Lovereading 4 Kids Updates from the world of children’s books

At Lovereading4kids we love authors most of all, as they create the brilliant books that we get to tell all of you parents about. So, to help them share more of their thoughts with their readers we have built a uniquely useful new system to link directly to their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

But we can only show the posts and tweets if we have the correct information – So, why not help any authors you know, or follow, by checking their author page on Lovereading4kids  to see whether the Facebook posts and Tweets are appearing. If they are there are handy buttons to let the author know what is missing and what you can do about it – simples.

World Book Day is not only an event that encourages children and teenagers to pick up a book, it offers the chance to make a character come to life. Every year children across the world are invited to come into school dressed as their favourite fictional or non-fictional character in celebration of the written word.

Last year Harry Pottermania was at its strongest with many children opting to come dressed as the popular wizards Hermione and Harry. However, Dorothy and Where’s Wally? costumes were also all the rage with children in 2012. Having children dress up as their favourite character can encourage them to drop the remote control in preference to a good book. It can help to involve them in the story, relate to characters, bring the plot to life and incorporate an element of fun into story time.

With the new release of Oz: The Great and Powerful set to come to our cinema screens the following day on 8 March, we expect a lot of girls will be coming into school dressed as witches with glittery red shoes as a prop.

There are many interesting, classic, funny and popular characters that children can dress up as. Harry Potter, the Wizard of Oz and Where’s Wally? are but a few of them. From The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Little Red Riding Hood among many others, the characters your child could dress as are plentiful.

As a parent you have the choice of either buying an outfit or helping your child bring a character to life by making the costume at home. There are a couple of costumes that you can make that won’t take up too much time, money or resources. Take Where’s Wally? for instance,  all you need to find is a red striped top and matching tights, round glasses, a red and white hat and either a blue skirt or trousers; you’re sure to have at least one, if not two of these items in your child’s wardrobe. If not, then buying an outfit might be the best option.

Another character costume that you might be interested in creating at home is Alice in Wonderland. Written by Lewis Carroll, Alice’s adventures in Wonderland have captured the imaginations of millions and to this day remains one of the most popular children’s books. If your child has a blue dress lying around, simply accessorise it with a white apron and a black bow headband, and there you have it, the perfect World Book Day ensemble.

There is something magical about opening a book to become immersed in someone’s story. As you turn the pages you can quite easily find yourself travelling with the characters on their extraordinary adventures and discovering new tales that will live with you for a lifetime. Once you find that one book you can’t put down you’re sure to want to read similar books and encourage others to do the same. World Book Day isn’t just for children; everyone no matter your age should uncover an astonishing story on 7 March.

You will find a myriad of costumes for World Book Day on AFD.  From children’s outfits to teenager and adult costumes, the whole family can join in all the fun of World Book Day.

A book as a gift for a child is thoughtful and magical and can leave a lasting impression. More than that… it’s a neat rectangle that’s REALLY easy to wrap! See our ”age ranged’ Christmas Gifts category and Great Reads of 2012 You May Have Missed section for lots of ideas! And remember all UK orders over £15 qualify for free postage.

The Book of the Month

Ally Condie Reached. After much pre-publication word-of-mouth buzz the finale of the bestselling trilogy Matched series, which began with Matched and continued with Crossed, is now available. Find out the fates of Cassia, Xander and Ky in their fight to live the life they choose. A perfect gift for one of her growing legion of fans.

Get into the Christmas Spirit

Fantastic Christmas Stable written by Juliet David and illustrated by Steve Smallman. Learn and play with this unique colourful nativity book. Complete with opening flaps, amazing pop up visuals and additional press out figures to add to the scene; perfect for 5+ readers.

Read and Review books BEFORE they are published!

2013 is going to be a cracking year for children’s fiction if the pre-publication books we have seen in the office are anything to go by. See below for the best ones we have seen so far.

We are also looking for teenage book reviewers for two amazing titles. Ferryman by Claire McFall is is brooding love story with a hero who’s as wild as Heathcliff, as aloof as Mr Darcy and as desirable as Edward! Dead Romantic by C.J. Skuse shows us how finding the best bits of a boy is surprisingly difficult – especially when it’s a heart of gold that you truly, deeply want! Just visit the book pages to find out how to register your interest in reviewing one or both of these titles ahead of publication.

