Wilma’s painting from Wilma’s Magic hat It is my privilege to have Philippa Rae on my…
Gill James
Ottoline and the Purple Fox by Chris Riddell
Ottoline is an interesting character. She lives alone though is cared for by servants. She is…
New 2 June 2019
Exciting new enterprises I ran my first editing workshop last week. I really enjoyed…
The Bride’s Farewell by Meg Rosoff
Pell Ridley does not want to marry the “boy next door”, the boy she has known…
Do You Have a Submissions Strategy?
If you don’t submit, you can’t be rejected. But you can’t get published either. Rejection is…
The Children of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen
2017, Teen, Key Stage 3, ages 10-13, lower secondary, Holocaust There are so many different ways…
News 2 May 2019
Endings and Beginnings Well our house move is getting ever nearer. Considering that there is…
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, lower secodnary, upper secondary, ages 11-13, ages 14-17, YA, teen, …
Nasty by Michael Rosen
click on image to see on Amazon 2009, fluent reader, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3,…
Maximum Ride by James Patterson
2007, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, ages 10-13, lower secondary, This is a fast-paced…
News 5 March 2019
We have now found a house to buy and fingers crossed it all goes through quickly.…
Cat Tales (Smoke Cat) by Linda Newberry
This a one in a series of stories about cats. Further subtitles are: The Cat with…
Secrets of the fearless by Elizabeth Laird
Click on image to view on Amazon 2005, fluent reader, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3,…
Jiddy Vardy by Ruth Estevez
Jiddy Vardy by Ruth Estevez Click on image to view on Amazon 2018, YA,…
News 1 February 2019
Well that’s January done On a personal level I have to report that yesterday we…
Keeping track of ideas
“Where do your ideas come from?” That used to be the question I dreaded getting when…
Theodore Boone The Fugitive by John Grisham
2015, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, ages 9-13, upper primary, lower secondary, fluent reader I…
The Writer as Reader
My history as a reader I’ve always loved reading and I’ve always been fascinated by…
News 1 January 2019
Welcome 2019 There is always something hopeful about a new year. This time however there’s…
The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson
2000, fluent reader, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, ages 9-11, ages 10-13 The first person…
Authorpreneurs
These have been around for a while I’m thinking, but the word has only recently been…
Wed Wabbit by Lissa Evans
2017, fluent reader, Key Stage 2, upper primary, ages 9-11 This is a proper book. …
The Tracey Beaker Trilogy by Jacqueline Wilson
2006, Key Stage 2, ages 9-11, fluent reader, upper primary For all Tracy Beaker fans…
Endings – getting them right
I’m currently working on my second edit of my fourth Peace Child novel. I call this…