We've had a busy half term in the library! The highlight was our wonderful World Book Day celebrations which saw lots of children (and teachers!) enjoying story time together. Older children shared stories with younger children and we all loved the books and hot chocolate in the bedtime story events. Keep your eyes out for more bedtime story sessions after Easter!
In this newsletter, we celebrate the ghostly, the monstrous and all things scary (and not so scary!) because the most often requested books are scary ones! Whether you like to be chilled, terrified or to laugh out loud, there is something for you!
Mrs. Jones Recommends...
The House of Shells
Kuki refuses to believe in the curse of the Abiku. Her destiny is not to die young!
Her biggest problem right now is moving house and fitting in at her new school.
One evening while exploring, Kuki spies a driveway lined with giant palm trees. It leads to an abandoned beach house of shadows and scattered sea shells. And in the fading light, she meets a girl called Enilo.
They become friends – the best of friends.
Until Kuki makes a terrifying discovery...
Author Spotlight
Jennifer Killick
Jennifer Killick is the Queen of writing scary (and funny) books!
She has always loved stories. Growing up, she kept so many books hidden in her bed for reading after lights out that there was barely room for her! She also loved writing stories – her first being a tale about a baby bird called Snowy, who hurt her leg and had to hop her way to safety.
She started thinking seriously about being a writer when she was in secondary school, but didn’t do anything about it because she didn’t really believe it was possible. The thought of seeing a book in the shops with her name on it seemed too amazing to ever be a reality. She was afraid that she'd fail, so she didn’t risk trying– but now realises that is definitely the worst reason in the world!
Having her first son was the kick in the bottom she needed. Suddenly she had someone depending on and looking up to her, and it made her want to do better. Once he started school, she applied for a Creative Writing MA at Brunel University, intending to write grown up novels full of tragedy and despair. But then she got the idea for ‘Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink’ and from then on, writing for children was all she wanted to do.
She lives in London, in a house full of children, animals, Lego and Pokemon. When she's not busy mothering or step-mothering (which isn’t often) she loves to read, write and run, as fast as she can. Her favourite things are books, trees and fluffy slippers, and her favourite place in the world is her home, where she can sit at the end of her garden, by the river, with tea and cake, coming up with story ideas in her pyjamas.
Jennifer's books in Lansdowne Library include: Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink, Alex Sparrow and the Furry Fury, Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse, Mo, Lottie and the Junkers, Crater Lake, Dread Wood, Fear Ground and Flock Horror.
We caught up with Jennifer to ask her some questions while she was experiencing terrifying turbulence on a flight back from school visits in Singapore!
You're the undisputed Queen of middle grade horror - what is it about writing horror for young people that you like so much?
I spend a lot of time in schools, and the genre that the children I meet are most excited about is anything scary. Horror stories can tempt even the most reluctant readers to pick up a book, and helping children to discover a love of reading is always my ultimate goal. Also, they are the most fun stories to write!
What can we expect from the next instalment of Dread Wood, Deadly Deep?
I think there’s a huge emphasis on fun in Deadly Deep. The gang are on a school trip in the south of France, and find themselves trapped on a ship with an aquatic enemy. There’s the usual mixture of creepy, action, and humour; a horrible villain and some secrets revealed. Something I have loved about writing the Dread Wood series is being able to allow my characters to grow and develop. In Deadly Deep, Club Loser is such a tight unit, and I love that so much. Naira is coming out of her shell and Gus is just the funniest, most endearingly weird character I think I’ve ever written.
What can you tell us about 'Read, Scream, Repeat'?
I am so excited for Read, Scream, Repeat! It’s a collection of short, creepy stories by some of the most brilliant authors writing for young people at the moment. I have been involved in editing the book so have read all the stories and they are so, so, good. My story features a creepy doll, but there are also zombies, ghosts, dystopia, robots, and basically all of the good things you’d want to see in a horror line-up. I really think readers are going to love it.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
When I’m not writing I like to go for long walks in muddy fields with my dogs, laugh with my friends, eat nice food, and explore the world with my children. I’ve also recently taken up sewing and have become totally addicted to making plush animals.
