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A graphic chapter book in the style of the Tom Gates or Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Planet Omar takes in all sorts of issues, from dealing with school bullies and prejudice, especially against Omar's Muslim family, to forming new friendships and adjusting to change. Humorous, with a light touch.

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A graphic chapter book in the style of the Tom Gates or Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Planet Omar takes in all sorts of issues, from dealing with school bullies and prejudice, especially against Omar's Muslim family, to forming new friendships and adjusting to change. Humorous, with a light touch.

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Creative Writing With Zanib Mian - Task 1

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Book Reviews | Episode 5 | Guest: Zanib Mian

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Author: Zanib Mian
Publisher: Sweet Apple Publishing and Muslim Children's Books
Interest age: 7-9
Reading age: 7-9

When class bully Daniel tells Omar to go back to his own country, he's not sure how - he's never been there, he can't speak the language, and the pizza is yuck! A funny, warm story that will appeal to fans of Tom Gates.

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Author: Zanib Mian Publisher: Sweet Apple Publishing and Muslim Children's Books Interest age: 7-9 Reading age: 7-9 When class bully Daniel tells Omar to go back to his own country, he's not sure how - he's never been there, he can't speak the language, and the pizza is yuck!

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In June 2017, against the backdrop of Brexit and Donald Trump, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children reported a dramatic rise in faith-based bullying in schools. "That really broke my heart, hearing of children being called terrorists at school," Zanib Mian tells me when we meet at Hachette's central London office. "They shouldn't have to suffer for the huge and horrible mistakes of a few." The report highlighted, for her, a huge disconnect between the public perception and the reality of life for British Muslims. "I wanted people to know the average Muslim kid, the average Muslim family next door. Not everyone has someone to talk to who is a Muslim so, as always, I felt books were a really great tool."

And so the character of Omar was born. Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet will be published by Hodder in April, with two further titles planned in the series. Mian saw her son devour the Tom Gates and Wimpy Kid books, and decided on a similar, accessible format: "That's what kids love." Told in the first person, Omar's warm, engaging voice draws us into his world, that of a regular Muslim boy navigating family, friends and school. The narrative is interspersed with doodles and cartoon-style art. "I enjoy writing in a child's voice, so it felt like a very natural way to do it." Mian drew on family life and her observations as a teacher to create Omar's world. "Lots of the quirks and funny things have happened in our own household."

Although she has previously written picture books- including My Dad's Beard- Planet Omar is Mian's fiction début. Her writing is big hearted, funny and very entertaining, using a comic tone to frame themes of bullying and racism. Neighbour Mrs Rogers is full of prejudices towards "the Muslims" next door but the faith-based bullying comes from Omar's classmate Daniel, who calls his mother "a witch, in black" and warns "you better go back to your country before we kick you all out". This is where Mian's featherlight touch is most impressive, exploring a very big issue without making the book feel heavy or issue-led. The optimistic tone was vital. "It was very important to me to have Omar and Daniel become friends by the end, and to show that he's progressed. I didn't want to throw Daniel into the fire, because that's not helping anyone."

Likewise, Mrs Rogers is also won over by the family's kindness when she falls ill. The middle-grade story of a Muslim boy is one all too seldom heard in British children's books, and Mian very much hopes to reach a wide audience and break down barriers. "I want Muslim children to have a character they can relate to, and see that children like them are also heroes in books," she says, but beyond that, "it's a book that's meant for everybody to enjoy, for everybody to be able to relate to this family, this boy, and understand that we're not so different."

Big learning curve
Mian studied molecular cell biology and was teaching science at a secondary school when she made her first foray into publishing, frustrated by the lack of mainstream books featuring BAME characters. "At that time I really couldn't find books for my younger children which featured a [BAME] main character... I saw books about Diwali, Eid, stories from Africa, but I wouldn't see books that had all kinds of characters, robots or dinosaurs, just a bit of fun." She set up her own imprint, Sweet Apple, writing and publishing a number of picture books. "It was such a huge learning curve, a one-man show. I had no contacts, and really no clue." But what she did have was passion. "I really did want to see a change." In 2014, she resolved to quit teaching and focus fully on the books.

Planet Omar has had an unusual genesis. In 2017, Mian wrote and published a shorter version of Omar's story as The Muslims under her Sweet Apple list. The book was marketed "to quite a niche Muslim audience", but Mian experienced the limitations of getting noticed beyond that. Fen Coles, from inclusive children's book supplier Letterbox Library, suggested submitting The Muslims for the Little Rebels Award, a prize celebrating children's fiction which highlights issues of social justice. The book won. It was, says Mian, "a huge surprise" and a real turning point. "To me, that's what I love about Britain. For that book, with that title, to have won the award, that's acceptance and love and respect."

The win heralded interest from international publishers and media companies, prompting Mian to sign with agent Jessica Craig. Then Kate Agar, editorial director at Hodder Children's Books, invited her for a chat, keen to develop the story into a longer novel and series. Mian was thrilled and signed a three-book deal. "To be honest, I had rushed The Muslims. I started it, came back to it between other projects, then thought I had to get it out asap. I knew it could have been better."

The storyline is essentially the same, but Planet Omar gave Mian the space to give greater depth to her characters and to add extra events, and even chapters. The book focuses more on Omar's family; the "Science Sunday" mentioned in The Muslims becomes a whole chapter in Planet Omar. The characters of Omar's friend Charlie and his bully Daniel are fleshed out, along with that of their families. The title change felt trickier. Mian and her agent were initially reluctant. "I love 'The Muslims' because it plays on what some bigoted minded people might call us," Mian explains, "but I do understand it can perhaps be too bold or misunderstood. As a series title Planet Omar works really well." Hodder also proposed re-illustrating the text. In the original version, Mian did her own illustrations. "It had to look like an eight-year-old did it, which is exactly how I draw," she laughs. Seeing Omar redrawn was "a bit of an adjustment", but she loves what Indonesia-based illustrator Nasaya Mafaridik has brought to the book.

Change is in the air
A recent Centre for Literacy in Primary Education study (Reflecting Realities) reported that only 1% of children's books published in 2017 had a BAME protagonist. This spring, there is a noticeable increase. Does Mian feel that meaningful change is finally happening? The noise, as she calls it, "is a good starting point", and she is heartened to see mainstream publishers embracing diverse stories like Omar's, without pigeonholing them as "different", or "issues" books. How, I ask, does it feel to work with other people on such a personal project? The experience, Mian tells me, has been a happy one. "I've never worked with another editor, but working with [Agar], I felt she was bringing out the best in me and the best in the book. Everything Kate said to me at our first meeting resonated with me-'yes, exactly, I should have done this! Yes, we need more of that!' I love it because we are on the same wavelength." She is excited at where Hachette can take Omar's story. "Everything I couldn't do at Sweet Apple-getting it noticed, getting it into shops, getting it to more readers-Hachette can do."

Extract
...When Esa wanted to buy a whistle from the petrol station on the way to the mosque, I knew it wasn't a good idea. But mum went right ahead and bought it for him, saying "Because you've been such a good boy this morning!" and giving him a gooey kiss on the top of his head. I knew it was gooey because she actually still kisses me like that, even though I've forbidden her to do it in front of my friends.
In the mosque, everyone prays together with the imam leading. It's supposed to be super quiet. Just after the prayer began, Esa decided to move from his place. I was praying in between mum and Maryam. Neither of them moved. I wasn't sure if they'd even noticed that he'd got up. Now, Esa is annoying sometimes, but he is my little brother, and I worry about him, so I quickly sneaked a look behind us. He was sitting at the back with a big cheeky grin on
his face. I turned back around and carried on praying. Then we went into rukhu. That's when your hands are on your knees. Silence from Esa. Then we went into sujood. That's when your nose and forehead are on the ground. And then ... TWEEEEEEEEEE!

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Zanib Mian | 'I want Muslim children to have a character they can relate to'

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In June 2017, against the backdrop of Brexit and Donald Trump, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children reported a dramatic rise in faith-based bullying in schools. "That really broke my heart, hearing of children being called terrorists at school," Zanib Mian tells me when we meet at Hachette's central London office.

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Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed, "When Stars Are Scattered"

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Reviewed by Lila Quintero Weaver Roller Girl is a recipient of a 2016 Newbery Honor!
FROM THE NEWBERY MEDAL HOME PAGE: Astrid falls in love with roller derby and learns how to be tougher, stronger and fearless. Jamieson perfectly captures the highs and lows of growing up in this dynamic graphic novel.

MY TWO CENTS: Victoria Jamieson's Roller Girl captivated me right off and only grew sweeter on a second reading. In addition to the immersive power of graphic novels, the story of Roller Girl delivers a solid punch: 12-year-old Astrid Vasquez gets hooked on roller derby and devotes herself to the sport while navigating the ups and downs of middle-school friendships.

Astrid's passion for roller derby ignites when Ms. Vasquez takes Astrid and her best friend, Nicole, to their first derby bout. Afterward, Astrid can talk of nothing but the derby and fails to notice that Nicole doesn't share her excitement. Come on, how could she not? Check out the theater of it all: the players' costumes and wild hair colors, the electricity of the crowd, and the take-no-prisoners energy that drives the sport. Astrid even discovers an idol in Rainbow Bite, a star jammer for the Rose City Rollers, who exemplifies roller derby's ferocity and skill. Astrid loves the fact that there's nothing girlie or restrained about roller-derby culture, and when she hears about summer camp for junior players, she's chomping at the bit to sign up. Best friends do everything together, right? This assumption crumbles when Nicole reveals that she's planning to attend dance camp instead, along with Rachel, Astrid's one true nemesis from their early elementary days.

With Nicole's "desertion," Astrid has to face the first day at derby camp alone. From there, complications abound. Ms. Vasquez is under the impression that Nicole's mom will give Astrid a ride home at the end of each day's session. Astrid is afraid to tell her mom that Nicole isn't participating, as this would lead to all sorts of questions Astrid wants to avoid. As a result, the lies she must tell and the long walks home she must endure only add to the drama of those first grueling weeks at the rink. Did I mention that Astrid discovers she's a lousy skater?

Despite aching muscles and botched skill drills, Astrid persists and finds new motivations as she enters more deeply into the world of her chosen sport. The camp coaches balance demanding practices with timely pep talks, and Astrid strikes up a friendship with Zoey, a camper her age. Another boost comes in the form of a correspondence with Rainbow Bite that starts when Astrid discovers the star jammer's locker and begins leaving notes for her. (Rainbow proves a generous celebrity and writes back with inspiring tips.)

