Children’s Books Ireland have announced the launch of Ireland’s first Children’s Laureate – Laureate na nÓg. (more…)

Lego has always been a favourite – but what comes next is just… well… Have a look Mike Foy’s Lego creations and decide what they are:

And while I’m talking Lego – have a look at the The Force Unleashed (a stop motion entry for a bricksinmotion.com competition)

The folks at Nosy Crow asked what boys (6 – 9)  really liked to find in a book. And the answer?

The future, big zappers – as in weapons (shush, nothing rude) and outer space. Sabre-toothed tigers, Roman soldiers and loos/poos all featured on the list too.

You can see the full list of what boys like (at least the 23 who answered the q’s) over at nosycrow.com

Pighog Press are searching for new writers of children’s fiction to feature in a new anthology to be published later this year. (The competition is only open to writers living in Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent.)

Application forms are at pighog.co.uk and deadline for entries is 31st March 2010.

The new Iron Man 2 looks good.

This post is filed under ‘because I can’.

Did anyone else notice what happened last week?

It was the first time in well over two years that there were no vampires in the top ranked best sellers lists in USA Today and the NYT.

/That is all/

iBbY Ireland are hosting a night with Eoin Colfer and PJ Lynch tomorrow at 6pm (Wednesday, 10 March) to honour the buckos as nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2010.

Both Eoin and PJ will give a short presentation on their work as well as taking questions, chatting to folks and to introduce the iBbY Honour Book Nominees for 2010 Mary Finn, Treasa Ní Bhrua, Áine Ní Ghlinn and Andrew Whitson.

Proceeds from the night go to iBbY Haiti’s Children in Crisis fund. (Find out more here)

Oliver Jeffers – the inimitable creator of some very brilliant picturebooks (and one book-eating pop-up) is set to take over the world in 2012.

Following the release of his current title The Heart and the Bottle, and another picturebook later this year (featuring boy and penguin from Lost and Found) – Oliver has just signed a whopping deal with HarperCollins to release a 4 book series based on the Hueys (a group of quirky creatures with a left of-centre humour).

The Hueys will launch in 2012 and be supported by a high impact, multiplatform marketing campaign targeting parents and their children alongside a high profile PR campaign that will include two visits per year by Oliver to his creative home in the UK from his current base in New York.

Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze have come up something special – a rare, intimate, and unexpected look at Sendak’s exceptional life. The documentary features James Gandolfini, Meryl Streep, Catherine Keener, and Tony Kushner amongst others honoring one of the most controversial US children’s authors.

Check out the clips from VBS for more. (Or click here to buy it now)

Amanda Craig has a scathing look at celebrities seeking repentance by writing children’s fiction – including Fergie and Jordan. Kas Quinn’s The Queen Must Die sparks the conversation – “it is not a work of genius but it is fun.”

If you haven’t yet – have a look at Amanda’s video!

Wondering why iPad is getting so much press? Have a look at what Penguin Books’ CEO John Makinson revealed as some of the upcoming features from Penguin’s iPad tests.

The iPad represents the first real opportunity to create a paid distribution model that will be attractive to consumers. The psychology of payment on tablets is different to the psychology on a PC.

But Penguin’s thinking bigger than just the one device. Makinson said he sees ebooks hitting 10 percent of book sales next year (it’s currently four percent in the U.S. and Penguin’s ebook sales)

Including – Spot, Vampire Academy and more:

Plenty of interesting bits from the papers – children’s lit, reviews, publishing news and beyond:

The Observer Food blog looks at what is being eaten in children’s lit -

What food do you remember from children’s books? Were you discouraged from eating it, or have you spotted any hidden messages you didn’t notice when you were younger?

Captain America is being revived – and the possible plotlines are being leaked left, right and online.

Linda Buckley-Archer reviews Kas Quinn’s The Queen Must Die while Geraldine Brennan reads Kate Saunders’ Beswtiched.

a highly readable novel which combines wit and charm with hidden depths. – Geraldine Brennan on Beswitched.

Amanda Craig reviews Diana Wynne Jones’ Enchanted Glass and Jaclyn Dolamore’s Magic Under Glass.

