Reviews

There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.

FCBG Children’s Book Awards 2024

Yesterday, I was delighted to be able to attend the Federation of Children’s Book Groups Children’s Book Awards 2024 Ceremony. This year, it was being held in Birmingham so I was up bright and early for a very exciting day out!

I hadn’t been to Birmingham for years and so was really grateful to one of the members of the Birmingham group who had not only written directions to follow from the station, but had also added in things of interest to look out for along the way! The famous bull, Ozzy, from the Commonwealth Games 2022, the lovely Piccadilly Arcade, the impressive Council House building and the domed Hall of Memory were all features of my mini guided tour as I made my way to the Novotel where the ceremony was being held.

Had the incredible library been open, I might never have made it to the ceremony, but that was a treat I had to save for later. The gilded bronze statue, known as the ‘Golden Boys’ honours Matthew Boulton, James Watt and William Murdoch, shown studying steam engine plans.  Together, these three revolutionised the steam engine. Also on my route was the Black Sabbath bench, a tribute to this Birmingham metal band, located on Broad Street, above the bridge on Canal Street, also named after the band!

At the Novotel, excitement was mounting as the dedicated and hard working team of FCBG members, led by Sarah Stuffins, were putting the finishing touches to preparations for the ceremony. Always a lovely occasion, the Children’s Book Awards ceremony keeps children- the voters- at its heart as members from each of the testing groups are invited to attend the occasion. Each child arrives to find a bag of goodies ready for them-including a Fed Ted- and that they will be sitting at a table with one of the shortlisted authors or illustrators! There are not many events which offer that!

As the guests all started to arrive, there was a wonderful atmosphere as everyone circulated and asked for their books to be signed. There was so much excitement from young (and somewhat older!) readers and so much excited book-ish chat, proving that these awards really do encourage reading for pleasure and that there are plenty of young readers who enjoy a great story.

Once everyone had eaten a delicious lunch, the ceremony was ready to begin and Korky, Winnie the Witch and Wilbur treated us to much wand waving and merriment, including a masterclass in how to draw Winnie. Every child had a numbered ticket in their goodie bag and one won a signed book and another won the picture. Sadly, adults weren’t included!

Each shortlisted author was then presented with a portfolio of work, full of pictures and writing from the children who voted for their books. These are so special and each author was genuinely moved to see the contributions these contain. Sadly, Karen Obuhanych, Philip Reeve, Sarah McIntyre, Michael Rosen and Simon Fox were not able to attend, but they sent messages which were shared at this time.

And then, the winner of each category was announced. Rob Biddulph won the Books for Younger Children’s category with ‘Gigantic’, Thomas Flintham won the Books for Younger Readers’ category with ‘Press Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy!’ and the Books for Older Readers’ category was won by ‘The Final Year’, written by Matt Goodfellow and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton. Although everyone had their favourites that they were rooting for, the results were received with great delight and much cheering.

As with each category, the overall winner was announced by children from one of the FCBG groups- another thing which is special to this award! Overall Winner of the Children’s Book Award 2024 was ‘Press Start! Game On, Super Rabbit Boy! ‘ by Thomas Flintham.

It was a fabulous occasion, greatly enjoyed by everyone! The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Children’s Book Awards is absolutely about children having a voice and genuinely reflects their interests and reading tastes. Huge congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and illustrators - and their publishers- and a huge well done to those involved in the organisation of the event!

This has nothing to do with the awards, but on the way home, I visited the wonderful Birmingham Library and then the ‘Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts and Crafts Movement' at The Gas Hall, part of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The perfect way to end the day!

You can read about CBA2023 here and CBA2022 here.

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FCBG CBA23

Yesterday the winners of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ Children’s Book Awards were announced at the very special award ceremony. Children and adults from groups across the country made their way to CLPE in London to attend this joyful occasion.

Although not travelling the furthest, I set off bright and early to make sure I arrived in time to offer help and support with setting up. Members of the FCBG, and the Executive Committee in particular, are an excellent, supportive team and everyone was busy, working hard to make sure everything was ready.

