I'm delighted to be able to tell you that Beetle Boy has been shortlisted for the Sheffield Libraries Children's Book Award.
The Sheffield Children's Book Award is voted for by children who read all six books and then vote for their favourite, which is why I'm particularly delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. It would be an incredible award to win, although Beetle Boy faces stiff competition. It's all in the hands of the readers now. Fingers crossed they like beetles.
I am over the moon that Beetle Boy has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for 2017, not least because it was Waterstones who first championed the book back in February 2016, propelling it into the children's bestseller charts.
Keep your fingers crossed for me on the 30th of March when they make the announcement. The short list of middle grade titles is great company to be in, and stiff competition, as you can see from the image below.
You can find out more information here.
My amazing Italian publishers De Agostini Libri have just published Beetle Boy, which in Italy is called Il Ragazzo deglu Scarabei, and to accompany the book they have made this educational game, available from the app store, which gets children to think about the relationship between creatures and their habitats.
Find out more here: bit.ly/APP_Scarabeo
Please do share this with an Italian children you may know. It's so much fun!
Screengrab from the Association for Library Service to Children in America website
I am super delighted to share the news that the Association for Library Service to Children in America have selected the Beetle Boy audiobook as one of their top Notable Children's Recordings of 2017. This means a great deal to me, not just because they value the story, but also because I narrate my own audiobooks, rather than an actor.
I am truly delighted that the Guardian has chosen Beetle Boy as one of the best children's books of 2016. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe that I actually wrote this book. A big thank-you to everyone who has supported the book, everywhere.
2016 has been a fantastic year for literature, from tales of post-punk rebellion and fish-out-of-water detectives to politically incorrect satire and secrets from the Hollywood studio system. Here our top critics count down the year's best, from 50 to 1.
The Telegraph has done a round up of the top 50 books of the year and Beetle Boy is at number 31. Considering there are only 4 children's books on the list, I'm delighted that Beetle Boy is on there.
Chosen by NYPL's children librarians throughout the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island, this list is a perfect guide for those looking to give the best books to their favourite young readers. The titles selected represent an inclusive list of books published in 2016 that consist of diverse characters, rich storytelling, and the ability to engage and stimulate a life-long love of reading.
Beetle Boy is one of twenty-two middle grade titles chosen for the list.
An interactive website that sorts and categorizes the selections based on a range of categories, such as genre, format, and age, will launch on December 1.
She's bad and she's back. Beetle Queen will be in all good bookshops from April 2017.
The entrance to the Art of Make Believe exhibition at the National Theatre
This week I did something new. I curated and opened a public exhibition about staging children's stories, at The National Theatre.
It is a free family friendly exhibition which aims to encourage playful participation and features books such as The Wind In the Willows, His Dark Materials and The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-time. I hope will be enjoyed by everyone coming to see Peter Pan over the festive period. It's playful and full of activities, so if you are on the south bank between now and April 2017 you should pop in because it's free and utter fun.
Here are some pictures!
One of the overwhelming delights of penning a story is watching it grow its own legs and find homes in other countries. The news that Publisher's Weekly selected Beetle Boy as one of their 20 best Middle Grade books of 2016 completely blows my mind and makes me absurdly proud. GO BEETLES!
The library is where I found out who I am, and what kind of person I want to be, so I am beyond delighted to announce that Beetle Boy has been nominated by librarians for the 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal. You can read the full list of nominations here.
Chris Riddell, children's laureate.
This is a dream come true. I've been a huge fan of Chris's work since he illustrated Philip Ridley's books twenty years ago. I squealed when I saw this image pop up on his Laureate Log. Now I just have to persuade him to illustrate one of my books.
In the past week, four more territories have joined the Beetle Brigade and that meant that my little book broke a Chicken House record! I've never held a record before. It's rather wonderful.
This week saw the announcement that Beetle Boy has been selected by booksellers up and down the country as one of the finalists in the Children's category for the BAMB awards. I am so delighted to be on this list and if you enjoyed Beetle Boy, you can help me win. The award is voted for by readers. That's you! Vote here: http://www.nationalbooktokens.com/vote
