David Maybury | Blog

Pope Benedict XVI has joined the ranks of celebrities writing children’s books… Gli Amici di Gesu (The Friends of Jesus) is to be the first book published by any pope.

The characters in the book include each of the original 12 apostles, including Judas Iscariot; Matthias, who replaced Judas after the betrayal, and St. Paul.

The 48-page volume produced for the youngest of readers is a “route that takes the reader to the origins of the Church, through the events of the first people who found Jesus and became his friends,” according to the publishing house.

Shelflife has the scoop – and puts the book in the same ranking as Madonna, Tim McGraw, Brooke Shields, Julianne Moore, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Jimmy Buffett and Whoopi Goldberg…

Let the puns begin!

Uri Shulevitz’s Writing With Pictures: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books has long been respected as the bible of how-to’s for picturebooks – and now thanks to the Mighty Art Demos you can read some of that tome online… namely How to Make a Storyboard.

This makes for essential reading – even if you can’t draw to save your life!
(found via the folks at FPI)

Moviefone has some suggested titles for Hollywood book adaptations – including In The Night Kitchen, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Anastasia Krupnik.

Blume’s book has a solid status in the annals of popular culture: ‘Margaret’ has inspired everything from a ‘South Park’ episode to rock song titles to, most recently, Chelsea Handler’s 2008 best-seller ‘Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.’ With that kind of following, a movie version of ‘Margaret’ is nearly guaranteed to go gangbusters at the box office.

I’d love to see a film of Under The Hawthorn Tree. Or even a screen adaptation of Mr Gum – now that would be fun!

Any suggestions for books that should make it to the silver screen?

Joining the elite – namely J K Rowling, Dan Brown and Mark Haddon – Stephanie Meyer has reached the two-million-in-the-21st-century book selling landmark.

What that means is that last year, one in every 47 books bought in the UK was penned by Meyer.

And as if that nugget wasn’t enough news for you – Forbes magazine has a breakdown of the Twilight fortune and where/who is making money.

This sees Meyer earn $40 million – ranking her 59th on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. Last year ranked 16th with $50 million.

Nickeloden – the TV giant with characters such as Spongebob Squarepants, Fairly OddParents and Dora the Explorer – have agreed a whopping theme park deal on Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach.

The deal will see the the shows and characters appear at the resort – and  construction of Nickelodeon Land begins in September  rides, shops and games to look forward to.

Somewhere along the way last week I mentioned an article that reckoned Bella just didn’t cut it as a strong willed woman. And followed it with  some heroines who do.

And now Sophia Bennett has pitched in her favourite heroines – strong willed and not-so-strong-willed (though I think they all meet the criteria)

Posy Fossil from Ballet Shoes

Posy talks with her feet. She revises with her feet. She is stubborn, dedicated and deeply talented. She just gets on with doing what she’s brilliant at (ballet) and one day you know, for sure, she’s going to be a superstar. Posy would be a deeply annoying little sister to have, but you’d be so proud of her. I think Noel Streatfield was very brave to create someone as young, focused and amazing as Posy. Then I tried to do a similar thing when I created Crow. Thank you, Ms Streatfield!

Eoin Colfer features in the Irish Times – live from Paris (and the Guardian have a chat with him too)

R.J. Anderson and Saundra Mitchell talk faith and fantasy and Meg Rosoff looks at biography and writing real life characters into fiction.

Frank Cottrell Boyce reviews Louis Sachar’s excellent The Cardturner:

Reading his books is like being hustled in a card game by someone who seems straight-talking and modest but who turns out to be a virtuoso card sharp. So is The Cardturner one big bluff or is he really holding all the trumps? I don’t want to spoil it for you but he does something towards the end of this book that I can’t imagine anyone else even trying to get away with. As Uncle Lester might say, nicely played, Louis.

The Famous Five are pulling their socks up and entering the 21st-century. (Tony Purcell’s not entirely convinced)

Mary Arrigan reviews a host of recent books this week (and last!)

