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Why scary reading for kids is a good thing and 5 of the Best

"Fear is a wonderful thing. In small doses. You ride the ghost train into the darkness, knowing that eventually the doors will open and you will step out into the daylight once again." Neil Gaiman Illustration of Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tales of…
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Guest post: Debbie Rix, Author of Secrets of the Tower

I was recently invited to be the guest speaker at a week-long conference on ‘creativity’ at a very trendy advertising agency in London. In the course of their week of activities on subjects as diverse as ‘the importance of curiosity’…
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5 Top Tips for Journalling with Kids

'I'm tired of glossy, re-touched, plastic, overdubbed, laughtracked, advertised experience. I want crude - straight from the soul.' Hannah Hichman What is journalling, if not straight from the soul? That experience of one person and a blank…
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How to find inspiration for a new novel

My working title for The Poet's Wife was something entirely different, a title that I see now had to change for various reasons. Originally, it was 'In the shade of the orange tree' and I still think of my first novel in terms of two titles:…
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Want your kids to be more environmentally aware? Look no further

Ancient native American wisdom shares that humanity's greatest guide is nature and the means to protect this delicate balance and best serve the needs of the community is through the children. For children, of course, have always represented…
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What is the one thing that we all owe to ourselves and to humanity?

This is not a blog about writing. It is not a children's book review and it is not offering up tips about how to engage kids with creative writing and poetry. It is a blog about what we can possibly do, how we as humans can feel any less impotent…
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How can you be a writer during the kids' school holidays?

‘Mummy, you’ve been working forever. Stop it, now.’ This is my little boy, recently turned five, tugging at my sleeve and trying to force my laptop shut.  I explain to him that I really need to do a little more, then I promise I’ll…
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'The Time of the Lion' book review-The most lyrical and gentle story ever written about lions

I have long been a fan of the art of Jackie Morris who has illustrated numerous children's books, including one of my favourite animal books, How the Whale Became, (written by Ted Hughes), short stories about how many animals came into existence. In…
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How to get kids writing with jazz

I'm a firm believer in the power of music as a creative force. I've written before about using music alongside creative writing in order to see where this takes children on the page, as well as the importance of playlists for my novels. Rhythm…
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Why as parents and teachers we must all read aloud to older children

'If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.' Turkish Proverb We all know about the benefits of reading to young children, even from birth. It's been drilled into us as parents and teachers and carers to such an extent you'd be hard pressed…