Kids' Book Zone

Children's Books by Michael Morpurgo

2009-11-23T20:16:00.003Z

Books by Michael Morpurgo are some of the most frequently read children's books in school libraries. Try finding a copy of Kensuke's Kingdom, War Horse or The Butterfly Lion and you are likely to be disappointed. These books are usually perpetually checked-out with a long waiting list of eager readers trying to get hold of them when they are returned. I have yet to come across a child who has not enjoyed atleast one title written by Michael Morpurgo. Most have enjoyed all of the Michael Morpurgo books they have read.

It is difficult to determine exactly waht it is about his writing that inspires children so much. Perhaps its the fact that his books seem so real. Often written in the first person, upon finishing the last page of his books, children are often left wondering if the events are true, or if the characters are based on real people. Perhaps its because the writing stikes the perfect balance between moving the action forward and conjuring telling images in the mind of the reader. Perhaps its because the storylines are so compelling. Or perhaps its just a mixture of all of the above. I know I enjoy reading Michael Morpurgo novels aloud, and I don't say that about many children's books. The tone of his books seems to be right. His stories, even the ones written recently, sound like classsic children's books, but without feeling out of date and old fashioned. When you read a children's book by Michael Morpurgo you know you are reading something worthwhile. His books are authentic and seem to have soul.

Some of the best know of Michael Morpurgo's books are: Kensuke's Kingdom, The Butterfly Lion, Adolphus Tips, War Horse, Farm Boy and The Wreck of the Zanzibar, but Morpurgo has written far more titles besides these. Any of these titles would be well worth a read.

Michael Morpurgo Books

2009-11-16T20:17:00.004Z

There are numerous Michael Morpurgo books that are loved by children all over the world. His stories seem to stay with children and they are able to recall them in detail months and even years after they have finished them. Here follows a list of some of the books by Michael Morpurgo that I have seen children enjoy the most:

The Butterfly Lion
Cool!
Friend of Foe
Private Peaceful
Tom's Sausage Lion
The Sandman and the Turtles
Torro Torro
The Wreck of the Zanzibar
War Horse
Kensuke's Kingdom
Farm Boy
Adolphus Tips

My personal favourite Michael Morpurgo book is Kensuke's Kingdom. I enjoyed it because I really cared about the charcters. I loved the little details that made the story come to life - the scene with the turtles and how Kensuke's past is revealed. Without giving anything away, the book ends perfectly. It is completely satisfying and is the only way that the charcaters can act. It is a sad story, but also a story full of hope, friendship and spirit. I have read this book to lots of children and all of them have loved the book as much as I do. Lots of adults I know have also read this Michael Morpurgo novel, and they too have enjoyed it.

What's your favourite Michael Morpurgo story? Do you really like one from the list above, or would you recommend another Michael Morpurgo title? Do you prefer the work of a different writer of children's books? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

AKA Road Dahl, Roland Dahl and Roald Dhal

2009-11-10T23:07:00.004Z

Although lots of children claim that Roald Dahl is their favourite author of children's books, they often don't know how to spell his name. This fact was really brought home to be a few weeks ago when I was doing some research on authors with a class of 9 year olds. When it came to type the words 'Roald Dahl' into the box in the search engine, I was really surprised at some of the names the children used. One child put in Road Dahl, another added Roland Dahl and another, Roald Dhal.

All three children had read several of Roald Dahl's children's books and they said they really enjoyed them.

Roald Dahl Children's Books

2009-11-09T21:47:00.003Z

It always surprises me just how many classic children's books Roald Dahl was able to produce during his writing life. None of his books follow the same pattern or formula, yet so many of his novels remain popular to this day. I think the key to the success of all of the best Roald Dahl children's books is that they don't talk down to children. Instead, the child character is usually very capable and often undertakes an adventure that changes the lives of adults.

Roald Dahl is often criticised (by adults) of being crass, but I have only come across a few children who have failed to enjoy at least one Roald Dahl novel. Rather than finding his humour and take on the world to be out of kilter with their way of thinking, children seem to embrace Roald Dahl's irreverance, recognising a kindred spirit - a child in an adult's body.

From conversations I've had with children ranging from age 7 to age 11, these seem to be some of the most popular Roald Dahl books: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, George's Marvellous Medicine, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda. Lots of Roald Dahl's other stories are also mentioned, but these were the titles that cropped up again and again.

Many children also talked about enjoying the movie versions of some of the Roald Dahl stories. The Tim Burton version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Witches were particular favourites.

