From Star Trek to Fifty Shades: how fanfiction went mainstream

Since it began in the 1960s, fanfiction has been both loved and dismissed as the work of nerdy amateurs. Now, a new generation of authors is dissolving the distinction

Alan Garner: ‘I just let the voice settle and listened’

The acclaimed children’s author on writing a memoir about his wartime upbringing in rural Cheshire

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

A mellow lion, a beach party with sharks, a rooftop paradise and the curse of a superpower

Creating Cathy: the story behind Wuthering Heights’s wild heroine

How a ruthless warrior queen in a childhood fantasy became the prototype for Emily Brontë’s protagonist

Teenage books round-up: voyages of discovery and hope

Coming-of-age stories from the historical to the fantastical are among the pick of this month’s YA fiction

‘I’ll make a sign and hold it up’: Isobelle Carmody takes her activism to the streets

The Australian fantasy author, a vocal opponent of Australia’s offshore detention, calls taking a stand the ‘best kind of power’

‘Dire statistics’ show YA fiction is becoming less diverse, warns report

Study finds that fewer books for young adults by black and minority ethnic authors have been published in the UK since 2010, despite rise in diversity initiatives

Want the kids to read more? 15 modern classics for all ages

From greedy dogs to shimmering dragons and from dance competitions to grisly murder – these books can inspire a lifetime of reading

From bedtime stories to bribes: how to get your child reading more

Summer is the perfect time to get children reading, but what if they refuse? Authors and experts reveal tips and tricks for every age group

James Patterson remains UK libraries’ most borrowed author for 11th year

While readers in east England prefer romance, and those in the south-west want their books to be by Roald Dahl, figures show the US thriller king has kept his throne

How thrillers offer an antidote to toxic masculinity

This genre’s modern incarnation of the ancient hero myth can give boys essential but neglected lessons in how to be a good man

The Guardian view on children’s books: a restricted view of a wide world

Editorial: Almost a third of school-age children are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. But they will still struggle to find characters who resemble themselves

Only 1% of children’s books have BAME main characters – UK study

Research finds that of 9,115 titles published last year, only 4% featured BAME characters

Authors steer boys from toxic masculinity with gentler heroes

Inspirational role models feature in books designed to steer young readers away from toxic masculinity

Stig of the Dump author Clive King dies aged 94

Alongside some 20 other books, his 1963 story of a stone-age hunter living in modern-day Kents sold more than 2m copies and has never been out of print