World Book Night 2012: sign up to be a book giver

http://www.worldbooknight.org/

Chaotically managed and a rubbish website, but it's worth signing up to become a book giver.  25 titles to choose from this year, including Pride & Prejudice, Rebecca and A Tale of Two Cities.

Christmas TV Childrens' Classics

There are one or two children's classics on TV this Christmas to slump in front of (or in front of which to slump?).  The biggest blockbusting headliner is "The Borrowers" with Victoria Wood and Stephen Fry on BBC1, Boxing Day at 7.30 pm.  I thought I'd select a few to add to the list of things to worry about.

Wednesday 21 December
Goodbye Mr Chips: 17.00, ITV3 (film)

Thursday 22 December
Christmas Carol The Movie: Film 4, 11.00 (animated film)
The Princess Diaries: Channel 4, 13.45 (film)

Friday 23 December
Pinocchio (not the Disney one): BBC2, 09.20

Saturday 24 December
Charlotte's Web: Channel 4, 10.10
A Christmas Carol: ITV 3, 14.35
Scrooge: Channel 5, 17.05 (yes, the one with Alistair Sim)
The Chronicles of Narnia: LW&W: BBC1, 17.50
The Spiderwick Chronicles: Film 4, 19.00

Christmas Day
The Borrowers (not the big  BBC one): ITV, 07.25
James and the Giant Peach: Channel 5, 08.30
The Sword in the Stone: BBC2, 10.50 (Disney)
Gulliver's Travels: Film 4, 11.10 am

Boxing Day
Heidi: BBC2, 09.55
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: ITV1, 1530
The Borrowers: BBC1, 19.30

December 2011: Susan Coolidge's "What Katy Did" and our next book

We decided it was time to cross the Atlantic and dip into some late 19th century domestic fiction for girls, so this month was all about Katy and What She Did.  Susan Coolidge (Sarah Woolsey, 1835-1905) established herself as an author by writing semi-biographical and charming but morally didactic stories about the six middle-class children of Dr Carr, whose motherless household is managed by stern but well-meaning Aunt Izzie.

Most of us remembered reading What Katy Did (1872) as children and we were delighted to get the chance to read it again with adult eyes.  It proved to be an interesting experience second time around - almost too much for some who were overwhelmed by the sugary story with its moralising underpinnings and had to resort to skim reading.  However, we all pushed on through the rather dull opening pages with their references to John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress to rediscover a humorous book with many well-drawn and closely-observed characters and events.

We talked about the frequent appearances of heroic bed-ridden invalids in Victorian children's fiction: Coolidge's Katy and her too-good-to-be-true cousin Helen; Dick in Louisa M Alcott's Little Men (1871); Clara in Johanna Spyri's Heidi (1872); Colin in Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden (1911); Pollyanna in Eleanor Porter's Pollyanna (1911) and Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843) being just a few examples.  Several of us recalled bed-ridden Marianne in Catherine Storr's powerful and eerie classic, Marianne Dreams (1964).  We discussed the recurring theme in which an undisciplined and headstrong character - frequently a tomboyish or non-conformist girl - suffers an injury directly as a result of their own disobedience, and learns discipline through long-term suffering and immobility.  Cousin Helen, permanently disabled, tells injured Katy that she must study in God's "School of Pain" to learn lessons in "Patience" and "Making the Best of Things" and so become the "Heart of the House".  See The Treatment of Disability in 19th and Early 20th Century Children's Literature by Ann Dowker of the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford at http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/843/1018

We reviewed too Susan Coolidge's own life and circumstances and talked about the influence of Louisa M Alcott (Little Women etc) on Coolidge's writing direction and style, and the fact that both these authors remained unmarried - resonating with Virginia Woolf's thoughts about the consequences for writers of marriage and domestic duties in her essay "A Room of One's Own" (1929).

What Katy Did and What Katy Did At School are often credited with sparking abiding interest in writing school fiction for girls.  Next month (11 January 2012) we are back on this side of the Atlantic to explore this genre with First Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton (1946).  It's a quick read, so a suggestion for a companion book is Beswitched by Kate Saunders (2010) which combines the story of Flora Fox at a girl's boarding school with magic spells and time travel.