Have you read anything recently that you think we'd enjoy?
Recently I have been reading lots of manga and murdery books, but I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of The Curio Collectors by Eloise Williams.
Listen to Jennifer talk about Crater Lake and writing horror stories:
Listen to Jennifer talk about her latest book, Flock Horror:
Illustrator Spotlight
Nadia Shireen
Nadia Shireen is the writer and illustrator of many books including the slightly scary and hilariously funny Billy and the Beast.
She enjoyed making homemade magazines and comics as a child. She studied law at university and then worked in magazine journalism; it was during this time that she started to draw again.
After a lifetime of doodling in the sidelines, Nadia decided to pay some attention to drawing and in 2007 was accepted onto an MA course in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.
Her debut book Good Little Wolf received a mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award and won the UKLA Book Award. Nadia has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. She lives in London.
Nadia shared these 10 fab facts about herself with BookTrust:
1) I was a socially inadequate child!
I was very shy. But I managed to achieve some credibility in the playground by teaching my peers how to do "bubble writing" and draw pictures of Garfield (a popular cartoon cat, famed for eating lasagne and disliking Mondays).
2) I have always tried to win approval by drawing silly animals!
At school, I was terrible at science, but I charmed my suggestible teacher by drawing funny sheep on the blackboard before each lesson. As a result, she was always extra nice to me, even though I was her worst pupil. Kids, I recommend this tactic. Honestly, you can get away with anything.
3) I grew up near loads of sheep and charity shops!
I lived in a place in the West Midlands called Wellington, which was very quiet and near some nice hills. Famously grumpy poet Philip Larkin was briefly a librarian there. Apparently, he hated it (but honestly, that guy hated everything). While I was growing up, there was a library, a market, a record shop and a train station, so it seemed OK to me.
4) I have owned the following pets:
Tinker (cat), Jenny (cat), Huxley (fish), Elvis (terrapin), Ringo (terrapin), Fred (cat), Elmo (cat) and Cookie Monster (cat). The last two are still alive. Ringo the terrapin actually *ran away*, which is quite a difficult thing for a terrapin to do.
5) I have weird hair!
Everyone in my family had straight, thick hair. Well, my dad’s hair had the very slightest kink to it. Then I turned up with a head full of insane curly hair that got so big I would sometimes have to walk sideways through doorways. And nobody told me about leave-in conditioner for YEARS. I am still trying to make friends with my hair. At the moment, relations are cordial.
6) I moved to Sheffield because of pop music!
I could pretend that I went to Sheffield because of the excellent university, but it was actually because some of my favourite bands were from there. I studied law even though I didn’t understand what was going on, and realised quite quickly that I would be a terrible lawyer. OOPS! However, I got quite good at card games, sitting about, going to gigs and eating giant Yorkshire puddings.
7) I moved to London and had a pot plant called George!
I came down to London and started working in the magazine "industry", mainly being a sub editor and production editor. To put it simply, my job was doing picture captions and checking spellings. Some of the magazines were exciting and fun, like Smash Hits, which was about pop music. Some of the magazines were very bad and we shall never speak of them again. My pot plant was named after George Harrison, my second-favourite member of The Beatles (my first is Paul McCartney).
8) I danced on stage dressed as a bear!
I spent about ten years working in magazines, and at one point found myself dressed as a large brown bear dancing on stage at Hammersmith Apollo with an American band called The Flaming Lips. It was very hot and sweaty inside the bear suit but I’m sure I looked pretty amazing.
9) I don’t like cheese!
Look, I’ve put this one near the end because it tends to upset people. I’m still a good person and I promise I will try harder.
10) Now I live my dream!
Writing and drawing stories for a living is definitely a dream come true. I love my job. However, there are other dreams that haven’t come true. I’ve never been able to fly, haven't got a tail, and have never had an argument with Ant and Dec outside Morrisons. Let’s hope these dreams remain a fantasy.
