Laura Howard 📚

Penguin to open 90 Little Book Stops across the UK Penguin Books has announced it will install a series of book boxes, which it is calling "90 Little Book Stops", in communities across the UK.

Penguin to open 90 Little Book Stops across the UK as part of its 90th birthday celebrations - what a fab idea! 🎈📚🐧 @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

www.thebookseller.com/news/penguin...

Love this from #MacBarnett

Are picture books undervalued? This new ambassador of children's literature thinks so The Library of Congress has given Mac Barnett the job of promoting books and reading to kids across the country. His plan is to focus on picture books.

I adore picturebooks and totally believe that the best ones are a truly untapped resource in our schools and that they are works of true literary merit. Absolutely agree with #MacBarnett. (He is really is one of the great picturebook creators)

www.npr.org/2025/02/06/n...

The Waterstones Children's Book Prize shortlist: Secrets of the Snakestone; Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit; Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces; The Boy in a Suit; Glasgow Boys; For She Is Wrath; Lover Birds; King of Nothing; Dim Sum Palace; The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods; Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf; and Mountain and Cloud

We're so excited that the shortlist for the @waterstones.bsky.social Children's Book Prize is here!
The Illustrated Books, Younger Readers, and Older Readers categories are looking absolutely fantastic - congrats to all the nominees!
Find out more 👇
www.waterstones.com/the-watersto... #WCBP25

Tired of shopping? Fed up with consumerism? I have just the tonic...

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 (02/01/25 Andersen Press) illust by Ali Pye: Squirrel doesn’t know what The Really Beautiful Thing is, or even what it does, but it’s AMAZING, and he wants it...

YouTube video by Wonderland Bookshop Children's authors and illustrators read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

A Merry Christmas to all and to all, a good night!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=K9Ar...

Seven-panel comic depicting me toiling away at the difficult task of drawing comics, considering quitting, and a rather conveniently received email from a 5th grader that encouraged me to continue. Comics can be hard work, often with setbacks and challenges, but the inspiration they might give to others can make all the toil worth it.

True story.

Something brand new for #TygertaleAdvent today. Santa's First Christmas is a dazzling new festive favourite from Mac Barnett, author of 'How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?' and illustrated by Sydney Smith whose snowy classic 'Small in the City' I'll be featuring later in the month.

#Booksky

'Let your children read what they want – within reason, without pressure. Please don’t tell them you were reading weighty tomes at their age, it’s not helping. Resist that urge, relax your rules, let them read.'
#UKKidLit #KidLitUK #amreading #childrensbooks #BookSky

Thank you so much for this. I wasn't able to watch it live but I've just caught up with it now. Lots of wonderful advice from you and Flora, and plenty to think about before the deadline.

Every single school should have a library & a librarian, to help every single child find the books that will make them readers, and give them all the lifelong benefits of literacy. Libraries & librarians change children's lives FOREVER!
#literacy #libraries #librarians

I’m trying to make my first Starter Pack! Where are all my @write-mentor.bsky.social friends? Hub members/writers/anyone involved in any way. I’d love to find everyone on Bluesky. Please give me a wave if you want to be added

go.bsky.app/4xu4cAe

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay finally gives in to Christmassy books. This crisp and impactful caricature, part of a spread, is by Kate Hindley from The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland. Santa has to deliver to the princess of hearts. Out in paperback from Macmillan Children’s Books since October.

Some laws are universal

LITTLE LION GIRL | Kirkus Reviews While spending the day in the city with her mother, a small child envisions herself as a big cat.

Ahead of its February release in the US, there's a Kirkus review of Little Lion Girl by me and @fionawoodcock.bsky.social (Bloomsbury)

"Perfectly captures a courageous youngster's explorations of an unfamiliar setting."

So flipping delighted 🦁 ❤️

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

My map of children's independent bookshops is updated regularly. Most provide an online service and they're all run by people who can make well-informed book recommendations. Make sure you support your local one if you want to keep it. Any missing, please let me know. padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

Really recommend this set of short essays about children’s fiction by the brilliant Katherine Rundell on BBC Sounds 👏

This sounds lovely!

Never forget: READING FOR PLEASURE has the biggest positive impact of any factor on children's life chances. So never stop sharing books with kids. Never stop reading to them, and helping them to read. Never stop changing lives. #literacy #kidlit #books

Picture book starter pack also underway!

go.bsky.app/KgwsASt

#kidlituk

Yes, please. And thank you for the lists.

Hello! 👋 I've fallen down a Bluesky rabbit hole, when I really should be writing! But I'm so happy to see all you lovely book people again. 😊