An exciting book day

Two exciting book related happenings today! The postman called with an enormous parcel - 10 lovely books from Random House Children's Publishers which I won on Twitter. I haven't sorted through them yet to decide which ones to read and review and which libraries to donate them to afterwards - I'm sure there are a few more blog posts in there so I'll keep you posted.

The second thing was an email from Zoe Toft telling me the name of my partner in her International Book Giving Day swap, which I wrote about before Christmas. My partner is in Japan and would like a book suitable for her 10-year old son who is bilingual. She in turn will send me a book (in English) in the 8-13 age range. My plan is to find something Scottish if I can - watch this space!

Happy 100th Birthday Wallasey Children’s Library!

I saw this on Twitter the other day:

@7Stories could you please send a birthday card to a library celebrating its centenary this year? pic.twitter.com/ia2vpdIpMh
— Suzanne Fenna (@suzylou1978) January 19, 2015

You probably can't read the text, but it says:

Wallasey Central Children’s Library is celebrating Its 100th Birthday! One of the first separate public libraries for children in the country, the library was opened during WW1, survived being bombed in WW2, has been much loved by generations of Wallasey children and reaches its centenary in 2015. Readers and Staff at Wallasey Library would like to invite anyone who loves libraries to help us celebrate by… Sending us a birthday card! Please send a 100th Birthday card – homemade cards welcome of course – as early in the year as possible to Wallasey Central Children’s Library, Earlston Road, Wallasey, CH45 5DX. Please include a mention of a children’s book you have particularly enjoyed. Wallasey children and their parents and carers are sharing and enjoying books every day.  They would love to hear from you. Thank You! From All at Wallasey Central Children’s Library.

Well, I couldn’t turn down a request like that – and, very appropriately, I even found a 100th birthday card illustrated by one of my favourite children’s illustrators, Quentin Blake.

 

As asked, I added a note about my favourite children’s book, Anne of Green Gables - which is even older than the library itself as it was first published in 1908. Then I sent my card off – why don’t you do the same? I’m sure the library would be delighted to hear from you.

 



Farewell 2014

I've mentioned before that I'm good at winning books through social media or other online draws. Usually, I review the book here then pass it on to a suitable library or charity. This year, I've been quite remiss about that and all the titles below have gone, unread, to their new homes. However, I'd still like to thank the publishers who supplied them, and I'll try to do better next year.

Picture book

Maudie Smith and Antonia Woodward Milly and the mermaids. (Orion)
Milly loves mermaids. She's sure if she just wishes hard enough she'll meet one on her visit to the seaside. Will her dream come true?

Novels

Karen McCombie The girl who wasn't there. (Scholastic)
13 year old Maisie doesn't believe in ghosts - but when she starts at a new school she hears rumours of a long-gone girl who wanders the halls. A ghostly friendship mystery.

Helen Moss The phoenix code. (Orion)
Two present day teenagers get caught up in an Ancient Egyptian murder mystery.

Na'ima B. Robert She wore red trainers. (Kube)
When Ali first meets Amirah, he notices everything about her - her hijab, her long eyelashes and her red trainers. They can't stop thinking about each other, but can they ever have a halal "happily ever after"?

Non-fiction

Jacqueline Wilson Daydreams and diaries. (Corgi Yearling)
The popular novelist tells the story of her own childhood and youth.

So Farewell 2014, I have cleared the decks. All the best to everyone for 2015.

A book swap for International Book Giving Day

International Book Giving Day happens every year on 14th February with the aim of getting books into the hands of as many children as possible. The 2015 poster (above) by award winning illustrator Chris Haughton has just been released.

It might seem early to be thinking about February when we haven't even reached Christmas yet, but that's what I'm doing because Zoe Toft of the wonderful blog Playing by the book has just announced a fabulous book swap scheme. #GiveABook, #SwapABook is all about sharing, sending and receiving children’s books: you can spread the word about a children’s book you love, and discover another equally amazing book through a gift from someone else. I plan to sign up and send a Scottish book to whoever I am paired with  - which one, I haven't yet decided. The book I get in return I will read, review and pass on to a library or charity.

