Author Archives: Daisy May Johnson

The Morning Gift : Eva Ibbotson

The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was thinking about The Morning Gift this morning, this strange, heightened, musical book full of grace and elegance and wry sentences that curl in on themselves with sudden witticisms and side-remarks, and I was reminded about how good Eva Ibbotson can be.Continue reading “The Morning Gift : Eva Ibbotson”

Apple and Rain : Sarah Crossan

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan My rating: 5 of 5 stars The great grace of Crossan’s writing was made very clear with her debut, the quite beautiful The Weight of Water , and Apple and Rain is of a similar precise and graceful ilk. It is a very, very beautiful book. Elegant, subtle andContinue reading “Apple and Rain : Sarah Crossan”

2014 : The year of the paradigm shift?

Was 2014 the year children’s literature made itself known? Whilst there’s an obvious issue in such a grandiloquent statement (viz. children’s literature has always been ‘known’, etc, etc) I do think there’s something in that idea and this is going to be the blog post where I attempt to unpack that sentiment. In other words,Continue reading “2014 : The year of the paradigm shift?”

Pea’s Book of Big Dreams : Susie Day

Pea’s Book of Big Dreams by Susie Day My rating: 5 of 5 stars The more I read of the Pea books, the more I keep being reminded of how they are a very quiet classic in the world of British children’s literature today. They have an almost palpable heritage of the Casson family, NoelContinue reading “Pea’s Book of Big Dreams : Susie Day”

#kidbkgrp Christmas in Children’s Literature

Last night, #kidbkgrp met to discuss Christmas in children’s literature and came up with what is officially a mahoosive and rather amazing list of Christmas book recommendations. You can catch up on the chat here  and here’s a link to previous chats. This is usually the bit where I tell you about the next chat, but that’sContinue reading “#kidbkgrp Christmas in Children’s Literature”

Corpse Talk : Adam T Murphy

Corpse Talk by Murphy, Adam My rating: 5 of 5 stars Corpse Talk is lovely. That’s an odd thing to say about a series of comics situated around the idea of the creator, Adam Murphy, interviewing various corpses that have been dug up. The corpses are all famous people such as Marie Antoinette, Henry VII,Continue reading “Corpse Talk : Adam T Murphy”

Department 19 – Zero Hour : Will Hill

Zero Hour by Will Hill My rating: 5 of 5 stars This wildly vivid and intense addition to the Zero Hour series by Will Hill basically re-defines nerve-shredding. Department 19 is standing against the darkness. The problem is that the thin red line that they provide is getting thinner by the day and now thatContinue reading “Department 19 – Zero Hour : Will Hill”

Atomic Sheep : Sally Jane Thompson

Atomic Sheep by Sally Jane Thompson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This quiet graphic novel is a rather beautiful thing. I came across it after tweeting that I was visiting Thought Bubble and if you were writing comics which feature boarding schools then I’d be really interested to see them. Because, and I grantContinue reading “Atomic Sheep : Sally Jane Thompson”

A couple of thoughts on Mockingjay Part One and the nature of heroism

I’m conscious that this is a children’s literature blog and I don’t want to start segueing off into telling you about what I had for dinner or things like that, but I do want to tell you a little bit about Mockingjay Part One. The film is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ novel Mockingjay (partContinue reading “A couple of thoughts on Mockingjay Part One and the nature of heroism”

“Only the Other could write my love story, my novel”

Sometimes there are moments when I realise how much I love story. Storying. Telling something to somebody else, nobody else, just telling a story to the world and hoping, knowing, longing that somebody will hear. Just telling. Telling. It is all in the telling and the shaping and the forming and the making, making, making.Continue reading ““Only the Other could write my love story, my novel””

