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East of the Sun and West of the Moon

A most beautiful story,from Jackie Morris with her wonderful illustrations of a polar bear, forests, skies and seas. A story, which Jackie describes as…

” …there are some stories that when you hear them for the very first time it is as if you know them, as they are part of your soul. You then spend the rest of your life trying to understand them…. It is a journey, an adventure, a love story that in the writing took an unexpected turn.”

It is a magical story and a book to treasure and return to. It will make you go back to it and try and relive the story or find yourself as the girl seeking through all the winds to find her lost love in the castle east of the sun and west of the moon.

Published by Frances Lincoln the book is available via this Amazon link. The format of the book is wonderful with a neat hardcover. It’s a book for a present and especially for yourself too, a treat and a joy.

Jackie lives in a small house by the sea in Pembrokeshire where she writes and paints. She has a range of wonderful books, such as The Snow Leopard and Can You See a Little Bear? Jackie’s website is a dream and is worth hours of exploring.

There is a competition to win the necklace from East of the Sun, West of the Moon on Jackie’s blog.

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

Bookmonitor is our news source for reviews and project information.

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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The Power of the Page

The Federation of Childrens’ Book Groups annual conference was a great event held over the weekend of March 23rd and 24th.

Not the usual Spring like feel as the snow blew in from the east and in Suffolk, that means cold!

The engaging authors,publishers stalls,splendid array of books for sale(Norfolk Children’s Book Centre) made it a weekend of books, stories and illustrations.

Saturday was the busiest day and authors enlivened the discussions with slides and talks about their writing, their books and all the things that just makes their books special.

Authors we especially connected with;

Marcus Sedgewick, Annabel Pitcher,Liz Pichon, Emma Chichester Clark, Gill Lewis, Adele Geras and Colin Mulhern. Worth looking at their websites and following their work. Brilliant stuff!

But especially the work of Gill Lewis,

Sky Hawk, White Dolphin and Moon Bear. Her work as a vet has a big influence. Her childhood of hating books and librarians must have turned her into a great writer!

‘I turned my back on books, but other children got lost in the magic of books, I couldn’t get lost in that world.’

You can buy more books from the pages of Dolphin Booksellers, and we will make a donation to supporting Kalpana to get to school in Nepal.

Sue Martin

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

World Book Day Thursday March 7th

Are you ready for the Biggest Show on Earth?

World Book Day in 2013 is going to be a big one! There’s loads going on, take some time in the day to be part of it.

At Dolphin Booksellers and our worldwide project Books Go Walkabout we will be there on-line with links and blogs about some of the events.

Schools we work with are gearing up for all sorts of fun, from dressing up as book characters to using the World Book Day website to access children’s authors like Mallory Blackman in video on how to start a story.

For starters and to get ready for a bonanza of books, reading, authors, stories and fun try clicking through to these World Book Day events.

Find an event near you, competitions, games and videos.

WBD3

There are loads of resources too…try the Primary Resource Pack

WBd4

Find how you can buy the books for £1. Have fun.

Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

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

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

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling

The Casual Vacancy by J.K Rowling

Pre-order now for September 27th 2012 release…

Your chance to get ahead and enjoy a J.K. Rowling book all for yourself!

Click on the book to pre-order at Amazon price of £9.86 (saving of £10.14)

The first novel for adults by J.K.Rowling will be released on Thursday 27th September.

A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.

For all Harry Potter e books visit Pottermore.

The Casual Vacancy is published by Little Brown Book Group and will be available in hardback and ebook at £11.99

The plot…
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils… Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

It’s going to be the Big Read and Must Have book.

Pre- order through Dolphin’s link to Amazon or just click on the book cover above.

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

Pottermore

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.

House Held Up by Trees

House Held up By Trees

By Ted Kooser
and illustrated by Jon Klassen is new this month from Walker Books UK.

Have you ever played in a house in the trees? Maybe you have a rope ladder that only you could climb. Or even a very special tree that was nearly flat and let you climb right up into its branches.

This very moving story in a picture book format has beautiful illustrations and leaves you with a real feeling of time moving on.

‘When the house was new, not a single tree remained on its perfect lawn to give shade from the sun. The children in the house trailed the scent of wild trees to neighbouring lots, where thick bushes offered secret places to play. When the children grew up and moved away, their father, alone in the house, continued his battle against blowing seeds, plucking out sprouting trees – until one day he, too, moved away. Then, as the empty house began its decline, the trees began to take over. At once wistful and exhilarating, this lovely, lyrical story evokes the inexorable passage of time – and the awe-inspiring power of nature to lift us up.’

Walker Books UK

A book to share or to read alone. but definitely a book that will leave you with past lingering memories.

Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureat for 2004 – 2006, a poet and essayist and writes across genres in amazing ways.

This book available from Amazon.co.uk here.

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

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