See the bookshelf below for more Pre-Publication exclusives with reviews by members of our Lovereading Reading Panel being added all the time:

Second books due in the series – time to get reading!

January 2013 sees the release of the second novel in two exciting series’. Why not read an extract right here on Lovereading4kids to see if one or both of them are for you? Firstly, bestselling author Cornelia Funke, whose Inkheart was a world-wide phenomenon, has created a wonderful imaginary world peopled with a gigantic cast of original and outlandish characters for 11+ readers. The first in the series was Reckless the second is Fearless.

And, from Christopher Edge, a Victorian thriller for 9+ readers with a fast-paced cinematic style featuring a feisty 13 year old heroine. Twelve Minutes to Midnight was the first and the second is Shadows of the Silver Screen.

Go ‘beyond the page’ with Quentin Blake

Possibly best known as the illustrator of Roald Dahl’s children’s books titles in addition to his own sumptuous picture books, Quentin Blake’s Beyond the Page is a stunning, richly illustrated first-hand account of his life and work. Both a memoir and a treasury, celebrating his life and work, this is the perfect book for adults this Christmas, particularly those who have an interest in children’s illustration and those who have or are still sharing Quentin Blake picture books with their children or grandchildren.

Children’s Book Awards

This time of year there are two big Children’s Book Awards and we have all the details. The winner of the Specsavers Children’s Book of the Year will be announced on 4December; we are rooting for The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable. In addition there is the prestigious Costa Children’s Book Award, with winners due in January. Our favourite on the shortlist is Maggot Moon from Sally Gardner. Good luck to all the authors and see our Book Awards Category for all the shortlisted titles.

P.S. We are also looking for 10+ readers to review the book Sword of Light, the first in the magical Pendragon Legacy series, which is out in paperback in early 2013. Visit the book page to find out more.

14 June 2012. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness has won the 2012 Carnegie Medal AND 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal. This is the first time, in the awards 75 year history, that one book has won both prizes!

Rachel Levy chair of the 2012 CILIP Carnegie judging panel said: “A Monster Calls” is an exquisite piece of writing. It is a beautifully economical, structurally brilliant and lyrically descriptive account of a challenging episode in one child’s life.”

You can read a FREE OPENING EXTRACT of A Monster Calls, and all of the other books shortlisted for the Carnegie and Greenaway Medals, exclusively, on Lovereading4kids.

The Lovereading4kids review of A Monster Calls

Prize-winning Patrick Ness displays brilliant new skills of sensitivity in this hauntingly touching story of how a boy deals with the looming threat of his mother’s death from cancer. Haunted by a monster in his dreams, denied much information by his family and treated as a weirdo by his class mates and a ‘special case’ by his teachers, Conor struggles to get to grips with the devastating emotions which threaten to overwhelm him.

How he finds the courage and strength to face the end when it happens is both utterly shattering and deeply satisfying. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself.

Find out more today…

With SATS, GCSEs and A Levels this is a testing time for children and parents – but don’t forget to keep them reading great books – the perfect educational treat! Read on for new and exciting children’s books and features. Plus don’t miss some of this month’s highlights shown below….

We have sprung a blossoming bloom of new categories on the site this month to make the search for your kids’ next great read even more exciting!

Carnegie & Greenaway Book Awards

The Carnegie and Greenaway Medals are arguably the two most prestigious awards in children’s literature. The former is for fiction and the latter for picture books. We’ve pulled together all the shortlisted titles for each award in one diamond mine of a category. Start your journey with A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (14+) – an exquisitely written story of loss, growing up and being different – which is uniquely (this year at least) shortlisted for BOTH prizes! Winners are announced on 14 June. But why not find your winner first?

Is it a book or a wallchart? – Wallbooks are both!

The What on Earth? Wallbook of Sport (7+) by Christopher Lloyd has everything you want to know about all sports from the original Olympics to the present day, all crammed into the attractively busy pages of this vast wall chart which amazingly can also be read like a book. There are also titles on the History of Everything and Natural History Also visit our website to find details of where you can see 8 metre long versions of these amazing books as they tour the country.

