Why is there so much poetry in YA/teen lit?
From Walt Whitman in John Green’s Paper Towns to Dylan Thomas in Ally Condie’s Matched, YA ficton is full of poems and poetic references. Ciara Murphy wonders why
What’s the best poetry for children?
Poetry recommendations for you’ve grown out of rhyming picture books and aren’t old enough for teen reads from The Book Doctor, including Laura Dockrill, Malorie Blackman, Sarah Crossan and Rachel Rooney
Michael Rosen reads We Can
Watch Michael Rosen read his new poem We Can from A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young
Welcome to our poetry-themed week – an overview
Catch up with everything we did in our themed poetry week 2015
New talent: the shortlisted stories for the first ever BBC Young Writers’ Award
Matt Haig and Samantha Shannon join DJ Alice Levine to find the authors of the future, and get over a thousand entries by under 18s down to a shortlist of five stories
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo- review
ItWasLovelyReadingYou: ‘Leigh Bardugo’s ability to create flesh and blood and living, breathing people out of words is astounding!’
Why Patrick Ness is writing his Doctor Who spin-off: Class
After hearing the news that Patrick Ness is working with Steven Moffat to create an eight part Doctor Who spin off series for the BBC, we caught up with Patrick about how he feels about it! Also read an extract of Patrick Ness’s Doctor Who story Tip of the Tongue
Philip Reeve: ‘It’s possible that machines might become conscious’
The bestselling author of the Mortal Engines series lifts the lid on the world of his new sci-fi epic Railhead, with its interstellar trains, robot servants and walking colonies of insects – and why he is most like a dark chocolate ginger biscuit
Girls behaving badly – the thrilling rise of the YA antiheroine
They’ve been too nice for too long, but now mean, monstrous and even murderous girls are revitalising young adult fiction
Mars: leave it well alone!
Writer Paul Magrs has always had an affinity with Mars (not least because that’s how his surname is said). The planet has always been an infinite space for his dreams. Now, for the sake of our imagination - and even possible Martians - he’s hoping for a halt to explorations
Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – review
ShadowKissed Hannah: ‘Bardugo brings together a cast of misfits and rogues all tied together through a mission deadly enough Black Widow would probably bail’
Can children’s books help build a better world?
Author SF Said on how almost all the world’s problems come down to ‘us and them’ – and how children’s books can knock down the barriers
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – review
HorseLover3000: ‘I loved Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy and couldn’t wait to read Six of Crows – I certainly wasn’t disappointed’
How to draw a lion – video
Get up close and personal with one of nature’s most beautiful wildest creatures as artist Stephen Walton shares a fascinating timelapse video of himself drawing a lion in charcoal
Mice in fiction (in honour of Danger Mouse) – Quiz
To celebrate the return of world-famous secret agent Danger Mouse to our screens, we have compiled a quiz on the best mice in fiction. Do you know your Danger Mouse from your Despereaux? Have a go at this quiz to find out!