The Bookseller really like Chris Haughton’s A Bit Lost.

The Puffin PR crew have invented the perfect author profile… except he’s real – introducing Alex Scarrow.

School Library Journal highlights the best of summer reading – including Hope Larson’s Mercury.

Naomi Alderman investigates games with a message -

I’m glad games are tackling such big issues, even awkwardly. Train has moved some players to tears – if that doesn’t make games art I don’t know what does.

Beverly Cleaver’s Ramona and Beezus is hitting cinema screens in the states – this could be great!

The Guardian Science Blog celebrates Maya Lopez (Echo) one of the only successful deaf characters in literatire – and she’s a superhero.

Witching the world – Disney pins all of its hopes on the Harry Potter experience

The information Tyrannosaur recommends 10 iPad apps for Librarians.

The Washington Post reports that Ginsberg’s Howl is as popular as ever.

Bill Murray bears all – including how/why he ended up in Garfield.

Burger King pit Edward and Jacob fans against one and other – whopper!

Patrick Kingsley remembers a slower time.

This years UK Libraries Change Lives Award went to Edinburgh jails library -

Prisoners have a dedicated 45-minute session in the library each week, but can access it at other times. Before the new library opened, only 5% of prisoners used to borrow books – now 50% take books out. And damage to the books has gone down from 80% to zero.

I know, like me, you have been losing hours, days – possibly months – of sleep wondering what might just happen to the cast of Harry Potter now that the two final films have been shot, cut and are mid-way across the editing floor.

So here it is – the proof that there really is life after Harry Potter:

Daniel Radcliffe will start production on the thriller The Woman in Black (based on Susan Hill’s novel) as well as being lined up for a remake of All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Journey is the Destination.

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) is to star in Eddie the Eagle, playing Britain’s Olympic ski jumper Eddie Edwards.

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) is to join the upcoming Rise of the Apes,  prequel to the Planet of the Apes. (He joins James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow)

It’s Friday… which means the end of Eoin Colfer Week round these parts… but not yet! I caught up with Eoin this morning* to get my copy of Artemis signed (Had it since I was 14)

And while he was here Eoin left a message for ye all:

Don’t forget you can catch Eoin’s entire webcast online to watch over and over and over and over.

*’I caught up with Eoin’ could be read as ‘I stalked outside his hotel until he turned up and then slagged his blue coat.’ Not the greatest of impressions.

Prominent UK literary scout Louise Allen-Jones has drafted in the formidably fun Sunday Times children’s books editor, journalist and author Nicolette Jones to work in the new children’s scouting division.

Allen-Jones have also been appointed as a scout for Arena Verlag in Germany – home to some great children’s/YA writers – including Neil Gaiman, Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams, Charlie Higson, Mary Hoffman and Rainer M Schroder.

Expect some more exciting things to come this way!

So you were too busy at 2pm last Tuesday to be sitting in front of your computer watching a man of diminutive height telling BIG jokes and talking about his books? Pfft. Rather than questioning your committment – what could be more important at 2 on a Tuesday? – I’ve got some good news.

Eoin’s entire webcast was not only streamed live but it was caught on camera to be watched over and over and over and over. (Some of Foaly’s techno-wizardy was put to use no doubt)

So if you’re not one of the lucky ticket holders to meet Eoin in Dublin tonight – at least you can watch him on your computer. In your room. With the lights off. Alone. Crying.

Those clever folks at the Riverbank Arts Centre, with a little help from the gang at Hotpress, have put together a great series ‘In Conversation With…’

Hot Press contributing editor Jackie Hayden will grill Oisín McGann (and Hugo Hamilton) on July 24 at the Riverbank Arts Centre (Newbridge Co. Kildare) Now I’m not picking favourites but(sorry Hugo) I’d be making sure I’m free around 3pm to catch Oisín doing what he does best – talk about writing/illustrating kids books and beyond. (Tickets are €5)

Oisín (for those of ye who don’t know) is the man behind Mad Grandad, Ancient Appetites, Strangled Silence, The Evil Hair-Do and whole heap of others. (You can find out how many more here)

It’s the first day of Eoin Colfer week – and Eoin will be live streaming a similar natter on 20 July at 2pm to a few thousand folks on the internet. For FREE tickets all ye have to do is put your name on the list.