A Children’s Literature Tour of Great Britain : Mark West

A Children’s Literature Tour of Great Britain by Mark I. West My rating: 3 of 5 stars West’s tour of Great Britain from a children’s literature perspective both satisfies and frustrates in fairly equal measure. What interests me about this book is the palpable tension between the nature of such a guide and the literatureContinue reading “A Children’s Literature Tour of Great Britain : Mark West”

Indigo’s Star : Hilary McKay

Indigo’s Star by Hilary McKay My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the second in the Casson Family series by Hilary McKay. It reads well as a standalone (an understatement, it reads perfectly and joyously and richly, like the best slice of cake at the best possible time on the best possible day) butContinue reading “Indigo’s Star : Hilary McKay”

#kidbkgrp recap : Picture Books

Last night #kidbkgrp (and lots of lovely new Tweeters – welcome!) met to chat about picture books. Picture books are one of my great literary loves and so basically I spent the chat going “YES!” at every title suggested. There are a *lot* of lovely books recommended in this chat so it’s definitely worth having aContinue reading “#kidbkgrp recap : Picture Books”

Endangered and More Strange Stories : Art Heroes

I am going to be attending Thought Bubble soon. (Which is exciting, no? I do love me some conventions. Last time I attended one, aaages ago, my friend and I spoke to Paul Cornell and asked him to stop making stories which make us cry. We saw Paul leave shortly after. No connection, I promiseContinue reading “Endangered and More Strange Stories : Art Heroes”

A Little Princess : Frances Hodgson Burnett

A Little Princess; being the whole story of Sara Crewe now told for the first time by Frances Hodgson Burnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Where to begin with Sara Crewe and her magical story of hope and dreams and imagination? Where to begin with this story full of richness, of sweetness, of grace,Continue reading “A Little Princess : Frances Hodgson Burnett”

Let’s talk a little bit about adults and children’s literature

I’ve been doing a PhD (is that the right phrase? Do you do this sort of a thing?) for nearly a month now and so far my brain has resembled one of those Stretch Armstrong dolls I always wanted but never got for one reason or another. You can sort of feel the moments when everythingContinue reading “Let’s talk a little bit about adults and children’s literature”

Belzhar : Meg Wolitzer

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer My rating: 3 of 5 stars It’s difficult for me this book, and it’s one that I’ve put aside for a good few days before writing this review. My feelings are complicated and I hope to understand the complexities and tensions of that response through this review. So, let’s begin atContinue reading “Belzhar : Meg Wolitzer”

War Girls : A Collection of First World War stories through the eyes of young women

War Girls by Adèle Geras My rating: 5 of 5 stars I begin this review by telling you that this compilation, this collection of stories about World War One is one of the better (if not the best) book I have read this year and I am greedy for more. The authors that have contributedContinue reading “War Girls : A Collection of First World War stories through the eyes of young women”

A few thoughts on reading out loud

Now that I’m an official PhD student, I am officially researching children’s literature. It is terrifying, awe-inducing and a privilege, all at the same time. It’s letting my mind race, hugely, nervously, tentatively, into odd places and to self-indulgent places because I’m able to do what I enjoy. And what I enjoy is talking about books. Children’sContinue reading “A few thoughts on reading out loud”

Jo of the Chalet School : Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

Jo of the Chalet School by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s very little to say about the early Chalet School books other than to rhapsodise over how awfully lovely they are. And they are. They are like snow on the day when you don’t have to go to school. There’sContinue reading “Jo of the Chalet School : Elinor M. Brent-Dyer”

Awards and children’s literature

Last night #kidbkgrp talked about awards and children’s literature. It was a very brief and quiet chat as there weren’t many people online (my thanks to those who were around!). I therefore decided that the chat as a whole wasn’t worth storifying but, as I do think this is a topic worth pursuing, I decided toContinue reading “Awards and children’s literature”

No and Me : Delphine de Vigan

No And Me by Delphine de Vigan My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s a strange book ‘No and Me’ as it’s one which didn’t really get me until the end. Written originally in French and translated into English, it is full of eloquent and heartbeat like moments that sort of somehow just are, untilContinue reading “No and Me : Delphine de Vigan”