November 2011: Robert Louis Stephenson's "Treasure Island" and our next book

Avast be'ind, mateys!  October was all about pirates.  We sailed on the Hispaniola from Bristol to the Caribbean with Jim Hawkins, hid in an apple barrel, defeated a mutiny, disposed of Israel Hands, discovered Captain Flint's treasure - and got safely back from the eighteenth century to Bath Library in time to discuss Robert Louis Stephenson's Treasure Island at our November meeting.  And no, we didn't talk like pirates ... much!

First serialised in 1881-2 and then published as a book in 1883, Treasure Island established the gold standard for pirate stories ever since, so there was much for us to talk about: the - often impenetrable - technical details of knots and rigging; the characterisations of the heroes and villains; the nature of leadership; the serial style of the book with its cliffhangers and short chapters; Long John Silver's longevity as a fictional icon; and the moral ambiguity and complexity of this most manipulative and yet most enduring of characters.

But does Treasure Island still appeal?  The answer seems to be a resounding "yes" - with some reservations.  Despite the occasional nautical language, it was variously described as gripping and easy to read, with atmospheric opening chapters and some truly terrifying characters - particularly Pew (who we learned is never actually called "Blind Pew" in the book).  However, there is an imbalance between Stephenson's multi-dimensional, often complex characterisations of the "baddies/pirates" versus his more one-dimensional and ultimately less interesting "goodies/gentlemen".  It is possible to believe in and be both terrified by and attracted to Silver ... as Jim was.  He has the qualities of a leader and the flaws of a man.  Squire Trelawney on the other hand has little depth as a character and less for the reader to care about or relate to in consequence.

Believed to be the first story book to deliberately target both adults and children, creating the "cross-over" genre exploited most recently by J K Rowling's Harry Potter series, Treasure Island is still borrowed from libraries by all age groups.  It has been reproduced in a wide range of formats, from film to audio, from cartoon books to Ladybird children's versions, and as a result the story is extremely accessible to a wide range of readers, listeners and watchers. 

As a group, our "memorable moments" were wide-ranging, demonstrating the book's breadth, depth and appeal.  From the skeleton arranged to point towards Flint's treasure, to Ben Gunn ("many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese - toasted, mostly"), to Jim's mortal combat with Israel Hands on the deserted Hispaniola, to Pew blindly tapping his way towards Billy Bones at the Admiral Benbow ... and many more.

Treasure Island has established an enduring legacy.  From established and familiar catch phrases like "Them that die'll be the lucky ones", or "Toasted mostly", or "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" through to how we think about pirates and parrots and treasure maps where X marks the spot ... and NEVER forget the Black Spot!

Next month's book is What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge.  What a contrast that will be!

Galaxy Book Awards 2011 Shortlist - Children's Book of the Year

The winners of the Galaxy Book Awards 2011 will be announced on Friday 4 November.  This year's Children's Book of the Year shortlist has a familiar look to it (see previous blogs on other 2011 awards):

• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

• Dead Man’s Cove by Lauren St John

• My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

• One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson 

• Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

• The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Rudyard Kipling: inspiration for Rosemary Sutcliff's Eagle of the Ninth?

At our last meeting Isobel spoke about Rosemary Sutcliff's admiration for Rudyard Kipling.  Hannah remembered her mother having a book of Kipling's poems in which one of her favourites was "The Roman Centurion's Song" - first published in 1911 in a pamphlet called Three Poems, and immediately afterwards in A School History of England.  She wonders if this was one of Sutcliff's inspirations for The Eagle of the Ninth?  See what you think. The Roman Centurion's Song Roman Occupation of Britain, A.D. 300

LEGATE, I had the news last night - my cohort ordered home By ships to Portus Itius and thence by road to Rome. I've marched the companies aboard, the arms are stowed below: Now let another take my sword. Command me not to go! I've served in Britain forty years, from Vectis to the Wall, I have none other home than this, nor any life at all. Last night I did not understand, but, now the hour draws near That calls me to my native land, I feel that land is here. Here where men say my name was made, here where my work was done; Here where my dearest dead are laid - my wife - my wife and son; Here where time, custom, grief and toil, age, memory, service, love, Have rooted me in British soil. Ah, how can I remove? For me this land, that sea, these airs, those folk and fields suffice. What purple Southern pomp can match our changeful Northern skies, Black with December snows unshed or pearled with August haze - The clanging arch of steel-grey March, or June's long-lighted days? You'll follow widening Rhodanus till vine an olive lean Aslant before the sunny breeze that sweeps Nemausus clean To Arelate's triple gate; but let me linger on, Here where our stiff-necked British oaks confront Euroclydon! You'll take the old Aurelian Road through shore-descending pines Where, blue as any peacock's neck, the Tyrrhene Ocean shines. You'll go where laurel crowns are won, but -will you e'er forget The scent of hawthorn in the sun, or bracken in the wet? Let me work here for Britain's sake - at any task you will - A marsh to drain, a road to make or native troops to drill. Some Western camp (I know the Pict) or granite Border keep, Mid seas of heather derelict, where our old messmates sleep. Legate, I come to you in tears - My cohort ordered home! I've served in Britain forty years. What should I do in Rome? Here is my heart, my soul, my mind - the only life I know. I cannot leave it all behind. Command me not to go!