And Mr Colfer (or someone very like him) is in Dublin on Thursday (July 22) for a chat, maybe some jokes and of course… to show off the new Artemis Fowl.  Easons have all the details on their site - get clicking, typing and entering!

Publishing Weekly has a preview of what’s to come in 2011 – including a picturebook Fantastic Mr. Fox from Quentin Blake… Curious? Have a look see.

Siobhan Dowd’s trust has started piloting a scheme to send books to children in care.

Mal Peet reviews Michael Morpurgo’s An Elephant in the Garden

Bella just doesn’t cut it as a strong willed woman. So how about about some heroines who do?

Marcus Sedgewick talks writing, life and er… bibles.

More from PW – this time The Digital Revolution in Children’s Publishing

A guaranteed winner? Maybe | When was the last time you read a book? | Cian O’Luanaigh chooses some favourite medical comics and graphic novels

David Prowse (Darth Vader) has been banned from Star Wars conventions after  ’annoying’ George Lucas.

Fintan O’Toole questions the original live fast, die young advocate – Brendan Behan.

Rachel Cooke reads Darryl Cunningham’s Psychiatric Tales

Alison Flood gets her head around Mark Twain’s autobiography

Time for some Comic-Con links? Oh go on then! And more. And another?

They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore…

Special edition of Shaun Tan’s the Arrival – arriving September.

Inception. Inceptualised | Mark Ruffalo faces the green eyed monster | You can’t beat a drunk aardvark

Enid Blyton came under the scrutiny of Siobhan Parkinson, Amanda Piesse, David Rudd and Mary Esther Judy last Sunday.

You can listen back to the Newstalk Talking History here.

From the desk of Michael Thorn and the CMIS folks comes news of the 2010 (Australian) Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

Nine children’s fiction and seven young adult fiction works make up the shortlist – whittled down from more than 320 entries:

• Cicada Summer – Kate Constable
• The Terrible Plop – Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrator Andrew Joyner
• Just Macbeth – Andy Griffiths and illustrator Terry Denton
• Mr Chicken goes to Paris – Leigh Hobbs
• Running with the Horses – Alison Lester
• Star Jumps – Lorraine Marwood
• Mannie and the Long Brave Day – Martine Murray and illustrator Sally Rippin
• Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children – Jen Storer
• Harry and Hopper – Margaret Wild and illustrator Freya Blackwood

This story is getting a little tired – but the estate of Adrian Jacobs, the late author of The Adventures of  Willy the Wizard, continues to barrage and battle for attention. The estate have instigated a new lawsuit in New York, claiming that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is “substantially similar” to the Willy the Wizard book published in the eighties.

Bloomsbury have already said that the allegations are unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue. And that an intital approach was made to the company in 2004 but was unable to identify any text in the series that copied from Willy the Wizard. New claims that Rowling’s agent once represented Jacobs are also being denied and ridiculed.

The Branford Boase Award (the author and editor of a debut novel for children) has been announced – and if you haven’t guessed who nabbed the gong yet – it went to Lucy Christopher’s Stolen (ed. by Imogen Cooper)

I am absolutely thrilled to win this year’s Branford Boase Award. It means such a lot to me that Stolen has been recognised in this prestigious award.  The other books are fantastic and really stiff competition, so what an honour to be chosen!  Of course, I’m equally thrilled that I’m sharing this award with my editor, Imogen, too….she’s the bee’s knees! – Lucy Christopher

Lucy did indeed fend off stiff competition from the rest of the shortlist – with some incredible books being nominated:

• Devil’s Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, edited by Lindsey Heaven
• Life, Interrupted by Damian Kelleher, edited by Anne Clark
• Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera, edited by Shannon Park
• Big and Clever by Dan Tunstall, edited by Ross Bradshaw
• Numbers by Rachel Ward, edited by Imogen Cooper
• Paradise Barn by Victor Watson, edited by Leonie Pratt

And what did the bees knees editor have to say for herself?