Glass is such a part of fairytales that it’s surprising that it hasn’t appeared in children’s fiction more often. Where would Cinderella be without her glass slipper? What about the glass coffin in Snow White, and the heart of glass that numerous princesses suffer from — let alone the mirrors that guide wicked queens or questing princes? – Amanda Craig.

Imogen Russell Williams looks at doors to other places and… their place in the realm of children’s lit.

Nicolette Jones and Anthony Horowitz kick up a storm in the Times UK.

Helen Rumbelow reads Delphine de Vigan’s No and Me (translated by George Millar)

a highly readable novel which combines wit and charm with hidden depths. – Helen Rumbelow

The Times Bite Back has some highlights from the Oxford Literary Festival.

Publishers Weekly has a complete list of who is publishing what this Spring.

Burton’s Alice in Wonderland gets some more press as it opens across the UK and Ireland this weekend.

Shane Hegarty asks the question – is closing a bookshop akin to knocking down a unicorn?

Alison Flood has a look at the interactive graphic novel of Macbeth.

And finally – yesterday kicked off Read an e-book Week. Find out more in the Independent UK.

The NYT Carpetbagger featured Irish animators on Wednesday – and the lasting affect that Don Bluth (An American Tail and The Land Before Time) left on the animantion training in Ireland.

And the carpetbagger seems to be something of fan – with details of the US release for Secret of Kells.

All that’s left is to cross some fingers and look forward to hearing Granny’s dulcet tones across the Kodak theatre.

Shirley Hughes has chosen her top 10 picture book character – with a short, but very concise, introduction to picturebooks and why they are important:

With picture books small children can see themselves as readers long before they have learned to decipher the text. They turn the pages with relish, exploring the plot through the illustrations with tremendous concentration. They are learning how to look, rather than being passively overwhelmed by fast moving electronic imagery. Little wonder then, that the great heroes and heroines of picture books are among the world’s best remembered fictional characters

Fungus is up there on top of Hughes’ list (he’s a bogeyman). Ginger cat, Olivia pig and that VERY hungry caterpillar are named too. With Babar, the Moomins and Captain Haddock all pulling up the rear.

But where is Spot? Pigeon? Curious George? Madeline? Horton? Lyle Crocodile? Maisy? Max and the Wild Things? Or Peter Rabbit?

Can I hear some votes? Who is the interwebs’ favourite character?

As reported sometime back in November – when the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award shortlist was announced – there would be a winner in March 2010. And that day was yesterday!

The shortlist included Frank Cottrell Boyce, Harriet Goodwin , Ali Sparkes, Daren King, Emily Gravett and Guy Bass.

As part of a special episode of Blue Peter broadcast yesterday, Ali Sparkes‘ Frozen in Time was announced as the winner of the ‘ultimate accolade’ in honour of World Book Day.

I really think the Blue Peter Children’s Book Award is the children’s author’s Oscar and I know a lot of my author friends agree. All they’ve been able to say since they heard I was shortlisted is “Will you get a Blue Peter badge? Will you get a badge?!” – Ali Sparkes

Frozen in Time picked up the award for the ‘Book I Couldn’t Put Down’ prize too. While Guy Bass’ Dinkin Dings and the Frightening Things stole the ‘Most Fun Story With Pictures; prize, and Why Eating Bogeys Is Good For You by Mitchell Symons nabbed the ‘Best Book With Facts’ prize.

Find out more about the awards on booktrust.org.uk

Happy World Book Day! Bookshops, libraries, schools, organisations, writers and readers are celebrating around the country today (and throughout March) with all sorts of shenanigans including bookcrossings!

This year the WBD folks are to trying turn Ireland into a library for the day. Using bookcrossing.com WBD are are asking everyone to leave copies of books in public places for anyone else to come across -  particiapating authors will be including dedicated messages in their book to whoever picks it up.

You can track your book online through bookcrossing.com and (potentially) see it passed from person to person to person.

Sound interesting? Find out more here.

Happy World Book Day! Bookshops, libraries, schools, organisations, writers and readers are celebrating around the country today (and throughout March) with all sorts of shenanigans including reading to a hundred thousand kids!

