Anita Loughrey's blog. This is my journal about my experiences and thoughts on writing. As well as news about me and my books, it includes writing tips, book reviews, author interviews and blog tours.
For more information about me and my books see my website: www.anitaloughrey.com. Follow me on Twitter @amloughrey, Facebook @anitaloughrey.author and on Instagram @anitaloughrey
Published by: Piccadilly Press (an Imprint of Bonnier Books)
I have always enjoyed the Celtic myths and legends and so when I read the description of The Silver Road – a middle grade inspired by Irish folktales – I knew I had to read it and what a fantastic read it was. This exhilarating, action-packed magical quest with themes of believing in yourself, dealing with grief and finding your place in the world, will have you on the edge of your seats. I particularly liked the intricacies of the plot and how they linked together modern Ireland with Irish mythology and legends.
Rosaleen Darke has started at the local Grammar School as she was awarded a scholarship but is bullied by Emer McGuire and her gang. On top of that she is grieving the loss of her Mamó (grandmother). After a particularly bad day, Rose is unable to sleep and looks out of her window to discover it is hailing. She goes outside to investigate and the hail forms itself into a Frost Giant who gives her the tathlum, a magical red stone that contains the power to do great good, or great evil depending on who wields it.
The next morning Rose shows the stone to what she feels are her only friends since starting at Carriganawn Grammar School – two elderly shopkeepers called Nellie and Gracie and their not-cat, Catshee. They explain she has been chosen as a Guardian to protect Ireland from an ancient evil that is awakening and they open her eyes to a world of mystical magic. Rose is plunged into an exciting adventure where she discovers the Silver Road and how it casts a protective net over Ireland and sees for herself how it is in danger of disappearing due to excessive land development where her father works for Emer’s dad.
The ensuing battle of good versus evil is reminiscent of the battle in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where instead of animals – an army of spirits, a warrior queen, a wolf-warrior and his pack and an Irish elk join forces to defeat the evil witch, Cethlenn, and her giants from resurrecting her husband Balor who plans to incinerate Ireland and the rest of the world.
Through their courage and determination Rose and Emer manage to work through their differences to join the battle to defeat Balor. They also help their fathers to become more environmentally aware.
There was a brilliant addition by the author of information at the beginning and end of the book outlining the background of the legendary characters and pointing out which ones were from mythology and which were from her amazingly inventive imagination. I found this fascinating.
Ideal for middle-grade who love fantasy based on real legends.
You can buy copies of The Silver Road by Sinéad O’Hart from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation which supports a wide range of independent bookstores.
I would like to thank Piccadilly Press and NetGalley for organising a copy of this book for me. Thank you.
Today I am delighted to welcome Sarah Coyle to my blog.
Sarah Coyle is the author of the fabulous Pick a Story series, which encourage children to read in a very different imaginative way. These innovative picture books allow the reader to choose their own story by answering simple questions on where they would like the story to go and turning to the appropriate page in the same way as a game book. In this way, the reader participates in the story by making choices, which does not follow a linear or ordered fashion.
The latest book in the series is Pick A Story: A Superhero + Mermaid + Dragon Adventure.
Sarah has kindly agreed to be interviewed about the writing of her Pick a Story book series.
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Hi Sarah, welcome to my blog. To start please can you tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for your Pick a Story book series.
I was a big reader when I was a child. I remember the difficulty I had walking from my bus stop to my door stop reading The Queen’s Nose while simultaneously scanning the ground for magic fifty pieces. Bumping into wheelie bins was a hazard, for sure. But I simply couldn’t put a book I loved down. I want all children to get the chance to love reading as much as I do. So the Pick a Story books are all about encouraging engagement to get our youngest readers hooked on books. With this series, I am particularly trying to catch those kids for whom reading can feel more of a chore by giving them real agency through choice.
Why did you decide to write a choose your own adventure style picture book for children?
