Featured children’s book – Page 14 – Bookmonitor

The Endless Steppe

A true story of a girl in exile in the 1940’s, The Endless Steppe …. written by Esther Hautzig and now re-published by Jane Nissen Books.

‘One of the truly great stories of the survival of the human spirit against all odds,’ says Michael Morpurgo.

A remarkable story of a girl who starts out at age 10 from her comfortable home in Poland. With her family they travel for six weeks in a cattle truck as they are transported to Siberia. Esther lives for the next five years in exile and learns to live with hunger, loss and a deep struggle for the barest essentials.

Twenty years later and settled in New York, Esther writes her story. A story that cries out to be read from the very first page.

To find more books that are classics or favourites from the past, visit Jane Nissen Books, a wealth of stories that should not be forgotten.

You can buy The Endless Steppe here or through Jane Nissen Books.

Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line Sue Martin

Michael Morpurgo’s top writing tips

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Books go Walkabout is our international books and literacy project - connecting authors and illustrators with children and young people around the globe.

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Om Shanti Babe

Winner of the 2011 Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Award,Helen Limon’s novel Om Shanti Babe is a real winner of a story, hard to put down from beginning to end.

Cassia can’t wait for her first visit to India… Bollywood glamour, new friends, a new adventure into this exciting world.

But it doesn’t work out quite like that!

Kerala has a life all of it’s own and the culture shock is HUGE! and then her Mum’s new romance with ‘call me V’ Mr Chaudury, her own stand off with fashion mad Priyanka takes over. But pop idol Jonny Gold arrives on the beach with his new song, Om Shanti, Babe, sparking a mystery, new friendships, a race to save the mangrove swamps…

Om Shanti, Babe, a roller coaster journey of discovery with an exciting environmental twist- all against the backdrop of beautiful Kerala.

The Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Award encourages and promotes diversity in children’s fiction. Jointly founded by Frances Lincoln Ltd and Seven Stories, the national centre for children’s books it is a powerful voice for the world of children.

Om Shanti, Babe is published by Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln. Buy direct from Frances Lincoln or through Dolphin Booksellers.

Dolphin Booksellers- the best in children’s books always on line.

Books of the Year 2012: Children’s books

Ibby International Congress 2012

Crossing Boundaries:Translations and Migrations

33rd year of the Ibby World Congress 23-26th August.

Imperial College, London

A wonderful exploration of how books and stories for children and young people can cross boundaries and migrate across different countries and cultures.

Globalisation, cultural exchange,dual language texts are amongst the discussions.

People from all over the world interested in children’s books with space and time to be creative and talk about bringing books to children across a global village.

Anthony Browne, UK Children’s Laureate, will be there, along with Julia Donaldson and Michael Morpurgo.Aidan Chambers, Shaun Tan, Beverley Naidoo and Candy Gourlay plus many more…

We hope to share some of the Books go Walkabout project and just spend some time talking to others from different countries. Sharing stories, finding ways to bring books and stories to children.

What could be better?

Sue Martin

Books Go Walkabout Dolphin Booksellers Ibby 33

Image from 33rd Ibby International Congress

Ifeoma Onyefulu – New books about Africa – full of colour and life!

Ifeoma has recently visited Mali and some of her photographs can be seen in two beautiful books to be published by Frances Lincoln on August 2nd.

The images bring to life every day activities for children and families in Africa, full of vibrancy and colour. These are unique and culturally diverse word books, with lots to look at and talk about.

Let’s Look at This – Clothes

Hat, shorts, long skirt and top, wrapper…All kinds of things to wear, with a vibrant mix of Western and traditional African clothing.

Let’s Look at This – Food

Mango, rice, plantain, okra…All kinds of delicious things to eat, with a vibrant mix of universal and African foods.

Ifeoma makes frequent travels to different parts of Africa, carrying her camera and capturing smiling faces.

On her last trip to Mali there was much to see and I guess it is a different place today.

Ifeoma’s website tells of her adventures.

Ifeoma’s blog is packed full of journeys and unexpected happenings in some of the remoter parts of Africa. Click on the links to the journey to Mali and the journey to Nigeria, and take a few minutes to get a real sense of what Africa is like.
On her website you can also buy books direct through the Amazon link and get the best prices.

Sue Martin
Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line

Cave of Secrets

A great read, recommended by www.dolphinbooksellers.co.uk

When Tom is rejected by his father, he finds a secret second family among the smugglers who trade in and around Roaringwater Bay.

Though Tom doesn’t know it, his family’s future in the Big House is in trouble. From his new family, Tom learns all about boats and smuggling – and secret treasure.

And then Tom learns the best secret of all…

This latest book is from Morgan Llewellyn, an international writer of best selling historical fiction and an award winning author for young readers. Published by O’Brien in Ireland, Cave of Secrets is a thrilling adventure set in Ireland in the 1700’s, full of adventure, suspense, deadly enemies and great friendships.