Nadia's books in Lansdowne Library include: Billy and the Beast, Billy and the Dragon, Good Little Wolf, The Bumblebear, The Cow Who Fell to Earth and Barbara Throws a Wobbler.
Listen to Nadia read some of her brilliant books:
Draw along with Nadia as she shows us how to draw FatCat:
City of Ghosts
A thrillingly spooky and action-packed tale of hauntings, history, mystery, and the bond between friends
Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.
So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger.
When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself.
And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.
Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase
When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .
For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.
Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.
Set in a city stalked by spectres, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling series full of suspense, humour and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again . . .
Wigglesbottom Primary: The Toilet Ghost
Life at Wigglesbottom Primary is often lived on the edge.
A class talent show becomes a thing of great mystery and intrigue, when it turns out that Jacob Barry's stinky shoe can PREDICT THE FUTURE! Or filled with peril when the boys' toilets become HAUNTED! And then there's the CURSE that lives in the story-time carpet and gives everyone ANTS IN THEIR PANTS...
Grandpa Bert and the Ghost Snatchers
Grandma Gertie is rather strange. With her big square glasses and a parrot on her hat, Anna and Kasper don't know what to make of her. But Grandma's got a secret... Grandpa Bert is a ghost and he's travelled all the way from Barbados squished inside her handbag! Even worse, they're being followed and Grandpa Bert could be in very grave danger...
Can Anna and Kasper help their grandparents before it's too late? A hilarious family adventure filled with ghosts and laughs.
Ghostcloud
Catch the wind. Find your freedom.
Kidnapped and forced to shovel coal underneath a half-bombed, blackened power station, 12-year-old Luke's life is miserable. Then, he discovers he can see things others can't. Ghostly things. Specifically, a ghost-girl named Alma. Alma, who can ride clouds through the night sky and bend their shape to her will, befriends Luke. And with Alma's help, Luke discovers he is in fact a rare being - half-human and half-something else ...
Then Luke learns the terrible truth of why children are being kidnapped and forced to work in the power station, and he becomes even more desperate to escape.
Can Luke find out who he really is ... and find his freedom?
Dead Good Detectives
Sid Jones loves hanging out in the graveyard with her best friend Zen – they are desperate to see a real-life ghost!
But when Sid accidentally summons a 300-year-old pirate from the dead, it opens the door to the HALFWAY HOUSE – a magical inn FULL of lost souls from across the ages, all trapped there by a sinister landlord.
There are more ghosts that Sid could ever have imagined – and they’re all sure Sid is there to save them! (Sid’s sure there’s been some kind of mistake.)
But someone else is watching, and they’re not happy about Sid helping the ghosts . . .
Another epic adventure series from the author of the Land of Roar, with magic, peril, pirates, lots of laughs and LOADS of ghosts!
I'm NOT Scary
Bat just wants to make friends, but everyone is scared of him!
When other animals see Bat’s shadow at their window, they’re terrified and think he’s a monster. How can Bat show them that he just wants to share some cake?
This is the perfect snuggle-up bedtime story, with rich, glowing pictures, and a gentle, reassuring story.
We're Going to Find the Monster!
Over the shimmering ocean,
up the huge, high mountain,
through the deep, dark jungle...
we're going to find the monster!
But who IS the mysterious monster that these heroes are hunting?
From children's book legend Malorie Blackman and award-winning illustrator Dapo Adeola comes this timeless read-aloud adventure about family and the magic of the imagination.
Amulet: The Stonekeeper
After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous.
Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids' mom through a door in the basement.
Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.
Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.
The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens
When oddballs Agnes, Roberta and Ruby discover a mutual passion for synchronised swimming, the trio form Team Pom. But between snack time, their favourite TV show and raising pigeons, it can be hard to find time to practice.
Tired of their last place, loser status, a crew of self-proclaimed weirdos start their own synchronised swimming club. But on their way to gain the respect and free snacks they deserve, they stumble upon a lonely giant squid in their local pool.
