Why poetry belongs to us all
On Poetry Day, Sarah Crossan argues that poetry is everywhere. And it is ours. So sing and share your songs and don’t be afraid to snatch poetry back into your life and use it!
Be part of Dylan’s Great Poem project on Poetry Day
Chance to be part of an epic 100 line poem to celebrate the centenary of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas
The best pirate themed books
Avast, me beauties, as the Book Doctor whistles to her parrot and rounds up the most brilliant books to fire up a wannabe pirate’s imagination
Future bright for children’s books as industry names plot next chapter
Imogen Russell Williams: A mood of optimism marked the Bookseller Children’s Conference, with sales up 10% and editors pronouncing themselves keen to experiment and push the digital envelope
Books for a cake lover
The Book Doctor sniffs out cake and food-themed children’s books for a boy who is motivated by delicious things to eat
Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 will need all J-Law’s superpowers
If the new trailer is anything to go by, the final instalments will need Arena-style tech to overcome the source material, writes Ben Child
Young adult fiction is loved because it speaks to us all – unlike adult stories
Damien Walter: Young adult fiction’s sci-fi metaphors are the best guide we have to the bleak and broken realities of adult life
Young Adult literature proves its range in National Book Award longlist
Ten nominees showcase the evolving range of genre that continues to be attention-grabbing and controversial, writes Jen Doll
Boxtrolls author Alan Snow interview: seeing the world of the boxtrolls made solid by other artists is more than odd
Get to know the author of Here Be Monsters, the book that inspired the film The Boxtrolls, as Alan Snow takes our quickfire interview
The Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren – review
Prince Caspian: 'The children have lots of fun exploring, having adventures and making dens'
The Tiger Who Came to Tea theatre review – roars when it should purr
This song-and-dance version of Judith Kerr’s picture book gets lots of laughs but loses some of the charm of her original story, writes Chris Wiegand
Going back to off-to-school books
This sub-genre of children's unlikely academic adventures has real charm. What were your favourite reading lessons?
Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play review – gently knocks your socks off
Puppets prove just the ticket in this stage adaptation of Lauren Child's children's stories, complete with lost sausage dogs, pirates and big butterflies
What are the best books to help my son make friends?
The Book Doctor recommends a dose of Michael Morpurgo, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Jacqueline Wilson to help a boy who is struggling with his relationships with other kids and is never chosen to be a 'best friend'