Posts

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Move over Valentines, International Book Giving Day, here we come!

We all know that February 14th is Valentine's Day, but probably far less of us are aware that it's also International Book Giving Day. Never heard of it? Well, despite being in its sixth year, I put my hands up and say that neither had I until…
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Stuck for last minute Christmas gifts? How about one of my top 5 reads of 2016?

I am delighted to unwittingly discover that my top 5 reads of 2016 have all been written by women. I have absolutely nothing against fiction by men; I have also read many books written by men this year and have always been fairly gender-blind…
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Why reading aloud to older kids is not just special, it's vital

When is a good age to stop reading stories aloud to children? Well, how about never? Alright, so what are the chances really of being tucked up beside our seventeen year old reading a bedtime story. But many believe that once children have…
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Childhood Books Beloved of Authors

'You are what you eat,' it has commonly been said. But, I'd argue, you are also what you read. During our childhoods when we are discovering new worlds for the first time, we read with our entire bodies, minds and senses. We literally become…
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A mini-bookworm's TOP TEN reads from 2015

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my top ten reads of 2015 and now I'd like to share with you my nine year old's top ten reads of this year as it draws to a close. I often bring my children into my blogs in one way or another and this time…
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Guest post from Indie Author Alex Martin

Firstly, thanks to Rebecca Stonehill for letting me chat to her followers. Nice to meet everybody! My name is Alex Martin and I'm happy to call myself an indie writer. I've written four novels to date, something I never thought I'd achieve.…
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Looking for books for Christmas gifts? My top 10 fiction reads of the year

As Christmas is fast approaching, I thought I'd blog this week on my favourite ten books I've read this year. This doesn't mean they were written this year, in fact the oldest amongst my choice (The Go Between) dates back to 1953. It was a…
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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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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…
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Which kids' book inspired one man to cycle across the globe?

SuperCyclingMan, currently in Germany I have a friend I went to university with, Will Hodson, who is currently at the start of a five year cycling journey that will take him across all seven continents. And not only that, but he is cycling…