I am absolutely thrilled to have won this award, and to win with Lucy, whose work I so greatly admire, is a great joy. The Chicken House has a firmly held belief in the importance of nurturing new talent – as you can see by the fact that we have won the prize three times now! – and I have always aspired to win the Branford Boase. I hope I shall go on to help more and more brilliant new writers achieve their potential and enrich the lives of children and young adults. – Imogen Cooper

Congratulations folks!

It’s Shirley Hughes. Talking about her new book and more:

A little behind with the paper reviews this week – and there is plenty to catch up on – including the Irish Times suggested reading tips for parents (including words of wisdom from the VHC, Judi Curtin and Siobhan Parkinson).

All of the papers in Ireland and the UK carried an obit piece on Harvey Pekar – including the Irish Times and Irish Independent.

Harvey was one of the most compassionate and empathetic human beings I’ve ever met. He had a huge brain and an even bigger soul. And he was hilarious. He was a great artist, a true American poet, and there is no one to replace him. – Paul Giamatti

Alan Moore has hung up his cape and given up the superhero life. (Check out an American Splendor page illustrated by Moore)

Anthony Horrowitz talks families:

One impetus to become a children’s author was a childhood surrounded by these Gormenghast-style relatives, but once I stopped looking at the insular world of Stanmore, north London, and looked at the real world, I started writing books that were more universally acceptable.

Michael Morpurgo gets philosophical:

I know how lucky I have been to have known the friends we have known, how without them there would have been no move to Devon, 75,000 children would never have had their week on the farms, and War Horse would never have happened

In the Guardian – Geraldine Brennan reviews Kevin Brooks’ iBoy, Marcus Sedgewick reviews The Last of the Summer Death Warriors by Francise X Stork and Aida Edemariam talks to Jaqueline Wilson.

Interestingly – Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist is being converted into a graphic novel while the graphic adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary was launched this week too. Interesting times.

Elizabeth Bluemie finds some audiobooks too good not to put on repeat.

Guillermo Del Toro talks about his next project – and Hellboy 3!

To Kill a Mocking Bird has seen sky rocketing sales thanks to the 50th anniversary of the book – and Harper Lee’s unexpected interview recently. Dan Kennedy gives the book a political once over.

Gayle Forman defines YA:

Good books are good books, no matter who writes them and who they’re written for.

Art Spiegelman in the NYT | Universal Studios have started to talk about Wicked the movie | DC closes Zuda webcomics

The UK Independent has gone Comic-Con crazy. Don’t believe me? Click to find out more.

Slate asks did children always wear gender-specific clothing?

And finally – have you read Scrumble yet?

Ever fancied yourself as the next Quentin Blake? Or Lauren Child? Oliver Jeffers maybe? How about Dave McKean, Raymond Briggs, Emily Gravett or Sarah McIntyre? Well… who ever has inspired the urge to scribble this may be just the kick you need:

The course, according to those that know, is aimed at aspiring, beginners or emerging children’s writers and illustrators. An ability with at least one colour medium is important. (That rules me out) By the end of the course you should have created a picturebook dummy & manuscript ready for submission to prospective publishers.

Somewhere in Ireland, unbeknownst to the rest of the world the world reached a milestone yesterday. The inimitable, and unconquerable Herbie Brennan turned 70!

With his name to more than 100 books – including the most recent success series Faerie Wars and The Apprentice’s Guide to the Secrets of the Wizards’ Guild – Herbie shows no sign of slowing down. Check out The Shadow Project too – the newest book from a legend.

Happy Birthday Herbie!

Take a deep breath and enjoy the links and what nots – there’s plenty to catch up on including Anthony Horowitz talks incarceration:

Surely, as a society, we can do a little more to help.

Library.ie has the news that there is €7.8 million allocated to public library capital development programme for 2010.