I registered this blog five years ago today

When I started this blog, I started it out of a sort of desperate urge to do something with children’s literature. I wanted to talk about it, to someone. To anyone. I wanted to share this great love of books and find others that loved the same sort of thing. I wanted to connect,  IContinue reading “I registered this blog five years ago today”

Wolf Brother : Michelle Paver

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Torak woke with a jolt from a sleep he’d never meant to have” This, the opener to Paver’s stone age saga, sets the scene instantly and does so with a great and vivid grace. This sentence. This book. This story, this richness of story,Continue reading “Wolf Brother : Michelle Paver”

The Sixth Form at St Clare’s : Pamela Cox

The Sixth Form at St. Clare’s by Pamela Cox My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thanks to my local charity shop, I recently picked up a batch of the Pamela Cox fill-in titles for both St Clare’s and Malory Towers and was a bit fascinated to see what I thought of them. I’d registered thatContinue reading “The Sixth Form at St Clare’s : Pamela Cox”

Worrals of the W.A.A.F : W.E Johns

Worrals of the W.A.A.F. by W.E. Johns My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve heard a lot about Worrals over the years. It’s a title I’ve sort of brushed into contact with, having read a lot of Girlsown, and so, when I received an email telling me that it was being reprinted by IndieBooks LimitedContinue reading “Worrals of the W.A.A.F : W.E Johns”

#kidbkgrp Historical Children’s Literature

Last night, #kidbkgrp met on Twitter and talked about historical children’s literature. It’s a big old topic so I was interested to see what was said! We covered periods of history we wanted more books about (publishers / authors – if you’ve got anything about the Russian Revolution, do stick your hand up now?) andContinue reading “#kidbkgrp Historical Children’s Literature”

The Manifesto On How To Be Interesting : Holly Bourne

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne My rating: 5 of 5 stars As Joss Whedon so rightly said, “High school is, among other things, … always, always about power.” (From here.) And as ABBA said: “The Winner takes it all.” Two drastically different authorial voices but both, I think, bearing relevanceContinue reading “The Manifesto On How To Be Interesting : Holly Bourne”

The Chalet School In The Oberland : Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

The Chalet School in the Oberland by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer My rating: 4 of 5 stars Coming back to the Chalet School after some time away is the most comforting of things. Whilst my books have been in storage, I’ve been relying on public libraries and second hand bookshops and the odd, hysteria-inducing car bootContinue reading “The Chalet School In The Oberland : Elinor M. Brent-Dyer”

The Rights of the Reader : Daniel Pennac

A few quick words of introduction for this one. I’ve been looking at art books all this week and I wondered whether to include The Rights Of The Reader in that. And I think that I can (well, that’s self-evident what with this post existing and all) but to be more precise, I think thatContinue reading “The Rights of the Reader : Daniel Pennac”

How artists see feelings : Colleen Carroll

How Artists See: Feelings: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Love by Colleen Carroll My rating: 3 of 5 stars ‘How Artists See Feelings’ covers a series of artworks separated under the headings of: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Love. Under each heading, Carroll presents a simple spread of the artwork on one side and a little piece of textContinue reading “How artists see feelings : Colleen Carroll”

Framed : Frank Cottrell Boyce

Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce My rating: 4 of 5 stars I adore Frank Cottrell Boyce. Millions, to me, remains one of the great pieces of perfect children’s literature. It is the book that I would have written if I could, if it had not already been written to such perfection beforehand. Framed is aContinue reading “Framed : Frank Cottrell Boyce”

What is Contemporary Art? A Children’s Guide : Jacky and Suzy Klein

What Is Contemporary Art? a Guide for Kids by Jacky Klein My rating: 4 of 5 stars I didn’t know much about contemporary art for a long time. I didn’t know that it even existed, in a way. I tought art and I thought about the traditional images of art; the oil paintings on theContinue reading “What is Contemporary Art? A Children’s Guide : Jacky and Suzy Klein”