I enjoyed the choose your own adventure books. Making decisions about where to go next made reading the books an active experience. They felt close to make-believe, which aside from reading was one of my very favourite things. You were playing as you read. Picture books are a great format for these books because small children are so willing to put themselves in a character’s shoes. I have found that kids are very fast to ‘live’ the adventures in the Pick a Story books.
Is there a lot of planning and plotting for this interactive series? Talk us through your writing process with reference to the latest book Pick a Story A Superhero + Mermaid + Dragon Adventure.
Oh my, yes. The process begins with an empty map with lines where the pages link so I can work out that each theme has equal ‘airtime’. Once themes are chosen and a lead character picked, the real plotting begins. There are many different story arcs with lots of crossover and stitchback and it all needs to feel organic and make sense. The making sense bit is often where I get distracted. A lot of utter nonsense seems perfectly sensible to me. This is where Emily Lamm, my editor at Farshore, comes in to save the day and make sure the whole thing flows nicely.
How do you ensure you keep children turning the pages?
I try to ensure that the choices in the books are as fun and exciting as possible. I also love that every time you make a choice, you flick past other tempting pages that you’ll then want to track down.
The illustrator Adam Walker-Parker and the designers at Farshore have done a glorious job here. The themes have their own colour schemes, so the different worlds pop visually as you pass them. You will certainly want to explore them all. Some pages are easier to find than others too. My hope is that this trickery keeps readers engrossed as they seek out that page with baby dragons on it.
What school events have you devised to support the series?
The school events for these books are more fun than I ever imagined they would be. We basically play the book. That means everyone gets to join in and make choice the whole time. The kids decide where we are going on every page. So every event is unique and I never know what’s going to happen moment by moment. It sounds like madness but it works brilliantly.
What writing advice would you give to people aspiring to write a choose your own adventure style children’s book?
Start at the end. If you know where you’re going, it’s much easier to get there. Select a world, (or worlds), that you love yourself. Maybe you like a ye olde medieval romp? Maybe a shiny sci-fi? These books are meant to be fun so stay where you like spending your imaginative time. And go ballistic with the choices. Make them extremely different, make them maddeningly similar, whatever tickles your funny bone. We can learn a lot about ourselves by the choices we make. These books are a safe space to enjoy making them, so you can afford to be brave exploring that.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about the Pick a Story series and writing for children?
Pick a Story is all about getting our youngest readers excited about reading through choice and interactive engagement. There are highly important decisions to make and fun activities on every page. You might end up solving a maze, counting, shouting, or spotting and there’s lots of opportunity to share your thoughts along the way. I always find it interesting to find out what catches a child’s attention. For one reader it might be getting to describe in detail what they would do in a narrative, but another kid will just love getting to shout at a giant squid. I try to keep the interactive stuff varied so there’s room for everyone to enjoy themselves.
Where is the best place for people to buy your book?
An independent bookshop. Give them a call in advance and see if they have a copy of the book or can order it in. If you don’t have an independent bookshop nearby, a lot of the big shops will have them like Waterstones. Of course, there’s always The Website That Starts With the Letter A, but going outside is a healthy part of an active lifestyle, so I’d encourage a real-life visit to a real-life bookshop. Bookshops are gentle, calming places to be, like spas or sunset clifftops. One of the important things for me about Pick a Story is that the books are good value for money. They’re not read in a flash and you can go back to them again and again. But if you can’t afford to buy books at the moment don’t let that put you off getting hold of a copy. You should be able to find all the Pick a Story books at your local library.
Thank you Sarah for such insightful answers. I am sure you have inspired many authors to try and write their own Gamebooks. I wonder where their stories will take them?
Thanks for having me, Anita! Those were fabulous questions.
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You can follow Sarah Coyle on X (formerly known as Twitter) at: @WriterSCoyle and on Instagram as @writerscoyle
Sarah Coyle will be in Bath for Bath Children’s Literature Festival – Europe’s BIGGEST dedicated children’s literature festival – on the 4th October. Book now at:
Spellcasters is a beautifully written book, suitable for the early reader, 6+ age range. It touches all the senses with mouth-watering delicacies from all around the world.