Pirates -Smugglers- Hidden Caves-Secret Treasure, a must read for ages 10+ and beyond.

Buy the book on Amazon.co.uk here….

Sue Martin – Dolphin Booksellers– the best in children’s books always on line.

Hero on a Bicycle

A stunning first novel from Shirley Hughes,one of the world’s best loved children’s writers and illustrators.
Set in the countryside, Hero on a Bicycle, close to Florence in 1944, Italy is occupied by Nazi German forces. But the Italian Resistance movement has not given up hope.

In Villa Crivelli, Paolo and his sister Constanza are desperate to fight the occupation. Their father, a known Partisan and resistance fighter has had to retreat to the hills. Their mother Rosemary is British but has lived in Italy for many years.

As the Nazis become increasingly worried about maintaining their position they become more and more interested in this unusual family living in the countryside, they suspect a close liaison with the resistance fighters.

Shirley Hughes, is a wonderful story teller and writer. The story is focused on Paolo, a fourteen year old boy. As he rides his bicycle along the lanes to Florence he becomes more involved with the fighting and Il Volpe (…the Fox), than he had planned.

There is a brilliant web site with information,sketches and a video from Shirley, see below, as she describes her work and her time in Florence. See more here…

This is a beautiful book from Walker Books. You can buy a copy here…

Dolphin Booksellers
The best in children’s books always on line.

What on Earth Books!

At the Federation of Children’s Book Groups conference we were blown away with this new concept.

The What on Earth Wallbook, from the Big Bang to present day.

A whole wall book of facts! It’s a book with no spine, that doesn’t mean it has no real bite, this book will give you all the facts and information you need to know about the whole history of the world for billions of years.

It’s dynamic and creative and is just amazingly brilliant.

It goes on to become a whole wall display or even larger…. an outside huge wall covering for passers by.

It’s a treasure hunt of learning, it’s a story on a time line, and it changes scale like a telescope, especially as humans start to appear on the world scene.

On Monday April 30th Chris is launching the Wallbook of Sport on London’s South Bank. a great event if you can make it, or find visit World of Books.

Definitely worth finding out more and you could even make a discovery about this wonderful world.

This is clear view thinking!

How Chris made this journey himself is fascinating and resonates with all who feel that the National Curriculum is a barrier to active learning.

Or, as Chris expressed it, ” It makes discovery feel like looking through a pane of shattered glass”.

pictures courtesy of Chris Lloyd

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers- the best in children’s books always on line.

Mrs Muffly’s Monster

Mrs Muffly lives by herself in a house on the top of the hill.

But why is she now buying loads and loads of food? Maybe there really is large and dangerous monster in the house?

A beautiful story which sets children thinking about jumping to conclusions and what can happen when you make assumptions.

The drawings and pencil illustrations are stylish and appealing, Sarah Dyer has a brilliant use of colour and space.

Sarah has written and illustrated many children’s books and in 2001 her first book, Five Little Fiends won the Smarties Bronze Award.

Frances Lincoln published Mrs Muffly’s Monster and Monster Day at Work in the summer of 2011. Both are available in paperback and can be bought through the links above.

Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line.

Great and Dangerous – new from Frances Lincoln

“We have a list too and your name is on it…”

gad The graffiti messages for Ben Harvester as he is followed by bad forces to his home. Ben has joined the Ministry of Pandemonium and along with Becky and Mr October rushes to the scene as people die. It’s Ben and Becky’s job to guide their souls on before the enemy gets in first.

Great stories and a real page turner. A ‘not put downable’ book until finished!

Second in a series of Ministry of Pandemonium books by Chris Westwood, published by Frances Lincoln, about an alternative and secret London. Chris has written children’s books that have been in the limelight for many awards and is considered for film options with Steven Spielberg for his books, Calling All Monsters.

But try this book, if you are not too scared and want to find out which is the most difficult for Ben…meeting gruesome soul stealers or meeting his Mum’s new boyfriend?

New, out on March 1st – be there!

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers – The best in children’s books, always on line

Lilah May’s Manic Days

hhh What makes you so angry that you could scream!!

For Lilah May it’s about whatever is happening to her very best friend Bindi, why is she behaving so madly? The love of her life, Adam Carter is apparently having nothing to do with her!! Is the whole world coming to an end?

Author Vanessa Curtis has another winning book following from The Taming of Lilah May in this latest book, Lilah May’s Manic Days, a new title published by Frances Lincoln.

Edgy, sparky and just the book to read when you are convinced that anyone older is absolutely out of the ark.

Great cover too…I’m now on to read her other books, Zelah Green and Queen of Clean.

You can buy the book through Dolphin Booksellers- the best in children’s books always on line.

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