October 2011: Rosemary Sutcliff's "The Eagle of the Ninth" and our next book

The group tackled Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth today: sadly Waitrose was right out of mulsum and dormice so we had to make do with coffee and mini Bakewells, but what an interesting discussion we had, with plenty of historical and social context.

In the book’s Foreword, Sutcliff wrote that she created the story from two elements: the disappearance of the Ninth Legion (Hispana) from the historical record following an expedition north to deal with Caledonian tribes in 117 AD; and the discovery on 9 October 1866 of a wingless Roman eagle in excavations at Silchester, near Basingstoke.   The lost legion is an enduring legend and exciting unsolved mystery - conjuring up an image of Roman soldiers tramping out from York, only to be swallowed forever by the swirling northern mists and rain. 

The first two chapters are challenging, introducing adult characters and using complex dialogue and descriptions - possibly a reason for the book being described by some as "difficult to get into".  Today's publishers would probably choose to edit out these chapters or move them down the order to become a reflective back story once some serious action has taken place.  But even for those who didn't enjoy them, the rest of the book was ample reward for persevering.

Sutcliff made no concessions to her readers: she expected there to be some familiarity with Latin names and places and with the history and geography of Roman Britain.  Is this evidence of the change in educational focus in the past sixty years - dumbing down, even - with the teaching of history no longer having a linear contextual approach, and most children having little Latin education?  

Although this is a story about two male characters, it was felt to be an enjoyable read for both girls and boys of around Year 8 and upwards - once the problem of getting them to take it down from the library shelves had been overcome.  It was noticeable that the key female character was written from a 1950s perspective: the subservient home-maker/girlfriend/wife, who had no adventures or strong views of her own - despite historical evidence to the contrary about early British women's role in society - and the issue of slavery is dealt with lightly: whilst entirely foreign to us, neither Marcus or Esca had any cause for comment.

Sutcliff was writing about a time of significant upheaval and unrest, when British tribes and the Roman occupiers were colliding and society was fragmenting, with some choosing to stay and build their lives here while others returned home.  According to one reviewer, Marcus is 'a typical Sutcliff hero: a dutiful Roman who is increasingly drawn to the British world of "other scents and sights and sounds; pale and changeful northern skies and the green plover calling'."  We liked him, but we liked Esca better.

In summary: we enjoyed Eagle of the Ninth very much and some of us would like to read more of Sutcliff's work - perhaps The Silver Branch which is the next in the series, or some of her Arthurian legends, or The Queen Elizabeth Story (1950), or Black Ships Before Troy (which was published posthumously in 1993).

Our book for 2 November is Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stephenson (1883): a pirate tale of buried gold, Pew and the black spot, Captain Flint, Ben Gunn and his requests for cheese, Long John Silver - that most enduring of pirates - and the boy Jim.  "Them that die'll be the lucky ones!"

September 2011: Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" and our next book

We're enjoying getting together on the first Wednesday morning of each month in the Children's Activity Room at Bath Library to talk about our books - old favourites and new discoveries.  Today was our fourth meeting, and we discussed Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (1908).

Once again, this has been an interesting experience for us all.  Experienced readers, we thought we knew the book well through various audio, TV and theatre productions, but quickly discovered that the unabridged text holds many surprises.  Lyrical and highly descriptive, with its anthropomorphic animal characters reminiscent of something of a "boys' club",  the book has two distinct threads - the jolly and rumbunctious stories of Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad underlining the value and nature of true friendship, sitting alongside the mystical and nostalgic commemoration of Nature; an allegory perhaps for the passing of a more rustic age.

We talked about Grahame's own life - his disrupted childhood, his unfulfilled academic ambitions and the early death of his only child - and how these aspects may have influenced his writing.  We also discussed the "A A Milne effect" and how Milne's dramatisation of Toad of Toad Hall has probably helped succeeding generations to become familiar with the inhabitants of the Wild Wood without needing to deal with the more lyrical and challenging aspects of the text.