None of these triumphs mean that Astrid transforms into a roller derby standout; what matters are the personal victories that she achieves over the course of the summer, including earning the respect of her teammates and figuring out some important things about who she is and what sort of friend she wants to be.

Roller Girl succeeds on multiple levels. Through a lively narrative and a rich visual landscape, it draws readers into the fascinating world of roller derby, often explaining the rules and strategies of a sport unfamiliar to many through clever diagrams and dramatized scenes. Through these invitations to explore the sport, it portrays women and girls as highly capable both physically and intellectually. Readers get a clear sense that women can-and should-take on tough challenges.

In addition, Roller Girl gives us a Latina character comfortable with her ethnic identity and shows us Anglo characters who are equally accepting. Astrid's Latina background doesn't even emerge until page 54, and only much later do we learn that the family is Puerto Rican. This information comes across casually, as just another cool detail about the main character. At least this is how Astrid's new friend Zoey takes the information when Astrid reveals it during a scene in which West Side Story plays in the background.

Astrid says to Zoey, "I've seen this movie! My mom made me watch this for an evening of Puerto Rican cultural heritage. Or something." (At first blush, the idea that an adult puertorriqueña would push this movie as representative of her culture struck me as improbable. I associate West Side Story with racial stereotypes, discriminatory casting-white actors playing the Puerto Rican leads-and the problematic practice of filming lighter-skinned Latino actors in brown-face. But after asking around, I learned that not all Latinos recoil at the legacy of West Side Story, and many view Rita Moreno's dynamic, Oscar-winning performance as a cause for celebration.)

In general, my sense is that ethnicity may not be central to the story, yet it gives readers additional exposure to a positively framed diverse character who faces the same challenges most 12-year-olds face. In fact, one of the biggest ways that Roller Girl succeeds is in its depiction of Astrid's emotional journey. It delivers an honest and satisfying ride through many of the complex social and internal upheavals of middle-school life. I particularly like the author's portrayal of mixed emotions. On one page, a central panel depicts a kindergarten poster of cartoon faces bearing unambiguous expressions. The caption reads: "The feelings were all simple ones, like 'happy' and 'sad.' They didn't tell you about feelings that got mixed together like a smoothie." In the next panel, Astrid contemplates exactly such "mixed together" feelings, the result of running into Nicole after weeks of separation. Astrid is happy to see her former best friend yet sad about the emotional distance that stands between them now. Out of this, she coins a new word, "shad," a distillation of those contradictory feelings-happy and sad. This moment of acceptance that emotions are complex seems to me a marker that a character is coming of age.

As happens with the best of sports stories, Roller Girl follows a character's trajectory through brutal training challenges, inevitable setbacks, as well as moments of triumph-and elevates these into something beyond athletic achievement. At twelve, Astrid is finding her way in the world. Some of her falls are literal and happen on the skating rink. Some are relational and emotional, and arrive without the benefit of coaches to teach her how to land injury-free. The important thing is that after each fall, Astrid is learning how to dust herself off and get back into the game.

TEACHING TIPS AND RESOURCES: A major theme of Roller Girl is the troubled landscape of middle-school friendships. Try this exercise with young readers. Assign a "treasure hunt" for episodes in the story that demonstrate the ebb and flow of friendships. Ask students to identify relational missteps that Astrid and other characters make, i.e., jumping to conclusions, not listening, passing judgments, not speaking up; ask them to do a similar search for positive practices that build friendships.

For visual help on grasping the rules of roller derby, check out the video on this page.

One of Astrid's challenges is figuring out a good derby name. There are rules and traditions that must be observed, as outlined in this guide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Pennsylvania native Victoria Jamieson attended the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work history includes a stint as book designer for HarperCollins Children's Books. She now writes, illustrates, and teaches illustration at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, where she also skates in the Rose City Rollers roller-derby league.

Newbie skaters like Astrid could probably use the tips from this video.

Lila Quintero Weaver is the author-illustrator of Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Darkroom recounts her family's immigrant experience in small-town Alabama during the tumultuous 1960s. It is her first major publication. Lila is a graduate of the University of Alabama. She and her husband, Paul, are the parents of three grown children. She can also be found on her own website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

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Book Review: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

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Reviewed by Lila Quintero Weaver Roller Girl is a recipient of a 2016 Newbery Honor! FROM THE NEWBERY MEDAL HOME PAGE: Astrid falls in love with roller derby and learns how to be tougher, stronger and fearless. Jamieson perfectly captures the highs and lows of growing up in this dynamic graphic novel.

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Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed Introduce WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED

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Victoria Jamieson (creator of ROLLER GIRL) and Omar Mohamed Introduce WHEN STARS ARE SCATTERED.

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Author Fan Face-off #18: Victoria Jamieson/ROLLER GIRL

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Hello and Welcome!

You can learn more about me, my books, and arranging author visits to your school or library here.

Thanks for visiting!

2021 Schneider Family Book Award Honor

New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book
TIME Best Book of the Year
School Library Journal Best Book of 2020
Kirkus Best Children's Book of 2020
NYPL Best Book for Kids
NPR's Book Concierge Pick
Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist
Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book

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Victoria Jamieson - Children's Book Author and Illustrator

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You can learn more about me, my books, and arranging author visits to your school or library here. Thanks for visiting!

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Thirty-year-old Bronx-born Adam Silvera is one of the leading figures in Young Adult fiction, focusing as he does on gay-themed stories. His first book More Happy Than Not was published in 2015 by Soho Teen and his second, History is All You Left Me, also became a big success. But it's his tale of two young men spending their last day on Earth together, They Both Die at the End, which has been a smash UK hit, staying in the top 30 of the Amazon book charts for the best part of six months. It's now in development to be made into an HBO series with "Star Wars" director J J Abrams producing. Also in the works is a film adaptation of Silvera and Love, Simon author Becky Albertelli's collaboration, What if it's Us (2018).
They Both Die at the End has been such a spectacular breakout success in the UK. I can't remember that ever happening for a book like this. Congratulations. Why do you think that's happened here, and how does it feel? What do you think about it has struck a chord with so many readers across the world?
I'm really proud that a book about queer Latinos is succeeding at this level across the world right now. So much of this second, massive wave of success is thanks to so many heroes on BookTok, which is a subsection of TikTok dedicated to book lovers. I think after over a year in isolation and re-evaluating our lives, people have really connected with the story of discovering who you want to be, and the necessary risks to take them.
The title and concept of the book is so stunningly audacious. What made you call it that, and did you worry about the risk of giving away the ending as the title?
For me the story has always been about the journey and not the destination. The title is clearly catchy, which is great for marketing, but you would be surprised how many people don't believe the title is telling the truth!
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer and how did you go about it? What do you consider your biggest breaks to be?
I've been writing since I was 11 years old and it was in my late teen years that I was positive I wanted to pursue it as a career. I didn't go to college or anything, I literally just wrote all the time and got better and better. I think my biggest break would be that I was publishing my stories about queer Puerto Ricans at a time when literary communities were advocating for more diverse stories. Otherwise it probably would've gotten buried.
It's kind of overwhelming to someone like me, in my late forties, who never had books like this about gay or queer characters. For straight people in the industry can you describe what it's like not being able to see"people like you" in books and what it would have meant to you to have done?
I literally found myself writing straight narrators when pursuing publication. I didn't know we were allowed to publish stories with queer narrators because I wasn't coming across them. None of those stories were mainstream when I was growing up, and my career would be a lot less revolutionary if I had just added more straight stories to shelves already overflowing with them. That's not my truth and not a story I'm bursting to tell. I wish that freedom and joy for every marginalised writer, if they want it.
What's your writing day like? I read that you wrote the first draft of More Happy Than Not in two and a half months. How?
I wasn't working when I wrote that first draft of More Happy Than Not, but I was when writing They Both Die at the End and it took about the same amount of time. Love of story pushes me through, and if I'm obsessed with the story, I will find the time. But I don't draft books in two months any more. I'm unfortunately too much of a perfectionist, so I can be pretty slow, but I pick up a lot of speed as the deadline hits.
One of your other huge hits is Infinity Son, which you've described as "X-Men but queer". Why do you think fantasy, superheroes and science-fiction is so hugely popular with LGBT audiences?
There's often similarities about dual identities between superheroes and queer people; that can be comforting, even if you're still closeted. There's a lot of power there.
What do you think the most important thing in life is?
Being good and trustworthy and protective of yourself while mindful of how your actions can affect, and even damage, other people.
What's it like being in the privileged position of writing books that young LGBT people can relate to? Is that a weight of responsibility, or not something you dwell on?
The responsibility is something I dwell on, but if I let it be the driving force I wouldn't get anything done. I just have to hope that if you come into one of my stories, you leave with something that changes you-no matter how small or big that thing may be.
If you could, what piece of advice would you give yourself when you were starting out?
Writing is hard, so make sure you keep writing stories that you want to read.
What are you working on at the moment?
Doing revisions on Here's to Us, which is the sequel to What if it's Us, co-written by Becky Albertalli. It is released in December of this year!

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Adam Silvera | 'For me the story has always been about the journey and not the destination'

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Thirty-year-old Bronx-born Adam Silvera is one of the leading figures in Young Adult fiction, focusing as he does on gay-themed stories. His first book More Happy Than Not was published in 2015 by Soho Teen and his second, History is All You Left Me, also became a big success.

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Fun Facts for THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END (Spoiler Free)

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This review is based on an advance reader's edition.

FROM THE BOOK JACKET: In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, this tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut the New York Times called "profound," reminds us that there's no life without death, no love without loss-and that it's possible to change your whole world in a day.

Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio are going to die today. The two boys are total strangers, but, for different reasons, they're both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. There is some good news: There's an app for that. It's called Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure-to live a lifetime in a single day.

MY TWO CENTS: The release date for They Both Die at the End was September 5, 2017. It's no coincidence that the novel also takes place on that date, with chapters time-stamped to reflect the passing hours. This is no ordinary day for Mateo Torrez, 18, and Rufus Emeterio, 17, both of New York City. An unfailingly accurate notification service known as Death-Cast delivers the news that it is their last day on earth. Sadly, both boys have lost loved ones whose deaths were predicted in the same, bone-chilling fashion.