Some of those I spoke to also mentioned receiving books by Roald Dahl as gifts for either a birthday or Christmas. A really good way of giving such a present is to purchase a Roald Dahl collection or a Roald Dahl treasury. But I'm sure that even single volumes of Roald Dahl's books for children would go down a treat.

Roald Dahl Collection

2009-11-08T20:45:00.001Z

A Roald Dahl collection – a box containing all of his most well-loved children’s books – would make a fantastic Christmas present or birthday gift. Last Christmas I purchased a Roald Dahl collection for one of my nephews. He absolutely loved it. Nearly a year has passed and he is still getting great pleasure from the gift. Not only does he enjoy reading these Roald Dahl books on his own, but he also looks forward to hearing these stories read to him at bedtimes. Of all the Roald Dahl books in the collection, his favourite novel was James and the Giant Peach, but he also really liked George’s Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr Fox and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I haven’t come across a child who hasn’t enjoyed at least one Roald Dahl story. Lots of adults can’t see the appeal, but they’re not meant to! Roald Dahl wrote the books for children, and it is children who adore his stories. The great thing about Roald Dahl books is that you can read them more than once. The stories are not ruined by knowing the endings.

There are several Roald Dahl collections on the market. Most contain about ten books. These are usually Roald Dahl’s most well-known stories. In addition to these novels mentioned above, the collections often contain: Danny the Champion of the World, The Twits, Esio Trot, The Witches, Matilda and The BFG.

Of course, you could always assemble your own Roald Dahl collection by purchasing your favourite Roald Dahl children’s books and presenting them in a box of your choice. However, this may work out more expensive than buying a ready made Roald Dahl collection.

So, if you can think what to buy for a child this Christmas, you could do a lot worse than getting them a Roald Dahl collection or a Roald Dahl treasury.

Facts About Roald Dahl Books

2009-11-06T15:48:00.005Z

At Kids Book Zone we have produced several posts full of information about Roald Dahl, giving facts about his life and writing habits, but we have not yet focused on his books and his marvellous charcaters. Where, for instance, did the idea for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory come from? What inspired Roald Dahl to write about James and the Giant Peach? Where did Roald Dahl get his names from? All these questions (and lots more) will hopefully be answered below.

Roald Dahl had started a third Charlie Bucket book, Charlie and the White House. Unfortunately he diead before finishing it. He was also planning to write a book about a girl who could communictae with her dog.
It took Roald Dahl about one year to write each of his children's books.
Roald Dahl used to test out his story ideas on his own children as bedtime stories.
When Roald Dahl's nephew Nicholas first read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory he thought it was boring. After hearing this, Roald Dahl made some changes to his story!
You never get to find out the names of the main characters in The Witches or The Magic Finger.
When he was younger, Roald Dahl loved reading comics.
Roald Dahl followed a rigid daily timetable. He would always eat breafast in bed and open his post. After that he would work at his books in his writing hut from 10:30 - 12:00, and again from 16:00 to 18:00.
Roald Dahl never cleaned his writing hut. It became full of dust and spiderwebs.
Esio Trot spells tortoise backwards.
Roald Dahl was good friends with the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming.
Rolad Dahl made up 283 new words. Some of them appeared in The BFG, but not all of them made it.
Roald Dahl's first children's book was called The Gremlins.
Roald Dahl had an ideas book. He used to jot down all of his interesting thoughts in this book.
Ernest Hemingway and Roald Dahl were good friends.
James and the Giant Peach was nearly named James and the Giant Cherry. It was decided that a peach would be more juicy.
The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl was first called The Almost Ducks.
He used to plan the opening sentences to his book very carefully, often rewriting them over and over again until he was happy with them.
Roald Dahl kept a diary in a lunchbox that was always locked and hidden.
Roald Dahl often based his charcaters on people he had met, but he never revealed their identity.
Roald Dahl thought that writing for really young children was hard.
Roald Dahl used a homemade writing board. He rested it on his lap in his writing hut, and wrote most of his most well-known books upon it.

More Roald Dahl Facts

2009-10-29T10:32:00.005Z

Here are some more interesting facts about Roald Dahl, the amazing author of many fantastic children's books. This information about Roald Dahl has been taken from numerous sources and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful. Roald Dahl is often studied in schools as the subject of an author project or biography. Here is all of the Roald Dahl information you are ever going to need!

These Roald Dahl facts are in no particular order. They contain information about his books, his background, his approach to writing and his interests.