There is a wide range of diverse characters but the book is written from the point of view of Jenny, who has Chinese ancestry. It is her first day at a new school and she befriends Maya, Tamzin and Ananya and they form a band called the Spellcasters. The illustrations by Wendy Tan are gorgeous and compliment the text perfectly.
I liked how each of the girls had their own perfectly described magical talisman in the form of a piece of jewellery that had been handed down through the generations. I found the ancestral magical connections fascinating. I hope to find out more about the other girls family backgrounds in subsequent books in the series.
The antagonist, Greydig, is formidable without being too scary, suitable for the age range. Greydig plays with the people’s emotions and this is expertly shown when the four girls are influenced to feel anger at each other and hopelessness.
At the heart of the book is a message of working together to save the community. The mural of the oak tree was symbolic of the environmental message the book subtly conveys of how large building projects such as shopping centres are destroying small businesses and the sense of belonging.
A brilliant book that leaves you excited to read the next in the series.
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To read my interview with Tania Tay who wrote Spellcasters under the pseudonym Crystal Sung take a look at: Special Guest Q & A with Tania Tay
You can buy a copy of Spellcasters by Crystal Sung in any good bookshop and online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
Today is my stop on The Whistlers in the Dark by Victoria Williamson blog tour which is published by Scotland Street Press on the 21st September 2023. The cover design and lettering is by Elise Carmichael.
My stop on this Ultimate Write Reads Tour is a spotlight.
Blurb
Scotland, 158 AD, is a divided country.
On one side of the Antonine Wall, thirteen-year-old Felix is trying to become a good Roman soldier like his father. On the other, twelve-year old Jinny is vowing revenge on the ‘metal men’ who have invaded her Damnonii tribe’s homeland. At the Damnonii’s sacred circle of standing stones, her planned attack on Felix goes badly wrong, awakening a legend that threatens to bring fire and destruction down on them all.
Can Jinny and Felix overcome their differences and soothe the stones back to sleep before it’s too late?
The Whistlers in the Dark by Victoria Williamson
About the Author
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.
Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.
Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.
You can read reviews for The Whistlers in the Dark by Victoria Williamson on the following links:
It is my pleasure to be hosting David Farr on my blog today for my stop of the Kaleidoscopic blog tour for The Secret of the Blood Red Key.
The Secret of the Blood Red Key is the dazzling follow-up to the phenomenal The Book of Stolen Dreams from master storyteller David Farr, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman.
Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure…
Rachel and Robert have defeated the tyrant Malstain and become the heroes of Krasnia, but all is not how it should be. Robert is swept away with his new friends, leaving Rachel alone to take care of her ailing father, who’s lost without their beloved mother.
From nowhere, a boy appears knowing the secrets of the hidden blood-red key. For the key is a way into the Hinterland – and Rachel must promise that, as a new key keeper, she will answer when it calls. When a young girl, Elsa Spiegel, is illegally smuggled into the Hinterland, Rachel has no choice but to use her key to save Elsa. But her fate is linked to Krasnia, and Rachel must battle to save her home as she knows it.
David Farr is one of the UK’s leading screenwriters and directors for film, TV and theatre. In 2009, he was appointed Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, where his productions of The Winter’s Tale, King Lear and The Homecoming all opened to critical acclaim.
David is known for his work on Spooks and his 2016 BBC adaptation of The Night Manager, starring Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. He completed his first feature film, Hanna, in 2009, and has since adapted it into a hugely successful series for Amazon Prime, and has recently adapted The Midwich Cuckoos for Sky. The Book of Stolen Dreams is his first novel.
My slot on the tour will take the form of an extract.