They Both Die at the End sends readers on a spellbinding adventure, following the two main characters as they squeeze in one more day of living. The story hits the ground running at 12:22 a.m., when Mateo's phone sounds the eerie Death-Cast alert. Rufus receives his alert not long after that. Yet for all the tension of the ticking countdown, this novel narrates a surprisingly tender friendship that springs up between the two strangers. They connect through the app Last Friend, one of numerous social, cultural, and commercial spin-off products resulting from the launch of Death-Cast, which has been in existence for six years.

By the time Rufus and Mateo's last day arrives, society has accepted the reliability of the Death-Cast predictions, and has developed norms in response to the ubiquitous presence of so-called Deckers, people who've received the last-day warning. This is made evident in a scene where subway passengers realize that a Decker and her Last Friend are among them. A stranger offers sympathy. "Sorry to lose you," she says to the Decker, and commends them both for spending the final hours together. The Death-Cast phenomenon has changed the landscape of everyday life in other ways. Restaurants offer discounts to Deckers, and at a special amusement park called Make a Memory, Deckers and their companions indulge in simulated extreme sports. Social media has summoned a flurry of responses, too, including CountDowners, a blog devoted to the postings and live-feeds of Deckers, who share real-time accounts of their final hours on earth. Silvera weaves these fictitious cultural creations seamlessly into an otherwise recognizable version of contemporary city life.

How Death-Cast knows when a person will expire is anyone's guess, but because his mom died in childbirth, Mateo has been death-haunted all his life. Paranoia about dying has kept him from making friends and participating in childhood activities, such as going on sleepovers and roller-skating in the park. Now, with the bitter reality of death squarely before him, Mateo is engulfed in the pain of wasted opportunities. When the End Day news comes, he is home alone. His father, who is hospitalized in intensive care, has been in a coma for weeks, and Mateo's only other significant connections are with a close friend, Lidia, and her one-year-old daughter.

While Mateo is a loner, who from the safe confines of his apartment has engaged primarily with the digital universe of blogs, games, and apps- Rufus is more of a here-and-now guy: confident, socially connected, and comfortable jumping into new experiences in a way that Mateo never has been. When readers meet Rufus, he's giving his ex-girlfriend's new guy a beat-down. Then the Death-Cast ringtone goes off and everybody freezes. Although foster brothers Malcolm and Tagoe are on hand to provide Rufus with backup during the fight, for reasons that aren't immediately revealed, they can't help him once the police get involved. So Rufus takes flight alone, into the darkened streets of the city. He needs a friend.

The novel follows Mateo and Rufus from their separate, but equally jarring Death-Cast notices until they connect through the Last Friend app. During the course of their hours together, they bridge the initial awkwardness, and in cementing a friendship, defy the opposing pull of their personalities and lifestyles. Rufus gently goads Mateo to push aside long-held fears, and Mateo responds by embracing new experiences, from small to significant. By the time they land at Clint's Graveyard-a dance and karaoke club that exists to give Deckers an unforgettable send-off-Mateo is more alive, more himself than ever, and the boys' friendship turns romantic.

In his debut, More Happy Than Not, Adam Silvera demonstrated a fluid command of speculative fiction. In They Both Die at the End, he repeats that impressive feat, crafting a futuristic world that lands credibly in all its disquieting aspects, yet never forgets that telling a specific story is the most important order of business. Silvera's ability to weave the strange and disturbing world of Death-Cast into a powerful character-driven narrative keeps readers on the edge to the last page, and drives a keen level of anticipation for the next offering from this gifted writer.

WHERE TO GET IT: To find They Both Die at the End, check your local public library, your local bookstore, or IndieBound. Also, check out Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Adam Silvera was born and raised in the Bronx. He has worked in the publishing industry as a children's bookseller, marketing assistant at a literary development company, and book reviewer of children's and young adult novels. His debut novel, More Happy Than Not, received multiple starred reviews and is a New York Times bestseller. Visit his author site for more information.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Lila Quintero Weaver is the author-illustrator of Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Darkroom recounts her family's immigrant experience in small-town Alabama during the tumultuous 1960s. It is her first major publication and will be available in Spanish in January 2018. Her next book is a middle-grade novel scheduled for release in July 2018 (Candlewick). Lila is a graduate of the University of Alabama. She and her husband, Paul, are the parents of three grown children. She can also be found on her own website, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

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Book Review: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

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Reviewed by Lila Quintero Weaver This review is based on an advance reader's edition. FROM THE BOOK JACKET: In the tradition of Before I Fall and If I Stay, this tour de force from acclaimed author Adam Silvera, whose debut the New York Times called "profound," reminds us that there's no life without death, no...

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Young adult author of MORE HAPPY THAN NOT

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Bestselling author of YA books Frankly In Love and Super Fake Love Song, as well as the adult thriller Version Zero.

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Nicola Yoon Interview: Interpreting and Adapting Love in Everything Everything

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Nicola Yoon reads from The Sun Is Also a Star at the 2016 National Book Awards Finalists Reading

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1. Her family emigrated from Jamaica to America when she was 11-years-old. Yoon used her experience of being caught between two cultures to flesh out the lives of the characters in her second novel, The Sun is Also a Star. Natasha and Daniel are both children of immigrants. Natasha's family is facing deportation back to Jamaica when she meets Korean-American, Daniel.

2. Yoon studied engineering at Cornell then spent two decades working wall-street hours for investment management firms before getting her first book deal.

3. The birth of her daughter inspired her first novel, Everything, Everything. Yoon says a protective instinct kicked in after she gave birth that made her worry constantly about her daughter's safety. This led her to imagine a mother desperate to protect her child, and what that mother would do if her child was born allergic to the entire world.

4. The Sun is also a Star, Yoon's second novel, also came out of personal experience. Jamaican-American, Natasha, loves maths. Her love-interest, Daniel, is a Korean-American who writes poetry. The characters share their interests and ethnic backgrounds with Yoon and her husband. The conversations they have as they zip across New York on public transit, about God, fate, science vs art, love, time, and so on, are the kind of topics Yoon and her hubby also love to grapple with.

5. She wrote Everything Everything over three years while working a full-time job. She would write from 4am - 6am every morning before work.

6. When she was growing up, Yoon did not see herself represented in the books she read. She wants to change this for her daughter. She is a vocal supporter of the We Need Diverse Books campaign. She argues that it's important that we all get to see ourselves as the hero of a story.
"Stories help shape the way we see ourselves in the world. They help tell us who we can be and what we can achieve. Our literature needs to reflect diversity simply because that's the truth of the world we live in."
7. Her husband is a graphic designer and illustrates her novels.

8. She is careful when writing about other cultures. After creating Daniel, a Korean-American whose father owns a black beauty supply store, Yoon tapped not only her Korean-American husband to read the manuscript, but also her sister-in-law and her circle of beta readers. She wanted to ensure she got the facts right and that she didn't accidentally create any harmful or stereotypical representations.

9. Yoon is a sucker for love stories. Madeline's life is upended by the boy next door. Natasha falls for a boy she meets on a crowded New York street. Yoon says that her passion for love springs from the deep, desperate love she has for her husband and daughter. "Love is something that makes the world go round. It's the only thing worth getting up for." Huffington Post

10. She wants to see the portrayal of black girls in popular culture expand. Natasha, star of The Sun is Not a Star, is a science nerd with a passion for 90s rock bands.

"There are many black girls who like a great many things. It was really important to me to write about a girl that we don't often see, but who exists and deserves to be seen." NationalBook.org

11. The big screen version of Everything, Everything will be in cinemas from May 19. It stars Amandla Stenberg and Anika Noni Rose and is directed by Black-Canadian film director, Stella Meghie.

Top photo by Sonya Sones

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11 things you (maybe) didn't know about Nicola Yoon

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1. Her family emigrated from Jamaica to America when she was 11-years-old. Yoon used her experience of being caught between two cultures to flesh out the lives of the characters in her second novel, The Sun is Also a Star. Natasha and Daniel are both children of immigrants.

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The Sun is Also a Star
#1 NEW YORK TIME BESTSELLER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award winner

One of Entertainment Weekly's Best YA Books of the Decade

Amazon Best Young Adult Book of the Year

Everything, Everything
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE "Gorgeous and lyrical" - The New York Times Book Review "[A] fresh, moving debut." - Entertainment Weekly, A-" "YA book lovers, your newest obsession is here."-MTV.com "Not only was I totally hooked...by the end I was totally blown away" -NPR

Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star. She is a National Book Award finalist, Michael L. Printz Honor Book recipient and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. Both her novels have been made into major motion pictures. She grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn, and lives in Los Angeles with her family

starring Yara Shahidi & Charles Melton

starring Amandla Stenberg & Nick Robinson

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1 NEW YORK TIME BESTSELLER NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE A New York Times Notable Book of the Year Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award winner One of Entertainment Weekly's Best YA Books of the Decade Amazon Best Young Adult Book of the Year #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE "Gorgeous and lyrical" - The New York Times Book Review "[A] fresh, moving debut."

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Look Up! by Nathan Bryon - Signed Stories - Sign Language | BSL | SSE | Read Aloud

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Puffin Storytime | Look Up! | Full read & draw-along activity | 20 mins

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Nathan Bryon is an award-winning writer and actor who has written for BAFTA award-winning children's TV shows, such as Swashbuckle and Apple Tree House and critically-acclaimed Rastamouse. A rising star in the world of screenwriting, his animated series, Afro Kid, is currently under option. Look Up! is his debut picture book for children.

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Nathan Bryon is an award-winning writer and actor who has written for BAFTA award-winning children's TV shows, such as Swashbuckle and Apple Tree House and critically-acclaimed Rastamouse. A rising star in the world of screenwriting, his animated series, Afro Kid, is currently under option. Look Up! is his debut picture book for children.

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OurShelves: Meet Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, Author and Illustrator of ROCKET SAYS LOOK UP.

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'If we're only given one image of ourselves, it limits our aspirations.' | Dapo Adeola Interview

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Join Rocket CLEAN UP by Nathan Bryon illustrated by Dapo Adeola | Read Aloud Books For Kids

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Cressida's Creativity Summer Camp - 'Sketchbooks' with Dapo Adeola

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Dapo Adeola is an award-winning illustrator and designer who creates characters and images that challenge expectations around race and gender in a fun and upbeat way. He is the co-creator and illustrator of bestselling picture book Look Up! - winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the number 1 debut picture book of 2019. Dapo is also illustrator of the Versify fiction series The Last Last Day of Summer and other upcoming series with Macmillan and Bloomsbury.