Roald Dahl wrote his books in garden shed with his feet resting on a suitcase, a blanket draped over his legs and a board on his lap which he used to lean on when writing.
On his desk Roald Dahl kept many objects, including: a sliver ball (made from chocolate wrappers), a carved grasshopper and a model of a fighter plane.
Rolad Dahl's father was called Harald Dahl and he used to enjoy walks in the country.
Roald Dahl's father was Norwegian, but worked in Wales as a shipbroker.
Roald Dahl was born on 13th September, 1916 in Llandaff, Cardiff.
As a boy, Roald Dahl loved to collect bird's eggs.
Roald Dahl went to boarding school when he was 9 years old.
Roald Dahl was really tall and he was excellent at sports.
He was not very good at English!
Cadbury's used to send chocolate bars to be tested by the pupils at Roald Dahl's school.
Roald Dahl accepted a job with the Shell Oil Company, and in 1938 he was sent to the east coast of Africa.
Rolad Dahl joined the Royal Airforce in 1939. He trained to be a pilot and gained the nickname Lofty.
He crashed his plane over Egypt in 1940 and nearly died.
In 1941 Roald Dahl was sent to Washing DC in the United States as a diplomat.
Rolad Dahl was recruited as a spy.
In 1943 Roald Dahl wrote his first children's story, The Gremlins. Somehow Walt Disney got hold of the tale and Dahl was sent to Hollywood. Disney published the story, but no movie of it was made.
At the end of the war Dahl returned to England. He made a living by buying antiques and paintings for clients in USA.
In the 1940s, Roald Dahl wrote horror stories.
Roald Dahl married the famous Hollywood actress, Patricia Neal. They rented an appartment in New York.
Theo Dahl (Roald Dahl's son) was injured in 1960 aged just four months. His pram was hit by a taxi. He made a full recovery.
Roald Dahl used to take a long time to finish writing his books.
Dahl's daughter Olivia died at age seven after catching measles.
Sophie Dahl, Rolad Dahl's granddaughter is a famous model and author.
Rolad Dahl died on 23rd November 1990, aged seventy four. He always considered November to be an unlucky month for him.
Roald Dahl formed a brillinat partnership with the illustrator Quentin Blake. Blake drew the pictures for several classic Dahl children's books: The Enormous Corocodile, The Twits, George's Marvellous Medicine and the BFG.
Roald Dahl wrote his books in pencil - he sharpened six before he started his writing day.
He used to write on a yellow pad of paper.
Roald Dahl was over 2 metres tall.
Roald Dahl his is diaries so well that they've never been found.
One of Rolad Dahl's favourite sweets were wine gums.
Roald Dahl has his own snooker table. He loved to play sports.
His house was called Gipsy House.
Roald Dahl strated to write a third story about Charlie Bucket, but he only managed to write the beginning.
Roald Dahl hated cats, but he loved almost all other animals.
Roald Dahl loved the smell of bacon frying in a pan.
He hated beards and never grew one.
It took Roald Dahl about a year to write each of his books for children. He didn't like to rush.

Interesting Jacqueline Wilson Facts

2009-10-16T15:51:00.004+01:00

Here are some facts about Jacqueline Wilson, the very talented and popular author of some of the best children's books published in the last twenty years. Along with Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson is probably the most borrowed author in school libraries all over the world.

Jacqueline Wilson always wanted to be a writer. As a child she loved to read and always made up imaginary worlds and games.

One Jacqueline's favourite teachers was Mr Townsend - a gentle, kind, funny and artistic man. He helped his pupils to write their own stories.

Jacqueline Wilson was Christmas card monitor in her school.

Sometimes here childhood was happy, and sometimes it wasn't.

She loved lots of books when she was a child, including: Black Beauty, What Katy Did, The Flower Fairies and Nancy and Plum.

When she was seven she used to spend all her pocket money on notebooks and filled them with her writing.

When she left school, Jacqueline Wilson worked on teen magazines such as Jackie, Red Letter and Annabel.

Jacqueline Wilson married Millar, her husband, when she was 19.

She worked part-time in a bookshop.

Her first book for children was called Nobody's Perfect.

When she started to write books for Transworld publishers, she teamed up with the illustrator, Nick Sharratt.

When Jacqueline Wilson is writing her books, she swims every morning , then has breakfast and then she reads the letters from her fans and readers.

Jacqueline Wilson tries to respond in person to every letter she receives.

She usually writes upstairs at her desk, but sometimes she writes her children's books at the kitchen table and sometimes in an armchair.

She says that children interest her more than adults, and that's why she writes for children.

Jacqueline Wilson has one daughter, Emma.

She is a big fan of the rock group Queen.

