A bit of nice-ness-ness

I adored Patrick Ness’s The Knife of Never Letting Go and am so pleased that he is coming to the CBI Conference next May. – details here

The sequel is due around conference time as well. Educating Alice has the scoop. It’s made me even more impatient to get my hands on the book.

She’s taken these details from the book jacket.

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss.

Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor’s new order.

But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer?

And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode. . . .

The second thrilling volume in the Chaos Walking trilogy, The Ask and the Answer is a tense, shocking, and deeply moving novel about resistance under the most extreme pressure.

Gaiman takes the Newbery

News just in that Neil Gaiman has won the Newbery Medal for The Graveyard Book. A great choice – the book is creepy and brilliant and a great read. It also  features my favourite character name  ever – Nobody Owens – but his friends call him Bod.

Bravo Neil

Oliver Jeffers interview

The Guardian has a really good piece/interview with Oliver Jeffers now online. It’s great to see a picture book article talking in very specific terms about style and technique instead of resorting to  cliches about bed time reading and fluffiness.

There are also some podcasts featuring Oliver Jeffers and his work over on Just One More Book - The site is huge so I am just gradually getting to grips with it but it seems like it could end up being a good resource.

Fishing for Fís

Sarah mentioned the film crew in her study this week and  it’s all part of a new CBI partnership. Fís  Book Club is a safe secure site where young readers can upload a video book review. All the book reviews can then be reviewed and enjoyed by other book club members. Its a very clever use of the technology and the site is really easy to navigate – even for a clutz like me.

For security unless you are a registered school, you can’t get access to the reviews but you can view a taster video on the hompage. Registration is free for schools and  library groups and we’ll be encouraging all the Bisto Book of the Year Shadowing groups to get involved. Fís Book Club is a fantastic resource so please do spread the word……

thank you kind folks

Am really chuffed to be nominated – thank you peeps. Very stiff competition though! – more on Irish Blog Awards.

home and library comforts

It’s allegedly the most depressing day of the year – so to cheer everyone up have a look at some intriguing shelves to store your beloved books. The one above looks like heaven to me……

All sourced via toxel.com

First Flight at Fighting Words

I was lucky enough to be in Fighting Words this week as they welcomed their first school group. The building is absolutely stunning – bright and airy with flexible space and bookshelves that act as doors.

For primary school groups they get the chance to work with  a host and an illustrator to create their own book and each leave their personal copy, complete with space for each of them to add their own unique ending.  The session worked really well and the kids  I chatted to adored the whole process. Sarah was their faithful scribe.

Its a very powerful symbol to have an organisation dedicated to creating and enjoying stories. Wouldn’t it be magic if every town in Ireland had a dedicated story space?

Fighting Words are always on the look out for volunteers- its’s great fun, give it a go. You can read more about other international versions over on 826valencia.org

CBI’s Table Quiz – come one, come all

Think you know your Poison Factory from your Poison Throne?

Or even your Chamber of Secrets from your Secret Garden?

If so, the CBI annual table quiz is your chance to show-off your knowledge of  children’s books. There will be plenty of general knowledge questions as well for all the non- book worms.

Previous participants will know that its a very relaxed event – plenty of craic and humour to keep you amused.

Thursday January 22nd at 7pm, Tickets €40 per table of four(ish).  We’re pretty flexible around numbers.

To register your table please contact the Jenny in the CBI Office on 01-8727475 or email: info@childrensbooksireland.ie.

Venue: Teacher’s Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1

Children’s Publishing in Ireland Forum Notes now available

Notes from last year’s forum are now available online – here.

They make interesting reading, especially as the intervening period has brought yet more economic  instability.

The plan is to follow this up with another event as part of Dublin Book Festival in early March. This event is likely to more focussed on discussing some practical actions for the sector.

Don’t forget to re-read the brilliant discussion that followed the event over on Sir David Maybury’s blog.

Very Hungry Caterpillar is top bedtime read

Happy New Year to one and all.

According to a recent poll Very Hungry Caterpillar is the top bedtime read – the book you understand, alas not this humble blog.

As reported in the Daily Telegraph British parents are turning to safe options for bed time reading. With many deciding traditional fairy tales are just too scary or too unPC for their little tots

Three quarters of mothers and fathers try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares and half of all parents would not consider reading a single fairy tale to their child until they reached the age of five.

Top bedtime stories of 2008 in Britain:

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle (1969)

2. Mr Men, Roger Hargreaves (1971)

3. The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson (1999)

4. Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne (1926)

5. Aliens Love Underpants, Claire Freedman & Ben Cort (2007)

6. Thomas and Friends from The Railway Series, Rev. W.Awdry (1945)

7. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame (1908)

8. What a Noisy Pinky Ponk, Andrew Davenport (2008)

9. Charlie and Lola, Lauren Child (2001)

10. Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Robert Southey (1837)

Top 10 fairy tales no longer read:

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

2. Hansel and Gretel

3. Cinderella

4. Little Red Riding Hood

5. The Gingerbread Man

6. Jack and the Beanstalk

7. Sleeping Beauty

8. Beauty and the Beast

9. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

10. The Emperor’s New Clothes