Will he be the secret weapon they need to propel them into synchronised swimming super stardom? Or will they end up with ink on their faces? Who are the villainous strangers in bowler hats? And, most importantly, what's for lunch?
The first in the series from award-winning Filipino illustrator Isabel Roxas, Squid Happens is a hilarious read that explores friendship, teamwork and what it means to be yourself.
Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts
A brilliantly funny series about the bravest scaredy-cat in the world.
Sam Wu is NOT a scaredy-cat (except he is). When a trip to the Space Museum goes terrifyingly wrong, Sam begins a mission to prove to the school bully, and all of his friends, that he is a fearless space adventurer.
A laugh-out-loud story of ghost hunting, snakes and mischievous pet cats called Butterbutt, perfect for fans of Tom Gates.
Zombierella
A yellow moon hangs in a satin sky the night Cinderella, barefoot and in hand-me-downs, slips at the top of the stairs … and dies. But not for long. The Shadow of Death arrives to breathe life back into her bones and, for three nights only, Cinderella goes forth as ZOMBIERELLA. With her skin as cold as ice and her faithful horse Lumpkin back by her side, can she seek revenge on her three cruel, fake sisters, once and for all?
Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after.
Evie's Ghost
Evie couldn't be angrier with her mother. She's only gone and got married again and has flown off on honeymoon, sending Evie to stay with a godmother she's never even met in an old, creaky house in the middle of nowhere. It is all monumentally unfair.
But on the first night, Evie sees a strange, ghostly figure at the window. Spooked, she flees from the room, feeling oddly disembodied as she does so.
Out in the corridor, it's 1814 and Evie finds herself dressed as a housemaid. She's certain she's gone back in time for a reason. A terrible injustice needs to be fixed.
But there's a housekeeper barking orders, a bad-tempered master to avoid, and the chamber pots won't empty themselves. It's going to take all Evie's cunning to fix things in the past so that nothing will break apart in the future...
Ghost
OK so this one isn't really a scary book about ghosts but it is so good we had to include it!
Running. That's all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known.
But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons -until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medallist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent.
If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city.
Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?
READ THE RUN SERIES: Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash.
But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school running team-a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together.
Forrest Class love...
Teacher Feature
Mr. Gray and some of the books he loves...
New Kid
Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of colour in his entire grade.
As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighbourhood friends and staying true to himself?
This graphic novel will have your sides splitting with laughter. It is quirky, weird and brilliant. If you like books about school life and trying to fit in, then this is the book for you.
Just Like Me
An anthology of 40 inspirational figures who are neurologically or physically diverse.
The world is full of people who are a little different. Our uniqueness makes us who we are. We are all 'different; not less'.
This is a collection of the true stories of 40 inspirational figures from around the world, all of whom are physically or neurologically diverse. Each story includes struggles and triumphs, a motivational quote and information on each condition.
Reflective of our diverse society, this book features Simone Biles, Selena Gomez, Temple Grandin, Warwick Davis, Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen Hawking, Greta Thunberg and many more.
This book reminds me that the world is full of incredible, passionate, diverse and wonderful people. Every page tells the story of inspirational people who have achieved unbelievable things.
Clean Up!
Join Rocket as she sets sail on a brand new mission - to save a Caribbean island from plastic pollution!
When Rocket goes on holiday to visit her grandparents, she's shocked by the pollution that's spoiling their island home and putting the local sea life at risk.
Can she think of a way to save the day?
Once more featuring the lovable Rocket, discover Bryon and Adeola's incredible follow-up to the award-winning Look Up! A heart-warming story that empowers and educates young readers.
This book brings to light important environmental issues in a fun and uplifting story that will bring a tear to your eye as you read.
Wonder
'My name is August. I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.'
Auggie wants to be an ordinary ten-year-old. He does ordinary things - eating ice cream, playing on his Xbox. He feels ordinary - inside. But ordinary kids don't make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. Ordinary kids aren't stared at wherever they go.
Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?
Get your tissues at the ready because this book will have you weeping. I absolutely loved the character's strength, determination and brilliant sense of humour.