Of all of her books, she says she likes Double Act the best.

Jacqueline wilson has written lots and lots of books. Here are just some of them: The Story of Tracy Beaker, Video Rose, The Suitcase Kid, Cliffhanger, The Bed and Breakfast Star, Double Act, Twin Trouble, Mr Cool, Bad Girls, Girls in Love, Buried Alive, The Illustrated Mum, Girls Out Late and The Dare Game.

She loves writing because she can lose herself in an imaginary world.

I hope you find these Jacqueline Wilson facts interesting, and helpful if you are using them as part of an author project or to help you with your homework. Watch out for more facts about Jacqueline Wilson in the next few weeks.

10 Roald Dahl Facts

2009-09-13T11:16:00.005+01:00

Here are 10 facts about Roald Dahl, the great author of the some of the most well-loved children's books of all time.

Roald Dahl's birthplace was Llandaff in Wales. He was born on September 13, 1916.
Roald Dahl could speak three languages - English, Norwegian and Swahili.
He was really tall. His height was 6 foot 5 inches and he was really good at sport. At school he played football and rugby. I bet he would have been good at basketball too!
Roald Dahl was a fighter pilot and he fought in World War Two.
His favourite colour in the whole world was yellow.
Roald Dahl went to several boarding schools. He was often homesick and, as a result, he didn't really enjoy school.
Sophie was the name of Roald Dahl's mother.
Roald Dahl had bluey grey eyes. When he was younger, he had brown hair, but it went grey as he got older.
Roald Dahl died in 1990.
Roald Dahl was the author of lots of fantastic children's books. Here are some of his most popular stories: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Esio Trot, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, Danny the Champion of the World, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Enormous Crocodile and The Witches (to name just a few).

Roald Dahl books remain popular among children and adults alike. Schools often hold Roald Dahl days and children are often asked to find Roald Dahl facts as part of an author study or as homework. I hope these facts about Roald Dahl are helpful.

Book Character Costumes

2009-03-15T11:11:00.005Z

Lots of schools and children's book clubs host events that require the pupils of book club members to attend wearing a book character costume. Although this is a really good idea that gets children excited about characters from their favourite children's books, and talking about children's books, it puts a lot of pressure on the parents of those children, as it is often their responsibility to devise, purchase or make the book character costume for the fancy dress or costume party.

In an attempt to provide you with some children's book character fancy dress costume ideas, here are my thoughts about some fancy dress outfits that would work well.

Starting with picture books and books for younger children, there are many fancy dress ideas that come to mind immediately. I have seeen lots of very successful Mr Men costumes. The Mr Man books all feature colourful characters and form really striking outfits. In particular, Mr Happy costumes and Mr Bump costumes work well, but any Mr Men fancy dress costume would look fantastic. Mr Men costumes can be purchased online or hired from your local fancy dress store. They would probabaly be quite difficult to construct at home because they are a suit and can't really be constructed by combining fancy dress accessories.

The other picture book that springs to mind is Where the Wild Things Are. This book by Maurice Sendak could inspire several book character costumes. The main character, Max, wears a white rabbit suit and would be a great fancy dress costume. However, it is the Wild Things that would be the most impressive children's book characters to recreate in fancy dress. It is possible to find Where the Wild Things Are costumes on the net, and as with the Mr Men costumes, Wild Things costumes are probably best purchased or hired rather than made.

Other book character costumes ideas (from picture books or from books for younger readers include): Percy the Park Keeper costume (from the Nick Butterworth books), Meg and Mog costumes (from the books by Jan Pienkowski), Dr Seuss inspired outfits (such as Cat in the Hat costumes, Grinch costumes) and outfits based on Beatrix Potter characters (such as a Peter Rabbit costume).

Another good source of ideas for costumes for younger children is to use characters from fairy tales. Snow White costumes, Goldilocks costumes, Little Red Riding Hood costumes, Three Little Pigs costumes and Cinderella costumes would all make fantastic children's fancy dress costumes. Most of these fancy dress outfits could be purchased, but with a little bit of creativity, all of the fairy tale fancy dress costumes could be made at home.

For slightly older children, the range of book character fancy dress costumes increases, and each book you can think of usually includes several characters that would be a good subject for a book day costume. Several books stand out. Due to their massive popularity, the Harry Potter books are great sources of ideas for fancy dress costumes because everyone is familiar with the characters (either through the books or the movies). If you wear a Harry Potter costume, you will not have to tell anyone who you are meant to be. Beyond Harry himself, also consider Hagrid costumes, Dumbledore costumes, Ron Weasley costumes, Hermione costumes, Severus Snape costumes, Draco Malfoy costumes...you get the idea!