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Title: The Secret of the Blood Red Key (The Stolen Dream Adventures #2)
Written by: David Farr
Illustrated by: Kristina Kister
Published by: Usborne
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You can follow David Farr on Twitter: @davidfarruk
To see the rest of the tour take a look at the tour schedule:
I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
Today it is my stop on the blog tour for Angela Kecojevic’s latest book Scareground, published by Neem Tree Press.
Angela Kecojevic is a senior librarian, author and creative writing tutor. She has written for the Oxford Reading Tree programme and the multi-award-winning adventure park Hobbledown where her characters can be seen walking around, something she still finds incredibly charming. This is Fern a fairy from Angela’s Hobbledown novel.
Angela is a member of the Climate Writers Fiction League, a group of international authors who use climate issues in their work. Angela lives in the city of Oxford with her family.
Scareground is about twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet lives above a bakery and her life is a delightful mix of flour, salt, and love. Yet her mind is brimming with questions no one can answer: Why did her birth parents disappear? Why can she speak with the sky? And why must she keep her mysterious birthmark hidden?
Everything is about to change when the Scareground returns to Greenwich. Nancy is convinced it holds the answers to her parents’ disappearance. Nancy and her best friend Arthur Green meet the fair’s spooky owner, Skelter, and discover a world full of dark magic and mystery. Nancy must confront her greatest fears to get to the truth. But is she ready for all the secrets the Scareground will reveal?
My stop on the Write Reads ultimate tour involves a book review.
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Title: Scareground
Written by: Angela Kecojevic
Cover design by: Anna Morrison
Published by: Neem Tree Press
Victorian Greenwich is the perfect setting for this spooky middle grade mystery, crammed with dark crows, deathly phantoms which secrete slugs and the sinister demon, Agramon. There is an unusual occurrence with every turn of the page from mysterious balloons and a magnificent airship – to metallic stallions with ghostly riders and secret notes. Scareground covers themes of belonging, courage and friendship.
The characters are so vividly described, the reader gets an instant image of them. Each has their own intriguing backstory. The main protagonist, Nancy is a sky reader and can talk to the sky, who she considers her friend. She has a mysterious horse shaped, silver birthmark on her wrist and believes it is a clue to who her real parents are. It reminds her of the Arabian horses in the pictures of the fair but her adopted parents, Ma and Pa Crumpet, have made her promise not to go to the fair.
Her only other friend, other than the Sky, is the doctor’s son, Arthur. Together they plan to visit the fair to find out more about the mysterious things that have happened since it arrived in the village and discover the mystery behind who Nancy really is. I particularly enjoyed Nancy and Arthur’s story arcs which cleverly show how their character’s grow throughout the story. They both have to face their greatest fears to defeat Agramon and save the village.
Angela Kecojevic has a talent for creating tension and intrigue. Even the ending after everything is wrapped up is a great set up for book two with impending sky pirates dropping anchor to steal Nancy’s secrets. I can’t wait!
Most definitely an eerie read, ideal for Halloween.
I have also interviewed Angela about writing Scareground as a special guest on my blog. You can read the Q&A interview here: Special Guest Q & A with Angela Kecojevic
To follow the rest of the Write Reads ultimate tour check out the tour schedule:
You can buy copies of Scareground by Angela Kecojevic direct from Neem Tree Press, or from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
I would like to thank The Write Reads for inviting me to take part in this ultimate tour. Thank you.
Today is the tour for Lily Lawson’s latest children’s book, If I Were Invisible. For my stop on the blog tour I have invited Lily to do an author interview.
If I Were Invisible is a rhyming picture book about a boy wondering what fun he could have if no-one could see him. Think of all the things we could get away with if nobody could see us! But how long would the fun last, if we had to do it all alone?
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Welcome Lily to me blog. Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for your picture book, If I Were Invisible.
I’m a poet, children’s, and short story writer. I’ve published three poetry books and three picture books. I’ve also had poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction published in anthologies and online.