Next month we are reading The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff (1954), the first - and probably the best known - in her series of seven novels loosely tracing a family of the Roman Empire and then of Britain.  The book was filmed as a movie (The Eagle) which opened earlier this year to mixed reviews.   Directed by Kevin MacDonald it is now available on DVD.

Our next meeting, What Katy Did and goldfish in Gamages

I was pleased to find a Ward Lock & Co edition of Susan Coolidge's What Katy Did on Bath Market yesterday.  Beautifully inscribed "Christmas 1923, from Dada to Muriel", its original purchase sticker is still inside the back cover, showing that it was bought from the famous department store A W Gamage Ltd of Holborn, London for two shillings and sixpence.  Gamages first opened in 1878 and became famous particularly for its stock of wonderful toys.  It finally closed in 1972.  In a letter dated 19 July 1922 to Elsie Kipling, his eldest surviving daughter, Rudyard Kipling wrote "I to Gamages in Holborn where, with everything else, they sell gold-fish."

Looking forward to our next meeting at Bath Library this coming Wednesday 7 September at 1030, when we will be discussing The Wind in the Willows.  The summer holidays mean that we'll still be missing a couple of regular members, but we look forward to seeing everyone again in October after we will have read The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Jan Needle's Wild Wood (1981)

Anyone interested in reading a companion piece to The Wind in the Willows might like to try Jan Needle's Wild Wood, published in 1981.  Here's Jan's explanation for how he came to rework the story from the perspective of the stoats, ferrets and Grahame's other anti-heroes:

"Much as I had always loved Toad, it occurred to me that if you looked at him through jaundiced left-wing eyes he might turn out somewhat less lovable. A fat and jolly plutocrat, more money than sense, with friends who lived lives of idleness and eternal pleasure. From there, it was a small step to redreaming the villains of the Wild Wood as sturdy, starving heroes of the rural proletariat.

"Here is the moment, in Chapter Seven, when my hero, Baxter Ferret, meets his nemesis. He is in a steam traction engine, with his fellow farmhand Tetley, going to pick up the wreck of their boss's motor lorry, a Throgmorton Squeezer.

We had rounded the bend. Determined to try and hear the end of the tale I had clenched my fists and kept my eyes on Tetley's clattering dentures rather than look up. Now I did. Alongside the dismal wreck, peering into the cab, was a figure.
"Thieves!" shrieked old Tetley. "Robbers! Villains come to lay hands on gaffer's stuff."
He banged open Old Betsy's throttle another fraction with a handy wrench, although she was already giving her very best speed. His free hand waved above his head till it contacted the whistle wire, on which he dangled frantically, one booted foot hovering in the air. A hoarse blast of sound and steam rent the clear and frosty morning.
The figure looked up, apparently not in the least alarmed. He moved to the front of the Squeezer in fact, and lounged on the sagging bonnet, about where the mudguard should have been. He was waiting for us.
As we lumbered forward, it appeared that there was another vehicle parked beside the lorry, which we had not been able to see at first. It slowly came into view, took shape and colour. I felt my stomach begin to flutter, my fingers to tremble. It was a motor car. A battered motor car. A very severely battered motor car.
Old Tetley drove the last few yards in the grim silence of concentration. He eased the steam back, judging his distance to a tee. The huge engine ground and grunted to a halt only inches from where the Throgmorton's radiator used to be. There was a moment of absolutely uncanny quiet after the din, until the engine settled down to a contented and familiar hissing as she built up pressure.
The black-coated figure pushed himself upright with a leather-gauntleted paw and walked towards us.
"Hello, you chaps," he said at last. "What a splendid day."
It was Mr Toad.

"My story follows the lines of the original with remarkable closeness ... all the things we know and love about Mr Toad's life and adventures are seen through different eyes, at different angles. Toad Hall is renamed Brotherhood Hall, and all the River Bankers' triumphs - including the final great assault which clears the denizens of the Wild Wood out of Toad's home lock, stock and barrel - are revealed to be a dreadful sham."

Jan Needle's website

August 2011: Anthony Horowitz's "Stormbreaker" and our next book

Yesterday was our third meeting, and - holidays excepted - most of us were able to come along to discuss Stormbreaker (our July book), eat chocolate chip cookies and have quite a few laughs!  We welcomed another new member - with a welcome view from an older generation - and it was nice to see two members' children to remind us how much we enjoy sharing the pleasure of reading.