Renaissance Learning are working with the WBD folks to promote the Read to a Million Kids, using the free National Book Tokens that go to every primary school kid in the country. The book tokens are redeemable against one of a series of specially produced World Book Day books. (This year there are six flip books)

This year all of the authors from the books will be broadcast reading their books and available,  exclusively to schools and libraries, over at readtoamillionkids.co.uk. Check out Gillian Perdue reading An Buachaill Bó and Marian Broderick reading The Witch Apprentice – taken from the Irish flip book!

Sound interesting? Find out more here.

Happy World Book Day! Bookshops, libraries, schools, organisations, writers and readers are celebrating around the country today (and throughout March) with all sorts of shenanigans including Bring a Book, Buy a Book.

Boys are clearly reading nearly as much as girls, a finding that may surprise some onlookers. But boys are tending to read easier books than girls. The general picture was of girls reading books of a consistently more difficult level than boys in the same year. – Professor Keith Topping, of the University of Dundee’s school of education.

A report, published by the University of Dundee’s school of education has announced that the gap in boys reading habits is most prominent between 13 and 16.

Topping the reading list in the girls category was Twilight (Stephanie Meyer) while the boys prefferred The Dark Never Hides (Peter Lancett).

As with adult reading, kids will not always read to the limit of their ability,” Professor Topping said. “Even high-achieving readers do not challenge themselves enough as they grow older.

Random House are looking to expand the talents of their writers beyond the simple elements of the printed page. In the search for new revenue streams (aka following the money) and seeing the increase for sophisticated storytelling and immersive gaming – Random are looking to create video games.

In fact – Random House are looking to their own authors to write storylines, as well as write books to coincide with the games. (Developing their current wing of video game fiction at Del Rey, which all ready publishes video game novels)

“Poor dialogue ruins the experience.” said Brad Wardell, Stardock’s chief executive, who added that amateurish writing is one of the most common complaints in gaming.

Read WSJ for more.

The shortlist for this years British Press Awards 2009 have been announced -and in amognst the ‘Scoop of the Year’ and ‘Political Journalist of the Year’ is the all-important – Cartoonist of the Year.

And at the top of the list? Chris Riddell! Yup, the man behind The Edge Chronicles, Ottoline, Wendel’s Workshop, Barnaby Grimes and Pirate Diary is the political cartoonist for The Observer too.

Cartoonist of the Year
Chris Riddell, Observer
David Brown, The Independent
Matt Pritchett, Daily Telegraph
Michael Heath, The Mail on Sunday
Peter Schrank, The Independent on Sunday
Stanley McMurtry, Daily Mail
Steve Bell, The Guardian

These fingers are firmly crossed. (It doesn’t make typing too difficult…)

The final nominees for the British Animation Awards in both the judged and public voted Children’s Choice categories have been announced. The Best Animated Special award with Oliver Jeffers’ Lost and Found, Varmints and the Gruffalo both on the list as well as Secret of Kells in the Best European Animated Feature category.

Handily – the Forbidden Planet Blog has the nominated videos all available to watch online! (more…)

This weeks Book with a View is Chris Wormell:

Visit scamp.ie to read more from me and the other scamp-ites. Or is it scampies? Or simply scamps?

The 1903 film version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland has been restored by the BFI National Archive (or at least 8 of the original 12 minutes have!)

Directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow (based on John Tenniel’s illustrations) have a look at Alice in Wonderland (1903):

There is plenty in the papers from this week – starting at home as Alan Healy (and his Galactic Knights) get star treatment from The Irish Independent – Ireland’s answer to JK Rowling:

We all have a parachute in reserve. I remember a phrase someone said once: A trapeze artist was asked, ‘When you do it for the first time, how on earth do you jump on to that bar?’ They said, ‘Well, you throw your heart over the bar and your body will follow. – Andrea Byrne

Julia Eccleshare is back at her desk as children’s book doctor – answering as many questions as she can:

Finding what to read next is always a challenge and it is especially so when crossing from clearly labelled and strongly marketed children’s books to adult fiction. – Julia Eccleshare

John McKeown reviews the new production of Hamlet in The Helix (DCU)

some of the most crucial scenes of the play, particularly the Players’ re-enacting of Claudius’s regicide, are slabs of slack garish flatness, despite Hamlet’s presence. In the words of the play itself: one woe doth tread upon another’s heel. – John McKeown

Robert McCrum looks at the plagiarism claims against JK Rowling – gold digging muggles.

