Why are so many children’s fantasy books adapted as films?

Fantasy is a genre that has dominated children’s literature over the years, with JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and Suzanne Collins spearheading the way in the crossover realm of book to film adaptation. So why is cinema recreating their fantastical lands? And what does the future hold?

Meg Rosoff: ‘It took 12 years for the hate to compost down into comedy’

The books interview: The YA author of the bestselling How I Live Now talks about her first book for adults, how her sister’s death made her a writer and happy non-endings

Booky things to do this half term!

Wondering what to do this half term? We round up some of the best book-based events taking place up and down the UK during the school holiday

What should I do if I think I might be transgender?

The NHS Gender Identity Development Service explains what being transgender feels like, and what to do if you think you, a friend or family member might be experiencing gender dysphoria

New Harry Potter book from JK Rowling coming out in July: the play script

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II will be published the day after the play begins in London, picking up the wizard’s story 19 years after the final novel in the series

How I discovered London’s lost Chinatown

As the year of the monkey begins, Katherine Woodfine shares some fascinating gems about what she learned about the reality of London’s original Chinatown as she researched her latest novel The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth – and went beyond the negative stereotypes of Fu Manchu

10 fascinating Regency facts

Did you know parmesan cheese flavoured ice cream was popular in Regency times, or that young ladies carried miniature portraits of Lord Byron around in their bags to swoon over? Alison Goodman, author of The Dark Days Club, shares her favourite gems from the Regency period

Crime fiction steals top slots in UK library loans

New figures show that nine out of the 10 most borrowed books last year were thrillers, with Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher title grabbing top slot and James Patterson the most-borrowed overall

#CoverKidsBooks should have read up more on children’s literature

A new campaign for greater coverage of this literature is well-meaning, but its exclusive focus on print is out of tune with the younger generation

Marissa Meyer: The world isn’t made of only white people, so fictional worlds shouldn’t be either

Site member WordsAreLife got to ask sci-fi author Marissa Meyer about how it feels to say goodbye to the Lunar Chronicles series, writing diverse characters and why she is Ravenclaw through and through

JK Rowling goes global with four international magic schools

Harry Potter author unveils details of schools for young magicians to rival Hogwarts – in Brazil, Japan, Uganda and the US

Hey, kids, there’s a new bear on the block

Soon to be joining Pooh and Paddington is a onesie-wearing streetwise bear, created by illustrator Sav Akyüz and actor-rapper Doc Brown

The Scarlet Weapon by Renata Ventura – review

Pedro: ‘Renata Ventura, a Brazilian writer and fan of Rowling’s books, imbued with the same desire of seeing a wizardry school in her own country, accepted the challenge and wrote her own Brazilian series’

Why authors and illustrators should think twice about going to Dubai lit fest

From climate change caused by CO2 emissions to human rights issues, author Jonathan Emmett makes the case for avoiding the Emirates Airline festival of literature in Dubai – what do you think?

Politics in picture books: big questions for the smallest readers

For younger minds interested in how the world works, there are a number of erudite authors who make subjects like migration, war and equality accessible