CLPE (or the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) made the perfect venue for the occasion and Charlotte Hacking and her team were wonderfully welcoming! How they manage to get any work done when surrounded by such a glorious library is beyond me, but they certainly do amazing things! Lovely Richard from ‘The Children’s Bookshop’ in Muswell Hill had set up a very tempting book shop and we were all ready to go..!

The sun was beaming down as the guests started to arrived and the buzz of excited children with their equally excited grown-ups soon filled the room. The wonderful thing about the Children’s Book Award is that is really is ALL voted for by children- their voice is heard at each stage- and the enthusiasm of the children who attended was real evidence of this. They had read the books and voted for their favourites and were so excited to find out who the winners were.

The shortlisted authors, illustrators and their publishers were also arriving- and what a lovely bunch! People always say that the nicest people are involved in children’s books and my experience certainly supports this theory! Everyone was so pleased to see each other!

Having enjoyed a delicious pastry or two, it was time for the serious business of book signing. There were some well-thumbed copies around, evidence of how well read the books had been and it was a joy to hear the comments children were making, as they clutched their books tightly, after having met the authors and illustrators. If anyone ever needed any evidence that meeting the people responsible for the books really matters and makes a difference, this was it!

After a delicious lunch, it was time to gather for the awards. Last year, ‘Octopus Shocktopus’ by Peter Bently and Steven Lenton was the overall winner and Steven joined us to act as MC for the occasion. He was brilliant, creating a lovely relaxed feel to the occasion and making everyone laugh. He started by reading us ‘Octopus Shocktopus’ before everyone joined with an octopus-draw-along!

It might sound really corny, but each author and illustrator shortlisted for the Children’s Book Awards really is a winner. Their books have received the highest numbers of votes from children readers and each of them is given a beautiful portfolio of work which children have created in response to their books. These were presented by children from each group to each author and illustrator or their representative and we watched messages from those who were unable to attend on the day.

And then the winners of each category were announced. Once again, children were at the heart of the awards, opening the envelopes and sharing the winner of each category. The Books for Younger Readers Category was won by Olaf Falafel with ‘Blobfish’, Books for Younger Readers was won by ‘Loki’ by Louie Stowell and Jennifer Killick won the Books for Older Readers Category with ‘Dread Wood’. The winners were delighted - Jennifer Killick nearly made me cry as she nearly cried- and there was much cheering from the audience.

Each author/ illustrator who wins receives a prize and the one who is chosen as the Overall Winner also receives a personally engraved acorn and the engraved silver oak trophy for one year. Louie Stowell was this year’s overall winner and Non Pratt accepted the award on her behalf as she was unable to attend.

And all too soon…it was over! However, no one was in a hurry to leave and more books were signed, more congratulations offered, more cake finished up before eventually everyone started to say goodbye.

Everyone was keen to get their hands on copies of ‘Pick of the Year’ leaflet which includes the top 50 books which were voted for by the children- over 40,000 voted were cast before a further 30,000 were submitted for the Top 10 voting. It offers a great selection of books!

The event was a HUGE success. Many congratulations to all the short listers and category winners and a massive well done to the CBA team, particularly Sarah Stuffins as the CBA Coordinator. I can’t wait for next year!

If you are interested in getting involved in the CBA, please have a look at the FCBG website to find your nearest book group to join or ask about starting a group yourself!

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FCBG, FCBG Conference Sue Wilsher FCBG, FCBG Conference Sue Wilsher

FCBG Conference 2023 Day 3

Sunday always arrives all too soon! Whilst weekend delegates had breakfast and packed up their rooms, the Sunday day delegates were arriving and settling in. The FCBG Conferences are usually held in schools with boarding facilities, but some attendees prefer to stay elsewhere and some come on a daily basis. It never matters as everyone is very friendly and welcoming.

The first Sunday session was the very wonderful Ross Montgomery, whose enthusiasm and energy are infectious. He spoke about his new book, ‘Spellstone’ (which is amazing) and how he was inspired by noticing the quiet, overlooked things. He shared some of the fascinating places and things he had discovered on his walks round London, seeking out the lesser known. This is/ was one of my favourite things to do prior to Covid and since he showed pictures of Postman’s Park, somewhere I have spent many happy hours, I have been determined to start again! Always inspiring, Ross spoke of the alchemy between reader and writer and how writing a book is like cultivating a garden!

