Review of Damian Drooth Supersleuth, How to be a Detective

Damian Drooth Supersleuth, How to be a Detective

Barbara Mitchelhill

Illustrated by Tony Ross

Published by Andersen Press

Damian decides it’s time to teach other children how to be detectives. After gathering the interested hopefuls and going through some theory of catching criminals, they take to the streets to put it into practice with some catastrophic consequences!

A story for developing readers / approximately 7-10 years

Star Rating **

Review of The Dream Master

The Dream Master

Theresa Breslin

Published by Corgi Children’s Books

Cy, who’s great strength is his vivid imagination, discovers that he can nip in and out of his dreams at will, which blurs the line between fantasy and reality somewhat and makes his Dream Master quite infuriated!

This is an action-packed and imaginative tale from Carnegie Medal wining author, Theresa Breslin, is also tied in with the National Curriculum.

A story for fluent readers / approximately 7-10 years.

Star Rating *****

Writing For Children – Where do I start?

We are pleased to have our first article from Jenni’s Blog giving her hints and tips on how to get started in children’s stories, enjoy.

Do you want to write for children, but you don’t know where to begin?

Are you full of ideas but don’t know what to do with them?

Have you written stories but aren’t sure what to do with them?

Then these top tips may well help you out of a sticky fix. Here we will deal particularly with writing stories for children and submitting them to a publisher, though there are many other ways to get your stories out there or you may want to just write them for your own children, either way the first section deals with getting the story out in the first place wherever it goes thereafter is up to you!

Well, here are my top ten tips in a nutshell…

1. Read
2. Have Fun
3. Observe
4. Write
5. Finish
6. Do something else!
7. Edit
8. Research
9. Get it out there
10. Hooray! 

If you want a little more detail then here you go…

1. Read – Get down to your local library, bookstore or your kid’s bookshelf and grab a selection of children’s books that interest you and read them! You’ll start to get a feel for the ones you like and ones you don’t. Don’t worry too much about age range for now just go with what jumps out at you from any or all of the age ranges, the idea is to get a feel of what has been published, old and new. It’s good at this point to keep a log of the books you read. Just a few simple notes are fine, include the title & author, illustrator & publisher, likes & dislikes about the story or characters, anything to help you remember it. Not only does this come in handy when you are researching publishers and their books later on but it gives you a great big long list of all the books you’ve read and you can feel very clever indeed!
2. Have Fun – Play with your kids, go to the park, head down to the beach, go and baby-sit for your sister – get yourself out there into the kid’s world. For those of us who do not have jobs as Primary teachers or Childcare workers and are not blessed with the regular presence of those active and inquiring minds, we have to look little further and think of other ways of getting into a kid-friendly head space. Don’t go creepy on me now, stay within reason – lone person, looking shifty in the playground is not what I’m suggesting here. You can still get a sense of what kids are into by seeing children’s movies and TV or heading out and about and remaining alert for any snippets of kid conversation that might be floating around. Admittedly it easier if you know someone with children, but you could always volunteer to help on school trips or get a job in the library or bookstore. The point here is to have fun getting into a child’s world to see what ideas will surface.
3. Observe – Watch how children interact with each other, what kind of language do they use? Are they good to each other or are they spiteful? This is where you can develop ideas for believable characters that your readers will relate to, so note it all down to use later on. If you’re lucky then you might have a spark of inspiration whilst you observe, which you could extend later to become a story, so again keep alert. In fact I always recommend having a notebook handy wherever I go, I even have one by my bed for sleep thinking!
4. Write – Here we go! Now you’ve got your idea, you need to work it. If you’re still looking for ideas then go over the first three steps again for a bit and see what pops up. Then write, as quickly as you can, about everything related to your idea. It’s like a word association to give you a map of an idea, it helps you to see your idea as a visual picture and let your creative brain flow. The secret is to do it quickly, no more than 15 minutes should be fine. Now you have a potential framework to develop and extend, see where your story will lead you. Just pick up a pen and follow up on some of the notes you’ve made. Relax and let it flow.
5. Finish – You may have got to a point in your story where you’re a little stuck and easily distracted, maybe not even trying at all – this is what I call the ‘cold feet point’ where the impetus of the story has run out and the creative flow has ebbed away and you feel a little spent – do not be disheartened, get a cup of tea, warm your feet up and get back in there and finish the job. Even if it’s rough and you think it’s a bit naff – a finished story is exactly that – finished. That’s something we can work with and move forwards, so get it done!
6. Do Something Else! – I don’t mean give up on your writing at all! Just put it away for a while, a month or two should be fine, just long enough for your brain to forget about it, by all means work on another story, but clear your head a bit first – go for a walk.
7. Edit – Now your brain has had a rest, you can look at your story objectively and if you’re lucky you’ll find lots of things to edit, rearrange or expand upon, if you don’t then maybe you haven’t let it rest long enough or maybe you’re a literary genius!
8. Research – This is where your useful book log comes in handy, as it will remind you which publishers work you enjoyed and with a bit of luck you’ve written a story you enjoy, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to match the right publishers for your work. Grab a copy of the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrators Market from your local library and use the listings to match your story to a suitable publisher, then visit their website to get up to date information. This will take some time but it will be worth the effort knowing that your story has the best chance it can at success.
9. Get It Out There! – Nearly time to release the fledgling from the nest as your work is almost done. Check the chosen publisher’s website for their submission guidelines if you haven’t done so already. Most publishers will accept full manuscripts for picture books or a synopsis and the first 3 chapters / around ten pages for other children’s stories. You will also need a cover letter to accompany this and sometimes they like to see a bit of background info on the story or yourself, the websites or Market listings will tell you what you need to submit. Now be professional, I know it’s children’s books but it is still a business you’re approaching – so strongly resist the urge to use coloured paper, smiley faces or googly eyes! If you are approaching more than one publisher at a time, then make sure you tell them in your letter and always keep a track of your submissions, so that you can follow up if necessary or tell other publishers that you have an offer of a contract and to remove your work from their consideration.
10. Hooray! – You did it! Chill out, relax, party, celebrate, do your happy dance or whatever you do to congratulate yourself on achieving this goal. Now you’ve done your bit and the rest is in the hands of fate. Let go!