Roald Dahl has invented some fantastic characters, and they often make a great subject upon which to base a book character fancy dress costume. Willy Wonka costumes, Charlie Bucket costumes, Fantastic Mr Fox costumes and the BFG costumes would all work well, as would a Twits costume or a James and the Giant Peach costume.

Any of the Wind in the Willows characters make great book character costumes. I've seen a very effective, but simple Mr Toad costume, and the Ratty, Mole and Badger outfits could also be simplified to make it possible to make, rather than buy , these outfits.

For older children. book characters costumes take a bit more thought. Fancy dress costumes based on characters from the books of Tolkien often work well. I've seen very impressive Gandalf costumes, Legolas costumes, Gimli costumes, Thorin costumes, Aragorn costumes and Galadriel costumes. These costumes are quite easy to put together at home.

How about going with a character from the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. An Edward Cullen costume would be quite easy to put together and it would certainly be of the moment.

As you can see, there are lots of ideas for book character costumes for kids. These are only a few suggestions. If you think about it in advance of the fancy dress party or book day, you will be able to find a fancy dress costume that suits your available budget, or the time you have to make a book character costume.

Children's Book Character Costumes

2009-03-04T21:23:00.004Z

Lots of schools hold events to promote literacy and reading where the children must arrive dressed in the costume of their favourite children's book character. Over the years I have seen hundreds of children's book character costumes. Here are some of the most successful ideas.

The most popular choice seems to be to dress as a character from books by Roald Dahl. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl offers lots of scope for finding a great book character costumes, as does Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Willy Wonka), The Twits and The BFG.

In recent years, lots of children have turned up in Harry Potter costumes, but it is the other Harry Potter characters that end up inspiring the best fancy dress costumes. I've loved the Hagrid costumes and the Severus Snape costumes that children have worn to 'dress as your favourite children's book character' days.

Other great children's book character costumes have included: Mildred from the Worst Witch stories, Alex Rider from the children's books by Anthony Horowitz, Kensuke from the Michael Morpurgo book Kensuke's Kingdom, Horrid Henry from the children's books by Francesca Simon, and lots of different children's book characters from books by Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter.

It is usually the children who dress as an obscure character that get the most out of the children's book character costume days. Not only are they dressing up as a character from a children's book that they love, but they are getting the chance to tell others about the book when they are responding to questions about their fancy dress costume. I'm really looking forward to seeing the children's book character costumes at future events.

Children's Books by Michael Morpurgo

2009-03-03T19:58:00.004Z

Michael Morpurgo books are incredibly popular in schools. I was recently talking to a school librarian, who claimed that children's books by Michael Morpurgo were among the most read books in the entire school. Children of ages 8 - 11 seem to particularly enjoy books by Michael Morpurgo.

Of all of the books written by Michael Morpurgo, Kensuke's Kingdom stands out as a fantastic piece of writing. I believe that this Michael Morpurgo book will stand the test of time and will go on to become one of the classic children's books. The story is about a boy called Michael. It is written in the first person (like most books by Michael Morpurgo), and it details Michael's time spent marooned on a desert island. The key feature of this Michael Morpurgo book is the relationship between Michael and the island's only other resident, Kensuke. I have not met a single person who has not enjoyed this Michael Morpurgo book. It is really well written and it is genuinely moving.

In addition to being an enjoyable children's book to read, Kensuke's Kingdom is a great book to use as the basis for further work in the classroom. I have seen children complete the following Michael Morpurgo and Kensuke's Kingdom-related tasks:

Write a letter to Michael Morpurgo
Prodce a profile or factfile about Michael Morpurgo
Research other books written by Michael Morpurgo
Write a message in a bottle from Michael to his parents
Produce a page from Michael's journal
Devise a new cover for a Michael Morpurgo book
Browse the library for other children's books by Michael Morpurgo
Draw a labelled diagram of the setting of Kensuke's Kingdom
Re-write a scene from the book from Kensuke's perspective

These are just a few ideas: the list could go on and on.

Apart from Kensuke's Kingdom, there are lots of other books by Michael Morpurgo that are worth reading (such as War Horse and The Butterfly Lion), but I'll leave the discussion about these Michael Morpurgo books for another post.

Facts about Michael Morpurgo

2009-02-23T12:46:00.003Z

Here are some facts about the children's author, Michael Morpurgo. He has produced some of the best children's books over the last ten years, and he is exceptionally talented.