The Five Senses : Hervé Tullet

The Five Senses by Hervé Tullet My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been unpacking a lot of my books recently from eternal storage and amidst the general delight of rediscovering old favourites and all the Angela Brazils that I couldn’t remember I had, was this beautiful little book. Tullet’s introduction to the five sensesContinue reading “The Five Senses : Hervé Tullet”

The Boy Who Fell Into A Book : The Joy of Book-Based Theatre

Children’s books are a funny, beloved thing of mine. I love how they are so resolutely what they are; I love the shape and feel and taste of them, the way that they are so viciously of themselves and will not be of something else. But equally, I love the way that sometimes you getContinue reading “The Boy Who Fell Into A Book : The Joy of Book-Based Theatre”

Shelves! Shelves with books!

I always love it when people share photographs of their bookshelves because I do the whole squinting at the page/screen thing and try to figure out what they have on their shelves. Seriously, I even do it on magazines when I’m meant to be focusing on who’s got married to who; all I’m interested inContinue reading “Shelves! Shelves with books!”

#kidbkgrp – Boundaries and responsibilities in children’s literature

Last night we talked about boundaries and responsibilities in children’s literature. It’s a bit of a vague topic but one that has a lot of relevance for children’s books and the world of reading / publishing in general. Children’s books are defined by adults for children and very rarely the other way round. Therefore weContinue reading “#kidbkgrp – Boundaries and responsibilities in children’s literature”

Have you heard of #kidbkgrp ?

Hi! Do we talk on Twitter? If not, we really should (say hi, you know you want to). (But, you know, say it with some context and not just hi, because then I’ll just hi back and that will not be constructive in the whole beginning a conversation thing and now I’m digressing just aContinue reading “Have you heard of #kidbkgrp ?”

“Language is a skin : I rub my language against the other”

“Language is a skin: I rub my language against the other. It is as if I had words instead of fingers, or fingers at the tip of my words. My language trembles with desire.” – Roland Barthes Barthes was one of the first people I found who said what I wanted to say about language and whoContinue reading ““Language is a skin : I rub my language against the other””

An introduction to the school story – ten titles to begin your reading journey

So you know I have a bit of a thing for school stories, right? Just in case that comes as a bit of an awful surprise to you, you’re either new (in which case, hi!) or haven’t been paying attention (in which case, remedial prep for you and Antoinette will bring ‘anchovy’ toast to yourContinue reading “An introduction to the school story – ten titles to begin your reading journey”

Tribes, reading and the nature of identity (and a lot about horses)

I don’t understand you. I don’t. I can’t. Your experience is not mine, mine is not yours. I can gain empathy with you. I can share common ground. But I can never, ever fully understand the experience that is your life. I don’t understand your childhood. I understand my childhood, I understand spending every SaturdayContinue reading “Tribes, reading and the nature of identity (and a lot about horses)”

Three Indian Goddesses : Jamila Gavin

Three Indian Goddesses. Jamila Gavin by Jamila Gavin My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really love Jamila Gavin. I love the elegance of her writing, the quiet subtlety of it and the way she tells rich and layered stories that never quite do what you expect them to do. This slim compilation of threeContinue reading “Three Indian Goddesses : Jamila Gavin”

The Bunker Diary : Kevin Brooks

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Bunker Diary won the Carnegie this year, and, almost immediately, got a lot of less than favourable media coverage. Articles ranged from calling The Bunker Diary‘vile and dangerous’, through to other critics ‘refusing to review it’. Vulpes Libris have an excellent roundContinue reading “The Bunker Diary : Kevin Brooks”