Well, Stormbreaker certainly caused a lot of comment!  While we agreed the story was fast-paced and exciting, the negative - or just plain disappointed - generally outweighed the positive.  "One-dimensional characters", "highly formulaic", "commercialised", "cold", "written with an eye to the film rights" - I'm afraid Mr Horowitz's ears were positively on fire!  It was particularly interesting to hear from the school librarians amongst us who have been cheerfully recommending the series without having first read any ...   That said, everyone agreed that Stormbreaker would still appeal strongly to young readers - girls and boys - but perhaps more particularly to boys (10-12) who may not need so much emotional characterisation and would be satisfied with a book which consists largely of descriptions of action with little meaningful dialogue.  We all agreed that if Stormbreaker provides a positive route to encouraging young readers, then it is a perfectly acceptable book - even if it is rather like the proverbial Chinese meal which leaves you hungry again shortly after it's been consumed!

SilverFin by Charlie Higson - the first of his "Young Bond" books - was recommended over Stormbreaker as having a similar structure and formula but better written with more literary content.  Robert Muchamore's The Recruit (Red House Book Award Winner 2005) also received positive support, although perhaps for teenage readers rather than for pre-teens.

Our book for August is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908), which was probably inspired by his Thames-side childhood in Cookham Dean, Berkshire.  The edition provided for us by Bath Library includes the 1931 illustrations by E H Shepard.

Mrs Molesworth (1939-1921) and Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick (1862-1931)

One author's name seems to have cropped up a lot in our three meetings so far: that of Mrs Molesworth (1839-1921).  I'd never come across her - surprisingly, considering my diet of Victorian children's books -  but once you've heard a name it's incredible how often it comes up!  Just clearing old books from my father-in-law's house near Ludlow when I came across an original copy of Four Winds Farm (1908).  Some nameless child has coloured-in all the plates with felt pen ... I thumbed through the book but must admit I don't know if I could face investing several hours into actually reading it! 

In the same pile of books I also found an original copy of Jock of the Bushveldt (1907) by Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick (1862-1931) - a story about a faithful dog - which looks like it could be more interesting.  Apparently it's a South African classic, and has recently been made into a 3D movie.  Oh, the joy of second-hand books!

UK Literacy Association Children’s Book Awards Winners 2011

12-16 Award: Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace, published by Andersen Press

A powerful, devastating read for older teens: “It captures the moment perfectly, the characterisation is brilliant”. One judge’s comment summed up many opinions: “Whoever reads it will be transformed in some way. One inevitably knows more about the world and about yourself as a result of reading it.”

3-11 Award: Birdsong by Ellie Sandall, published by Egmont

The panel felt it is a book young readers will return to again and again.  They particularly loved the tongue twisting bird noises and the way the picture book strikes a perfect balance between words and pictures.

The Borrowers: Bath preview of new Japanese animated children's movie

There will be a special children's preview of the new Japanese animation adventure, ARRIETTY at the Little Cinema in Bath on Saturday afternoon, 23 July - the first day of its UK release. 

Little Cinema, Bath

Set in present-day suburban Tokyo, the blurb says: "The scurry of tiny footsteps echoes underneath the floorboards of a sprawling mansion.  Fourteen-year-old Arrietty has lived in the recesses of this grand manor all her life, totally unbeknown to the two old ladies who occupy it.  Arrietty and her diminutive family survive by 'borrowing' everyday items from their inadvertent landlords.  When 12-year-old Sho moves into the mansion while awaiting medical treatment at a clinic in the city, Arrietty starts to see humans in a different light.  Disregarding her parents' advice, she announces herself to Sho and a friendship sparks into life."

Described as "a magical riff on British writer Mary Norton's cherished novel The Borrowers" this could be worth finding a child to take to!

July 2011: Eve Garnett's "The Family from One End Street" and our next book

We had our second meeting yesterday morning: it was lively and interesting - and we also welcomed a new member!  There was much enthusiasm about our June book, The Family from One End Street (1937) by Eve Garnett, and much to discuss and to learn about its social origins, philanthropic intent, plot lines, characters and style versus other books of the time. Some childhood memories were sparked, and we learned more about the author and her work. 