Michael Morpurgo facts (in no particular order)

1. In 1943 Michael Morpurgo was born in St Albans, Herefordshire.
2. He was evacuated to Cumberland during World War II.
3. From Cumberland, Michael Morpurgo moved to London and then to Essex.
4. He went to schools in Canterbury, London and Sussex.
5. Michael Morpurgo was once described as being "rather stupid, but great at rugby".
6. At Sandhurst, he trained for the British Army - he went home after getting injured.
7. Michael Morpurgo once worked as a school caretaker.
8. At university he studied English and French.
9. Michael Morpurgo was once a primary school teacher.
10. As a teacher he loved telling stories.
11. Michael Morpurgo admires the poets Sean Rafferty and Ted Hughes, and the writer Ernest Hemingway.
12. In his children's books, Michael Morpurgo often includes characters who love nature.
13. Michael is married to Clare.
14. The Morpurgos set up the charity Farms for City children in 1976.
15. From 2003 to 2005, Michael Morpurgo was Children's Laureate.
16. Michael Morpurgo has worked with the illustrators Quentin Blake and Michael Foreman.
17. Michael Morpurgo's children's book War Horse has been made into a play (and a radio broadcast).
18. At school Michael Morpurgo loved rugby, geography and cricket.
19. He has three children and lives in Devon.
20. He is one of the most well known authors of children's books.
21. He has published more than 90 children's books.
22. Michael has one lots of awards for writing children's books (Children's Book of the Year)
23. He writes from 9:30 to 12:30 - in bed.

I hope you have enjoyed these facts about Michael Morpurgo.

Tony Robinson: Interview

2008-05-23T13:04:00.004+01:00

Tony Robinson (Baldric from Blackadder, and the presenter of Time Team) responded to some Kids' Book Zone questions about his reading habits and the children's books he enjoyed when he was younger.

What were your favourite books when you were a child?

I loved all books - big books, small books, fat books, thins books. I liked reading everything - billboards, road signs, even the ingredients on the side of sauce bottles.

Which books do you enjoy reading aloud?

Comics! I liked all those BANG, SPLAT and AAARGHH! bits.

Do you read regularly? If so, when and where do you most enjoy reading?

On the lav.

Have you ever written a book? If so, what advice would you give to young writers?

I've written 18 books. My advice is, don't write to impress other people; write for yourself, from your heart, your head and your guts.

Which book have you most enjoyed as an adult?

The last one I read.

Michael Morpurgo: Author Interview

2008-05-20T12:40:00.004+01:00

Michael Morpurgo answered some questions asked by Kids' Book Zone.

What was your favuorite book when you were a child?

Tresure Island - still is!

Which of your books was the most difficult to write? Why?

Everyone of them is difficult - probably wouldn't be worth writing if they weren't. The most intense was Private Peaceful.

Which of your characters is most like you?

The boy in Singing for Mrs Pettigrew - because it is me!

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?

I spend weeks, months, years weaving events, memories and notions inside my head. When I'm ready to write, when the egg is ready to hatch, I feel it. Then I write fast, the ideas developing as I write.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?

I write about children, not for them. I write for me, because I love telling stories, always have.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve their stories?

Look, listen, learn, read - fill your head with the world about you, then you'll always have plenty to dream about and plenty to write about.

Where do you write your books?

On my bed, where I'm writing this.

Dear Mr Henshaw

2007-11-17T22:04:00.000Z

I've recently come across a great book called Dear Mr Henshaw. It was written by the American author Beverly Cleary in 1983.

The book is almost entirely made up of letters between a child, Leigh Botts, and his favourite author, Boyd Henshaw.

Here is the blurb:

Leigh Botts has been author Boyd Henshaw's number-one fan ever since he was in second grade. Now in sixth grade, Leigh lives with his mother and is the new kid at school. He's lonely, troubled by the absence of his father, a cross-country trucker, and angry because a mysterious thief steals from his lunchbag. Then Leigh's teacher assigns a letter-writing project. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whose surprising answer changes Leigh's life.

I thought it was a great book and it would be the perfect story to read in order to encourage children to write to their favourite authors. I'm definitely going to read it to my Year 5 class. I'll let you know what they think of it.