London born and bred but of Nigerian heritage, when he's not busy cooking up new characters and adventures you can find Dapo running illustration and character design workshops with children or organising events to help highlight the possibilities of a career in illustration to underrepresented members of the Black diaspora.

This site uses cookies - by continuing to use this site you are agreeing to the use of cookies.

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Dapo Adeola is an award-winning illustrator and designer who creates characters and images that challenge expectations around race and gender in a fun and upbeat way. He is the co-creator and illustrator of bestselling picture book Look Up! - winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize and the number 1 debut picture book of 2019.

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What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions

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Masculinity is being discussed more than ever before, in a range of contexts. People talk about 'toxic masculinity', claim that there is a crisis in masculin...

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I've spent almost two decades teaching in English primary schools, which serve multiracial, multicultural, multifaith communities. I want to explore two things I have noticed.

1) Almost without exception, whenever children are asked to write a story in school, children of colour will write a story featuring white characters with 'traditional' English names who speak English as a first language.

2) Teachers do not discuss this phenomenon.

Furthermore, simply pointing these two things out can lead to some angry responses in my experience.

Why are you making an issue of race when children are colourblind?"

is an example of the sort of question that sometimes gets asked.

Well let's look at that. If children were writing stories where the race of characters was varied and random, there might be some merit in claiming that children are colourblind. However, even proponents of racial colourblindness do not argue that all people are White... and English. They argue that race no longer matters. If that's true, why are young children of colour and young white children writing exclusively about white characters?

But, surely you are not arguing that teachers are telling them to do this?"

I'm not. I think it's more complicated than that.

A few years ago, I taught a Year 2 class in East London. I had built up a good bank of multicultural picture-books and resources and shared these with the class whenever seemed appropriate. When it came time for the class to write their own stories, I suggested that they used the name of someone in their family for their protagonist. I wanted them to draw on their own backgrounds, but was worried about 'making an issue of race'. When it came to sharing their stories, I noticed only one boy had acted upon my suggestion, naming his main character after his uncle. He had recently arrived from Nigeria and was eager to read his story to the class. However when he read out the protagonists name he was interrupted by another boy, who was born in Britain and identified as Congolese.

"You can't do that! Stories have to be about White people."

I'm confident the boy who announced this was being sincere and indeed, in the ensuing class discussion there was a fair bit of uncertainty about who could and couldn't be in stories. I was surprised and confused by this. Why did they always write stories about children from very different backgrounds to themselves? And why were these characters always White? After all, I had shared a number of stories about children of colour with the class.

I just hadn't realised what I was up against.

What do I mean? Well, if you are a teacher, try this with your class. Ask them to write down their favourite 25 children's book characters. Then ask them to count how many of those characters are White (and look for other patterns too). Publishers like Verna Wilkins at Tamarind do a great job at promoting books featuring People of Colour. However, a friend of mine who writes for children, has been told by publishers that by making her central character a black girl, she will reduce its marketability - so unless she is writing specifically about 'black issues' she should make her 'front-cover' characters white.

On World Book Day, many primary schools ask children and staff to dress up as a famous book character. On this day in my local schools, you will see children of colour dressed as White fictional children. Again, this in itself might not be a problem - but the lack of options is worrying for some Black teachers and parents. A Black colleague's exasperation at this, led to us creating a resource for discussion that has proved an effective way of starting conversations with colleagues and children about race and representation in children's literature. World Book Day - A Teacher's Dilemna

This isn't confined at children's literature of course. In her essay oni Morrison argues that 'Playing in the Dark', T "the readers of virtually all of American fiction have been positioned as white." (Morrison 1992:xiv) We might ask if the same is true of children's literature and how that might affect children's relationship to story-writing. And I don't think any such marginalization is limited to books. Take a programme set in the very area of England where I teach. When EastEnders was launched, it was lauded for its inner-city realism and diversity. Recently the BBC compiled this list of characters with the most 'doof doof' cliffhangers - an indication, albeit an imprecise one, of who has the main storyline. In the top 50 characters, the number of People of Colour was exactly zero.

Reflecting on my experience with my Year 2 class, the following year, whilst teaching Year 5, I was emboldened to experiment.

What would happen if for just one lesson I insisted they write about a character from a similar ethnic, religious, linguistic background as themselves - just as I sometimes insist they try to include fronted adverbials, or a moral dilemma for their protagonist?

First we discussed ourselves in terms of amongst other things: language, family migration, physical appearance including skin and hair, religion, hobbies and clothes. Then I asked them to write a character who was similar in some but not necessarily all of categories. As I modelled this process for them, I realized it was something I rarely did in class myself, causing me to later think of my role as a teacher of colour (indeed the only male teacher of colour in my current school.)

Then they wrote. Clearly, many of them enjoyed the lesson and many produced their best piece of writing. Here are a couple of examples:

Bang! As I stormed to headteacher Mrs. Paula's office my head filled with fear. Fear of exclusion!

Mrs. Paula was a short, slim, young white woman with red ruddy cheeks. She was a stern woman who hated disobedience and inappropriateness. As I stroked my black hair, my smooth lips crumpled and my creamy brown face turned red with worry.

Maryam Patel was a twelve year old girl, whose parents were Indian, but she was born in Britain. She was a fairly religious person. However Maryam thought one does not have to wear a headscarf to be religious. She loved her red straight hair. Her hair was as red as blood. She had decided to dye her hair as she hated her dark brown hair. She loved football and the club she supported was Liverpool. One day I will play for the Liverpool women she thought.

I want to avoid making huge claims here. However, I do sense a greater emotional engagement with the story from the children and the beginnings of an authorial voice in both Michael's dramatic first-person opening and Nabila's character description.

Nabila did start four sentences with 'She' and I would want to give her feedback on varying her sentence structure. But there is genuine characterisation in the paragraph not just a short list of features, which I often encounter. More than that, there is some psychological insight in this 9 year-old's writing precisely because she is using her own life as inspiration for her creativity.

Speaking to Nabila, she told me she had never written about an Indian heritage and/or Muslim character before. Nobody had ever told her she shouldn't. But at the same time, nobody had ever explicitly given her permission. Subsequently, she wrote two further full stories about 'Maryam Patel'. The third installment described Maryam's trip to India. Trust me, it was a good read.

*Names of children have been changed.

Teacher, Governor, Higher Ed Tutor, Hip Hop Educator, P4Cer, PhDer. RapClassRoom Find Darren Chetty on twitter @rapclassroom

READ the follow up: Writing and Reading While Black. Lessons learned.

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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"You can't do that! Stories have to be about White people"

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Young Writers of Colour by Darren Chetty I've spent almost two decades teaching in English primary schools, which serve multiracial, multicultural, multifaith communities. I want to explore two things I have noticed. 1) Almost without exception, whenever children are asked to write a story in school, children of colour will write a story featuring white...

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Beyond the Secret Garden? 'Black Asian and Minority Ethnic' Representations in Children's Literature.

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This document is a collation of six columns, written with Karen Sands O'Connor. These columns were published in 'Books for Keeps', the British children's books periodical, in 2018. The columns are presented in order, from Issue

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What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions

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Masculinity is being discussed more than ever before, in a range of contexts. People talk about 'toxic masculinity', claim that there is a crisis in masculin...

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Writers Jeffrey Boakye & JJ Bola look at how language is used to define or constrain black male identity in a post-colonial world. If you're not a roadman or a baller, who are you?

Teacher and writer Jeffrey Boakye, sitting in for Michael Rosen, and poet and writer JJ Bola, look at the construction of black masculinity in contemporary society and the impact of colonialism. They explore how language is used to define or constrain male identity and ask how modern society might transcend these inherited ideas. If you're not a roadman or a baller, who are you?
Producer Beth O'Dea. Photo copyright: Antonio Olmos
More about Jeffrey Boakye and JJ Bola:
Jeffrey Boakye is an author, commentator, writer and English teacher. He has a particular interest in issues surrounding education, race and popular culture.
Jeffrey, originally from Brixton in London, has taught English to 11- to 18-year-olds since 2007.  He began teaching in West London, moved to East London where he was Head of English, and then moved on to Yorkshire where he now lives with his wife and two sons.
Jeffrey started writing his first book, Hold Tight, in 2015 when cradling his first born son in the early hours. Hold Tight was published in 2017 and is recognised as one of the first seminal books on grime music. He started writing his second book, Black, Listed, when cradling his second born son in the early hours. Published in 2019, Black, Listed was praised by David Lammy MP as 'a book that gives a voice to those whose experience is persistently defined, refined and denied by others'. Jeffrey's third book, What is Masculinity?, a book for children on masculinity, broke with tradition and was not written when cradling a newborn son.
JJ Bola's website is jjbola.com, twitter: https://twitter.com/JJ_Bola, instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jj_bola and facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jjbola
You can listen to Jeffrey Boakye's conversation with Michael Rosen on Word of Mouth here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004l93

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BBC Radio 4 - Word of Mouth, Black masculinity and language

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Writers Jeffrey Boakye & JJ Bola look at how language is used to define or constrain black male identity in a post-colonial world. If you're not a roadman or a baller, who are you? Teacher and writer Jeffrey Boakye, sitting in for Michael Rosen, and poet and writer JJ Bola, look at the construction of black masculinity in contemporary society and the impact of colonialism.

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Jeffrey Boakye, author, educator, speaker, broadcaster, journalist

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Tupac Inspired Angie Thomas's New Book | The Hate U Give

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Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas | Book trailer

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Author Elizabeth Acevedo On “With the Fire on High”

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Joseph Coelho Introduces 'The Girl Who Became a Tree' and Teaches Rondel Poetry

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Introducing ... When Secrets Set Sail by Sita Brahmachari

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Information about our use of cookies

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users and enhance your user experience. They also help us improve our site. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Learn more OK, I agree

Written by: Sita Brahmachari

Immy has always loved wild swimming; one day, she hopes to become a marine biologist. Tomorrow is the first step towards that goal - completing her entry level diving certificate.

But her plans for a good night's sleep are ruined by a strange and vivid dream of a distressed whale in the river. At school she tries to shake it off, but discovers that her nightmare has leaked into reality.

Immy and her trusty friend Cosmo must head for the Thames on a mission to save the trapped river whale. Can Immy use her skills to release it from the rubbish-filled nets it's caught in and guide it home?

Told in a mixture of free verse and prose, this is the beautiful new short adventure from Sita Brahmachari, with illustrations by Poonam Mistry.

Why not take a sneak peek inside?

