A HISTORY OF MYSTERY - the series. Mystery series are a popular choice with children as most have a connected storyline with intertwining clues so that they can follow along with the plot from book to book. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (real name Danial Handler) is illustrated by Brett Helquist. It's a gothic spoof and was also made into a movie. Unlike most mystery series this one takes the whole series of books to solve the mystery. In the meantime though there are plenty of mini mysteries and danger to entertain the reader. The narrator's voice is prominen ..read more

I'm sure you've had similar experiences... You're getting through the day fairly calmly, in my case I was having a chat with a student online, when your mind wanders for a moment and you think... I ought to get on with writing that blog I was thinking about... it'll be my day soon... Clang! The penny drops! It's nearly the end of your day! Now I have to think about what I'm going to do, knowing I don't have time to write the blog I was intending and concentrate on the lesson because I can't do anything about it just yet! The solution. I'm sharing some silly deliberately short versions of ..read more

Today is the first of May, a date with a sense of fun and jollity about it, but I am not dancing about in green ribbons or hurrying my dew-washed face home. I am busy thinking about the particular joy that comes from choosing picture books, particularly for a specific purpose: my next Under Five’s Story-time in my local library. I brought a few titles home with me, but which will be the best to use?                                   Books for this audience have to be ‘strong’ enough t ..read more

My attitude to writing has changed. Over the last three years, my life has been – if not upended – at least badly shaken. Deaths in the family; a contested will leading to accusations and lawyers’ letters; grandchildren removed from a parent by the police. It hasn’t been fun and is only now – slowly – beginning to settle down.    In all those years, finding the time to write has never been a problem; I’m now ‘retired’ and have the days to myself. The problem, with all the trouble that has cropped up, has been finding the will to write. That’s been hard. But, over the last few month ..read more

 April always brings a cluster of festivals, including my local writing festival in Abergavenny. It's always a special weekend, a chance to catch up with friends and meet new people, but this year it was extra special. A few years ago, I was Patron of Reading at a high school in South Wales and, after I'd spent a day there talking about careers in writing, I was contacted by a student, Mckenzy Dominy, who asked me if I could give him some feedback on a novel he was writing. It was good - way better than the stories I'd written at his age. I sent him some notes and my copy of Stephen King ..read more

                   Set in a fast-developing catastrophic typhoon in Manila, this short novel is told alternately by two eleven-year-old children, each of them leading difficult lives. They have noticed each other on the street, each feeling pity for the other, glad they aren’t like that other child, each of them hating being noticed and pitied by the other.   Gayla has a form of cerebral palsy that makes movement difficult. That, along with her stubbornness and bad luck, means that she is soon alone in a residential centre for ..read more

Eugene de Blaas The Introduction (1883) (wiki commons) I'm nearing the end of the first draft of a non-fiction book for 8-12 year-olds, and I'm running out of excuses. I have to write an introduction, because non-fiction children's books have introductions. It's expected. But expected by whom? Who reads the wretched things?  My guess is: kids - no; teachers, librarians and parents - yes. Same answer as to who buys (usually expensive) non-fiction children's books. So while I'm hoping my 8-12 year-old readers will be flipping ahead into the good stuff, I need to convince their adults that ..read more

Driving home after marking the 90-year milestone of my dad’s well-lived life which, tragically, is now sunk into the horrors of Alzheimer's, I made a sudden – but also not-so-sudden – decision to return to the beautiful southern French town of Castillon-la-Bataille on the banks of the Dordogne to reprise last year’s energizing, restful, magical writing retreat at Chez Castillion with the inimitable Jo Thomas, hosted by Janie Millman and Mickey Wilson.  On Twitter or their website you can find more photos of their historic sandstone townhouse and the azure swimming pool in their court ..read more

This month's blog was originally published in 2021, but there could be some out there who never saw it then who might enjoy reading it now.  And even if you did read it first time round, you might enjoy reading it again.  I hope so, anyway. While wondering what to write about, I came across a thin book, almost hidden among fatter volumes on my bookshelf, called The Observer Book of Books.  Published in 2008, some of the gems inside are somewhat out of date – but others are still fascinating and totally relevant today.  Although some articles are more concerned with books fo ..read more

I'm one of those people -- I suspect many writers are -- for whom whether to read isn't a choice. The only choice is what to read.   I read every day, and can't think of a single day when I haven't. But of course there are times when life gets in the way, and there are only certain things you fancy.  I remember once talking to a friend's elderly mother, who had been widowed and understandably lost her reading mojo, which bothered her. She explained that she didn't want to read anything new as she didn't think she could get into it and it might be upsetting. So why not try an ..read more