All posts by Jenny Vaughan

‘Squirrel’s Autumn Search’ by Nibweb member Anita Loughrey has been recommended by the Scottish Book Trust as one of 10 Seasonal Stories (3–7). She’s in exalted company – one of the other books listed is ‘Alfie Weather’, by Shirley Hughes.

Nibweb member Stewart Ross is keen to encourage young readers (well, readers of any age) to understand that that there is far more to books than fiction. He’s made a short film about non-fiction (a term he doesn’t much like, incidentally), which he explains he made ‘with my daughter Ellie, in response to a request from Zoe Toft for material relating to Non-fiction November. (See http://www.fcbg.org.uk/national-non-fiction-november/  – it’s an initiative from The Federation of Children’s Book Groups.) Articles are all very well but they are generally read only by the converted. I wanted to have a go at proselytizing, offering a simple, easily accessible message to agnostics and atheists as well as confirmed enthusiasts for children’s non-fiction.’ The film can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsvn-xj9Gfg&feature=youtu.be

Lionel Bender reports from New York, where the third annual Children’s Non-Fiction conference took place between 12–14 June.

The number of attendees – made up of writers, publishers and academics – reached 160 this year – up 30 since 2014. Lionel told ‘Publishers’ Weekly’ that the aim of the conference was to encourage ‘a dialogue between educators, authors, and publishers’ – and to reach ‘everybody involved in children’s nonfiction in every way’. He’s committed to the genre: ‘Some children read fiction. All children read nonfiction. We have a responsibility to create and provide great non-fiction in print and digital formats.’

Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/ncluaq4

The School Library Association shortlist for its 2015 Information Book Award (http://www.sla.org.uk/information-book-award-2015.php) flags up three Nibweb members:

• Nicola Morgan has ‘The Teenage Guide to Stress’ (Walker) in the 12–16 category;
• Nicola Davies (with Emily Sutton) has ‘Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes’ (Walker) in the under–7 category (see separate panel for more about this book).
• Anna Claybourne (with Timothy Knapman) gets a special mention and commendation for ‘The Comedy, History and Tragedy of William Shakespeare’ (illustrated by Adria Meserve) (Watts).

Ian Graham – whose book ‘Avoid being Sir Isaac Newton!’ Book House) was shortlisted for last year’s ALCS children’s non-fiction prize – has been writing for adults, too. He tells us: ‘My latest book for grown-ups is out – Scarlet Women – 430 pages, 100,000 hand-picked words about the scandalous lives of courtesans, concubines and royal mistresses from the ancient world to the present.

 

Nibweb member Nicola Davies has tweeted:

‘Absolutely delighted that my book is shortlisted for the @royalsociety Young People’s Book Prize 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/may/14/royal-society-young-peoples-book-prize-shortlist … #YoungSciBooks‘

Her book is ‘Tiny: The Invisible World of Microbes’ (Walker Books).

Other contenders include Professor Robert Winston, and 13-year-old Jake McGowan-Lowe, who has produced a book about animal bones.

Well, that was tiring …

Slogging around the London Book fair is always exhausting – but, for authors, as much as publishers, it’s important to see what’s there. With that in mind, several Nibwebbers attended the fair – most who got there, did so on Tuesday 14 April.

After the stifling claustrophobia of the Earl’s Court site, Olympia – with its lovely glass ceiling – was a pleasant change. Many members had useful (and enjoyable) meetings with publishers and potential publishers, but we did agree that there is room – a lot of room – for   children’s non-fiction to take some risks and start to go in new and exciting directions, especially in traditional print. And we’re all here to contribute …

If the recession really is ending, now could be a good time for innovative and challenging ideas.

Photo: Jenny Vaughan