If I Were Invisible is my sixth book. It came about as a result of a prompt from Cheryl Burman’s Facebook Page. Her prompts help me to keep writing every day.
What are the underlying themes of If I Were Invisible?
It’s about things a child would like to do but either weren’t allowed to such as staying up late or had to have an adult with them to do such as going to the park.
It’s also about things they might not want to do but had to like going to school.
The question is whether you can have fun when you have no-one to do things with. Sometimes the idea of having something, in this case the freedom to do whatever you want, may not be the same as actually having it.
For what reason did you decide to write If I Were Invisible, in rhyme?
I’m a poet. To be honest it just came out that way. I think rhyme works well for children’s books, but it wasn’t a conscious decision.
Do you have a favourite spread in the book?
The bit near the end where he says ‘If I were invisible someone nobody could see, would I find it special? Would I feel like I was free?’
I love the image that goes with that. It also brings home the question of the book ‘Do I really want this? Make believe is fun but when we imagine living another way we don’t know all the facts and if we did we may not want to live like that.
What comes first for you the plot, or the characters and why?
I’m a discovery writer most of the time. When I write its often like I’m not in charge of what happens. It’s only when I edit that I make conscious decisions. I don’t write books; I write poems and stories which sometimes end up in books. When I was writing this poem it came to me that this was a boy and it rhymed as I wrote it. It was suggested to me that I’d written a book and it was only then I could see the illustration potential.
Are there any books or authors that inspired you to become a writer?
I started writing at 11. Plenty of writers inspire me to keep going. My writing groups are full of people who make a difference to me and my writing.
Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing?
That is a hard question to answer. I am lucky in that there’s more than one person cheering me on, not letting me quit and they are all special to me. Also over time the answer has changed.
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and writing for children?
I am excited to have Angela Kecojevic on my blog today as a special guest to tell us a little about her latest book for middle grade, Scareground, published by Neem Tree Press.
Angela Kecojevic is a senior librarian, author and creative writing tutor. She has written for the Oxford Reading Tree programme and the multi-award-winning adventure park Hobbledown where her characters can be seen walking around, something she still finds incredibly charming!
She is a member of the Climate Writers Fiction League, a group of international authors who use climate issues in their work. Angela lives in the city of Oxford with her family.
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Thank you Angela for joining us today. I have had the pleasure of interviewing you before for Writer’s Forum about another of your novels, Train. Scareground is very different, so I am eager to find out more.
Why did you decide to write a spooky middle-grade book based in Greenwich?
I used to live in London, so Greenwich was somewhere I loved to visit. There was something very special about its maritime connections and wonderful history. Plus, the Victorian rooftops made for a great story setting! Throw in a spooky funfair and you have the beginnings of a story. The idea for Scareground came whilst I was driving past Battersea Power Station in London. This was when it was unused – abandoned – a word that sounds far more dramatic and exciting! It looked so dark and eerie that my imagination went wild. I pictured a funfair – one that would be spooky and macabre rising from its depths. And then I remembered Greenwich and decided it would make the perfect setting.
What are the underlying themes of Scareground?
I wanted Scareground to be about more than just the ‘scare’, although this element was lots of fun to write! But I wanted to include friendship and bravery too. Good friends will support our fears – and maybe even work with us to face them, just like Nancy and Arthur do in Scareground. Everyone is afraid of something, and I wanted to highlight this.
Which comes first for you the plot or the characters and why?
In this instance, it was the characters. I pictured Skelter Tombola straight away. He was a charismatic mix of P. T. Barnum and Jack Skellington, the ultimate showman and the ultimate Pumpkin King. Skelter’s walk would be crooked. He would be charming and riddled with mystery. Most importantly, he would help provide the ‘scare’ in Scareground. The plot had been at the back of my mind for a while, but I didn’t want to write about an ordinary funfair.
If you could meet Nancy and Arthur, what would you say to them?
