I’m giving in to Christmas… the snow is falling and the parties have started. And it’s time to start clearing the shelves and make way for some the books of 2011. And what better way than to restart the Christmas Giveaway?! Yup - I’m giving away one bestseller of 2010 a day - starting with [...]
Divergent is tagged as the next BIG thing to follow Hunger Games. Dystopian fiction is where it’s at.
“David O’Callaghan, children’s book buyer for Eason, has spent all year reading through dozens of children’s books to locate the very best fiction offerings published in the last 12 months. Here, he selects his finest picks for 2010″ Click to have a read!
John Boyne talks to Michelle Pauli - “One thing this book has done for me that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas didn’t do,” he explains, “was to open up a part of my brain that was closed before, in terms of that imaginative sense.”
Kate Kellaway chooses her 10 of the best illustrated books – with some surprising results.
Linda Buckley-Archer reviews Jennifer Donnelly’s Revolution. This is a great example of young adult fiction: beautifully written and thoroughly researched yet not, to borrow Patrick Ness’s phrase, “an adjective novel”. There is an emotional vividness and a delight in story that will speak strongly to teenagers. I hope Donnelly returns to the genre a little [...]
Tools of Change for Publishing conference is taking its show on the road - all the way to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. Exciting!
I’ve harped on about Story Spark a bit round these parts - but what’s one more post? Check out Niamh’s visit to the Ark on culch.ie
Did you see it? Did you? The Late Late Toy Show was on RTÉ last Friday - and Ryan Tubridy, with the help of a crack (pot) team shouted out for some of the best books from this year including Chris Haughton’s A Bit Lost, Oliver Jeffers’ Up and Down, John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury’s [...]
The Christmas/end-of-year highlights keep coming - this time in the Irish Times and the Guardian. Derek Landy lists his favourites of the year - alongside Anthony Browne who calls Shaun Tan’s Eric a “a true picture book in that the illustrations tell as much as the words do, and is that relatively rare thing: a [...]
It was Thanksgiving in the US last week - and Greg Heffley (from Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy) was on hand to make a big appearence at Macy’s Parade. It was 60 foot long and 56 foot tall. Huge!
You haven’t slept in weeks. You’re a pale imitation of your former self. And all you can think of is who… who will be named the winners of the Irish Book Awards? The wait is over. The winners - in no order what-so-ever (and certainly not in order of importance) are: Irish Children’s Book of [...]
Interesting article on bullying, gender and a Star Wars beaker…
Story Spark was officially launched on Monday - and it has a HUGE line up! This weekend sees Derek Landy, Anthony McGowan, Roddy Doyle AND Frank Cottrell Boyce taking to the stage. And there’ll be four more great writers, storytellers and the occasional who knows what every weekend from now until 19 December. Get clicking [...]
Folks - there are only 7 days left for you (or a smalley you know) to enter the Irish Book Awards Children’s Story Competition - and win all 8 books shortlisted for an IBA! All you have to do is write a 500 word story about the picture (above) and fill in the entry form. [...]
The Atlantic asks where poetry sits with the rest of the world - though I’m not sure I agree with this: 5. Poetry teachers especially at the high school and undergraduate levels, should spend less time on analysis and more on performance.
Steve Kloves may just know more about Harry Potter than anyone else… ever. He’s the man who has worked on 6 of the 7 film adaptations - and has a great interview with the NYT. Have a read!
Amanda Craig in the Times (UK) rounds up the best of what is out there for the upcoming holidays - including Eva Ibbotson, Candy Gourlay, Gillian Philip, Shirley Hughes, Garrett Carr, Suzanne Collins and the brilliant Jenny Valentine.
Mary Hoffman reviews Gillian Philip’s Firebrand: Philip (pictured below) has created an utterly believable other world, where male and female are equals in arms. It is often stark and brutal but with moments of heartbreaking beauty. I haven’t enjoyed a book in this genre so much since Susan Price’s The Sterkarm Handshake.
Mary Arrigan supplies another batch of children’s books reviews - including Aubrey Flegg’s The Fugitives.
Ward Jenkins details his process from rough draft to final pages - moving from concept to thumbs, drafts, line and colouring.
The Irish Indpendent looks at the art of rejection - and how not every bestseller makes first time out.
An interesting piece from Sam Grobart on what the next generation of readers might be like - less of the ‘e’ in books and more interactive.
There’s plenty more on James Frey and Full Fathom Five - including Galleycat, the Chronicle and an interesting piece on the Indigo Blog. He’s come out swinging - and seems genuinely snagged that people are upset over Full Fathom Five.
Following the lead of Dave Eggers’ 826 Valencia and the shadows of Roddy Doyle’s Fighting Words - Nick Hornby has joined the fray and opened The Ministry of Story.
The Daily Telegraph features its 25 best children’s books - not the greatest or most comprehensive list to appear but it exists…
Scotland on Sunday profiles Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
Yup - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows goes on general release today. Donald Clarke isn’t feeling it too much - but I think fans will love it. Lots of jumps. And a great surprise for Beedle the bard lovers.
Have you cast your vote in the Irish Book of the Year Awards yet? Voting closes at midnight on Sunday 21 November. Get clicking!
Writers - forget books - writing for computer games is where the fun (and cash) is at.
Andrew Smith spoke at the SCIBA Authors Feast - and the clever folks at Macmillan have some of his speech: I have to wonder what happens to kids — why do they lose that eagerness, excitement, and love for reading that we’ve all seen when a gradeschooler comes home with lists of words he can [...]
Laura Miller questions the decision by the US National Book Awards to not include retold fairy and folk tales.
As December approaches the ‘Best of’ and holiday round ups start to appear - and Kirkus have kicked off the season with a new look and a walloping new site to boot. The Kirkus list is, as expected, exhaustive and comprehensive - covering everything from Animals, Arts, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Fiction about Boys,Fiction About [...]
Reach Out and Read covers why reading aloud is important - “Children who live in print-rich environments and who are read to during the first years of life are much more likely to learn to read on schedule.”
iO9 tries to get their head around what might come next in the world of Harry Potter - and decides it probably shouldn’t happen. Probably.
Kathryn Erskine has been named winner of the US National Book Award - under the Young People’s Literature category. The other nominees were - Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship BreakerLaura McNeal’s Dark Water Walter Dean Myers’ LockdownRita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer For more - including interviews with the shortlist - visit nationalbook.org
The best teachers will know this about their own pupils: that there is a clear and direct correlation between those who love reading at a young age, and those who come to love writing. The worst teachers, sadly, don’t – and I do wish their training inculcated in them a love of reading for themselves. [...]
Sarah Webb gives an overview of the latest trends in YA fiction - Currently riding high in the YA charts are fallen angel books – Fallen, Torment (both Lauren Kate), Crescendo (Becca Fitzpatrick). Angels are HUGE… And don’t forget the dystopian novels – The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), the Gone series (Michael Grant) and the [...]
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