.e. guessing – to predict who will win what. I’m torn with various favourites [...]

Holly English from Castletroy College has a great review of Helena Close’s The Cut of Love. I’m a bit of a Helena fan - I’ve been raving about her latest, The Clever One, for over a year. You’re going to love it! Click on and have a read.

With the Bisto Book of the Year shortlist being announced on Monday - Sarah Webb revealed her predictions for who she things will be listed, and who will win! Overall Winner –The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers The best book of the year – a stunning achievement. Eilis Dillon Award (for first book) [...]

Schools all across the country will have received €1/£1 Book Tokens - redeemable in bookshops for the face value - or for one of the WBD Quick Reads - including Brianóg Brady Dawson’s Danny’s Smelly Toothbrush and Fiacla Mhamó, Imagination Station (winners of the WBD Short Story Competition), a Jiggy McCue story, something terrifying from [...]

It’s World Book Day today - with hundreds of events across Ireland - the UK, Europe and, yup, you guessed it… THE WORLD! Click here for a list of events happening near you!

The folks behind World Book Day have launched digi-tale.co - a site full of reviews, prizes, books and more.

Philip Reeve talks World Book Day in the Telegraph/

A report from Dundee University indicates that children reading throughout primary and secondary education move away from difficult books from the age of 10 onwards.

Here it is folks - the Guardian Kids Book Club. I’m off to play with it now!

World Book Day, an initiative of The Booksellers Association, the folks behind the World Book Day, are calling on the incoming government ‘to move swiftly to keep Ireland open for business.’ A press release issued this morning publishes the associations ‘Five Point Plan’ which it believes is necessary to support the struggling retail sector.  1. [...]

Rumour has it that the excellent DFC is to ride again! The comic - that led to the DFC Library series, published last year - is to make a return. No idea in what format just yet - but there should be news next week. ht/ Emma Vieceli

The Blue Peter Award Winners have been announced - and from the brilliant shortlists (there really were some great books listed) there are three worthy winners - namely: The Raven Mysteries: Lunatics and Luck by Marcus SedgwickDo Igloos Have Loos? by Mitchell Symonsand Dead Man’s Cove (A Laura Marlin Mystery) by Lauren St John Check [...]

The Red House Children’s Book Award – the only national book award voted for entirely by children - have announced their shortlist. Go see the full list!!

Authors Joe O’Brien, Clare Dowling and Maria Dickenson, Head of Book Purchasing at Easons, were on d’Telly to celebrate World Book Day. Have a watch.

Check out the shortlists for both the Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards - votoing is only open to booksellers - but no harm in looking, right??

Slash Gear reviews the new Barnes & Noble NOOK Kids App - a free app with access to more than 12,000 children’s chapter books – each of them with the ability to look up words, take notes, zoom, change text appearance, and more.

The previously mentioned Guardian children’s online book club are looking for anyone interested in getting involved - find out more here.

Maximidia have produced a set of 50′s ‘future ad’ posters with the help of Moma Propaganda. Brilliant! Click to see/download the full set.

Mary Hoffman reviews this years winner of the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize - Sita Brahmachari’s Artichoke Hearts.

The Guardian carried a gallery from Emily Gravett’s books - a great introduction to anyone who doesn’t know her work! Click to see!

The Guardian is to launch a children’s online book club - the second large outlet to up their interest in kids books this month. (See the NYT last week) Claire Armitstead talks to the Scarrow brothers, Meg Rossoff, Michael Rosen and Louisa Young about the importance of reading and children’s books - and where technology [...]

Sarah Webb reviews Denise Deegan’s And By the Way: A Butterfly Novel - The dialogue is sharp (if a little too authentically littered with Joseph O’Connor “likes”), the writing tense, and emotion ripples through every page.Deegan nails Alex’s caustic teen voice, and leaves the reader rooting for her heroine throughout. Think 90210 with a sprinkling [...]

Who doesn’t look forward to reading Imogen Russell Williams’ posts on The Guardian Book Blog - this time it’s on Old stories for young readers… from Kevin Crossley Holland to Rosemary Sutcliff.

Andrew Anthony talks to Katharine Birbalsingh.

The Irish Examiner carried a great piece on World Book Day and reading with a special needs son.

This years BolognaRagnazzi Award has been awarded to Jean-Philippe Mogenet and Jean-François Martin’s adaptation of Aesop’s Fables. “Countless illustrators have returned down the ages to the ancient magic of the fairytale. Here it seems that Felix Valloton in his halcyon years has returned to instil a new pace into a time-honoured tale, without, however, diminishing [...]

It’s a must read for everyone - it’s the Publisher’s Weekly Spring 2011 Children’s Announcements issue. Everything for Spring and a sneak peek at what is coming for the rest of the year!

Check out the full list of winners of the 2011 Golden Kite Awards & Sid Fleischman Humor Awards. Especially - Milo (released over here as Milo and the Restart Button - hits the shelves in the next few weeks and it is excellent!)

Check out a heap of PW reviews - including the very excellent Divergent!

You’re reading the Seven Stories Enid Blyton blog right? Read as the folks there search through Blyton’s original typescripts.

Check out Ally’s sneak peek into what’s coming from S&S this year - including the very excellent Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson’s Hellhole!

About to buy a book but decided against it? Tell the world.

The Scottish Book Trust has announced the winners of the Royal Mail Awards - Bookbug Readers (0-7 years) What the Ladybird Heard - Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lydia Monks Younger Readers (8-11) Invisible Fiends: Mr Mumbles - Barry Hutchison Older Readers (12-16) Grass by Cathy MacPhail Click for more!

The New York Times has announced plans to feature an online-only review of a new picture book each week - that will supplement the papers already regular coverage of picture books. Excellent!