Coming soon – Be the First to Read

We have a hugely strong selection of ‘coming soon’ (in June) titles with a free Opening Extract of each of them exclusively on Lovereading4kids this month! Just click on a title in our pre-publication bookshelf below. A real highlight in the Lovereadingoffice is Philippa Gregory’s debut YA novel, The Changeling – an epic medieval series full of dark myths, secrets, adventure, intrigue and a touch of romance. Adults will love it as much as teenagers.

Our fluffy Series of the Month, Little Grey Rabbit

If you haven’t yet, please do have a look at these delightful, classic and much-loved tales for kids aged 3+ that have been re-launched in beautiful editions. We have loved getting to know them again!

Don’t miss three great chances to win

Have you entered any of our three great competitions this month? Tied into our section featuring the fabulous children’s books of award-winning fledgling publisher Nosy Crow, 3 lucky winners can win an exciting selection of books and apps. Click here to enter.

PLUS! We also have 5 awesome brand new Horrid Henry T-Shirts to give away to coincide with the forthcoming publication of Henry’s latest exploits – Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie. Here’s the link … Go there, do that and get the T-shirt!

And we have a 100 book giveaway of Matt Dickinson’s 11+ thriller Mortal Chaos to get readers in the mood for the release of his second, Deep Oblivion (published in July), which you can read an extract of in our Pre-Publication ‘coming soon’ section today.

A great new look for an old teenage spy

Since Stormbreaker was published in 2000, Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider has become a literary sensation. Now with brand new soft-feel covers we think this is the perfect time to introduce Alex Rider to a new generation. His first wave of readers will be doing A-levels by now and leaving school – ready for a whole new bunch of 9+ year olds to get hooked on the heart-stopping, adrenalin-packed action that is Alex’s world.

Out and About

New in our section dedicated to the great outdoors include: A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies – introducing children to Britain’s natural beauty. From beach combing and stargazing; watching squirrels, ducks and worms to making special treats for your garden birds. Exquisite.

The Early Bird Catches the (Book) Worm!

Early Readers is one of our favourite sections! It’s a bumper crop of great fun books to share with kids and get them inspired to read on their own. Click here for more.

Two treats for teenage readers

Brave New Section! Dystopian Fiction

Dystopian Fiction: there’s so much of it about and so much of it is so good that we have decided to put it all in one handy section! Now your teens (11+ & 14+) can get their fill of this dark, popular genre!

It’s life but not as we know it! Dystopian fiction only really hit the headlines in the last year with The Hunger Games trilogy. In fact an early adopter some four years ago was Michael Grant’s publication of Gone, the first in a brilliant sequence that is still going strong with the final episode coming in 2013. Most of these books are available as real and eBooks including a personal favourite The Hunt by Andy Fukuda.

Undercover Reads!

The very best in Young Adult Fiction – books so great they’ll be reading them by torchlight under the duvet after lights-out… Among the new great titles this month is: The Anti Prom by Abby McDonald. A truly funny story of three very different girls on one crazy prom night! Perfect timing as we near the end of the school year.

Happy reading and see you in June.

P.S. Last weekend Nicolette Jones in The Sunday Times described one of our Books of the Month, White Dolphin, as ‘lyrical, emotive, engrossing’- it’s a book not to be missed and if you’ve not yet grabbed a copy of Gill Lewis’ debut Sky Hawk then you’re missing a treat.

P.P.S. With the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee just a week or two away don’t forget to visit our special section full of books to get kids into the spirit of the occasion.

Peter’s Picked a Peck of Prized Titles!

Here’s one we mentioned earlier! The Blue Peter Book of the Year AND Book of the Decade have just been announced today. From a shortlist of 4 and 10 books respectively, and voted for by the children who love them, the winners of these coveted prizes from the nation’s favourite children’s TV show have been named. The hilarious Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney has been voted best children’s books of the last 10 years and the spookily brilliant werewolf mystery, The Considine Curse by Gareth P Jones won the 2012 Blue Peter book of the year. Find out more about all the winners and shortlist today…. have emerged top of the field and you can find them and all the shortlisted books here.

Julia Donaldson and Cressida Cowell have teamed up to find Britain’s top storyteller – read on to see how you can enter…

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.

Two of the country’s best loved children’s writers, Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson and acclaimed author, Cressida Cowell, have teamed up with World Book Day to find the UK’s first Storytelling Superstar, somebody who thrills and charms a young audience when they read to them.