Thank you Jenni’s Blog for your insightful ways to get started in writing for children, check out her website for more kid friendly thoughts.

Beatrix Potter’s Birthday

Beatrix Potter made a fantastic contribution to children’s literature and her books are world famous.

Her life was an intriguing one and her achievements as a Victorian woman were notable indeed. Through her books sales she purchased 4,000 acres of land in the Lake District, to preserve her most loved countryside, which she later donated to the National Trust. She was and still is an inspiration to so many.

Find out more about Beatrix Potter’s life and work as well as her beloved country side.

If you haven’t yet seen the film Miss Potter, it is heart-warming and magical and well worth seeing.

Cinderella On Ice!

The Imperial Ice Stars present

Cinderella on Ice

Their world tour of this performance began this month in New Zealand, they will be visiting Australia and the UK, if you get the chance to see this spectacular show – take it!

A fantastic performance richly laced with innovation and style, this ballet on ice was packed with grace, poise and action!

A team of 23 world class championship ice skaters showcased their talents on a surface only a quarter of the size of a professional rink, amongst beautiful scenery and adorned with lavish costumes. The Imperial Ice Stars are world famous for their innovative skating and unique style of storytelling.

This performance of a classic story with a vibrant flair shows Cinderella as a prima ballerina who wins the heart of the Mayor’s son. Despite the frequent sabotage by her stepmother and stepsisters, the Watchmakers and Gypsy Fortuneteller ensure that true love shall prevail.

The costumes were each a work of art in themselves, intricately designed and thoroughly effective. These were complemented by stylish set design with both a traditional and contemporary feel and brought to life by special effects that enhanced the magical story.

Suitable for adults and children over 6 years, it is captivating family entertainment.

Find out about other shows from The Imperial Ice Stars or see the schedule for their world tour.

Review of Merlin’s Apprentice

Merlin’s Apprentice – Tanya Landman

Illustrated by Thomas Taylor

Published by Walker Books in 2006

On her birthday Katrina Picket is shocked to discover her life is in danger!

Thankfully Merlin comes to her aide but can she learn the secrets of her craft in time to protect herself and battle the most evil sorceress of all time?

Another humorous tale from Tanya Landman, who brings these fantastic characters of mythical history to life again in the sequel to Waking Merlin.

A Novel for fluent readers / approximately 8-12 years

Star Rating ***

Review of The Robe of Skulls

The Robe of Skulls

Vivian French

Illustrated by Ross Collins

Published by Walker Books in 2007

What some people will do to get a fabulous frock is is quite astonishing!

In this fast-paced fantasy story, a sorceress, some unlikely heroes and a cold-hearted dame are caught up in a plot that doesn’t go to plan. Their capers are carefully watched by some chatty bats and Ancient Crones.

An entertaining tale from the outset, this action-packed novel is quirky, original and certainly hard to put down.

A Novel for fluent readers / approximately 8-12 years

Star Rating ****

Review of Waking Merlin

Waking Merlin

Tanya Landman

Illustrated by Thomas Taylor

Published by Walker Books in 2006

Awakening an ancient magician from his magical slumber is not your everyday occurrence and can come as quite a shock. Although Katrina Picket is very glad she did as she finds herself caught up in a battle to save the country from destruction, and discovers abilities beyond her belief.

In this amusing tale Tanya Landman brings these characters of mythical history to life in the present with humour and style.

A Novel for fluent readers / approximately 8-12 years

Star Rating ***

Welcome World

To our group blog where we talk mainly about children’s stories and books, though I’m sure we may meander off topic a little here and there.

Do settle in and browse around, if you have information about our topics you’d like to share with us, feel welcome to comment. It’s great to have you here!

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Enjoy!