Monday 30 May 2011

Caroline Lawrence: UK launch of Wild West Mysteries at Hay Festival, 1 June 2011

http://www.westernmysteries.com/

Saddle up as Caroline Lawrence, the creator of the fantastic Roman Mysteries, launches her brand new Wild West series at the Hay Festival on 1 June 2011 before heading for London, then on to the Edinburgh Book Festival in August and the Bath Festival of Children's Literature in September. 


"When 12-year-old P.K. “Pinky” Pinkerton arrives in Virginia City - homeless, penniless and hunted - things don’t look good. But armed with a Smith & Wesson seven-shooter and a knack for disguises, P.K. takes on desperados, dancing girls and gamblers.  Pinky’s dream is to work for the Pinkerton Detective Agency in Chicago. But there is so much crime in Virginia City that soon the town has its first detective: P.K. Pinkerton, Private Eye."


With the Case of the Deadly Desperadoes, Lawrence's new hero, Pinky Pinkerton, looks set to be as popular as Flavia Gemina and her Roman friends.

Sunday 15 May 2011

Seaside sleuth story Dead Man's Cove by Lauren St John wins the Blue Peter Book Award 2011

A quintessentially British mystery set in Cornwall has been crowned the overall winner of the Blue Peter Book Awards 2011. Dead Man’s Cove - the first in a series - follows the adventures of Laura Marlin, an 11-year-old amateur sleuth, as she departs her children’s home and embarks on a new life with her mysterious uncle in St Ives.  Packed with all of the ingredients of a classic British adventure novel, mixed in with modern-day themes, the book won the Favourite Story category before securing the top prize of Blue Peter Book of the Year 2011.

Lauren St John was born in Gatooma, Rhodesia (now Kadoma, Zimbabwe). After studying journalism in Harare, she relocated to England, where she was for nearly a decade golf correspondent to The Sunday Times.  She is the author of several books on sports and music, including Hardcore Troubadour: The Life & Near Death of Steve Earle; and the award-winning children’s series, The White Giraffe, Dolphin Song, The Last Leopard and The Elephant’s Tale.

Read about the Blue Peter Book Awards 2011

Wednesday 11 May 2011

CILIP Carnegie Children's Book Awards 2011: Short List


Winners will be announced on 23 June 2011.

UK Literacy Association Children's Book Award 2011: Short Lists

Ages 12-16
  • Theresa Breslin: Prisoner of the Inquisition 
  • Gillian Cross: Where I Belong
  • Keren David: When I was Joe
  • Candy Gourlay: Tall Story
  • Alan Temperley: Scar Hill
  • Jason Wallace: Out of shadows
Ages 3-11
  • Libby Gleeson, illustrator Freya Blackwood: Clancy & Milly and the Very fine House 
  • Ally Kennen: Sparks
  • Philip Reeve: No Such Thing as Dragons
  • Ellie Sandall: Birdsong
  • Eleanor Updale: Johnny Swanson
  • Chris Wormell: One Smart Fish
The winners will be announced on 15 July 2011.

Saturday 7 May 2011

"Children's Classics for Grown-Ups": a new Book Group at Bath Library

This Blog is called "Roses in December", which is a quotation from perhaps the world's most famous children's book: J M Barrie's "Peter Pan". 

It's also the title for my new Book Group, which I am looking forward to starting at Bath Library in June 2011.  It's going to be a little different to the usual group, because it's for adults who are interested in reading, re-reading, discovering and talking about Children's books, old and new. 

Our Group will meet once a month - every first Wednesday - at Bath Central Library, The Podium, Northgate Street, Bath, Somerset, BA1 5AN.  The first meeting is on 8 June 2011.

Anyone who is interested can sign up by contacting Bath Library (tel: 01225 394 041).  It's for a maximum of ten people: first come, first served. 

I'm hoping this Blog will be for those who can come to the Group and anyone who can't come in person but who wants to read along with us.  Everyone is welcome to share their views here on the books we are reading, to make suggestions about books to read in future, or to propose ideas for visits, special events and other related activities.

I've got a couple of weeks now to prepare for the first meeting and get to grips with any housekeeping stuff.

Looking forward to agreeing the first book!