If anyone wants to take a look at the mural in the Children's House at Bow which was painted by Eve Garnett, here are the weblinks:

The Children's House, Bow, London

Mural by Eve Garnett in The Children's House at Bow

Our 11-year old "shadow" reader sent in her own One End Street book review which she has said can be published here.

“Well, I enjoyed it and I liked the pictures in it.  I liked how they put underneath what the pictures were, so on page 147 it says, “crammed full of old tins and bits of paper”, which is a line in the book and it makes you understand which bit of the story the picture refers to.

"My favourite chapter was The Adventure of the Parked Car.  It was nice because the title just says 'The Adventure of the Parked Car' and so you just think 'oh, it's a parked car' but then people get in it and they drive away and as soon as they drive away it makes you feel like something exciting is going to happen.  I also liked it because it had a wide range of characters like the 'stuck up boy' at the birthday party, 'playful Joe' and 'the kind parents'.

"It was a little bit strange reading such an old fashioned book at the beginning but once you kind of got used to it, it felt like that was the normal way to write books, so it didn't feel strange anymore.

"My favourite character was John because he was always getting into some kind of mischief and he loves cars, and in the parked car one it was funny when he got into it.  And I also liked Kate, I liked how she was so different from most girls and that she was very, very adventurous and a complete contrast to her sister, Lily Rose."

Our book for our August meeting is Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, published in 2000 - the first in his very popular series about the boy spy, Alex Rider.  This was also made into a movie in 2006 - but it's definitely one case where the book is better than the film!

Children's Books for £1 with free delivery from Waterstones

I wouldn't normally use this blog to promote a particular retailer, but Waterstones have a great offer at present that seems too good to ignore.  They are offering the first book for £1 in each of five different children's series with free delivery (online) or in-store.  It's time limited. 

For the younger ones there's Horrid Henry (of course) and Cressida Cowell's Hiccup; for readers aged 9-12 there's Skulduggery Pleasant and Artemis Fowl; and teens can get their teeth into Darren Shan's Demonata series.

Waterstones Children's Books for £1 offer

Local Bath illustrator Grahame Baker-Smith wins the 2011 CILIP Greenaway Medal for "FArTHER"

Great excitement amongst the staff and children at St Stephen's School in Bath this week when one of the dads, Grahame Baker-Smith, came into school to show everyone his 2011 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.  He'd been awarded it for his picture book “FArTHER” on 23 June at a ceremony at BAFTA in London.  The Greenaway Medal is regarded as the UK's most prestigious children's illustration award.

"FArTHER" is a story about a father who dreams of flying, but when he goes off to war and doesn't return, his son decides to make his dream come true. 

The Chair of the judging panel said: “FArTHER is a beautifully conceived picture book with a dream-like quality that captures the imagination of readers of all ages. Its wealth of detail conveys both dark emotions: the storms of war and weather, and a powerful sense of loss and bereavement; but also a great sense of hope as vested in future generations”.

Grahame Baker-Smith has been working as an illustrator for the past 30 years. His work includes several books as well as an album cover for Robert Plant.  His book “Leon and the Place Between” was shortlisted for the 2010 CILIP Greenaway Medal.  Grahame’s clever use of photographs, collage and illustration make his style completely original and unique.  "FArTHER" is a picture book to treasure.

Patrick Ness wins the 2011 CILIP Carnegie Medal for "Monsters of Men"

The 2011 CILIP Carnegie Medal 2011 has been awarded to Patrick Ness for his novel, Monsters of Men, the third and final instalment in Ness's "Chaos Walking" trilogy which charts the epic power struggles between the inhabitants of a world where all thoughts are audible; and the relationship which develops between Todd and Viola, his young main characters.

Uniquely, the two other books in his trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer, were each shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Ferelith Hordon, chair of the 2011 judging panel commented: "Monsters of Men is an extraordinary achievement.  Ness creates a complex other world, giving great scope to consider big questions about life, love and how we communicate, as well as the horrors of war, and the good and evil that mankind is capable of. It's an enthralling read that is well nigh impossible to put down."

Patrick Ness is an American who has lived in the UK since 1999.  The Knife of Never Letting Go was his first novel for young people and was written while he was teaching creative writing at Kellogg College, University of Oxford.  It won both the Guardian Award and the Booktrust Teenage Book Prize; The Ask and the Answer won the Costa Book Award.

