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
Best children’s and YA books of 2022
Journeys through music, history, magic and more, plus the standout books for young adults
The Borrowers review – less a wild adventure more an escape from trauma
Mary Norton’s 1952 novel about tiny pillagers gets a sober stage remake that blends minor-key music with contemporary fears
Children’s authors of colour published in UK rose to 11.7% of market in 2021
BookTrust research shows, however, that the overall picture ‘remains far from representative’ with some writers and illustrators reporting tokenism
Recently discovered Wind in the Willows illustration to be sold at auction
The pencil and ink drawing of a swaggering Mr Toad and his friends by EH Shepard was found hanging on the stairs of an East Anglian country house
Marcus Sedgwick, celebrated children’s author, dies aged 54
Tributes have flooded in for the much-loved writer, who wrote more than 40 books for children and adults including the recent Be the Change handbooks
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books
Blockbuster authors Cressida Cowell and Robin Stevens introduce new series, while SF Said returns with a tremendous counterfactual thriller
Mindfulness books for children are a runaway publishing trend
Industry reports sales of titles for under-10s addressing emotions up almost 40%, driven by demand from young people