Katherine Farmar waxes lyrical on Seth (Gergory Gallant) and Rosita Boland reviews Phil Baine’s Puffin by Design: 70 Years of Imagination 1940-2010.

Andy Briggs (Hero.com) has agreed to write a new series on young Tarzan (following the footsteps of James Bond and Sherlock Holmes) and bringing the king of the swingers face to face with an iPod.

Tom Lee reviews Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link:

Despite the stories’ obvious qualities, the carnival of weirdness can become wearying. Ultimately, they play to the experience and fertile imagination of the bookish, cultish teenager rather than those looking for the next Kafka or Borges.

Marcus du Sautoy talks apps, books and what might come next

NPR’s On Point has a look at some summer reads – including the True Meaning of Smekday

The world got a little hot and bothered about the new look Wonder Woman.

Have you jumped on the brand Ireland wagon yet?

Juliet Rix talks to Tove Jansson’s niece about all things Moomins.

Introducing Marvel Television. This can only be a good thing. Right?

Heather Graham has joined the Judy Moody film crew – as Aunt Opal!

Who couldn’t love a summer reading round-up that includes Beautiful Yetta: The Yiddish Chicken?

Andrew Garfield has been named as the new Spiderman. Tobey Maguire has slung his last web.

Josh Lacey reads Celia Rees’ The Fool’s Girl:

The Fool’s Girl doesn’t have the playfulness of Twelfth Night, but the lushly romantic story is very involving and always enjoyable, and it’s packed with wonderfully evocative details of Elizabethan London and Warwickshire.

Time for a new breed of Literary Mags?

Manchester gets its first children’s book festival – and it does look like fun!

Interesting piece on Young Children’s Play in Online Virtual Worlds.

Sainsbury ’s supermarket in the UK are talking about their own brand children’s books. This could be… erm… Interesting.

Neil Gaiman talks to Nicolette Jones in the Telegraph and Candy Gourlay talks to Absoluet Vanilla.

I’ve been squirrelled in a dark room surrounded by dust mites and inflicting paper cuts on unwilling thumbs… and I’ve dug up some great books too:

Jandy Nelson – The Sky is Everywhere
The book of the year. By far.

Tom Percival - Tobias and the Super Spooky Ghost Book
Tom Percival is the man who gave us Skullduggery (no he’s not Derek Landy in disguise – he’s responsible for the covers) Tobias is his first picturebook – and Percival throws us a mixed media world that would make Dave McKean’s eyes water.

PR Prendergast – Dancing in the Dark
Ireland’s answer to the Sky is Everywhere and Evermore. Holding a mirror up to the Irish school yard was never going to be easy and Prendergast has collected nuggets of fast and accurate scenes. Not everything is perfect in the seqeunce of the book – but this is something new and interesting from O’Brien Press.

Chris Ridell – Alienography: Or: How to Spot an Alien Invasion and What to Do About It
The title has everything you need to know: How to Spot an Alien Invasion and What to Do About It. Riddell’s illustration are as funny as ever – with some comic gags that would make Laurel and/or Hardy titter into their sleeves. Lots of fun for alien nerd-dads too with jokes throwing back to classic sci-fi flicks.

Michael Grant – Lies
A jaw-dropping series – and Lies shows no let up from Michael Grant and his Lord of the Flies for the ipod generation. Not for the faint-hearted but a must-read for anyone looking for a book to sink their teeth into (and not a vampire pun in sight!)

Judi Curtin – Eva’s Journey
There’s no secret that I can’t write intelligently about Judi Curtin. I love the Alice & Megan series and gush about it far too often. Eva is a new departure – away from A&M – but not entirely new ground. Eva is a strong character with some good friends backing her up – a little too like Alice maybe – and everything knits together just a bit too easy. A new story from a hero and great to see Judi playing!

John Dickinson – WE
Raising more questions than answers – WE is a claustrophibic space hop examing how we communicate. There’s a story too – with some under developed characters ticking boxes.

