Mostly Book Talk

In children's mental health week we talk to Rachel Fuller about her picture book Bee which explores how it feels to be misunderstood and celebrates difference. We also talk to Tanya Goodin about The Teenage Guide to Digital Wellbeing which offers lots of useful advice and activities to help achieve a balance between being in the digital world and the real world (something not just teenagers c...

We have an interview with Susan Brownrigg about her new book, Wrong Tracks, and with Publisher, Hazel Holmes from UCLan about the importance of regional voices and regional publishing. Here are Susan's books: Wrong Tracks Gracie Fairshaw and the Mysterious Guest Gracie Fairshaw and the Trouble at the Tower Gracie Fairshaw and The Missing Reel Kintana and the Captain's Curse Website:  htt...

Join us for Episode 19 where we have an interview with Lucy Ann Unwin and talk about her new book How to be a Revolutionary.  We also discuss our New Year’s reading resolutions and do some book reviews of our holiday reading. Here are Lucy's books: How to Be a Revolutionary by Lucy Ann Unwin The Octopus, Dadu and Me by Lucy Ann Unwin, illustrated by Lucy Mulligan  Lucy can be found here: Inst...

A bumper middle grade episode. We talk to Dev Kothari about her debut Bringing Back Kay-Kay and to Louie Stowell about Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Making Enemies the fourth book in the bestselling Loki series.  Bringing Back Kay-Kay is a mystery and quest as Lena tries to find her brother Kay-Kay who has disappeared on his way back from summer camp. We talk to Dev about what it’s like writing...

We talk to Rashmi Sirdeshpande about her latest book which is a beautifully illustrated by Jason Lyon .  Amazing Asia is fully illustrated, large format encyclopaedia of Asia which looks at the history and diversity of the continent. Other books by Rashmi Sirdeshpande include: Never Show A T-Rex A Book! Yes You Can, Cow! Dadaji's Paintbrush Cash: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Gi...

An interview with David Litchfield about his new book The Dinosaur Next Door and about the upcoming 10th Anniversary Edition of The Bear and the Piano . David's other books include: The Bear, The Piano, The Dog and the Fiddle The Bear, the Piano and Little Bear's Concert Grandad's Secret Giant Lights on Cotton Rock Kid Christmas: of the Claus Brothers Toy Shop His website is https:/...

Interviews with Naomi Jones and Rebecca Ashdown who won the Diverse Book Award Readers' Choice Award for Thunder   Boots and with Erika Meza who won the Picture Book Category with To The Other Side . Other books by Naomi   Jones The Perfect Fit How to Make a Story The Odd Fish Other books by Rebecca   Ashdown My Granny is a Queen The Whopper How the Library (Not the Prince) Saved Rapunzel Oth...

Interviews with the winners of the Diverse Book Awards YA categories - Simon James Green , winner of the YA Readers' Choice Award for Boy Like Me; Sophie Cameron , runner up for the YA Category for Away with Words; and Jenny Ireland , winner of the YA Category with The First Move. A full list of the books shortlisted for the YA Diverse Book Awards can be found here . Simon James Green Boy Lik...

In this episode we talk with J P Rose about her new book, Birdie. And Ali interviews Anthony McGowan with Jason Rosam (originally broadcast on Riverside Radio) about his book Dogs of the Deadlands. Birdie by J P Rose is a set in 1950s Yorkshire and is a story of hope and courage following Birdie Bagshaw and the racism she experiences moving to a mining village but also the bond she forms with a pi...

An interview with Amy Lewis, Head of Coram Beanstalk and Sara Browne, one of their volunteers. Plus chat about 100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café by Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada Coram Beanstalk   Link to the Media Trust Film   Website: https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/ Find out about volunteering: https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/Pages/Category/about-volunteering Media Trust Charity F...

In this episode we talk to Jacob Sager Weinstein about his picture book, What Rosa Brought (illustrated by Eliza Wheeler).  We also chat about some picture books (old and new) that have caught our attention recently. Jacob Sager Weinstein What Rosa Brought , illustrated by Eliza Wheeler The City of Secret Rivers The City of Guardian Stones Other books mentioned The Diary of a Young Girl , Anne Fra...

Interviews with YA authors Diana Anyakwo and Denise Brown In this episode we talk to Diana Anyakwo about her book My Life as a Chameleon which has just been longlisted for the Diverse Book Awards.  We also talk to Denise Brown about her second book, It All Started with a Lie. Diana Anyakwo My Life as a Chameleon Contact for school visits: https://contactanauthor.co.uk/author/3518/diana-anyakwo Ins...

In this episode we talk to Tom Palmer about his latest book Angel of Grasmere and his other Lake District books. Plus we talk to Deborah Maclaren, the Managing Director of  Love Reading about how they are building a social purpose into their book selling. Tom Palmer’s Lake District books Armistice Runner   After the War  Angel of Grasmere   Other books mentioned Arctic Star  D-Day Dog Resist Infor...

Film Clubs and books with Into Film Ambassador Charlotte Harrison plus an interview with author Ross Montgomery about his new book, I am Rebel Charlotte Harrison can be found on social media: @sometimesmovies Find out more about Into Film here . Books mentioned: Princess Bride , by William Goldman Ross Montgomery can be found on social media: @mossmontmomery His website is here Books mentioned: I...

A look at the Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 shortlist including the benefits of shadowing with Alison Jewitt from The London Nautical School Carnegie Medal for Writing 2024 Shortlist books Away with Words by Sophie Cameron Choose Love by Nicola Davies, Illustrated by Peter Horacek Saffiyah’s War by Hiba Noor Kahn Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho, ill...

Mostly Book Talk - Episode 6 An interview with the author Tia Fisher about her Carnegie shortlisted book Crossing the Line. Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher Books mentioned in the interview  The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff  The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta Long Way Down by...

An interview with Elle McNicoll about her new book Keedie, her CBBC adaptation of A Kind of Spark, her forthcoming YA book and diversity in children's books  (as well as how she manages to do so much...) Books mentioned in the interview with Elle McNicol A Kind of Spark Keedie Show Us Who You Are Like a Charm Like a Curse Some Like it Cold Matilda by Roald Dahl Charm School by Anne Fine Lots...

Mostly Book Talk - Episode 4 We talked to Lucas Maxwell, the librarian at Glenthorne High School about Dungeons and Dragons and how it really draws pupils into the library and also about graphic novels.  We then have an interview with Sarwat Chadda about his new middle grade fantasy series, The Spirit Stone Saga.  It's a long one, but  these two interviews with Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast...

An  interview with Abiola Bello, author and also founder of  Hashtag Press and The Diverse Book Awards and a chat with Sarah Stuffins from The Federation of Children’s Book Groups   about their Children's Book Award. Abiola’s Middle Grade Books Emily Knight I am… Emily Knight I am... Awakened Emily Knight I am... Becoming The Very Merry Murder Club The Very Sunny Murder Club   Abiola’s YA Boo...

We talked to Rose Edmondson at Falinge Park High School about her brilliant science book club.  She can be found on Twitter/X @snotlady5 Here are some of the books she mentioned: Global - a graphic novel adventure about hope in the face of climate change The Moth Keepe r - can be hard to find in UK - available second hand The Curie Society Graphic Science- Seven Journeys of Discovery Am I made of...

A fascinating interview with Dr Alexia Casale, author and Senior Lecturer and Course Leader on MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University.  Her website can be found at http://www.alexiacasale.com/   Her books can be bought through these links:  Sing if you Can’t Dance The Bone Dragon The Best Way to Bury Your Husband And the books Alexi mentioned include: Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wyn...