This feature is called Book2Look and has been made possible by Nielsen Book, who provide a unique range of services, enabling books to be discovered by book buyers everywhere. Find out more and peek inside all the £1 books here.

Sita Brahmachari

Sita Brahmachari won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize with her debut Artichoke Hearts and is one of the most interesting and important voices in children's books today. Tender Earth was awarded an honour by the International Board of Books for Young People, and her most recent novel, Where The River Runs Gold, published to great acclaim in July 2019. Sita's books have been shortlisted for the UKLA Book Award, nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, and have been translated into many languages around the world. She was the 2015 Booktrust's Writer in Residence and is the current Writer in Residence at Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants. Sita is also an Amnesty International ambassador. She lives in London with her family.

Website: www.sitabrahmachari.com
Twitter:@SitaBrahmachari
Instagram:@sita.brahmachari

World Book Day is a charity funded by publishers and booksellers in the UK and Ireland.

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Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users and enhance your user experience. They also help us improve our site. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn more OK, I agree Written by: Sita Brahmachari Immy has always loved wild swimming; one day, she hopes to become a marine biologist.

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Benjamin Zephaniah on new book Windrush Child: ‘We have to learn from the past’

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Benjamin Zephaniah tells us about his new book Windrush Child and why it’s so important we learn the lessons of the past.

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Benjamin Zephaniah | What his new book Windrush Child is all about

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Music always finds its way into Patrice Lawrence's books and Eight Pieces of Silva is no exception... step-sisters Becks and Silva are complete opposites but bond over their mutual obsession with K-Pop.

Patrice has put together an Eight Pieces of Silva-inspired soundtrack, sharing tracks that have influenced her and her writing. Enjoy!

You can find a link to the full Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page.

1. Wakanda Origins composed by Ludwig Goransson

Film soundtracks are so evocative. There are songs that existed long before being featured in films but are now forever associated in my head with particular scenes. (Thinking of virtually the whole Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, here.) The Lord of the Rings soundtrack would have left Becks cold, but this, from Black Panther would have made her heart beat every time the camera swooped down from the birds' eye view of Wakanda.

It's hard to emphasise how important this film felt for me. I've spent all my life having to perform an 'ethnic hop', pretending to be white so I could really root for the main characters. This was a mainstream, superhero/ine film that didn't do that. The women were tough and clever and all shades of brown and Letitia Wright, playing my favourite, Shuri, is from Tottenham in north London. (I was a Patron of Reading for a year in her old school, so actually met her English teacher and saw her old classroom!) I also love Black Panther because beauty isn't defined by light-toned skin and European features. There are in-jokes especially for people of colour. And there's a red dress. I love red dresses.

2. Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu

Check the lyrics. '...am I weird to dance alone late at night?' Nope! Definitely not. The video is innovative and beautiful, like Janelle herself. The lyrics challenge and empower. This would be Becks' and China's theme tune.

3. Weak by Skunk Anansie

Skin, the leader singer is the same age as me. In one interview she talked about our generation of Caribbean-heritage people being the first one to be born in the UK. I had never thought about it before, but she is right. We had no role models and belonged neither in our country of birth or the countries of our parents' birth. We had to find our own way. I love that Skin was so completely different - a rock singer, bisexual, bald. She was saying being black and English could mean anything.

This is one of my bus songs - songs I can listen to on headphones without accidentally singing along, because I don't know the words. My daughter introduced me to BTS. I actually love pop music, but this is more mellow. Fantastic video too - tears, masks, dead flowers, nifty footwork, the works.

My daughter saw BTS perform at the O2 in Greenwich, south London. She filmed the whole of the live performance of this for me. Apparently, I once did a weird wiggle dance to this in the kitchen which in no way resembled the choreography in the video. Still, though. I tried.

Becks is worried that China will judge her for liking BTS, but nope. She really doesn't.

5. DDU-DU DDU-DU by BLACKPINK

Okay, it's hard to view the English translation of the lyrics without a wry smile. It's all about being your own woman - mainly by being traditionally sexy and completely selfish. Bear in mind that so much of the K-pop industry - and the stars' lives - is controlled by men. The pressure to conform must be extraordinary and there have, incredibly sadly, been casualties along the way.

I watched quite a few dance practice videos by different girl groups wondering which one would be the one that Becks and her mates would dance to in Savannah's kitchen. Definitely this. BLACKPINK performed it at Coachella. They wore high heels and sequinned hotpants. The boys don't have to do that.

6. Danger by BTS

I'm not fussed about the song. I won't be walking around Lidl humming it. The dance practice, though! My daughter directed me to a few - mostly not BTS - dance practice videos. The synchronicity is pretty splendid, also the fact that they don't punch each other when they fling their arms out.

This is the challenge for China, Silva and Becks at the end of the book. Also, to do that leaping around with knees going 'click'.

7. Mr Blue Sky by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)

This song has always been part of my consciousness, but it will now forever belong to Baby Groot. That opening scene of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 ... Groot trying to plug in the amplifier leads then finding his groove. A thing of wonder. I sometimes struggle with the balance of humour and murderous mayhem in Marvel films, but the Guardian films foreground humour from the start. I know where I am.

A m I weird to dance alone late at night? Baby Groot does when all his mates are fighting a giant squid-thing.

8. Young Guns (Go For It) by Wham

Very early George Michael! Also very early boybandish dancing and singing. I taped Wham's performance of this on our sparkling new Beta video-player, soon to be obsolete. Me and some friends learned the dance in my sitting room. I was Dee C Lee.

9. Save it For Later by The Beat

This is actually my favourite Beat song - but is also cheating a bit for this list. I didn't watch Spiderman - Far From Home until Eight Pieces of Silva was well and truly written. This song popped up as a glorious surprise at the end. I love the multicultural school in these Spiderman films, the poster of James Baldwin on the classroom wall, the friendships, geeky MJ...

But then, the end...
Click here to find the Spotify playlist. Tell us what you think using #EightPiecesOfSilva and tagging @LawrencePatrice and @teambkmrk.
BRB we're off to perfect our BTS dance routines...

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Patrice Lawrence: Eight Pieces of Silva Playlist

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Music always finds its way into Patrice Lawrence's books and Eight Pieces of Silva is no exception... step-sisters Becks and Silva are complete opposites but bond over their mutual obsession with K-Pop. Patrice has put together an Eight Pieces of Silva-inspired soundtrack, sharing tracks that have influenced her and her writing.

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Patrice Lawrence || Eight Pieces of Silva

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Patrice Lawrence answers our questions about her addictive mystery novel Eight Pieces of Silva (Hodder Children's Books), which has been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2021.
1. Can you sum up your book in one sentence?
What happens when obsessional love meets obsessionally falling in love with added K-Pop.
2. What inspired the book?
A book called Incurable Romantic and Other Unsettling Revelations by Frank Tallis - a case book written by a psychotherapist of 20 years who talks to people who have been thrown sideways by love. The first case study was reported widely in reviews when the book was first published. It's about a happily married woman in her fifties. She had a dental operation under general anaesthetic, and when she woke up, she was in love with her dentist. It was obsessional - she would stand outside his house. When his family had enough and they moved to Dubai, the woman kept a small shrine to him. There was another case about a young man in his thirties who was happily married, had a business, but he spent his money on seeing women who were sex workers. He took the women out for meals, to view flats, but as soon as they declared that they loved him, he would move on. So, I thought - what happens when you bring someone who has fallen in love obsessively with someone who is obsessed with people falling in love with them. Well, that and K-Pop. And "Black Panther".
3. Which character in the book is your favourite, and why?
Becks - the lead character. I wanted to write a traditional detective story with clues. I've been listening to audio books during lockdown and read quite a few detective stories. I wanted to write one with a female lead for a change, and one that was working class. I felt that it would be hypocritical of me to say representation is important if I always write the same type of characters. So, I wrote a black working class, lesbian, Londoner who is funny, loyal and geeky who really cares, and who also has great female friends. And, of course, she has to solve the mystery.
4. What does being on this year's YA Book Prize shortlist mean to you?
I was so happy when Orangeboy won the YA Book Prize and it really helped build my career as a writer. It means a lot to me, but there are many brilliant debuts on the list as well, people whose books were launched during a pandemic so as much as I love being included, I would be happy if the prize went to somebody else.
5. What's the best thing about writing for young adults?
The funny thing is I never really thought about writing for young adults, as opposed to writing books with young adult main characters. But what I have enjoyed the most is going into schools and talking to young people who are energising, funny, compassionate, incredibly clever and thoughtful - all of these things. I also love eavesdropping on young people's conversations...
6. What was your favourite book as a teenager?
It was hard because there were no characters that were Black in any of the books that I read, or no character that was Black that you thought were the heroes. Even in films at that time it was all white characters with an occasional Black sassy sidekick. I did find Paul Zindel books and S E Hinton books, which I suppose were the equivalent to young adult books written in '50s and '60s America. I still owe many thanks to Haywards Heath Library for stocking them. Then I went on to crime books, such as Agatha Christie - my mum had loads of Agatha Christie books, as well as Stephen King, who will always be my first love.
7. What is your top writing tip?
Just write really! But also remember that if you're younger and still at school, the writing that you do to pass a school exam isn't the writing that you do for yourself. I would say try writing every type of genre, every type of voice. Also just make notes - it doesn't matter if you don't finish things. Even if you just hear a conversation that gets your attention on the bus or in a park record it on the notes section of your phone. Just write, write for the joy and pleasure of it.
8. What songs would be on a playlist for your book?
I've already done one! If you look under Hachette's BKMRK website here, you'll see a whole playlist and explanations for the songs in Eight Pieces of Silva. They include "Singularity" by BTS, "Weak" by Skunk Anansie, "Q.U.E.E.N" by Janelle Monáe, "Mr Blue Sky" by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), "Save it For Later" by The Beat and a couple of others. Music is important in my books.
9. Who would you cast in a film version of your book?
Any of the actors in the film "Rocks", many of the young people are from Hackney - Bukky Bakray and Shaneigha-Monik Greyson - any of them!
10. Which book, film or TV show would you recommend to someone who enjoyed your book?
I talk a lot about Korean drama, because I was very snobby about it until my daughter eventually forced me to watch it. "Goblin" is very surreal - it's about a guy who is 900 odd years old who died in battle. He has an enchanted sword through his ribcage and he's waiting to find a bride who will take it out for him. There are a whole load of grim reapers who died 200 years ago. They realise they did something in a past life that means they have to hang around in this world after they die. Their role is to escort the souls of those who just died to the afterlife. It's a romance but also sad and funny. There are 16 episodes, each episode has an arc, and the overall series has an arc. The last episode made me cry so hard I lost a contact lens. So those are the books I want to write, ones that take the shape of Korean dramas. Also I would recommend the formulaic crime dramas like "Bones" and "Criminal Minds". They show you how you can shape stories with the same characters over series.

