Has the diamond jubilee increased the number of ‘royal’ books?
'Books like these are a very useful way to convey something of the optimism of the moment as well as picking out snippets of information about events'Has the Queen's diamond jubilee increased the number of books indulging fantasies about being royal or...
Tales from India: Stories of Creation and the Cosmos by Jamila Gavin, illustrated by Amanda Hall – review
'I'm sure that as they grow up, my children will return to these stories'When we were growing up, my husband and I heard stories from the Indian myths and epics from our mothers and grandmothers, who in turn had heard them from their mothers and grandm...
The Look by Sophia Bennett – review
'This book really inspired me – my life, what I do, my outlook on life, and my writing'It's taken me a long time to write this review – possibly because I can't seem to find the words to express Sophia Bennett's latest masterpiece. The Look is so h...
Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys – review
'This book is very well written and Lina's pain and emotions are conveyed brilliantly. It is moving and heart-wrenching'Between Shades of Grey is about a Lithuanian girl called Lina whose town is taken over by the Soviets. One night she, her mother and...
Barry the Fish with Fingers by Sue Hendra – review
'A cute book with a puppet in middle of book really making the story come alive'Both my daughters, aged 4 and 1 years old, adored this book it's been read countless times already!I particulary focus on my youngest daughter when reading it, as I love th...
Ruby Redfort – Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child – review
'It's not perfect, in fact there are a lot of painstakingly cliché bits but overall it is one fabulous story!'Wowsers. Yeah, sounds near enough something Ruby Redfort would say…Ruby Redfort…what a character! I tell you, Lauren Child has done it ag...
Operation Diamond: can you crack the code?
Helen Moss, author of the Adventure Island series of books, is kicking off a competition, Operation Diamond, here on the Guardian children's books site. She explains how a real life treasure trove inspired the mystery behind the first book in the seri...
The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle – review
'A brilliant, funny and entertaining book about a pirates life'If I'm honest I was slightly unsure of this book, as Keeley has never shown an interest in pirates, but when I showed it to her she seemed excited by the front cover.As soon as we started t...
Around the world in Eighty days by Jules Verne – review
'An unforgettable classic which is recommended for all the ages'Phileas Fogg lives at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens. He's a rich bachelor, around 40 years of age, but nobody knows his source of his ₤40,000 fortune. This amount was significan...
Conference call
A St Andrews conference on the Harry Potter series as literary texts has not met with universal approval in the academic worldAcademics gathered in Scotland on Friday to discuss hot literary topics including the racial politics of goblins, the canonisa...
Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo – review
A mad scientist, a radioactive element … Simon Mayo's romp includes scientific knowhow and an amiable heroYou'd have to work quite hard not to like Itchingham Lofte. He's an old-fashioned 14-year-old, ordinary but obsessive. He collects elements the ...
Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo – review
A mad scientist, a radioactive element … Simon Mayo's romp includes scientific knowhow and an amiable heroYou'd have to work quite hard not to like Itchingham Lofte. He's an old-fashioned 14-year-old, ordinary but obsessive. He collects elements the ...