Julia and Cressida have enchanted millions with books such as The Gruffalo and How to Train Your Dragon, and they are now on a quest to find parents, siblings, grandparents, babysitters, teachers or librarians who add an extra element of fun when they read aloud to a young audience.

Julia and Cressida are now urging for video nominations of the country’s most skilled and passionate storytellers in action. It’s simple to enter. Just visit the special Storytelling Superstar page at www.worldbookday.com and follow the instructions to upload a short clip of the storytelling master. Entries close on Sunday 12th February 2012.

Julia said: “I’m delighted to team up with World Book Day and help find the country’s first ever ‘Storytelling Superstar’. All children love being told a story, and a good storyteller can transport his or her listeners into a different world. It’s a wonderful way of stimulating children’s imagination, helping them to understand themselves and others and to become the avid readers and the storytelling superstars of the future.”

Cressida said: “There are so many wonderful storytellers hidden away in homes, schools and libraries across the country. It’s about time we celebrated their exceptional talents and I’m incredibly proud to act as a judge for Storytelling Superstar. We’re looking for people who bring the reading experience to life and create excitement around story time. It could be they ‘act’ out a story, use funny voices, make tales up or even simply ensure children join in.”

Julia and Cressida will be joined on the judging panel by Sue Jones OBE, The Reading Agency’s Programme Manager for Young People. Sue heads up the MyVoice project, which gives young people the chance to co-create and produce creative reading events in libraries. Sue said: “Good reading starts early and research shows that children who share a book with others are more likely to develop language skills and advanced reading levels. Libraries across the country will be supporting Storytelling Superstar – it’s the natural place to look for books to inspire children.”

The nation’s narrating talent will then be scrutinised by the judging panel in time for World Book Day itself, which is on 1st March, when the winner of Storytelling Superstar will be unveiled to the nation. The winner will also receive a year’s worth of children’s books from National Book Tokens*. For more entry details and terms and conditions please go to www.worldbookday.com.

Now in its 15th year, World Book Day is celebrated in over 100 countries worldwide with a main aim in UK and Ireland to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading.

Visit www.worldbookday.com for more information and the latest news.

Books for Babies and Toddlers

1		A Bit Lost Chris Haughton Winner of the top children’s book award in Ireland in 2011 – the Bisto Award. When Little Owl falls out of the nest he needs help to find his way home again. Luckily squirrel is keen to help but how does … Download free opening extract
2		Tabby McTat Picturebook and CD Julia Donaldson The best-selling author and illustrator team of the Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have created a heart-warming story about loyalty and friendship. When Tabby McTat the busker’s cat gets separated from the busker he begins a new life on … Download free opening extract
3		Gilbert the Great (Board Book) Jane Clarke Award-winning illustrator Charles Fuge’s Gilbert is a charming picture book character – despite being a great white shark! The story of his touching friendship with Raymond the Remora is delightfully retold in this handsome board book version. … Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 3+ readers

1		The Rhyming Rabbit Julia Donaldson Award winning Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson has created a delightfully entertaining picture book that celebrates poems of all kinds. All the rabbits are sick of hearing the rhyming rabbit’s poems for every occasion. Forlornly, the rabbit sets off to find … Download free opening extract
2		The Boy Who Hated Toothbrushes Zehra Hicks Billy hates toothbrushes. He’s tried all kinds but refuses to use any of them! But then he loses a tooth and the tooth fairy leaves him something to make sure the rest of his teeth are never so dirty! How … Download free opening extract
3		Two Monkeys (World of Happy) Giles Andreae A gorgeous story that shows the importance of true friendship between two monkeys.  Will the monkey prince forget his servant friend in the end or not?Stylish and affordable books for children and parents alike. One of an initial series of 13 … Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 5+ readers

1		Cave Baby Julia Donaldson Best-selling author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson has teamed up with prize-winning illustrator Emily Gravett to create a wonderfully witty story about a cheeky little Cave Baby. When the Cave Baby scribbles on the walls of his cave he is … Download free opening extract
2		Dirty Bertie : Ouch! Alan McDonald Dirty Bertie – the boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits – is back for another helping in A&E after an accident with a door, forgets his swimming trunks on a visit to Splash City, and proves that Know-All Nick doesn’t actually … Download free opening extract
3		Conker Michael Morpurgo Prize-winning Michael Morpurgo packs in a range of big emotions in this beautifully written short novel for newly fluent readers and reissued for a new generation of children. Helped by his granny, Nick learns to see off the nasty bully … Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 7+ readers