You can find out more about Eight Pieces of Silva and Patrice Lawrence, and read the first chapter of the book for free, on the YA Book Prize website.​

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Patrice Lawrence | 'I wanted to write [a detective story] with a female lead for a change'

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Patrice Lawrence answers our questions about her addictive mystery novel Eight Pieces of Silva (Hodder Children's Books), which has been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2021. 1. Can you sum up your book in one sentence? What happens when obsessional love meets obsessionally falling in love with added K-Pop.

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The way the history of the slave trade is taught in UK schools, from the perspective of the abolitionists, gives the impression that the British weren't involved in the trafficking and horrific mistreatment of people from across the Americas for centuries. Also, this inaccurate teaching overlooks the fact that enslaved people ...

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Protagonist of His Story (ft Alex Wheatle MBE)

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Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Hear them chat by hitting the play button below...

Bex chatted has been chatting to Serena Patel about her brand new book 'Anisha, Accidental Detective'.

In the book, Anisha's just found a ransom note, pushed through the letter box, saying Uncle Tony, Bindi's husband-to-be, has been kidnapped, and will only be freed if the wedding is cancelled!

She has to keep this secret otherwise it will be panic-central!

She's roped her best friend Milo in to help solves the clues, and YOU can tag along too - but you need to keep it secret.

Together, they have until 7pm to find the kidnapper...

Hear Serena chat to Bex by hitting play above!

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Interview: Serena Patel chats Anisha, Accidental Detective! - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Hear them chat by hitting the play button below... Bex chatted has been chatting to Serena Patel about her brand new book 'Anisha, Accidental Detective'. In the book, Anisha's just found a ransom note, pushed through the letter box, saying Uncle Tony, Bindi's husband-to-be, has been kidnapped, and will only be freed if the wedding is cancelled!

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Winner of Fiction at the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards 2020.
Shortlisted for the Tower Hamlets Libraries Book Award 2020
Shortlisted for the North Somerset Teachers Book Awards 2020
Longlisted for the Leicester Libraries Best Book Award 2020
Press Reviews
"The chaotic warmth of an eccentric extended family underpins this exhilarating romp which touches upon children's insecurity about change. Anisha and Milo are an engaging team who we are sure to meet again."
Daily Mail

"The story surfs along on a wave of excitable prose, while offering insights into Hindu culture that, for the uninitiated, are intriguing."
Financial Times

Waterstones says: "The first of a hilarious new series by Serena Patel, Anisha, Accidental Detective is a feelgood joy."

Also featured in the Guardian's Best New Children's Books roundup for March and The Booksellers One to Watch.

Anisha Mistry is all set to be a bridesmaid at her Aunty Bindi's wedding tomorrow...until she finds a note in her family's letterbox. Bindi's groom has been kidnapped and will only be released IF THE WEDDING IS CALLED OFF!

With best friend Milo, a mischievous granny, a runaway lobster, a giant chauffeur, and some super sleuthing skills, it's up to Anisha Mistry to find her uncle and save THE big Indian Wedding of the year.
Published by Usborne 5 March 2020
Read anextract

Order through Hive

Order from Amazon or from Waterstones

The series is also available from Usborne Books at Home

Illustrated by Emma McCann
You can follow Emma on Instagram to see more of her amazing work

Review taken from Amazon
Hi, I'm Anisha, I'm supposed to be a bridesmaid at my Aunty Bindi's wedding tomorrow, but I've just found a ransom note, pushed through the letterbox, saying Bindi's husband-to-be has been KIDNAPPED and will only be freed if the wedding is CANCELLED!
Milo is my best friend, and the only person I can trust to help me solve the case. We'll have to go through the suspects one by one. (That's Yasmine by the way, Milo says he can talk to animals, and she's not so happy about the situation either.) Let's investigate!
My super-dramatic Aunty Bindi is having a MEGA MELTDOWN. It's supposed to be the WEDDING OF THE YEAR but it's tomorrow and it's looking like a "first-class disaster!" And now the groom is MISSING. She absolutely cannot find out.

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Winner of Fiction at the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards 2020. Shortlisted for the Tower Hamlets Libraries Book Award 2020 Shortlisted for the North Somerset Teachers Book Awards 2020 Longlisted for the Leicester Libraries Best Book Award 2020 Press Reviews "The chaotic warmth of an eccentric extended family underpins this exhilarating romp which touches upon children's...

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Serena Patel - Anisha Accidental Detective

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Friday Reads | Leah Johnson Reads You Should See Me in a Crown!

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Leah Johnson Discusses Representation, You Should See Me In A Crown, and more!

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Cookie Policy We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Read our cookie policy

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B.B. ALSTON INTRODUCES AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS

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Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston | Audiobook Excerpt

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‘The Boy Who Met a Whale’ reading and writing activity with author Nizrana Farook (for ages 9+)

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A Storytelling Masterclass from Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning poet, playwright, and bestselling author. Her debut 'The Girl of Ink & Stars' won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 and the British Book Award's Children's Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for numerous awards including the Jhalak Prize, the Branford Boase Award and the Little Rebels Prize. Her second novel 'The Island at the End of Everything' was released in April 2017, and has been shortlisted for both the Costa Book Awards and the Blue Peter Book Awards. Her third novel for children, The Way Past Winter, was published in October 2018. Kiran lives by the river in Oxford with her husband, Tom.

'The Girl of Ink & Stars' - Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped. When her best friend disappears, she's determined to be part of the search party. Guided by an ancient map and her knowledge of the stars, Isabella navigates the island's dangerous Forgotten Territories. But beneath the dry rivers and dead forests, a fiery myth is stirring from its sleep...

'The Island at the End of Everything' - Ami lives with her sick mother on an island where the sea is as blue as the sky. It's all she knows and loves, but the arrival of a cruel government official, Mr Zamora, changes her world for ever. Her island is to become a colony for sufferers of leprosy. Banished to an orphanage across the water, Ami meets a honey-eyed girl named for butterflies, and together they set out to find a way back home to the island at the end of everything.

'The Way Past Winter' - One snowy morning, Mila and her sisters wake to find their brother Oskar has vanished. It seems he's followed the stranger who visited them in the night. Mila can't believe Oskar would just go, her fears made worse because her father disappeared years before. But then she learns that all the boys in the village have gone ... except one - an outcast mage called Rune. To discover the truth, Mila and Rune set out in a dog sleigh to find Oskar, following a sinister golden trail of wolves, eagles and bears - all the way to the frozen North.

'It's so brilliant! Absolutely loved it from start to finish ... totally deserves all the recognition it's getting.' - Children's Author, Tom Fletcher
'Kiran Millwood Hargrave creates a spellbinding world of magic, myth and adventure. The story holds you like a labyrinth and won't let you go.' - Children's Author, Emma Carroll
'A spellbinding adventure from a wonderful new voice in children's fiction. Beautiful storytelling.' - Children's Author, Abi Elphinstone
'[I was] enthralled, entranced and devastated all at once. So beautiful and magical.' - Children's Author, Piers Torday
Authorfy are an Amazon Associate and are part of the Waterstones Affiliate Programme, so may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you click-through to their websites from any links on authorfy.com. This will not affect your buying experience or the cost of any products you order.

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A Storytelling Masterclass from Kiran Millwood Hargrave - authorfy

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A Storytelling Masterclass from Kiran Millwood Hargrave Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning poet, playwright, and bestselling author. Her debut 'The Girl of Ink & Stars' won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017 and the British Book Award's Children's Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for numerous awards including the Jhalak Prize, the Branford Boase Award and the Little Rebels Prize.

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Kiran Millwood Hargrave reads from The Island At The End of Everything

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Kiran Millwood Hargrave reads from her book The Way Past Winter

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Kiran Millwood Hargrave Live Chat with Anna James

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Onjali Rauf ‘The Nightbus Hero’ at Being the Story

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You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson (Audiobook Excerpt)

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This is a preview of the digital audiobook of You Should See Me In a Crown by Leah Johnson, available on Libro.fm at https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781338637618. 

Libro.fm is the first audiobook company to directly support independent bookstores. Libro.fm's bookstore partners come in all shapes and sizes but do have one thing in common: being fiercely independent. Your purchases will directly support your chosen bookstore. 


You Should See Me in a Crown
By Leah Johnson
Narrated by Alaska Jackson / 7 hours 18 minutes

Becky Albertalli meets Jenny Han in a smart, hilarious, black girl magic, own-voices rom-com by a staggeringly talented new writer.

Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay—Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor.

But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz’s plans come crashing down...until she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She’s smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. But Mack is also in the running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams...or make them come true?

“You know when a book is like the ideal friend? You Should See Me in a Crown is that kind of book. Juicy, sharp, romantic, big-hearted, real. I loved it.”—Anna Godbersen, author of the New York Times bestselling Luxe series

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Writing Middle Grade Fantasy with B.B. Alston, author of AMARI AND THE NIGHT BROTHERS | Interview

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0:00 / 0:40•Watch full video

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PET by Akwaeke Emezi| Official Book Trailer

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Talking Monsters w/ Akwaeke Emezi | WHY NOT YA?

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Deftly dramatising the conflicts and misunderstandings of the generational divide, Emezi's remarkable YA debut fashions a clawed monster from paint and canvas, then lets it loose upon a community in denial of its existence. Dazzlingly written and genuinely affecting, Pet is a quiet triumph.

How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

She stumbled backwards, her eyes wide, as the figure started coming out of the canvas ... She tried to be brave. Well, she said, her hands only a little shaky, at least tell me what I should call you. ... Well, little girl, it replied, I suppose you can call me Pet.

There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth.

In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices a young person can make when the adults around them are in denial.

"Angels and Monsters!"

There were a lot of little messages in this book which I liked as they were things that became the norm & just were.
Jam's parents listened to her even if she did not speak.
Jam is a girl whose best friend... More

"In a peaceful world, can one girl hunt down a monster?"