Ross was followed by dream duo, Dapo Adeola and Nathan Bryon! We were treated to a reading of the beginning of their new book about Rocket, ‘Speak Up!’, which is obviously going to be every bit as special as the others! They spoke about how Rocket came to be, their very close working relationship (‘It feels like there’s a USB from my brain to Dapo’s!) and the industry they work in. They were a joy to listen to!

The next coffee break celebrated ‘Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape’. Author, Martin Stewart, told us a little about himself and the book and treated us to a reading, resulting in this book being catapulted to the top of my TBR pile! The cakes on offer were fabulous (only a small selection is shown here)

After the coffee break the Graphic Novels for younger readers panel began. This was such a fascinating and enjoyable session. Not only were Mark Bradley, Andy Riley and Matty Long very entertaining, they also share a real passion for graphic novels. Mark Bradley was extremely knowledgeable, having obviously done a lot of research into this field and the session sparked lots of conversations.

The final session of the morning- and indeed, of the Conference- seemed to arrive so quickly. Unfortunately, it was my turn on the reception desk at this point, but as people were leaving the hall, I could tell it had been an excellent session as everyone was talking about it! Authors, Josh Silver, Simon James Green and Freja Nicole Woolf read from their books and discussed LGBT+ stories for a YA audience.

Lunch followed and soon everyone was saying goodbye and gathering their things- including lots of books, posters, bookmarks, catalogues, badges and all manner of book-ish goodies. It was a wonderful weekend, perfect for book lovers, a great opportunity to meet with like-minded people and brilliant for finding out about recent- and soon to be - children’s publications. Details of next year’s conference will soon be available on the FCBG website https://fcbg.org.uk/ which also has information about local groups.

Can’t wait to see what next year brings!

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FCBG, FCBG Conference Sue Wilsher FCBG, FCBG Conference Sue Wilsher

FCBG Conference 2023 Day 2

Day 2 saw us up bright and early, off to explore Rugby town before breakfast! The town was already alive as the Saturday market was setting up and we enjoyed wandering around, on a mission to find the statues of Rupert Brooke, Thomas Hughes and William Webb Ellis and the bench in Jubilee Gardens which commemorates various authors. As none of these things are signposted, we were helped by the bin men who googled Rupert Brooke’s location for us!

Once fortified by a hearty breakfast, Conference began a-new. Saturday sees new day delegates arriving and the organisers- members of the Executive Committee and the Northamptonshire Book Group- work tirelessly to make sure everything is ready and everyone in the right place for the first session. Each delegate receives a Conference goodie bag, filled with donations from publishers as well as Conference information when they are greeted by those manning the reception desk.

The first session was the wonderful M G Leonard. Sadly, I missed this session as I was distributing information about NNFN to publishers, but people were buzzing about it, filled with enthusiasm by the inspiring energy of her talk. This was followed by a panel discussion with Alison David (Farshore Consumer Insight Director), Emma Dodds (Red Shed Senior Commissioning Editor) and Dr Ronx (doctor, TV presenter and author) about the power of non-fiction to make and inspire new readers. Coffee time celebrated the 10th anniversary of Red Shed!

After coffee, the perfect combination of Phil Earle and Clare Helen Welsh arrived, sharing their picture books which tackle divorce. The books took very different approaches to this sensitive subject, but each is a real gem and sure to support children going through this experience. Phil and Clare each spoke of their own experiences and how these helped them in the writing of their books.

The ‘Fantastical and Magical’ panel was just as it sounds! Three excellent authors, Anna Goodall, Emma Norry and Nicki Thornton, gave readings from their books and talked about the inspiration for their writing, the settings and characters in a truly magical session.

Just before lunch, Laura Baker shared her gorgeous book, ‘All the Wonderful Ways to Read’, a perfect book for so many avid booklovers to hear!

After lunch, delegates were offered a choice of seminar sessions: ‘Celebrate with Me!’ with Laura Gladwin, ‘Explodapedia’ with Ben Martynoga, accessible retellings with Laura Wood or Humour Hooks with Derek Keilty, Jenny McLaughlin and Myles McLeod. It is always so hard to choose which to attend- and there is always lots of discussion and idea sharing afterwards!