1		An Elephant in the Garden Michael Morpurgo Once again the former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, weaves an intensely moving story about an extraordinary animal caught up in a very human war.  It’s World War Two in Germany, the animals in Dresden are to be killed because of … Download free opening extract
2		Little Manfred Michael Morpurgo Award-winning author and illustrator duo Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman have created a touching story about the way lives become entangled during conflict and how, unexpectedly, those ties can lead to enduring friendship. When Alex and her little brother Charlie … Download free opening extract
3		Penny Dreadful is a Magnet for Disaster Joanna Nadin A bundle of awfulness! Penny Dreadful (not her real name) has an unfortunate habit of creating mayhem wherever she goes and whatever she does! Penny has some really brilliant ideas. The only trouble is, they often seem to go horribly … Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 9+ readers

1		Too Much Trouble Tom Avery Winner of the 2010 Frances Lincoln / Seven Stories Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award This prize-winning story will grab readers’ attention from the opening moments and hold them spell-bound from then on. When Emmanuel and Prince are sent to England to … Download free opening extract
2		Journey to the River Sea 10th Anniversary Edition Eva Ibbotson Special 10th Anniversary Edition Chosen by Anne Fine as one of her favourite reads.  A charming and magical adventure story that is full of wisdom, warmth and understanding. Orphaned Maia is sent off to stay with her relatives far, far away … Download free opening extract
3		Billionaire Boy David Walliams Shortlisted for the prestigious Sheffield Children’s Book Award 2011 Hugely entertaining, this captivating story is also thought provoking about the perils of having way too much money. Joe Spud is the richest twelve-year-old in the world; he has everything his heart … Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 11+ readers

1		Tall Story Candy Gourlay Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2011. Shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award 2011: Favourite Story. This is a debut novel packed with warmth, humour and quirkiness that will have you in fits of laughter one minute and … Download free opening extract
2		Unhooking the Moon Gregory Hughes Shortlisted for the prestigious Branford Boase Award 2011. Winner of the BookTrust Teenage Book Prize 2010 and shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2010. One absolutely, indisputably MEGA story! This highly recommended title is a beautifully written, utterly original, funny … Download free opening extract
3		Six Days Philip Webb Enter a fantastic contest to appear in Philip Webb’s next book.  Each copy of Six Days is printed with its own unique 5-digit code.  Children can enter their unique code and email address and smartphone users can go direct to … Download free opening extract

Featured Books for 14+ readers

1		Life An Exploded Diagram Mal Peet This is a brilliant coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Cold War and events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis.  The story is told in flashback by Clem when he is living and working in New York … Download free opening extract
2		Double or Quits Rachel Riley’s Year of (almost) Taking Control Joanna Nadin A fantastically fat and sparkly bind-up of two riotous Rachel Riley books … Back to Life and The Facts of Life. … Download free opening extract
3		When I Was Joe Keren David Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2011. Highly Commended for the Teenage Book Prize 2010. An edgy and contemporary thriller about the life changing dangers of knife crime – and that’s just for the witness. When Ty tells the police … Download free opening extract

Greetings June Bugs! Did you know that it was on 26 June 1284 that the Pied Piper is said to have lured the children of Hamelin to a watery end? Don’t worry – the only end we’ll lead them to is a literary one! We’ve got a bumper basket filled with great titles and exciting reads for all ages, from toddlers to teens, this month. Read on for more information about what’s new at Lovereading4Kids this summer.

Jumping in ‘Peet’ First! – Mal Peet, Our Author of the Month

Our multi award-winning Author of the Month this month is the brilliant Mal Peet. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Othello, his 2009 novel Exposure (a topical novel about fame and football) won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. His latest title, Life: An Exploded Diagram is an intricate and brilliant coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Cold War that has already garnered fabulous praise.

As part of our Author of the Month category we are featuring all of Mal’s books on the site and all have extracts which you can download and read to see if you like thems.