Chicken Clicking : Jeanne Willis & Tony Ross

Chicken Clicking is a picture book from the amazing pairing of Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross. The back catalogue of these two authors is a solidly joyous thing, so I was very pleased to receive this from Andersen Press for review. It’s a joy, really. I like wallowing in picture books. I like it when they’reContinue reading “Chicken Clicking : Jeanne Willis & Tony Ross”

#kidbkgrp recap – Re/reading classic children’s literature

Last night, we talked about re/reading classic children’s literature. It’s a topic that seems perenially interesting when you apply it to children’s literature, and it’s a topic which is perenially difficult to actually define. What is a classic? Who decides a classic? Can classic status be revoked? How do books become classics? And how doContinue reading “#kidbkgrp recap – Re/reading classic children’s literature”

The Wilderness of Children’s Literature

“Let the wild rumpus start!”  – Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are What is children’s literature right now? Is it vile and dangerous?  Is it something that adults shouldn’t even be reading at all? I don’t want to tell you about what you should and shouldn’t read. But what I will do is this.  I will support you in makingContinue reading “The Wilderness of Children’s Literature”

The Secret Garden : Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Secret Garden is a glorious, wonderful book. For a book published over one hundred years ago (1910), I am surprised at how readable and how genuinely heartwarming it is. There’s a richness to this story that survives and thrives even withContinue reading “The Secret Garden : Frances Hodgson Burnett”

Binny for Short : Hilary McKay

Binny for Short by Hilary McKay My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s hard to write about family, I think sometimes. It’s a thing that a lot of people do for families, in their odd and pained and viciously real shapes, are part of all our lives and they are something which remain intensely personal.Continue reading “Binny for Short : Hilary McKay”

Olivia’s First Term : Lyn Gardner

Olivia’s First Term by Lyn Gardner My rating: 4 of 5 stars Oh it’s taken me too long to get to this book. I first heard about Olivia’s First Term a fair while ago, reading descriptions and reviews which referenced the glorious heights of Ballet Schools (coughpetrovaruleseverythingcough) and I thought – I need to readContinue reading “Olivia’s First Term : Lyn Gardner”

Girl With a White Dog : Anne Booth

Girl With a White Dog by Anne Booth My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s always difficult reading and reviewing books by people that you ‘know’ and I do know Anne. I’ve talked with her a lot on Twitter about children’s literature, and I have a lot of time for her thoughtful articulacy. So youContinue reading “Girl With a White Dog : Anne Booth”

Hi So Much : Laura Dockrill

Hi So Much by Laura Dockrill My rating: 4 of 5 stars I keep coming across books which make me convinced that British children’s literature is experiencing a little bit of a golden age right now. Hi So Much, the second in the Darcy Burdock series, helped confirm that feeling. Vivid with voice and fullContinue reading “Hi So Much : Laura Dockrill”

You shouldn’t read this post

You shouldn’t read this post. You shouldn’t read this blog. You shouldn’t read this for the simple reason that I am telling you not to read it. Are you still reading? You shouldn’t. You shouldn’t have this tab open. You shouldn’t still have the internet. You shouldn’t have your device switched on.  What I amContinue reading “You shouldn’t read this post”

Pea’s Book of Holidays : Susie Day

Pea’s Book of Holidays by Susie Day My rating: 5 of 5 stars When I finished this, all I could think was: “I don’t read enough of Susie Day’s books.” These Pea books are glorious, wondrous things, full of heart and love and I am still glowing with the post-reading feeling several days later. IContinue reading “Pea’s Book of Holidays : Susie Day”

Only Remembered : Michael Morpurgo

Only Remembered: Powerful Words and Pictures About the War That Changed our World by Michael Morpurgo My rating: 4 of 5 stars There are a lot of books out at the moment to do with the first world war. I’ve been privileged to review several of them, and when I saw this on NetGalley IContinue reading “Only Remembered : Michael Morpurgo”

