Peaches are not the only fruit: five frightful alternatives to Roald Dahl
From mischievous deities to creepy aunties and feral kids, these stories honour the ill-mannered maestro of kids’ fiction
Roald Dahl publisher announces unaltered 16-book ‘classics collection’
Series will be released alongside controversially amended versions to leave readers ‘free to choose which version they prefer’
Return of the Grinch: sequel to Dr Seuss classic will hit shelves before Christmas
How the Grinch Lost Christmas! will take place one year on and see the green grouch try to prove he has grown to love the festive season
Julia Donaldson ends James Patterson’s reign as UK libraries’ most borrowed author
Data shows that Patterson’s 14-year run as readers’ overall favourite has given way to the Gruffalo author
Roald Dahl books rewritten to remove language deemed offensive
Augustus Gloop now ‘enormous’ instead of ‘fat’, Mrs Twit no longer ‘ugly’ and Oompa Loompas are gender neutral
Picture books for children – reviews
Insects and entomologists inspire two creepy-crawly tales, and a polar bear gets lost in the big smoke
‘It’s the opposite of art’: why illustrators are furious about AI
AI art generators may provide five minutes of fun for most users, but the blurring of creative and ethical boundaries is leaving many artists raging against the machine
Axel Scheffler: ‘To work for children, you must have optimism’
The Gruffalo illustrator, 65, on dealing with his natural pessimism, the lifelong joy of drawing and why he always tells people not to give up on their dreams
The Detention Detectives by Lis Jardine review – top-grade misbehaviour
Pupils investigate a murder at school in this entertaining noir lite for young readers
2023 in books: highlights for the year ahead
The best fiction and nonfiction to look forward to in the new year, from Zadie Smith to Simon Schama, Margaret Atwood to Rory Stewart
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
The story of the Earth; an A-Z for language lovers; pop-up Egyptian mummies; an enslaved man’s journey to freedom; and the best YA
‘I’ve been banned since the beginning’: Jason Reynolds talks to Joseph Coelho
The UK children’s laureate and America’s ambassador for young people’s literature discuss finding a voice and how to get kids reading
‘I’m parking my guilt’: confessions of a celebrity children’s book ghost writer
As an author whose own books never find their way to supermarket shelves, it’s frustrating work – but it puts food on my family’s table
Shirley Hughes remembered by Clara Vulliamy
Herself a children’s author, the daughter of the prolific picture book creator looks back on her mother’s immense energy and dislike of housework
‘I love writing for children’: Emma Thompson and Axel Scheffler on their amazing shaggy dog story
The Oscar-winning actor and the Gruffalo illustrator have teamed up to create a tale about a scruffy hound. They discuss corgis, comic books and how their friendship began