Eric Brown, science fiction author and Guardian critic, dies aged 62

Writers, publishers and agents pay tribute to a warm, generous figure, author of more than 50 books ranging from SFF to crime to children’s literature

Apocalyptic road trip story wins the Waterstones children’s book prize

The Cats We Meet Along the Way by Nadia Mikail – about a family’s trip across Malaysia during the impending end of the world – wins the older readers category, the overall prize and £5,000

Gunned down and burned by the Nazis: the shocking true story of Bambi

Walt Disney made Bambi a cutesy schmaltzfest for kids. But the original story was a brutal allegory by a Jewish writer who later fled the Nazis. As the character hits 100, we look at the iconic fawn’s extraordinary life

Carnegie medal for writing announces all-female shortlist

Seven authors are in the running for prize celebrating outstanding achievement in children’s writing

Many UK primary schoolchildren ‘drastically’ missing out on poetry

Research in January by Macmillan and CLPE found limited books and lack of teacher support means majority study or hear poetry less than once a week

The world can be overwhelming for children – that’s why I’ve reduced it to 100 people

My book makes daunting statistics easy to understand, opening young people up to different ways of thinking about the world, says children’s writer Jackie McCann

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

A pair of historical novels focus on different aspects of the 70s, while gender identity is a theme in an array of strong new adventures

The Guardian view on children’s reading: a gift that should be for all

Editorial: With stressed families less likely to have time and money to spare for books, young readers are losing out. It’s time to boost school libraries

Roald Dahl is the last thing we should worry about on World Book Day

More important than culture-war noise are the multiple threats to British children learning to love books of any kind

‘Why can’t we be the hero?’: George Webster on acting, ambition, romance and big breaks

He is a CBeebies star, a Bafta winner, an author and an ambassador for people with Down’s syndrome. Is there anything George can’t do? Well, there is one thing, says his mother …

Roald Dahl threatened publisher with ‘enormous crocodile’ if they changed his words

Conversation with Francis Bacon emerges amid the row over updating controversial language in the children’s author’s books

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