Red House Children's Book Award: Past Overall Winners

2007-11-16T21:12:00.000Z

2007 You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum! by Andy Stanton

2006 Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

2005 Baby Brains by Simon James

2004 Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

2003 Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz

2002 Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

2001 Eat Your Peas by Kes Gray & Nick Sharratt

2000 Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo

1999 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

1998 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

1997 The Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog by Jeremy Strong

1996 Double Act by Jacqueline Wilson

1995 Harriet's Hare by Dick King-Smith

1994 Boy in the Bubble by Ian Strachan

1993 The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson (Read KBZ Interview)

1992 Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird

1991 Threadbear by Mike Inkpen

1990 Room 13 by Robert Swindells (Read KBZ Interview)

1989 Matilda by Roald Dahl

1988 Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas & Korky Paul

1987 The Jolly Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

1986 Arthur by Amanda Graham & Donna Gynell

1985 Brother in the Land by Robert Swindells

1984 The Saga of Erik the Viking by Terry Jones

1983 The BFG by Roald Dahl

1982 Fair's Fair by Leon Garfield

1981 Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake

Red House Children's Book Award: Nominations

2007-11-14T20:15:00.000Z

If you haven't already nominated a book for the 2008 Red House Children's Book Award, then submit your selection via the website.

Only children's books first published in the UK during 2007 are eligible.

Nominations can be made until February 1st 2008.

The nominated books are used to construct the longlist (50 books), from which a panel of children puts together the shortlist (10 books). Three category winners (Books for Younger Children, Books for Younger Readers, Books for Older Readers) are chosen from the shortlist, and one overall winner is selected from the three category winners.

Writing Letters to Authors: Top Tips

2007-11-14T19:11:00.000Z

In the last few years pupils from my classes and I have written hundreds of letters to authors of children's books. We have had some fantastic personal responses from some of our favourite writers.

Here are some of the lessons we have learnt along the way:

You will stand a better chance of getting a response if you include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SAE). Not only does this make it easier for the author to reply - they don't have to take the time to write and stamp a return envelope - but it's also a gesture that demonstrates that you appreciate the effort they are making.
You are more likely to get an interesting relpy if you ask interesting questions.
Mention how much you have enjoyed the author's books. Be specific. Which of the author's books is your favourite? Why? Which character did you most enjoy reading about? Why?
Some authors are too busy to respond personally to every letter. Some authors simply receive too much mail. If they replied to every letter, they wouldn't have any time to write their books! You stand a better chance of getting a personal response if you write to a less well-known author.
Be polite. Don't make demands of the author. In letters, just as face-to-face, people are turned off by rudeness.
Although it doesn't seem to make too much difference, handwritten letters seem to get a slightly better response than typed ones.
If you get an interesting reply, write to the author to say thank you. Not only is this a courteous thing to do, but it can also lead to a more prolonged correspondence. One of the girls in my Year 5 class received over ten letters from the same author during the course of the school year.
Most authors can be contacted via their publishers. Some authors also have details on how to write to them on their websites.
Be patient. Authors are busy people. Sometimes a reply will take months to reach you.

10 Facts About Michael Morpurgo

2007-11-13T17:04:00.001Z

Michael Morpurgo, who has written several classic children's books, is one of the most well-loved children's authors.

(1) Michael Morpurgo was born in St Albans in 1943.

(2) His favourite lesson at school was French.

(3) With his wife, Clare, Michael Morpurgo founded the Farms for City Children, to give children from deprived inner-city schools the chance to work on a farm.

(4) Sitting at a desk gives Michael Morpurgo backache, so he writes his novels sitting on his bed. He writes in school exercise books.

(5) Private Peaceful was the 100th book written by Michael Morpurgo.

(6) His favourite authors are: Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island), Rudyard Kipling (The Just So Stories) and Ted Hughes (The Iron Man).

(7) In 2003 Michael Morpurgo became the third Children's Laureate.

(8) Micheal Morpurgo was a primary school teacher in Kent.

(9) He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 2006

(10) He hates rewriting and he hates making corrections to his stories.

G.P. Taylor Interview

2007-11-12T21:25:00.000Z

G.P. Taylor, author of Shadowmancer, Tersias and Mariah Mundi, answered my questions in 2006.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?
The Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Which of your books was most difficult to write? Why?
Wormwood - because I didn't want to write it.

Which of your characters is most like you?
Jacob Crane (from Shadowmancer) - he has a bad temper.

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?
They just appear and sort of happen!

Why do you enjoy writing for children?
Because they dont spend time writing stupid reviews.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve their stories?
Read! Read! Read!
Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

Philip Pullman Interview

2007-11-09T16:29:00.000Z

Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy, answered my questions in 2005.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay

Which of your books was the most difficult to write?

The next one because I haven't written it yet.

Which of your characters is most like you?

The Scarecrow (from The Scarecrow and his Servant), I hope.