From the seminars to the next panel session, ‘Representative Voices’. Candy Gourlay, A M Dassu and Ravena Guron discussed authentic representation, who they write for and their approaches to writing. They each read a section from one of their books- a real treat for people like me who love to hear authors reading their own words!

Just before the tea break, G M Linton told us a little about her new book, ‘My Name is Sunshine Simpson’ and we celebrated with cupcakes!

The FCBG is led by the Executive Committee which organises the groups at a national level and Conference is always when the AGM is held. Tricia, our Chair, led us through the agenda and this was then followed by the group meeting where ideas are shared and discussed. The busyness of Conference then stills for about an hour whilst everyone gets ready for the Gala Dinner.

This year, the Gala Dinner was held in the stunning Temple Speech Room, a very beautiful and historic setting for a lovely occasion! Before dinner, cocktails were served and we all raised a glass to the memory of Judith Kerr who was born 100 years ago. Slides of Judith were shown at this time and Jane made a lovely speech, echoing the feelings of us all about this iconic lady and her work.

Publishers Frances Lincoln were celebrating their 40th anniversary and we took part in a quiz. Guest authors, Mariajo Illustrajo and Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, joined us for the dinner along with some of the authors who had spoken during the day. The After Dinner Speaker this year was Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, who had us joining in with his poems and laughing as the lovely evening drew to a close.

Some hardy folks stayed on to enjoy the bar, but many of us were worn out by the packed programme of events and headed back to the accommodation to re-charge for another fun-filled day!

Day three to follow!

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FCBG Conference 2023 Day 1

This weekend, I attended the Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ annual Conference, held this year at Rugby School. This is always a real highlight, offering the perfect opportunity to spend time with other book lovers, hear a wonderful programme of authors, illustrators and poets speak and meet publishers to find out more about their brilliant books.

Rugby School is a beautiful venue, steeped in history and boasting some famous authors- Lewis Carroll, Rupert Brooke and Anthony Horowitz to name a few- as past pupils. It is also the setting for ‘Tom Brown’s Schooldays’ and author, Thomas Hughes, attended the school from 1834 to 1842. Written in 1857, the story is set in the 1830s and Tom Brown is largely based on the author’s brother, George, and the book draws on the author’s experiences.

Almost as soon as we arrived, we headed for the Conference Bookshop provided by the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre. An amazing array of books reflecting the weekend’s packed programme was on offer and the staff were- as ever- really friendly and helpful, with an excellent knowledge of their stock. It would take someone with an iron will not to indulge in buying the odd book or two from their tempting display!

Afternoon tea was sponsored by Hachette and we were each given a proof copy of Kiran Millward Hargarve’s new book which is out in August. Conference weekend begins with presentations from the publishers in which they share some of their wonderful titles. This tends to result in a hugely long wish shopping list of books to be looking out for and is a really lovely opportunity to hear from the publishers themselves. I made 10 pages of notes at this point…

This is followed by the opening of the publishers’ exhibition. Everyone has a wonderful time looking at the books and chatting directly to the publishers who are just the best and get very excited about their lovely books. There are plenty of treats on offer- bookmarks, posters and proof copies- and competitions to enter. Some even have sweets and chocolates on their stands! No one ever really wants to leave and head to dinner, but the exhibition opens again on Saturday morning and most people drift back again throughout the day.

After dinner, we celebrated 10 years of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam with the wonderful Tracey Corderoy. Sadly, the equally lovely Steven Lenton wasn’t able to be with us as he had Covid, but he sent a message to everyone- which included a little message for me! Tracey managed to entertain us all brilliantly in his absence, teaching us how to draw an elf and playing a wonderful Shifty and Sam game with us! Great fun was had by all! However, I will never live down the fact that my table did not win the quiz about the books…

The evening finished with a poetry performance by Birmingham Young Poet Laureate, Nyanda Foday. She shared ‘Bookworms’, her gorgeous picture book poem with us, before performing a selection of her poetry. A brilliant end to a brilliant day!

Part two coming soon!

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Children’s Book Award Winners 2022!

Yesterday, the winners of the 2o22 Children’s Book Awards were announced. The shortlist for each category was just wonderful and all the children I know who were involved in reading each title and voting really enjoyed the experience.

