News: childrens

Wizarding World Digital launches subscription service

Wizarding World Digital has launched a subscription service Wizarding World Gold, handing out personalised journals for dedicated Hogwarts fans, created in collaboration with Wonderbly.... Read more
Five questions for... Samantha Baines

Comedian Samantha Baines talks to us about her first book for children, Harriet Versus The Galaxy, which features a young female protagonist whose hearing aid has very special capabilities.... Read more
Calls for trade to tackle 'shocking' lack of black British male children's writers

More needs to be done to address the “shocking” lack of black British men writing and illustrating books for children, leading trade figures have said.... Read more
Interactive storybook app Pickatale launches in UK

Pickatale, a mobile audiobook and storybook app for children aged 0–12, has launched in the UK. Read more
Educating Yorkshire star Burton's school survival guide goes to Hachette

Hachette Children’s Group has bagged a secondary school survival guide by headteacher and star of Channel 4’s “Educating Yorkshire”, Matthew Burton. ... Read more
Rosen calls for libraries in schools to be made compulsory

Children's novelist Michael Rosen has written an open letter calling for libraries to be made compulsory in schools, backed by ringfenced government money to support libraries and... Read more
Mini Grey and Jessica Love to judge 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize

Illustrator Mini Grey and 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize winner Jessica Love will join the judging panel for the 2020 award. Read more
Chicken House to expand to China

Chicken House has signed a special co-operation agreement with China's biggest children's publisher, marking its expansion into the country. Read more
TV deal for World of Norm series

The World of Norm series by Jonathan Meres (Hachette Children’s Group) has been optioned for a TV series by production firm Sigma Films.... Read more
Elephant picture book from Giraffes Can't Dance team

Hachette Children’s has landed a new picture book from Giles Andreae and illustrator Guy Parker-Rees to mark 20 years of Giraffes Can’t Dance. ... Read more
Lime Pictures to bring Duffy's YA debut to television screens

Lime Pictures has acquired television rights for Malcolm Duffy's young adult debut novel, Me Mam. Me Dad. Me., about a young boy trying to make sense of his mother's abusive relationship.... Read more
Puffin to publish Wreck this Picture Book

Puffin has acquired the first children’s book from author–illustrator Keri Smith, Wreck this Picture Book, due to publish in autumn 2020 as part of a global release.... Read more
HCG acquires fairy tale picture book from Sardà, Dahman and Digard

Hachette Children's Group has acquired the first collaboration on a picture book between France-based author team Myriam Dahman and Nicolas Digard and Kate Greenaway Medal longlisted illustrator Júlia Sardà: The Wolf’s... Read more
Going like Clockwork for Firefly and Fisher at FBF

Firefly Press has sold Catherine Fisher’s award-winning Middle Grade novel The Clockwork Crow, and sequel The Velvet Fox, to Walker Books US after a three-way auction. ... Read more
Walker signs new MG comic fantasy adventure by Amy Sparkes

Publisher Walker Books has snapped up The House at the Edge of Magic, a middle-grade comic fantasy adventure by picture book author Amy Sparkes in a... Read more

Children’s blogs

Why are we squeezing creative writing out of schools?

By Liz Hyder

Writer, creative workshop leader and freelance PR consultant at Various

Publicist and debut children's author Liz Hyder calls on publishers to be more vocal about the negative impacts of creative writing being sidelined by the current education... Read more
Roll up for the main event

Philip Jones Editor at The Bookseller
Twenty years of the Branford Boase Award

Julia Eccleshare Children's director at British Library
Books beyond the shadow of Brexit

Charlotte Eyre Children's editor at The Bookseller
Getting children reading

Hilary Murray Hill C.e.o. at Hachette Children's