Fallen Star Stories

As you may know, I've been working as a childrens bookseller and reviewer for over 10 years. It is a job I love, not the least for the huge number of new and exciting books I get to see published every year. Sometimes, I feel that some of the very best books get lost in the sea of new, exceptional books placed before the world in a constant parade. So, as time passes, we 'forget'...or rather don't point them out as effectively as we could, simply because there are so many really fantastic reads appearing. (Don't get me wrong....that is a very, very good thing.) However, I thought that, as August is half way through now and shortly will come the onslaught of fabulous, brand new kids and YA titles ('tis the season and all that), I'd take a minute to remind myself...and you, dear readers...of a few of the books I've come across in the last decade that I still love, that are still incredible reads, and that the young and young at heart still deserve our undi...

I wanted to take just a moment to remember the incredible Tove Jansson. Jansson was born today, 9th August in 1914 in Finland.  Jansson was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, artist and comic strip author. She went on to give the world some of the most beloved characters of all time, the Moomins. With nearly 30 adult and childrens books to her repertoire, she won over a dozen awards for her work, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1966 for her contribution to childrens literature. The Moomins are some of my favourite books. Magical, gentle, funny and philosophical, each one is an absolute delight. Tove Jansson died on 27 June, 2001 at the age of 86. Thank you, Tove Jansson....and Happy Birthday.

August is upon us and the summer is winding down. While we're all trying to squeeze out the last summer month, I thought I'd post a few suggestions for picture books to share. Reading with your children (regardless of their ages) is so important! The ways in which it helps them are so numerous....not just for educational purposes, but in terms of emotional security and a sense of belonging, nothing can beat it! So here are a few selections for you to consider. Some are old favourites of mine; some are new; all are wonderful for the entire family. 'Wordless' picture books: These are books that everyone will want to spend hours pouring over for their beauty and their storytelling. Flotsam by David Weisner: David Weisner is a genius! This tells the story of a young boy at the beach. He finds an old camera and develops the film inside. The story it tells is pure magic,and when the boy adds his own input...well, the story continues. Journey by Aaron Becker: A young g...

There are few writers today like Patrick Ness. His turn of phrase and unusual gift of expression create powerful, yet subtle novels for young adults. With his latest work, The Rest Of Us Just Live Here due out at the end of August, he has created a unique voice for the ordinary, everyday  teenager. On the cusp of entering the adult world, a group of friends in a small town find themselves the unwitting background for the more dramatic, extraordinary lives of the 'chosen few'...those who have to fight off zombies or vampires or whatever threat of mass extinction is the current thing. This is the story of Mikey, a normal kid who, with his friends, just want to graduate from high school and do normal things before someone or something blows up the high school....again. These kids are just normal; well, everyone except Jared, who just might be a god or something.With some lovely nuanced passages with the very-much-in-the-background adults, comes an implication that perhaps th...

Summer holidays are well and truly under way. The kids are off school, summer camps are up and running, and people are stacking up on books to take on holiday with them...or to have for those days when you just want to relax. Reading in the summer months is so important for children of all ages. And summer is the time when they get to read for pleasure...nothing else. During the school year, there is so much emphasis on reading for school and too many children get the impression that reading is an 'educational activity'. While this may be true, reading is far more. It is an essential life skill. It increases your perception, shows you worlds you would never see otherwise, introduces you to differing concepts and ideas and reduces stress. Regardless of the genre, reading is a brilliant escape that gives you more than you could imagine. Here's a few suggestions for the summer months. The Little Gardener by Emily Hughes Flying Eye Books ISBN: 9781909263437 An enchanti...