This is one of the best books I have read this year, easily.⁠

I read PET by Akwaeke Emezi straight after finishing Freshwater, their debut. While there's a crossover in themes and dizzying prose, PET is a... More

"How do you fight monsters when everyone refuses to believe they exist?"

In Jam's city of Lucille there are no longer monsters. The angels came and made the monsters go away, or so she was told. When Jam's blood accidentally brings one of her mother's paintings to life a creature of horns,... More

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Deftly dramatising the conflicts and misunderstandings of the generational divide, Emezi's remarkable YA debut fashions a clawed monster from paint and canvas, then lets it loose upon a community in denial of its existence. Dazzlingly written and genuinely affecting, Pet is a quiet triumph.

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Valerie Bloom gives first live reading of poem inspired by CWGC Living Memory Project

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Valerie Bloom reads 'Colonization In Reverse' by Louise Bennett

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Valerie Bloom - Why is poetry important?

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Valerie Bloom, CLiPPA 2015 shortlisted poet shares her thoughts on why poetry is important. To find out more and see more videos of Valerie please visit www.poetryline.org.uk

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Valerie Bloom is a performance poet, originally from Jamaica, and many of her poems are in Jamaican Patois. Her published work includes Hot Like Fire which is a Power of Reading recommended text and the award winning picture book Fruits - a Caribbean Counting Poem. She has considerable experience running writing workshops in schools. Valerie was awarded an MBE for her services to poetry in 2008. Several of her poems feature in the CLiPPA 2015 shortlisted book Give the Ball to the Poet: A New Anthology of Caribbean Poetry. Among her most recent work is Jaws and Claws and Things with Wings ( Harper Collins, 2013).
Valerie Bloom's website

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Valerie Bloom is a performance poet, originally from Jamaica, and many of her poems are in Jamaican Patois. Her published work includes Hot Like Fire which is a Power of Reading recommended text and the award winning picture book Fruits - a Caribbean Counting Poem. She has considerable experience running writing workshops in schools.

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About Valerie Bloom

Family and food, storytelling and singing - these are the memories of Jamaica that are woven into Valerie's poetry. Older people are a particularly important part of Jamaican family life because of the wisdom they have to impart. As a child, Valerie spent a lot of time with her grandmother, and remembers her in several of her poems.

Valerie Bloom writes some of her poetry in Jamaican dialect, or patois. If you don't find it easy understand these poems when you read them on the page, you will almost certainly find it much easier when you listen! Try 'Two Seasons'. When Valerie first came to Britain she was very struck by the weather, and this poem is about the difference between British and Jamaica seasons. Listen to the way she gives character to the verbs - 'tease', 'whisper', 'bubble'. Some of her poems use standard English. And some use a mixture of the two.

In the Caribbean, poetry, music and dance are not seen as separate things - so a poem can also involve singing and dancing. Valerie's poems draw on this Caribbean tradition, and many sound very musical. In fact most are written to be performed.

Valerie's poems draw on Caribbean folk tradition, using riddles, question and answer and rap. Many have very regular rhythms and rhyme - which makes them great to perform.

Continue reading

Valerie's recording was made on 13 February 2003 at The Audio Workshop, London and was produced by Richard Carrington.

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Valerie Bloom | Children's Poetry Archive

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Family and food, storytelling and singing - these are the memories of Jamaica that are woven into Valerie's poetry. Older people are a particularly important part of Jamaican family life because of the wisdom they have to impart.

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It's here; after a month of writing, editing, re-writing, and running poems-in-the-making past my family, my latest collection is finally out! Jaws and Claws and Things with Wings is a collection of animal-inspired poems for children, illustrated by Matt Robertson. (I had one month to write and deliver this one, making it the fastest book I've ever written!)

Publishers Collins Educational said about the collection,

Imaginative, clever and often humorous, this beautifully illustrated poetry collection...is inspired by the strange and wonderful creatures of the natural world.

Jaws and Claws (I'm taking the liberty of shortening the title for the rest of this post!) is part of their Collins Big Cat series, a range of fiction and non-fiction books designed to help primary school children develop their reading skills.

You can find out more about Collins Big Cat at their website.

Just to give you a taste of what's under the covers of Jaws and Claws, I'm including a taster poem from the collection below. (This is one of my grown-up daughter's favourites; imagine her singing it in delighted, child-like tones!)

The Mouse's Song

If there is a mouse you are longing to please

Give him cheese, give him cheese,

If you want to put a small mouse at his ease,

Give him cheese, give him cheese,

Don't hug him, don't kiss him, don't give him a squeeze,

Don't tickle his nose it will just make him sneeze,

Don't feed him on parsnips, or porridge, or peas,

Give him cheese, give him cheese, give him cheese!

Jaws and Claws and Things with Wings is available from bookshops and online booksellers such as Amazon or Waterstones, or direct from Collins.

If you've been bought a copy, been given one as a gift, or used it with your class, let me know what you thought!

-Val

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It's here; after a month of writing, editing, re-writing, and running poems-in-the-making past my family, my latest collection is finally out! Jaws and Claws and Things with Wings is a collection of animal-inspired poems for children, illustrated by Matt Robertson. (I had one month to write and deliver this one, making it the fastest book I've ever written!)

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Atinuke was born and grew up in Nigeria. She writes children's books because she loves the vibrancy, joy, wisdom and humour of her own African culture, which she includes a lot of in her work. She shares with children all over the world how modern life is in Africa, how amazing African traditions and cultures are, and how our human joys and sorrows are the same.

She also tells traditional African stories which make her international audiences laugh and cry. Her books have been published in the UK, USA, France and Japan and have won lots of awards. Atinuke spends most of her time at home quietly dreaming up stories, but she sometimes visits schools and book festivals - she loves to meet her readers! Atinuke lives in Pembrokeshire.

Books

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Atinuke was born and grew up in Nigeria. She writes children's books because she loves the vibrancy, joy, wisdom and humour of her own African culture, which she includes a lot of in her work.

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Dear friends in lockdown. I've made a little video for our children. I've been thinking about them so much. Knowing how hard lockdown is for so many of them. I'm not able to upload it here, but it is on my Facebook page. Watch it - and share it with your children - if you'd like to. So much love to you all, Atinuke

Sometimes I lie awake and worry. For hours and hours and hours. The moon often keeps me company, in her own solitary way. Last night she lit up a jug of flowers from my garden. And I could not help smiling.

I remembered that I live in a world of outrageous beauty, where loveliness keeps me company absolutely for free; all my problems are first-world problems, and all my worries are man-made worries. The world in fact is a beautiful place. And I can just stop worrying and go back to sleep. ​

I've just got back from the extraordinary Hay Festival in the UK. Hay is a literary festival that gathers together authors of some of the very best books in the world to do presentations to the public. This year Margaret Atwood was there, and Phillip Pullman, Rose Tremain and many many more, including ground breakers like Candice Braithwaite who are currently blowing people's minds.

Usually I gorge myself on events presented by novelists, getting inspired and amused by their own peculiar ways of getting the job of writing done, taking comfort in the fact that I am not alone, even though most of the time, I am alone.

This year I said my youngest son could choose the events we went to. I thought it would be all David Walliams and Derek Lundy. But no! He picked quantum mechanics, Ada Lovelace and the history of computer science, People vs Tech, and maths, maths, maths....

So I found myself sitting in events listening to questions like, "If some infinities are bigger than other infinities then are some zeros smaller than other zeros?" You know the feeling... when you don't even understand the question....?

But it was Hay, so it was a magical mystery tour of brilliance - even when I could not understand!

And when my mum took over going to events with him I got to hang out with some brilliant novelists.

Like Chibundu Onuzo (in the pic with me) who is one of Nigeria's most promising young novelists. She wrote the hilarious and heart rending novel "Welcome to Lagos" where a deserting soldier and a woman escaping an abusive marriage and a minister on the run with billions of stolen government money and a deluded BBC correspondent all end up in the same hide out in Lagos together. My country-o!

And Catherine Johnson who writes important and necessary historical novels for young teens with diverse heros that history overlooks.

And Candice Braithwaite who is audacious and outrageously inspiring.

And, of course, the audacious Candice Braithwaite of Make Motherhood Diverse who I took the world apart with and put it back together so it looked a little more like us. Which is - as Candice defines it BMW - Black Mother Woman.

And when the sheer brilliance of it all got too overwhelming... well, Hay is held in the green hills of Wales... so we just ran for cover in the trees!

It's been five years since I posted here. FIVE YEARS!! I've been mostly busy dreaming, and mothering, and writing... and posting a little on Facebook. I've written a lot of new books in these five years -

Three new Anna Hibiscus books complete the amazing 8 book series. Go Well Anna Hibiscus & Love from Anna Hibiscus & You're Amazing Anna Hibiscus (in that order).

I am so proud of these books, of their depth and their kindness. I can't quite believe that I wrote them.

​The New York Times commented in January - "This joyful series... is a revelation." ​

The No.1 Car Spotter series is now complete as well - with 3 new books out in the UK -

The No.1 Car Spotter and the Broken Road
The No.1 Car Spotter Goes to School
The No.1 Car Spotter Fights the Factory

I'm proud of this series too. It's unique. Creating the voice of an uneducated clever boy who is so-called under privileged is so important to me. And to others as well, it seems, because the books have won awards such as "Notable Books for a Global Society" and "The Africana Notable Book Award".

Another two stunning picture books "Splash Anna Hibiscus!" and "Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus" have come out in the last five years.
Lauren Tobia's illustrations just get more and more joyful and bright and alive. Don't you think?

And last but not least, I've a brand new picture book called "Baby Goes To Market". It has new characters, and a new illustrator whose work is stunning.

"Baby Goes To Market" has been winning awards in the US - I'm so proud of it. It's out in the UK as well, and in French and Japanese. So look out for it wherever you go!

So you can see that I've been pretty busy, while I've been silent here. I hope that you've been delighted - or will be delighted - with what I have been doing!

I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in the Storymoja Hay Festival in Kenya this year. So lucky to have the opportunity to follow my books to East Africa and meet my young readers there. It was wonderful to experience a different part of the amazing continent of my birth and to share my stories with so many children there both rich and poor.

In the days coming up to the festival I visited orphanages and schools. There are so many children unable to attend the festival we decided to take the festival to them!

I was lucky enough to visit my No.1 charity, an SOS Children's Village in Nairobi. The standards there are high and the people so inspiring. House mothers make a commitment to bringing up at least one generation of orphans, 10 at a time, working 26 days on and 4 days off! Can you imagine?