The CILIP Carnegie Medal is the UK's oldest and most prestigious prize for children's writing. Patrick Ness joins a list of distinguished past winners that includes Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Anne Fine, Terry Pratchett, Noel Streatfeild, CS Lewis and Arthur Ransome.  There is no cash prize.  Librarians across the country nominate titles to be considered for a shortlist of up to eight, from which the winner is then chosen.

The winners were announced at a ceremony at BAFTA, London on Thursday 23 June.

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2011awards/

World Book Night 2012

World Book Night 2012 will be held on Monday 23 April, believed to be the date of both William Shakespeare's birth and his death.

If you want to sign up to find out more you can register at World Book Night 2012. 

Bath Festival of Children's Literature, 23 September to 2 October 2011

The full programme of events at this year's Bath Festival of Children's Literature can be found here:

http://www.bathkidslitfest.org.uk/

June 2011: our first meeting and our first book

Thanks to everyone who came to our first meeting at Bath Library this morning: it was great to meet you all!  I loved sharing such vivid memories of the books we all read as children, or that we remembered being read to us, as well as getting some great ideas for new books to try.

This month we are reading The Family from One End Street, written and illustrated by Eve Garnett, which tells the story of the Ruggles who live at the heart of the fictional town of Otwell.  When first published in 1937 it became only the second ever winner of the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature, beating J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit to the prize, amongst others.   In 2007 it was selected by the Carnegie judges as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years.

Garnett wrote two sequels: The Further Adventures of the Family from One End Street which was published in 1956, and The Holiday at the Dew Drop Inn, published in 1962.

For anyone interested in pairing books to read for comparisons, Jacqueline Wilson's Bed and Breakfast Star (2006) or Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and Three Quarters (1982) could prove interesting choices.

See you all on Wednesday 6 July!

New Children's Laureate: Julia Donaldson of Gruffalo fame

Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo books, has today been announced as the new Children's Laureate for 2011-12.  Donaldson, 62, the author of more than 120 books including Room on the Broom, Zog, and teenage novel Running on the Cracks, takes over from outgoing laureate Anthony Browne.  Born in London and now living in Glasgow, Donaldson is perhaps best known for The Gruffalo, the story of how a mouse outwits a mythical creature.

She plans to spend much of her laureateship promoting literature through performance. She wants to encourage "10-year-olds to act out stories for younger children". Her biggest challenge, she says, will be the fight against library cutbacks

Previous Children's Laureates

• Anthony Browne (2009-11)
• Michael Rosen (2007-09)
• Jacqueline Wilson (2005-07)
• Michael Morpurgo (2003-05)
• Anne Fine (2001-03)
• Quentin Blake (1999-2001)

Frome Festival 2011: Children's Literature Day, Thursday 14 July and Writers' & Publishers' Day, Sunday 10 July

This year's Frome Festival http://www.fromefestival.co.uk will include its first ever children's literature day.  To be held on Thursday 14 July the ABC Day will host sessions with popular West Country children's authors including Peter Bently (The Great Dog Bottom Swap and Vampire School), Emma Craigie (Chocolate Cake with Hitler), Jeremy de Quidt (The Toymaker), Rachel Ward (The Numbers Trilogy) and Brenda Williams (Home for a Tiger, Home for a Bear).  Sessions will be available for all ages from 4 to 14+ and will take place throughout the day at Frome Library and Holy Trinity Church Hall.  All tickets are £1.

Teatime Treats will be a free event for all festival-goers.  If you have an interest in children's books, get along to Frome Library at 4.00pm on 14 July for tea, cake and a chance to meet a wealth of local talent from the world of children's literature.  Participating writers and illustrators will include Mike Brownlow, Annabel Claridge, David Gatward, Kate Maryon, Helen Moore, Emma Newman, Jeremy de Quidt and Joffre White ... and maybe others too.

Sunday 10 July sees Frome Library hosting a star-packed Writers and Publishers' Day, including workshops and one-to-one surgeries for aspiring authors with a host of famous literary agents, creative writing tutors and published authors.

Our First Book Group Meeting This Week: Bath Library, Wednesday 8 June, 1030 am

It's our first meeting this week!  Wednesday 8 June, 1030 am, Bath Central Library, The Podium, Northgate Street, BA1 5AN.

We plan to get to know each other by talking about our own favourite children’s books - what makes them so special to us, and why - and about any books that we’d like the group to consider for our future reading.  I am sure it will go well!  Everyone seems very enthusiastic.  We must have cake ...