Michael Scott – The Necromancer
Another summer… another adventure with Perenelle, Nicholas, Sophie and Josh. My doubts about the series (the Sorceress) have been salvaged – Scott has found his stride in The Necromancer – it is a mid-way book that picks up the pace and has reignited the Flamelle series

John Green – Papertowns
Not everything is as it seems – including the beautiful people. Paper Towns has the coming-of-age-small-town-America bit down – but where Green sings  is the dialogue: ‘My balls are so big that when you order french fries from McDonald’s, you can choose one of four sizes: small, medium, large, and my balls.’

Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex
No I haven’t read it. It is resting by the desk… calling…

Before you read anything – have a look at some book-shelf porn: incredible book-ends from the Huffington Post.

Philip Ardagh reviews David Almond and Polly Dunbar’s excellent The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon -

This is the kind of book I’ve always wished The Little Prince had been. It combines a depth of understanding and vision with a consummate lightness of touch. The Boy Who Climbed Into the Moon is, quite simply, a modern classic. And those are my words, not Almond’s.

And the great news that 82-year-old teacher, theatre director and grandmother Myrrha Stanford-Smith has just published the first of a three-book deal. Never, ever, too late.

That fella Neil Gaiman has won some award… the Carnegie. And Freya Blackwood has stolen the Kate Greenaway award. (More on Gaiman here too – and sure how about a video of the acceptance speeches? Oh go on. )

Philip Womack prescribes the essentials of how to write a children’s book.

Katy Guest celebrates the 50th Anniversary of To Kill a Mocking Bird. And the WSJ asks some questions:

It’s time to stop pretending that “To Kill a Mockingbird” is some kind of timeless classic that ranks with the great works of American literature. Its bloodless liberal humanism is sadly dated, as pristinely preserved in its pages as the dinosaur DNA in “Jurassic Park.”

Harper Lee’s contemporary and fellow Southerner Flannery O’Connor (and a far worthier subject for high-school reading lists) once made a killing observation about “To Kill a Mockingbird”: “It’s interesting that all the folks that are buying it don’t know they are reading a children’s book.”

The vampire love may be waning – as Hunger Games inherits the earth. (Even Stephanie Meyer is reportedly burnt out from vampires. Perhaps she has the most reason to be)

Gossip Girl grows up and heads to college with ‘Cum Laude’.

It’s not perfect, the ending feels rushed and Eliza, in particular, remains under-drawn; but with two further novels in the series planned, it seems fair to say that von Ziegesar has as strong an eye for the foibles of university life as she did for the Upper East Side.

The vampire just ‘aint what it used to be. Replacements are now being sought – apply within.

Favourite red-heads in children’s fiction – Madeleine, Pippi… but no Posy Fossil (Ballet Shoes)

Publishers Weekly review some books too – worth a read.

Some interesting and important dates | Oh my. Is that Meg Cabot in US Weekly? | Social Networking is just like falling in love | and you can fall out of love just as fast

Eoin Colfer (or someone very like him*) is in Dublin on July 22 for a chat, maybe some jokes and of course… to show off the new Artemis Fowl. Fancy nabbing some FREE tickets?

Easons have all the details on their site – get clicking, typing and entering!

Or… if you can’t wait THAT long – Eoin will be live streaming a similar natter on 20 July to a few thousand folks on the internet. For FREE tickets all ye have to do is put your name on the list.

*I’m assuming that Eoin will be wearing clothes, so less of the ‘in the flesh’ and perhaps more just ‘in person’. Unless he comes as someone else, or sends an impersonator… Then it could be more ‘Eoin Colfer pretending not to be Eoin Colfer (in the flesh with clothes on)’ or ‘A very convincing Eoin Colfer impersonator (in the flesh with clothes on)

A little later than normal – but here’s some of the more interesting bits from the papers this week:

The Irish Independent reviews The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Carlos Ruiz Zafron’s The Prince of Mist and John Grisham’s Theodore Boone.