#kidbkgrp recap: Diversity and Children’s Literature

So last night (and a little bit of today – hurrah for afterchats!), we talked about diversity and children’s literature. Now, it’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these (due to Life And That), so it was a quiet slide back into the groove. I loved it. It was good to beContinue reading “#kidbkgrp recap: Diversity and Children’s Literature”

The Case of the Exploding Loo : Rachel Hamilton

The Case of the Exploding Loo by Rachel Hamilton My rating: 4 of 5 stars Reading and reviewing humorous books for children is always difficult. Reading and reviewing any humorous book is always different because humour is so intensely personal, and it’s always tempting to conflate your viewpoint with that of the intended audience. IContinue reading “The Case of the Exploding Loo : Rachel Hamilton”

The Paper Dolls – Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb

The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Julia Donaldson’s one of the big names of picture books, and I was excited to see The Paper Dolls where she teams up with the estimable Rebecca Cobb. If you don’t know Cobb’s work, it’s lovely. I’m a big fan of her styleContinue reading “The Paper Dolls – Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb”

Claude on the Slopes : Alex T Smith

Claude on the Slopes by Alex T Smith My rating: 5 of 5 stars I adore these books, I truly do. The witty, warm illustrations coupled with a mischievous dog and his best friend – Sir Bobblysock – combine to make beautiful books. Claude on the Slopes is no exception. I love the round richnessContinue reading “Claude on the Slopes : Alex T Smith”

I swim to literature and grab it, finger-tight and breathless

I am moving house at the moment. Not literally, I hasten to add. I am not typing this from a laptop balanced on my knee somewhere on the M1. I am moving in a few days and I type this surrounded by boxes and bags and the remains of Things Which Should Not Be MovedContinue reading “I swim to literature and grab it, finger-tight and breathless”

Missing Mummy – Rebecca Cobb

Missing Mummy by Rebecca Cobb My rating: 5 of 5 stars Books about bereavement are a big interest to me and I collate ones that I come across in a reading list. I am such a fan of Rebecca Cobb’s work and this book is beautiful.One of the things I think Cobb does really wellContinue reading “Missing Mummy – Rebecca Cobb”

Viking Boy : Tony Bradman

Viking Boy by Tony Bradman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Viking Boy is the coming of age story of Gunnar, whose peaceful life on his family steading is shattered forever by raiders. As his father dies, protecting his family, and his mother is taken prisoner by the raiders Gunnar swears a blood oath toContinue reading “Viking Boy : Tony Bradman”

Mr Drew’s School For Boys

If you would like to watch something thoroughly wonderful, then may I recommend this? Mr Drew’s School for Boys is a series which started last night on Channel Four. It featured one of the best and most glorious adverts for the power of libraries that I have seen in a long time. Make sure to tryContinue reading “Mr Drew’s School For Boys”

Do you wanna build a library?

Do you wanna fill it full of books? Do you wanna make it so, that every child who comes in won’t know where to look? But where would you begin? It’s hard to know how to ‘start’ a library when there’s so much in the world of children’s literature and there’s so much of itContinue reading “Do you wanna build a library?”

Archie’s War – Marcia Williams

Archie’s War by Marcia Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been planning to review more non-fiction on the blog for a while. A lot of it stems from inspiration provided by conversations with my peers both on and off, and the slightly uncomfortable awareness that non-fiction is something I very, rarely cover. AContinue reading “Archie’s War – Marcia Williams”

Stories of World War One : (ed) Tony Bradman

Stories of World War One by Tony (Comp) Bradman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I first heard of this compilation several weeks ago and the names of those involved made me sit up and pay attention. Anything which features Adele Geras is something great and joyful to me. Anything which features Adele Geras, JamilaContinue reading “Stories of World War One : (ed) Tony Bradman”

Happy Birthday Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

It’s hard sometimes to quantify the influence that Brent-Dyer has had on my life. Clearly there are the obvious factors, such as my longing for every doctor to be both good in a crisis and rather dashing (and also a solid lump of comfort), and the fact that I now know enough German to order coffee andContinue reading “Happy Birthday Elinor M. Brent-Dyer”