To join in yourself, click on the link above or the logo at the top of the sidebar. I'll keep you posted on my own progress!

Jackie Morris: Something about a bear

Jackie Morris: Something about a bear. (Frances Lincoln)

When I worked in a library, we had loads of Jackie Morris's gorgeously illustrated children's books, so I was really pleased to win this one in a Youth Libraries Group draw. "Let me tell you something about a bear" it begins, before matching beautiful watercolours with poetically written text about eight different types of wild bear. But "of all the bears in the wide wild world, the very best bear of all is..." I'll leave you to guess! It finishes up with a double spread of facts, in much smaller text, about each species, and a list of conservation websites. The book could thus appeal to a range of age-groups: from those who just love the pictures, through those who can read the simpler text, to those who are ready to learn more about bears, maybe for a school project.

Jackie obviously loves bears, and so do I. After I won the book, we had a short chat on Twitter about it (find her @JackieMorrisArt). Here's a bear that I saw on holiday this year. It's zoomed a bit, but yes, it was that close, grazing behind our accommodation in Shenandoah National Park.


Jackie also loves cats and I can't remember if I discovered her cat blog first, before her books (We three, ginger cats tales). She has a different blog now (Jackie Morris Artist), and the ginger cats are no longer with her, but it's still worth taking a look, or see the fabulous gallery in the Guardian, Cat walk.

Thanks to YLG and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for sending me this book - there was no obligation from either to write about it. Now I've enjoyed it, I'll be donating it to Glasgow Women's Library, where I'm sure the resident Brownie Pack will love learning about bears.

Book Week Scotland 2014

Well-loved literary characters don their boxing gloves and get ready for the fight of their lives, as Scottish Book Trust launches the full Book Week Scotland 2014 programme (24-30 November). It includes a national vote for the favourite character from a Scottish book. Place your vote (I've already done mine) and find out about all the other exciting events and activities on the SBT website.

The launch looks like a lot of fun! All photographs by Rob McDougall.

 

Scottish Children's Book Awards 2015 - shortlist announced

The nominees. Photo credit: Rob McDougall

The shortlist for the Scottish Children's Book Awards 2015 was announced today.  These are Scotland’s largest book awards, with a total prize fund of £12,000, and celebrate the most popular children’s and young adult books by Scottish authors or illustrators. For a full list of nominees in all three categories (3-7, 8-11 and 12-16) see the Scottish Book Trust website - they are running the awards, with support from Creative Scotland, for the eighth time.

The 8-11 list includes a debut book from one of the youngest published authors in Scotland (Alex McCall), and a children’s book from one of the best known authors in the world (Alexander McCall Smith) - and they have very similar names which means voters (Scotland's children) will have to be very careful with their choice!

Alex McCall. Photo credit: Rob McDougall

Claim to fame - I have actually met Alex McCall, even if only for five minutes. He was with his Mum as she arrived at an event which I'd helped Glasgow Women's Library to organise, and they recognised my name because I'd voted in a Twitter poll on whether the cover of Alex's book, Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens, should have a blue or orange background. Alex is only 20, and currently splits his time between promoting his book and studying Filmmaking and Screenwriting at the University of the West of Scotland in Ayr. He has already won the 2013 Kelpies Prize, and must have his fingers crossed for the double. He says “I'm overjoyed to be shortlisted for this Scottish Children's Book Award. It's fantastic to think that my first published novel could get a response like this.”

Robot Chickens is published by Kelpies, an imprint of Floris Books - it's a good year all round for them, as they have two more books shortlisted. Pyrate's Boy (E.B. Colin) is in the same category as Alex and KelpiesTeen Dark spell by Gill Arbuthnott is nominated for 12-16s.

Congratulations to Alex, Floris Books and everyone else nominated. The winners will be announced on 4th March 2015.