I love this question! I would ask Nancy to teach me to talk to the sky. Her gift is very special and given how unpredictable the British weather is, it would be incredibly helpful. I’ve always been fascinated by the clouds, and this element of the story came from cloud watching! There is also something peaceful about the sky. I imagined it as Nancy’s greatest friend, something she could talk to and confide in. As for Arthur, I would ask him about his adventures as a great explorer, and whether he had met any pirates at sea!
Is there a particular place you like to write?
We live by the river, so I’m lucky that my writing desk looks out over fields and woodlands. There are rabbits everywhere! (And the occasional spider!) It’s quite special. I like to have tea and biscuits at hand, and I often have a spooky soundtrack playing in the background.
Have you ever been on any literary pilgrimages?
No – but now I wish I had. I’m a big fan of J.M Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’. If I could enter his fictional world, I would jump on a pirate ship and head for Neverland. Or fly past the Second Star to the Right and head down to Mermaid Lagoon! A sword fight with Captain Hook would be pretty cool too! That would be my dream pilgrimage!
If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be?
Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and writing for children?
I know this sounds cliché, but never give up on something you are passionate about. I have several unpublished books in my drawer, and they are quite happy napping there for a while! Those books taught me many things; they were the books I learnt from and each one meant something different to me. I don’t view them as failures or unsold books. They are my secret projects and it’s OK to love them just as they are!
You can buy a copy of Scareground by Angela Kecojevic direct from the publisher here: Neem Tree Press or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
It is my turn today to spotlight Bibi Saves the Honey Bees by Judith A. Ewa on the first day of the Love Books Tours blog tour.
Genre: Children’s fiction picture book
Age: 5-8
Pages: 36
Blurb
Bibi notices the honey bees near her house are becoming less and less, and becomes concerned about their plight. She wants to ensure that kids have honey at breakfast for years to come.
Bibi and her friends embark on an adventure to save the honey bees, navigating through a maze of obstacles Mother Nature throws in their path. Will they be able to overcome all the obstacles, so they can help the bees?
Entertaining, touching and educational, Bibi Saves the Honey Bees will help children understand that they, as individuals, can make a difference to our planet.
You can follow Judith A. Ewa on Twitter @JAEwa_Author and Instagram @judithewa_author.
Title: Me and the World: An Infographic Exploration
Written by: Mireia Trius
Illustrated by: Joana Casal
Published by: Abrams & Chronicle Books
Me and the World: An Infographic Exploration by Mireia Trius and Joana Casals
Me and the World: An Infographic Exploration is a bright and colourful compendium of infographics that provide visual comparisons of how people live all over the world, what food they eat, their homes, favourite pastimes and ways of communicating, highlighting the differences and similarities. The sources for the data for each spread are listed at the back of the book providing opportunities for the reader to check them for themselves.
Each double-page spread is introduced by the fictional character Lucia who comes from Spain, written by the publisher Mireia Trius. Starting with her name, family and pet Lucia moves on to talk about world population and significant cultural features such as languages, jobs, school and religion. Children can explore what life is like for Lucia in Spain compared to where they live and the rest of the world. The data is presented in interesting, visually stimulating ways which every reader can spend hours exploring. The infographics will engage the most reluctant reader as they are able to browse the pages in any order.
It was fascinating to discover that Hong Kong has the smallest average house sizes at 45m² compared to Australia which has the largest average house size at 214m²; or to compare the different school uniforms around the world and noticing very few of them wear ties and blazers; or view age, geography and language as if here were only 100 people in the world, which really does put things in perspective.
This would be an excellent resource for introducing the study of data and statistics to Key Stage Two pupils and would also be great for discussion points in PSHE and Citizenship. It would also be a good way of introducing the use of different keys and different graphical ways data can be presented. This book provides the foundations to help children recognise how data can be manipulated by presenting it in different ways, such as changing to vertical scale to make it bigger or smaller, or skipping numbers, not starting at zero, which is an important skill in our increasingly digital world.
Much To Do About Writing 