Joseph Coelho’s top 10 new poetry books every child must read
The performance poet and winner of this year’s CLPE children’s poetry award picks the poetry collections that every child should grow up with
What are the best colouring and activity books for kids?
From Johanna Basford’s thrilling colouring quests to the Animalium activity book, the Book Doctor has entertaining books to keep children amused on long journeys and holidays!
Shirley Hughes: I hope books survive, they are wonderful pieces of technology
Shirley Hughes, winner of the inaugural Book Trust lifetime achievement award, answers our questions about Dogger, Alfie and how come she waited until she was over 80 years old to write her first novel. We also got to meet the real Dogger
Roald Dahl’s The Twits: How do you make a book that smells?
A special edition of Roald Dahl’s The Twits is coming out which has a cover that you can customise with revolting scratch ‘n’ sniff stickers! How do they make it smell so icky? Find out here… Plus, win one of five copies we’re giving away!
Karlson on the Roof by Astrid Lindgren – review
Henry IX: ‘I’d give this book 9 out of 10 because it was so good’
Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals: Tanya Landman and William Grill win UK’s oldest children’s book awards
Tanya Landman’s historical novel Buffalo Soldier and William Grill’s illustrated non-fiction book Shackleton’s Journey scoop fiction and illustration prizes
My inspiration: Martin Brown on political cartoonists
The Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown didn’t get there from children’s book illustrations, he came from cartoons – and maybe that’s why the Horrible Histories turned out the way they did!
How well do you know the new children’s laureate, Chris Riddell?
Do you know your Goth Girl from your Bandabear? Take our fiendish quiz to find out!
Julia Donaldson: why hearing children should find out about signing
The author of The Gruffalo is a passionate advocate for inclusion in children’s books. Here’s how she wrote What the Jackdaw Saw with the help of deaf teenagers
Teen opinion: I want to read about deaf children in books
Site member Kayleigh, who also happens to be profoundly deaf, on why it meant to much to help Julia Donaldson write What the Jackdaw Saw
Cerrie Burnell: every child deserves to have their life represented in books
CBeebies presenter and author Cerrie Burnell failed in her search for disabled characters in books to identify with when she was growing up – and that’s why her own children’s books embrace diversity in all its glory
What are the best children’s books on the second world war?
To mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day, children’s authors including Shirley Hughes, Michael Morpurgo, SF Said, Piers Torday and Katherine Rundell, together with children’s books site members, share their favourite books set in or about the second world war
Which children’s books sum up the decade they were published?
Brandon Robshaw (AKA the dad in Back in Time for Dinner) picks out the children’s books from the 1950s to the 2000s that seem to sum up each decade
Why is children’s poetry so invisible?
Chrissie Gittins says it’s time to get confident about children’s poetry, children love it – so publishers, bookshops and libraries should stop hiding it and start celebrating
Sample delights from the CLPE poetry award 2015 shortlist
Looking for great children’s poetry? Check out the brilliant collections that have been shortlisted for this year’s Centre for Literacy in Primary Education prize and sample some of the poems – plus find out how to get involved in the poetry award shadowing scheme