Anyone else who may be interested in joining us, please telephone Bath Library on 01225 787422, or come along on the day.

Caroline Lawrence: UK launch of Wild West Mysteries at Hay Festival, 1 June 2011

http://www.westernmysteries.com/

Saddle up as Caroline Lawrence, the creator of the fantastic Roman Mysteries, launches her brand new Wild West series at the Hay Festival on 1 June 2011 before heading for London, then on to the Edinburgh Book Festival in August and the Bath Festival of Children's Literature in September. 


"When 12-year-old P.K. “Pinky” Pinkerton arrives in Virginia City - homeless, penniless and hunted - things don’t look good. But armed with a Smith & Wesson seven-shooter and a knack for disguises, P.K. takes on desperados, dancing girls and gamblers.  Pinky’s dream is to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency in Chicago. But there is so much crime in Virginia City that soon the town has its first detective: P.K. Pinkerton, Private Eye."


With the Case of the Deadly Desperadoes, Lawrence's new hero, Pinky Pinkerton, looks set to be as popular as Flavia Gemina and her Roman friends.

Seaside sleuth story Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St John wins the Blue Peter Book Award 2011

A quintessentially British mystery set in Cornwall has been crowned the overall winner of the Blue Peter Book Awards 2011. Dead Man’s Cove - the first in a series - follows the adventures of Laura Marlin, an 11-year-old amateur sleuth, as she departs her children’s home and embarks on a new life with her mysterious uncle in St Ives.  Packed with all of the ingredients of a classic British adventure novel, mixed in with modern-day themes, the book won the Favourite Story category before securing the top prize of Blue Peter Book of the Year 2011.

Lauren St John was born in Gatooma, Rhodesia (now Kadoma, Zimbabwe). After studying journalism in Harare, she relocated to England, where she was for nearly a decade golf correspondent to The Sunday Times.  She is the author of several books on sports and music, including Hardcore Troubadour: The Life & Near Death of Steve Earle; and the award-winning children’s series, The White Giraffe, Dolphin Song, The Last Leopard and The Elephant’s Tale.

Read about the Blue Peter Book Awards 2011

CILIP Carnegie Children's Book Awards 2011: Short List

Prisoner of the Inquisition: Theresa Breslin
White Crow: Marcus Sedgwick
The Bride's Farewell: Meg Rosoff
Out of Shadows: Jason Wallace
Monsters of Men: Book 3 in the Chaos Walking Trilogy: Patrick Ness
The Death-defying Pepper Roux: Geraldine McCaughrean

Winners will be announced on 23 June 2011.

Carnegie Greenaway Awards 2011

UK Literacy Association Children's Book Award 2011: Short Lists

Ages 12-16

• Theresa Breslin: Prisoner of the Inquisition 
• Gillian Cross: Where I Belong
• Keren David: When I was Joe
• Candy Gourlay: Tall Story
• Alan Temperley: Scar Hill
• Jason Wallace: Out of shadows

Ages 3-11

• Libby Gleeson, illustrator Freya Blackwood: Clancy & Milly and the Very fine House 
• Ally Kennen: Sparks
• Philip Reeve: No Such Thing as Dragons
• Ellie Sandall: Birdsong
• Eleanor Updale: Johnny Swanson
• Chris Wormell: One Smart Fish

The winners will be announced on 15 July 2011.

UK Literacy Association

"Children's Classics for Grown-Ups": a new Book Group at Bath Library

This Blog is called "Roses in December", which is a quotation from perhaps the world's most famous children's book: J M Barrie's "Peter Pan". 

It's also the title for my new Book Group, which I am looking forward to starting at Bath Library in June 2011.  It's going to be a little different to the usual group, because it's for adults who are interested in reading, re-reading, discovering and talking about Children's books, old and new. 

Our Group will meet once a month - every first Wednesday - at Bath Central Library, The Podium, Northgate Street, Bath, Somerset, BA1 5AN.  The first meeting is on 8 June 2011.

Anyone who is interested can sign up by contacting Bath Library (tel: 01225 394 041).  It's for a maximum of ten people: first come, first served. 

I'm hoping this Blog will be for those who can come to the Group and anyone who can't come in person but who wants to read along with us.  Everyone is welcome to share their views here on the books we are reading, to make suggestions about books to read in future, or to propose ideas for visits, special events and other related activities.

I've got a couple of weeks now to prepare for the first meeting and get to grips with any housekeeping stuff.

Looking forward to agreeing the first book!