Amanda Craig talks up the 3rd Times Chicken House writing competition – with a preview of what is to come:

Who, oh who, will win the third Times/Chicken House prize for an unpublished children’s author?

Alison Flood asks why teenagers are fascinated by death and dying?

I think teens read about the dark stuff because they often feel like their lives are pretty dark. I get notes every week through my website from teens who tell me they are having a hard time – Lisa Schroeder.

And Flood is back again – this time celebrating the 50th birthday of Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.

The Irish Times looks at the life and career of Eugene Lambert, who died sadly last week.

Katie Davies (The Great Hamster Massacre) Talks about holidays – football, shopping and sunshine…

Publishing Weekly reviews a heap of children’s literature titles – from this week and last.

Batman’s first appearance in comic books has set a new auction sales record – a 1939 comic with the first ever appearance of masked crime fighter sold for $1.075 million – beating the $1 million paid for Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1.

The Nebula Shortlist was announced last week – including China Miéville’s The City and the City. (More about the awards)

Tasha Tudor’s estate is still lost in limbo as her children each fight for the right to access the €2m. The Guardian has more about the row.

Dora the Explorer turns 10 this year! (Nickelodeon reveals the spring and summer lineup)

Alice makes her way to Wonderland – the dispute between cinemas and Disney has been resolved. (The Independent UK has a look at what the latest Wonderland fashions are)

Jane Goldman has a new character – the 11 year old swearing assassin.

Assassin’s Creed (the video game) is making the jump onto bookshelves with the publication of Oliver Bowden’s Assassin’s Creed – Renaissance.

Is the sperminator the future of sex-ed? Independent UK has a look at a new sex-ed video game.

On the topic of gaming: Warner Brothers have bought control of British studio Rocksteady Studios, the creator of last year’s excellent Batman Arkham Asylum.

And the Independent UK’s Birdseye View has some important dates – including details about Alan Moore’s planned appearance at the AVFestival (5-14 March).

The news about Hughes and Hughes booksellers going into receivership has been covered across all media over the weekend. Irish Publishing News has a round of all of the coverage – as well as analysis and more about what the closures will mean for Irish book trading.

Visit IPN for more.

International bestselling author John Grisham is crossing the great divide into children’s literature.

Hodder & Stoughton announced the creation of Theodore Boone – a 13-year-old boy “who knows more about the law than most lawyers do” who becomes unwillingly caught up in a local murder trial. The book will be aimed at 9-12 year-olds but plans are afoot for marketing across older age groups.

It is thrilling to see John Grisham at the beginning of a new venture and Theo is a delightful example of his range and capabilities. We have exciting plans to introduce Theodore Boone to the widest possible audience. – Tim Hely Hutchinson, Hachette UK

Julia Damassa and Meg Jones have done it – they have invented the write-by-numbers (shapes really) to teach anyone how to create/share stories. Introducing Storyshaping.

The idea uses shapes that represent different elements of a story: place, time, character, question and idea – all of which are built into a story. (It being scholastic there are all shorts of multimedia, interactive and technologically immersed elements to go along with it)

Sound interesting? Have a look. G’wan.

Publishing Perspectives are going to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. And they’re hunting stories from publishers, authors, agents and booksellers – the more sensational, triumphant the better.

And they’ll be in Bologna too – covering each day of the fair. So are you going to sell a book? An illustrator looking for your next gig? Let ‘em know over at Publishing Perspectives.

The Staffordshire Library Service’s Young Teen Fiction Award have revealed their top six teenage book titles – whittled down from almost 900 nominations.

And the choices?

• Angel Cake – Cathy Cassidy
  
• Grass – Catherine MacPhail
• Brigands MC -  Robert Muchamore
• Wings – Aprilynne Pike
• Black Heart – Justin Somper
  
• Blood Hunters – Steve Voake

There is a bit of a wait for the winners – while book loving teenagers across Staffordshire – they have until 5 July to vote online for their pick.