Guest Editor – Michael Morpurgo

We are delighted to welcome back Michael as our Guest Editor this month. Author of the modern classics War Horse and Why the Whales Came, he is one of the most prolific children’s writers. Perhaps his passion for animals and city farms has given Michael the inspiration for his amazing catalogue of literature for kids of all ages? He has two novels published this month. An Elephant in the Garden is a brilliantly touching novel about a family during the war, who must not only save themselves but also their pet … er … elephant. Little Manfred, again set in wartime, is both heart-warming and heart-breaking with beautiful illustrations from his friend, the phenomenally talented Michael Foreman!

Passionate about encouraging children, Michael has agreed to share with us not only his own favourite books but also his 10 rules for becoming a writer.

First steps – Our Debuts of the Month.

The Boy Who Hated Toothbrushes Zehra Hicks 3+ Vibrant, fun and sparkly book for 3 year olds and up – It’s tooth-love! Download Extract   Buy £8.24 Saving £2.75 (25%)	Duty Calls : Dunkirk James Holland 9+ The realities of an horrific war and the bravery it inspires, through the eyes of an 16 year old soldier. Download Extract   Buy £5.24 Saving £1.75 (25%)
Too Much Trouble Tom Avery 12+ Touching adventure tale of two brothers all alone in the world Download Extract   Buy £4.49 Saving £1.50 (25%)	Starcrossed Josephine Angelini 14+ Haunting epic, where true love must do battle with ancient Gods and their feuds. Download Extract   Buy £5.24 Saving £1.75 (25%)
Forgotten Cat Patrick 14+ What if you could see the future but not remember the past? Download Extract   Buy £5.24 Saving £1.75 (25%)

Green Teens! Exodus, Zenith and Aurora – Our Teen Series of the Month

We love this unique and topical adventure from award-winning author Julie Bertagna, which comes to its brilliant end with the publication of the third in the trilogy, Aurora. In a drowned world, the search for a future is a terrifying fight for survival. The mighty ice caps at the poles are in meltdown, the seas have risen and land has disappeared forever beneath storm-tossed waves…. Exodus, Zenith and Aurora tell the incredible story of young people with the will to make their own new beginnings in the harshest of worlds.

Read to Win! – Our June Competitions

We like nothing more at Lovereading than being able to give books away for free and this month we have some absolutely cracking free prize draws for you to try your luck in! We have already mentioned the 100 copies of Dead Man’s Cove by Lauren St John (get reading now as the sequel is out shortly) and the Read with Biff, Chip and Kipper sets – but did you know that the late Reverend Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, would be 100 this month and we have a £130 set of books up for grabs? Finally fans of I am No 4 and Young Sherlock Holmes should get clicking as well…

The House of Elliott

Talented writer and illustrator Rebecca Elliott knew from an early age that her love of writing and art would fuse together. Her much acclaimed book Zoo Girl (for 3+) is a beautiful picture book blending the appeal of animals with the heart-warming message of friends and family. Also published this month is Sometimes, a touching tale of the love between brother and sister and the overcoming of disability to have a fun-filled life. Click here for more info.

W. Awdry gets his Century!

You may have gathered by now that The Reverend W. Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, would have been 100 on 15 June this year! To celebrate the work of this late, great author and his much loved creation, a 42nd title, by his son Christopher who took up the Thomas baton some years ago, is due for release in tribute.

What’s more, a special centenary box set of Reverend Awdry’s original 26 titles is also out. It’s a must-have – in fact a must for kids and adults alike! We think it’s a great one to give to Dad on Father’s day. We also have one of the amazing £130 boxed sets to give away – so enter the free prize draw today.

Where-wolf? Here Wolf! – Wolven: Bad Wolf Rising

Having given away 100 copies of the first in the Wolven Series by Di Toft, we are big fans of this fun and exciting werewolf series for kids aged 9+. We hope you are too, because the 3rd in the series, Bad Wolf Rising, is out now and is another great adventure for wolven friends, Woody and Nat, as they battle evil and try to stop the rise of a bad wolf-pack. Catch up with the action here…

Well, that’s all for this month. We hope you get great weather and great reading in June and we’ll see you again in sweltering July! Before that, though, don’t forget that Father’s Day is 19 June. We have loads of gift ideas to help you here!

Give Dad a gift he can keep forever.

Happy Reading