Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter by Simon Mayo – review
A mad scientist, a radioactive element … Simon Mayo's romp includes scientific knowhow and an amiable hero. By Tim Radford
Harry Potter and the order of the 60 scholars gets mixed initial reception
A St Andrews conference on the Harry Potter series as literary texts has not met with universal approval in the academic world
10 book-apps that might change Julia Donaldson’s mind about Gruffalo apps
Author isn't keen on the idea, but perhaps if she saw what some developers have been doing... By Stuart Dredge
Top flash fiction writing tips: David Gaffney
16 May is the first ever day celebrating the art of micro-fiction. But what's the secret of writing ultra short stories? Follow David Gaffney's tips and email in your own flash fiction masterpieces - we'll publish our favourites in the Your Stories section on the site
Drawn in by children’s comic annuals
Imogen Russell Williams: Whether it was Rupert Bear's reassuring Nutwood or the preteen perils of Mandy and Bunty, a Christmas comic annual would keep me engrossed for hours
Can you provide a definitive reading list for the first 10 years of life?
Book doctor: 'Though enjoyable and useful, lists are very subjective, so it pays to look around for different types'
Goblins by Philip Reeve – review
Simon Mason enjoys a witty send-up of the magical world
Josh Lacey’s top 10 pseudonymous books
A surprising number of authors choose not to use their real name when they publish their books. Josh Lacey, who has written a series of books under the name Josh Doder, picks his favourite writers with pen names
Maurice Sendak: roaring tributes pour in for ‘grumpy, magical’ writer
The death of the Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak has prompted a surge of salutes in the book world
Maurice Sendak: the fight in him was an expression of life
Emma Brockes: When I interviewed Maurice Sendak last year, he was furious with everything. That fury came from love – and it drove his art
Where are all the car-free books?
Picture books could show that travelling by bike, train, bus or coach can be fun but car journeys seem to get all the attention
In the company of women
Tim Lott ... lone man in a female household
Hero on a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes – review
Mary Hoffman on a wartime adventure wartime adventure by someone with a feeling for the time
Huge rise in ebook sales offsets decline in printed titles
Alison Flood: Despite an increase in digital sales of 366% last year, printed books remain the choice for the majority of readers, figures show
I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan – review
The whims of destiny ride roughshod over the lives of a boy and girl in this breathlessly exciting adventure story, writes Geraldine Brennan
The Things We Did for Love by Natasha Farrant – review
Mal Peet in a tale of love amid atrocity
James Dawson shortlisted for Queen of Teen crown
Hollow Pike author is first man shortlisted for a prize which celebrates the 'feistiest, frothiest and most fantastic' writers in teen fiction
‘Coarse language’ and violence top list of UK parents’ complaints about books
Children's books from Roald Dahl to the Horrible Histories series spark complaints to UK library authorities
To Be a Cat by Matt Haig – review
Philip Ardagh on a clawed masterpiece
Miniature fairytale for royal dolls’ house to be published full size
Alison Flood: An illustrated fairy story by Fougasse, printed on tiny pages for Queen Mary's dolls' house, is to be reproduced for human hands
The Guardian and Hot Key Books launch new children’s fiction prize
The Guardian and Hot Key Books are on the hunt for the next generation of children's writers – offering two young writers between the ages of 18 and 25 a chance to be published
Why are children’s books so down on maths?
'Being good at maths is cool not nerdy, but few stories or picture books have caught up with this new reality'
Penguin, Macmillan and Nosy Crow talk digital books for children
How publishers can make reading experiences that parents feel 'more positive about than Angry Birds'. By Stuart Dredge
Horrible Histories: too cool for school?
Alison Flood: Author Terry Deary says he wishes he could sue schools that use his books in lessons. Does he have a point?
How can I interest my baby in books?
'You could try leaving a range of non-destructible books around in suitable locations...'
Hunger Games novels join most complained-about titles in US
Suzanne Collins's young adult trilogy near top of US list of 'frequently challenged' books in 2011
The next big thing … geeks
Julia Eccleshare: Clumsy, badly-dressed nerds with a penchant for the passe are joining vampires and werewolves on preteen bookshelves
The Owl and the Pussycat – review
This is an engaging but rather old-fashioned hour of brightly coloured entertainment, writes Lyn Gardner
Why is Owl Babies thought suitable for very young children?
'Books have long been used to give children a way of looking at and understanding issues that are familiar to them by putting them in a different context'
Fiction for older children – reviews
The range and tone – magical to lavatorial – of titles for 10-year-olds is extraordinary, writes Kitty Empire
Fiction for teenagers – reviews
Geraldine Brennan on a disturbing dystopian Britain, crime in Lagos – and a rival to Adrian Mole
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – review
Linda Buckley-Archer is captivated by an exciting and affecting female adventure story