While it would seem hard to sympathise with a creature whose overwhelming desire is to quench her insatiable thirst with a steady stream of disposable humans, Meyer manages to create an empathy with Bree, and leaves the reader rooting for her, even though her fate was long since decided. The Short Second Life is definitely only going to appeal to fans of the Twilight saga, but is well worth a read by us Twihards.

Mary Arrigan rounds up more children’s books in the Irish Examiner while Rachel Roberts meets Henry Winkler. (Queue any number of Fonz headlines)

Anne Frank gets controversial in Annexed, Sharon Dogar’s reimagining of the Anne Frank Diaries.

Mary Hoffman reviews Jon Mayhew’s Mortlock:

Jon Mayhew is still finding his true authorial voice, but he knows what he likes and what he likes is gothic; fortunately lots of children like it too and will fall on Mortlock like those maligned crows.

Louisa Young (Zizou Corder) has an interesting take on child protection – essential reading.

The Daily Mail reviews some recent fiction releases.

Rachael Kilgallon celebrates Harper Lee on the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird.

John Crace reads Theodore Boone (John Grisham’s children’s fiction debut) so you don’t have to.

Social Networks go to school – the advantages and disadvantages are interesting.

The Salon visits the new Harry Potter theme park in Florida. (The New York Times pays a visit too)

Rachel Redford reviews Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Prince of Mist:

With present and past entangled with the real and the unreal, it makes astonishingly cinematic listening, its sophisticated mystery heightened by the narration.

Deb Aoki talks manga piracy and what comes next. (And Publishers Weekly has more on Graphic Novels at ALA)

Neil Gaiman is out to prove a point. And Todd McFarlane doesn’t look to be winning the argument.

Guardian Podcast goes graphic.

I’ve just discovered the Cultural Learning Alliance.

Move over Demons. Angels. Vampires. Minotaurs are where it’s at.

And finally – have you voted for your Teen of Queen yet?

The Queen of Teen shortlist is out!And amid the names of teen diva fiction – is our own Sarah Webb.

So Landy wins the Irish Book of the Decade. Colfer takes the Puffin of Puffins. Can we make it three for three and have Sarah win Queen of Teen?

The full shortlist of deserving candidates is:

• Sarah Webb
• Cathy Cassidy
• Cathy Hopkins
• Chris Higgins
• Helen Bailey
• Jacqueline Wilson
• Joanna Nadin
• Louise Rennison
• Samantha Mackintosh
• Sarra Manning

Meg Rossoff’s debate about the pink-ness of the award is interesting too – and well worth a read. But before you go reading anything… VOTE WEBB!

It’s no secret round these parts that I’m a fan of Ireland’s children’s laureate Siobhán Parkinson – so no  surprises when I tell you that I’m whooping, hollering and whatnot after hearing that Siobhán has signed a new deal with Hodder!

It moved me, and is one of those rare books where the form matches the content – where the two are equally balanced. The naive voice of the story teller at the heart of the book makes the reader unsure of the facts surrounding him – is he a killer? Is he on the run? Is he, in fact, a victim? The writing packs a punch – and allows us to view a damaged world through a child’s eyes.
- Anne McNeil, publishing director for Hodder Children’s Books

More on the bookseller.com

Melvin Burgess (who needs no introduction but just in case he does here’s somemore about him) has chosen 10 of the best books for teenagers – covering nearly every angle.

Fiction for teenagers is a comparatively new affair. When I was in my teens no one wrote any at all. You had to go straight from children’s books to adult books without a pause. Even when I started writing in the 1990s, what was called teen fiction was really only for the first two or three years at high school at the most, with one or two honourable exceptions.

So here’s a list of the top 10 writers who write (or wrote) especially for people of at least 14. It contains the most influential, the most popular, and in some cases simply the best.

And the list is…

• The Bumblebee Flies Anyway by Robert Cormier
• Postcards from No Man’s Land by Aidan Chambers
• Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
• Junk by Melvin Burgess.
• Skellig by David Almond
• Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
• Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
• How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Plenty more at guardian.co.uk