I was also lucky enough to visit Mama Fatuma's, an orphangage for Muslim children on the Somalian side of town. There one man finds a way through thick and thin to provide a home and school for 80 children. (They are so much in my thoughts right now.)

The festival itself was WONDERFUL. Nearly 4 thousand children (!!!) attended and their questions at the end of each event came thick and fast. I will never forget one young girl who asked,

"Were you ever told to forget about your dreams? That dreams don't matter. That they never come true anyway?"

I felt so humble and so glad to be asked that question, and to answer:

"Yes, I was told that too. But look at me standing here. I am proof that it is not true."

Spending time with the other authors was another highlight. We laughed and talked late into the night. New ideas were born out of that laughter, new poems, new books, new collaborations. We spend days, weeks, months alone in front of our screens. Spending time with each other is like gold dust!

The third day of the festival was interrupted by the terrorist attack on the nearby Westgate shopping mall. The sound of explosions and the helicopters passing overhead silenced the presentations and performances. Our laughter turned into grief. Audiences' questions to incomprehension. And what we shared that night not creativity, it was terror. Were we all alive? We knew not.

Kofi Awoonor died that day. A great Ghanian poet attending the festival. You can read my tribute to him, and to the festival, here.

The grief went on and on for the remainder of my days in Nairobi, as the siege went on and on, and the festival organisers, and the whole city, struggled to cope with their responsibilities as well as their own personal grief. And part of that grief, shared by taxi-drivers and CEO's alike, was incomprehension. How could people do this? What makes people capable of killing unarmed civilians?

It is a question every war raises.

On my return from Nairobi, looking for comfort and a way to make a difference, I came across this you tube video. It gave me part of an answer to my own incomprehension.

And I found a poem by an old university friend who has sent me this excellent reading list on Kenyan and Somalian history and politics.

Well, my incomprehension lessened. But it did not exactly cheer me up about the state of the world. Or how I could make a difference.

Then few days ago I received the following email from a first-grade teacher in the US:

I just had to attempt to contact Atinuke. Last year we did author studies and we contacted (through letters, emails and skype) but this year I thought about doing a long study on just one author but go deeper into the text. And I chose the Anna Hibiscus series. Then it just worked out perfectly that a student moved into our class from Cameroon a few weeks ago! That is what caused me to share this with you!

That little boy is VERY shy and was actually lying about where he came from. He was embarrassed about his accent! But while I was reading to them I have seen such a change in him. The other students are constantly encouraging him to share his experiences. And today he actually ended up all but on my lap because he just could not get close enough to the words coming out of my mouth!

It is a small thing an email. But a huge encouragement to me. That I can make a the world a slightly easier, better place for one small person. It is enough. And right now that - and holding my own dear children close - is all I want to do.

A lovely review from the Bishop's Stortford College Festival of Literature published in the Herts And Essex Observer on Saturday 09 February 2013

Atinuke's world of African folk: so different to us, so dear to her

Once upon a time . . .' in the most generic of fashions, Atinuke, to a packed lecture theatre, began something remarkable.

Nigerian-born storyteller Atinuke Photo: Ian Taylor
A Nigerian-born storyteller used to 'sleeping rough and singing for her supper', Atinuke has long transfixed her audiences with her mesmerising blend of African folk tales.

However, the best way to describe her intoxicating performance at the Bishop's Stortford College Festival of Literature would be to call it a transportation - a vibrant and hilarious painting of a world so different from our own and so dear to its creator.

Atinuke's Africa was a place of evil stepmothers, singing bones and love-sick suitors. And, like a chameleon, she morphed into the characters she spoke of - becoming a chieftain, an entire school of children, a beast with 152 tails and, my personal highlight, an uncannily accurate talking lizard complete with flicking tongue.

Through voice, song and gesture, Atinuke literally brought her stories to life, mesmerising her audience in the process.

Most striking, however, were the references to our own modern lives within the fables and lore of the African bush. A chieftain's daughter desperate for an iPod and a father convinced 'Nokia was a disease' provided charming yet potent reflections on the chasm between rainy Bishop's Stortford and the sun-drenched simplicity of the African savannah.

Atinuke's performance was a tornado of colour and charm, transcending age and time. From the eldest to the youngest members of the audience, there was nothing but wide eyes and mesmerised faces - through voice, colour and humour, Atinuke made us all children again.

Claire Devine, 17, from Little Hallingbury, is a sixth-form student at Bishop's Stortford College.

Some people are incredulous when I tell them that one of my little books can take a year to write....

The deadline for the sixth Anna Hibiscus book was March 2012.

So in January I went to Nigeria for Inspiration (and my beautiful father's 70th birthday celebrations)... but before I got inspired there was a General Strike. Airports closed, flights were cancelled and roads were blocked by angry strikers. I had one of my children with me. The other was now on another continent with no easy way of getting back to him. I cried a lot, meditated a lot, and attempted to surrender. (A for effort, E for achievement.) I did not write AT ALL.

When I got back - a hairy-scary journey later - it seemed that I had only just caught my breath and it was time to go on tour! Because it was by now March. And March is is a very busy month for storytellers and authors. Every school wants an author on International World Book Day (or as close to as they can get one)!

I did mean to get down to writing as soon as March was over but the children were sick and off school with one thing and another.... And one of the great pleasures of working-from-home is being able to Be There For The Children... (When I am actually there that is!) It is a good time for reading aloud drafts - and there was plenty of that to be done because I am always working on more than one book at once. But children off school is not much good for the silence a new book requires.

By the time they were better it was the Festival Season. The Hay Festival, the Dinefwr Festival, The Edinburgh Festival. That is when I get to hear other authors talk about the crazy struggles and joys of writing (or meant-to-be-writing). I get to take the children along on such trips, but not much writing gets done!

And it was the Summer. With my children off school (again) and my daily bedtime stories for the Siblings Together camps. You can read about that below.

Then - at last - it was September. The boys went back to school. September is a very good time to write. I am always ripe and ready for some good solid quiet work after the noisy chaos of the summer months. And I was only 6 months late!!!

2 people that I really loved died. Breath in. Cry. Breath out. Cry more. Work does Not Matter.

Then my laptop broke. At that point I almost had a small nervous breakdown. I bought a new one. (Ouch!) That one was faulty. I had a nervous breakdown. A whole week of stressful cross and weepy phone calls passed before I got it replaced.

Just in time for October. October is Black History Month. If March is busy for authors and storytellers October is CRAZY busy for black authors and storytellers.

Then I wrote the book and sent it to my editor. Eventually I got encouraging noises from my editor. I reread it . And emailed both my agent and editor: "I am rewriting."

There were words (not for the first time that year) about sticking to deadlines and respecting the schedules of publishers, editors, designers, and illustrators who would all (ideally) like to organise their working lives sweetly, without stress, and months of delay.

I was truly sorry. And truly stressed now myself. I was wrestling with the book. Or wrestling with myself, I am never sure which it is, but the more stressed I am the more the words and ideas just won't come. It is suddenly not a pleasurable joy to sit at my desk and stare into the woods and let the ideas and words flow out of me. But the process becomes more like being pushed onto a stage and asked to pull a rabbit out of a hat. I know I did it last time. But I don't know HOW I did it...... And certainly I can't do it now.

When the week of my son's 13th birthday came I gave up. I sat outside in the sun sewing bunting for his party. I decided that sewing in the sun was much more fun than writing. Which was lucky as I had obviously completely forgotten how to write....

I abandoned my desk. I gave up completely. "I am going to be a house wife." I announced to my skeptical husband.

Then whilst I was dozing in bed one early morning, it came. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. Effortlessly. And in one single perfect beautiful day "Go Well, Anna Hibiscus." was written. In December 2012.

Did it take a year? Or did it take a day?

To be asked to participate in a festival on my own doorstep is one of my ideas of heaven. Not only do I get to do what I love to do for a living but I get to take my family along too!

My boys listen to almost every draft of every book I write. They listen to me rehearse for each storytelling performance and reading that I do. (Sometimes this is because they happen to be at home when I am working and our house is so small they can't help overhearing! But mostly it's because I need an audience to hear myself properly!)

But the boys still ask to come to my events - and I love it when I can say yes!

My 6 year old sits right at the front saying "Go on, mummy!" "Carry on, mummy!" "Another one, mummy!". (How can I help enjoying myself when that's happening?) My 13 year old now stands at the back trying to get whatever camera we have borrowed to work!

A few Sundays ago was one of those heavenly days. I did not have to get on a train and stay somewhere with an en-suite over night. No, I got to iron my dress in my own house and we all trooped off 20 minutes down the road to the PENfro Book Festival.

This is a lovely local, busy festival all about bookish things. The cafe is yummy, there are plenty of interesting stalls, and just the right number of talks! And - as we are local - it was also full of friends and family including some special favourites like The Carningli Press.

Most of my performances are far from home, and full of wonderful strangers. But it is heavenly to do a performance and see the faces of people who I stand outside the school gates with, faces of my in-laws, faces of my friends. Thank you PENfro!

I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August this year. And was even luckier to be accepted onto the outreach programme.

I went up to Edinburgh with my almost-13 year old son and we had fun! Edinburgh is a wonderful city and in festival season it becomes a celebration of music, dance, drama, books. We were mesmerised by Ben Okri, astounded by Michelle Paver, thrilled by Mother Africa, delighted by Debbie Galiori and..and..and..

As part of the outreach programme I gave a reading at the Sick Kid's Hospital in Edinburgh. There I got to meet a very special little boy. After telling stories in a playroom attached to a ward of rosy cheeked children I was asked if I would go and tell a story to somebody waiting on another ward. There I was introduced to a child too sick to sit up. The nurses asked me to be very careful when approaching his bed not to touch any of the many tubes and drains going in and out of his body. He told me with his fingers that he was four. I read him a story about Anna Hibiscus. And told him a story about why Tortoise made a magic drum. When I had finished (and was ready to go) he very carefully held up a book that had been tucked down the side of his pillow. It was Thomas the Tank Engine! Immediately I guessed that he had probably had been waiting and hoping for me to read that very book all along! So I did. I read Thomas the Tank Engine in the Sick Kid's Hospital in Edinburgh. I think I had been waiting for that moment all along too because it was the most special reading of my life!

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Dear friends in lockdown. I've made a little video for our children. I've been thinking about them so much. Knowing how hard lockdown is for so many of them. I'm not able to upload it here, but it is on my Facebook page. Watch it - and share it with your children - if you'd like to.