Follow the people who say “Morpurgo” – a day out @oxfordlitfest

I went to Oxford Literary Festival yesterday. For those of you who may have missed it, I’m a bit smitten with Oxford. It’s one of those cities where which sort of beats with story and history – it’s a fascinating and oddly humbling place. The first event I went to was an event with Kevin Crossley-HollandContinue reading “Follow the people who say “Morpurgo” – a day out @oxfordlitfest”

Dancer’s Luck : Lorna Hill

Dancer’s Luck by Lorna Hill My rating: 3 of 5 stars The second of one of Lorna Hill’s ‘other’ series, Dancer’s Luck is a fascinating read to somebody very much entrenched in the Well books. You’ll have to forgive me if I make any faux pas about this series as Dancer’s Luck is my introductionContinue reading “Dancer’s Luck : Lorna Hill”

Murder Most Unladylike : Robin Stevens

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens My rating: 5 of 5 stars You may know by now that I have a thing for school stories. School stories are one of the great joys of children’s literature in that they do what they do so well. They tell a story in a frame which is familiarContinue reading “Murder Most Unladylike : Robin Stevens”

“Nobody needs me” – “I do.” A few thoughts on space, relationships and children’s literature

Catching Fire is one of those films that I fear I might be thinking about for a long time. It aches inside of me and I love it. I love the furious pain of Jennifer Lawrence in it (that end shot!). The layers beyond layers of story and doublespeak and intrigue. The beautiful honesty ofContinue reading ““Nobody needs me” – “I do.” A few thoughts on space, relationships and children’s literature”

Voice in children’s literature : Power, space and place

One of the big things I’m passionate about (and you may have gathered this) is the demystification of children’s literature. Of literature, really, of the breaking down of the fear of it and the awe of it and the preconceptions of it. Doing my MA in Children’s Literature (with the rather superb department at Roehampton)Continue reading “Voice in children’s literature : Power, space and place”

The Everest Files : Matt Dickinson

The Everest Files by Matt Dickinson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really like what Matt Dickinson does. I think he’s in the process of carving out a sort of modern Hardy Boys / Biggles esque niche; a sort of very ‘boys own’ adventure style reinterpreted for the modern era. I had a lotContinue reading “The Everest Files : Matt Dickinson”

Interplay in ‘the yes’ by Sarah Bee and Satoshi Kitamura

I have been aching to do another picture book in depth post for a while now. Whilst I know picture books aren’t the main focus of this blog, they are one of my great and genuine joys and they are something very, very important. Picture books are our introduction to literacy. They’re read by usContinue reading “Interplay in ‘the yes’ by Sarah Bee and Satoshi Kitamura”

Rooftoppers : Katherine Rundell

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell My rating: 5 of 5 stars Found floating in a cello case in the English Channel after a shipwreck, Sophie is adopted by Charles; a beautiful, good, eccentric and lovely character. Together the two of them live their oddly lovely life, acceptable to them but unacceptable to the authorities who eventuallyContinue reading “Rooftoppers : Katherine Rundell”

Roofs in children’s literature

Let’s talk about roofs. Niche, I know, but something that’s sort of starting to needle at my imagination and what with a visit to Oxford yesterday, and my current reading of (the incredibly lovely) Rooftoppers, I thought it was an appropriate time to explore this. See, the thing about roofs is that they’re inacessible, usually.Continue reading “Roofs in children’s literature”

The Child’s Elephant : Rachel Campbell-Johnston

The Child’s Elephant by Rachel Campbell-Johnston My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s a couple of things I need to acknowledge about my reading of The Child’s Elephant and it’s those that influence my rating and feelings around the book. This is a glorious big book, but it’s also resolutely a book of two halvesContinue reading “The Child’s Elephant : Rachel Campbell-Johnston”