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?

I make a plan - then throw it away and write something completely different.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?

Because it's fun.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve their stories?

Don't worry about plans. Just write.

Jacqueline Wilson Interview

2007-11-07T22:51:00.001Z

Jacqueline Wilson answered these questions in 2005.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield

Which of your books was the most difficult to write? Why?
Lola Rose - I wanted to write about worrying subjects like domestic violence and serious illness truthfully - but I didn't want the book to be too upsetting.

Which of your characters is most like you?
Maybe I'm like Ruby and Garnet in Double Act all rolled into one.

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?
I have a vague idea in my head but I like to find out what's going to happen as I write.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?
I find it easy to write from a child's point of view.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve their stories?
I would suggest they read lots of books and simply have fun writing their stories.

Check out these great Jacqueline Wilson facts.

Eoin Colfer Interview

2007-11-07T19:35:00.000Z

Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl books, responded to my questions in 2006.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?
As a child my favourite book was Stig of the Dump by Clive King. Reading this book for the first time was like escaping to another world, where anyone could be the hero, even me.

Which of your books was the most difficult to write?
I think my first book Benny & Omar was the hardest one for me. I had loads of ideas but no experience in knit them together into one story. It took me two years to get it right.

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?
I write a skeleton outline, about three pages, and I use this as a safety net, then I let myself go mad. Very often the finished book bears little relation to the initial plan.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?
I enjoy writing for children because I established a good rapport with them over 15 years teaching. I learned what makes them laugh, what interests them, and what bores them out of their skulls. I have been able to use this information to write books.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them to improve their stories?

Read every day - reading is research for writing.
Try to make your characters interesting and original.
Don't try to write like someone else.
Pay attention to the interesting people around you.
Try not to end every story with And then I woke up, it was all a dream.

Paul Stewart Interview

2007-11-07T17:02:00.000Z

Paul Stewart, co-creator of the Edge Chroncles, answered some of my questions in 2005.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Which of your books was the most difficult to write?
Midnight Over Sanctaphrax. I wanted the storm to revealed through the book little by little, and it didn't work. So I re-wrote it all.

Which of your characters is most like you?
Cowlquape - brave, loyal, intelligent...

How do you write your book? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?
Both - plus, because the Edge Chronicles books are written with Chris Riddell we spend hours talking about the plots and characters.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?
Because children are such demanding readers - they won't tolerate boring bits!

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve their stories?
Read them out loud to a friend. If the friend is gripped and doesn't yawn, you're doing something right!

Justin Somper Interview

2007-11-06T22:09:00.000Z

Justin Somper, author of the Vampirates series, answered some of my questions in 2005. He also sent the drawing you can see above.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Riddle of the Boy Next Door by Enid Blyton
Absolute Zero by Helen Cresswell

Which of your books was the most difficult to write? Why?

Demons of the Ocean because I'd never written anything as long / complex before. You have to build up your 'writing stamina' as if you're training for a marathon!

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?

I have a fairly detailed plan for the over-arching plot of the book and the sequence as a whole, but I definitely surprise myself along the way.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?

I think that kids make very attentive and challenging readers. They expect a strong story and convincing characters. I enjoy facing this challenge.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve thier stories?

Write more.
Read more (and more widely)
Try to get inside the head of your characters.
A bit of research goes a long way.
Invest in a good dictionary and thesaurus.

Robert Swindells Interview

2007-11-06T20:21:00.000Z

Robert Swindells, author of Room 13, Timesnatch and Stone Cold, answered these questions for me in 2005.

What was your favourite book when you were a child?

They Found a Cave by Nan Chauncy - published in the 1940s, still in print. Set in Tasmania.

Which of your books was the most difficult to write? Why?

Brother in the Land because of the harrowing nature of the subject: nuclear war and its aftermath.

How do you write your books? Do you plot and plan in detail, or do you develop an idea as you are writing?

I plot in advance, though ideas do pop up and cause me to change things as I go along.

Why do you enjoy writing for children?

Children have open, repetive minds. They like a pacy, exciting storyline. Getting youngsters hooked on reading is one of the most worthwhile things anybody can do.

What advice would you give to young writers to help them improve their stories?

Read, read, read. That's the first thing. Try not to copy other writers' ideas. Set your stories in places you know. Let your characters be the sort of people you know.

Remember: Exciting stuff can happen anywhere, to anyone. Ordinary people in ordinary places, having extraordinary experiences. Stephen King calls this 'making skyhooks out of old coathangers'. He seems to be doing all right!