‘A secret no one talked about’: Michael Morpurgo on discovering his real father – and hating Spielberg’s War Horse

As he turns 80, the prolific children’s author takes us on a tour of his Devon village, to talk about family bombshells, the burning of Joan of Arc – and finally getting a film adaptation he likes

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels

A joyful picture-book account of family life; a magical fantasy series begins; an addictive epistolary friendship; fast-paced feminist YA; and more

‘A true original’: Katherine Rundell on the genius of Diana Wynne Jones

Long before Harry Potter went to Hogwarts, Diana Wynne Jones wrote about a school for witches. Fifty years after the author of Howl’s Moving Castle published her first novel for children, Rundell celebrates the writer who inspired her own fantasy debut

Charity launches award and database to encourage diversity in children’s books

Inclusive Books for Children survey found that two thirds of ethnic minority parents struggle to find representative books to read their children

Looking round a school library, I saw something I can’t get out of my mind

I was shocked to find a book for children whose parents are in prison. But I’m glad someone had the compassion to write it

‘The most fun!’ Paul Simon unveils collaboration with The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse illustrator

Charlie Mackesy created his new drawings while listening to Simon’s music, the pair explain at the exhibition launch, with Simon outlining how the Covid-19 pandemic helped his creativity

More than half of UK children do not read in their spare time, survey reveals

National Literacy Trust says families and schools need resources to help disadvantaged children develop vital literacy skills

This ‘bum-poo-fart author’ is Australia’s biggest writer: Andy Griffiths on ending the Treehouse books

The children’s author who has sold millions of funny (and disgusting) books talks about challenging nervous adults and being married to his editor Jill

What to read this autumn: 2023’s biggest new books

Sara Pascoe’s new novel, rare Terry Pratchett, memoirs from Barbra Streisand and Britney Spears, plus the essential reading on today’s hot button topics – all the releases to look out for

Poem of the week: The Clever Cat by Mary Hannay Foott

A children’s poem from 1890 is the cheerful opposite of a homily about the virtues of working hard

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books

TV presenter Alice Roberts explores the world of ice age hunter-gatherers, Katherine Rundell brings fantastic beasts to life and Simon Packham tackles classroom anxiety with a thumping plot twist

‘I wanted to be No 1. But a certain JK Rowling came along’: Jacqueline Wilson on rivalry, censorship – and love

Raised by a ‘scary’ father and a ‘terrible snob’ of a mother, the Tracy Beaker author has always understood the loneliness that marks so many young lives. But at 77, she’s never been happier

New Stephen Hawking children’s book to be published next year

You and the Universe, adapted from his posthumous 2020 Earth Day message, will bring the late physicist’s ‘extraordinary work to life for readers of all ages’

The Guardian view on Heartstopper: a phenomenon that defines a generation

Editorial: Alice Oseman’s tale of queer romance is a global success story built on fans who want to feel good about themselves in tough times

Nicky Singer obituary

Other lives: Author and playwright whose novel Feather Boy was adapted into a BBC TV children’s drama