Swallows and Armenians: Arthur Ransome’s forgotten inspirations revealed
A new art project is exploring how the characters in the English children’s classic were modelled on a family from Aleppo
I found all my childhood heroes in fantasy novels
My Sudanese grandmother couldn’t fathom why I read books full of dragons and danger but in them I saw the person I could be
Give older children story time to halt fall in young readers, urge experts
Publisher Egmont says steep decline in parents reading to children – who thereby learn to read for pleasure – is ‘a significant threat to their wellbeing’
Laura Bates: witch hunts never stopped – now they’re online
The lurid accusations and arbitrary punishments meted out in centuries long gone are all too reminiscent of the way young women are harassed and blamed today
Tomi Ungerer obituary
Author and illustrator of witty books for children who described himself as an archivist of human absurdity
Squinky pigsquiffle! How Roald Dahl teaches children creative swearing
A new book by lexicographer Susan Rennie collects the author’s nonsensical insults and expletives, celebrating ‘words that push the boundaries a little bit’
Authors voice alarm after sharp drop in sales of YA fiction
Figures last year were the lowest for 11 years, with an overcrowded market and focus on ‘worthy’ books among the factors blamed
New Philip Pullman novel The Secret Commonwealth due in October
The second volume of his Book of Dust trilogy finds Lyra now a student, facing adult problems as she travels across Europe and into Asia
Children’s and teens roundup: the best new picture books and novels
A boy who turns into a pigeon, love in a lighthouse and the pain that inspired Mary Shelley
Refreshed prince: Will Smith launches Fresh Princess children’s books
Actor says stories about the youngster, inspired by his TV role as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, will be ‘fun and empowering’
Francesca Simon: how I turned The Monstrous Child into ‘Wagner for teens’
The Horrid Henry author’s YA novel about a smart-talking Norse goddess has become an opera – what will young audiences make of it?
From Tales of the City to Tipping the Velvet: top 10 books about coming out
Novelist Kate Davies picks the best books about a task that never happens just once
Carnegie medal longlist highlights trend for gritty children’s books
Twenty books in contention for this year’s £5,000 award encompass stories of bereavement, isolation and marginalisation
Why I read aloud to my teenagers
Storytime isn’t just for young children, says literary critic Meghan Cox Gurdon
Kick the Moon by Muhammad Khan review – how to be a hero
This impressive YA drama explores bullying, gang culture and the joy of comics with wit and empathy