Here are my reviews for the winner of each category- with Octopus Shocktopus winning overall! Huge congratulations to everyone- and also to the amazing team at the Federation, led by Sarah Stuffins.

Books for Younger Children- and overall- winner: Octopus Shocktopus

One day, an octopus lands on top of a house and initially, no one is quite sure what to do. However, it soon becomes clear that having an octopus on the roof is great fun and everyone wishes they could have one too. When their friendly eight-legged friend disappears one morning, everyone misses him- but not for long!

Fabulous for reading aloud, ‘Octopus Shocktopus’ is told in bouncy rhyming text which is full of fun! There are so many wonderful things this octopus can do to help out and entertain that soon everyone, even the neighbour, Mrs Antrobus, is delighted that he is there. The story shows the importance of accepting others, how precious friendship can be and how helping others can spread happiness. There is a real sense of community and togetherness!

The illustrations are pure joy. Vivid colours fill every page, making the pictures eye catching and appealing. The amount of detail there is to notice on each spread is amazing! On every reading, there is something else to see and enjoy- I love Mrs A’s cat slippers and the baby’s bunny suit! Even the baker gets his wish with a squid rather than an octopus landing on his mill!

Full of imaginative joy and fabulous illustrations, ‘Octopus Shocktopus’ is just wonderful! Perfect for sharing again and again!

Octopus Shocktopus Peter Bently, illustrated by Steven Lenton

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1788002684

Books for Younger Readers: The Highland Falcon Thief

When Harrison (Hal) Beck is told that he will be accompanying his train-obsessed, journalist uncle on the final trip of the Highland Falcon as she makes her last journey ever, he is less than impressed. However, when a priceless diamond brooch goes missing just a few hours into the trip, Hal begins to investigate with Lenny, the driver’s daughter. As accusations fly and the suspects list grows, will they unravel the mystery before the Highland Falcon reaches the end of the line?

Agatha Christie- eat your heart out! What a wonderful read this is! From the enticing characters, to the splendour of the train, to the Poirot-style denouement, there is so much to enjoy here.

Writing team, M G Leonard and Sam Sedgman have created an intriguing mystery with a trail of clues and misinformation, leading the reader to suspect each suspect in turn, all wrapped up in fantastic descriptions of this majestic train. Details about the wonders of these magnificent machines are woven seamlessly into the story adding to the excitement of the adventure.

The book is illustrated throughout by Elisa Paganelli, who captures the atmosphere and energy of the story perfectly. There is a wonderful picture of Hal revealing who committed the crime, surrounded by all the characters, for example and another looking down on Hal as he makes his way from the carriage to the tender.

The language is rich and evocative, offering plenty of description. ‘The Highland Falcon Thief’ would make an excellent read aloud, as a guided reader or as a key text to inspire and explore further. Let’s hope there are many adventures on trains to come.

Get on-board ‘The Highland Falcon Express’ as soon as possible!

The Highland Falcon Thief

M G Leonard and Sam Sedgman, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli

Macmillan Children’s ISBN: 978-1529013061

Books for Older Readers: When the World was Ours

High above Vienna on the Riesenrad (Vienna’s Ferris wheel), Leo and his best friends, Max and Elsa feel as if they are kings of the world. It is 1936 and the children are celebrating Leo’s birthday. They are oblivious to the horror on the horizon which will see them divided.

Told from the differing perspectives of the three children- Leo and Elsa in the first person, Max in the third- ‘When the World was Ours’ is an incredibly poignant account of events during the Second World War. From three lives intertwined by the bonds of friendship, the children are divided by cruel and senseless politics and the heart-breaking consequences.

Each child has a unique voice, but the sense of bewilderment and horror experienced by each in different ways is powerfully drawn, allowing the reader a glimpse of the ugliness and brutality of the Nazi regime. Without wishing to give too much away for those yet to read the book, Max’s story is chillingly powerful and thought provoking.

Inspired by the true story of her father’s escape from the Nazis, Liz Kessler has written nothing short of a masterpiece. Deeply emotional, it offers glimmers of hope for the power of love and friendship at the darkest times. Simply brilliant.

When the World Was Ours Liz Kessler

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1471196805

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