The latest Twinkl Originals middle grade (Key Stage 2) novel, Wildcat Summer, was published on 23^rd September 2025.

Here, we catch up with the author, editors, illustrator and designer to find out more about the book and Twinkl’s publishing process.

Author – Victoria Williamson

The way Twinkl stories begin is with our Educational Content Lead – Pete Lambden – researching what topics and themes are being searched for by teachers and parents on the Twinkl website. He identified that ‘environmental issues’ was a popular choice, and he drew up a brief for the team to work on a book related to rewilding.

The writer starts with the brief and produces a range of different short synopses for the team to choose from. Once we’ve met to discuss our favourite ideas, the writing begins!

I really enjoyed working on this story – it has a Famous Five feel, much like the stories I enjoyed reading when I was in primary school. For this book, I got the opportunity to draw on my experience of teaching classes with additional support needs, as well as my own experiences of Scottish nature. We aim to create diverse books at Twinkl, and we included a main character with hearing loss in this story so that children using hearing aids could have a chance to see themselves represented in a team adventure. Having grown up in Scotland, I was very happy to have a chance to write a story set in Kingussie in the Highlands, featuring not just the spectacular scenery and the wildcat rewilding programme run by the Highland Wildlife Park, but also some Scottish Gaelic phrases!

Editors – Rachel Poole-Fenwick and Sally Baines

As editors, we have input into the story at every stage of its development. At the beginning, we meet with the writer and Educational Content Lead to look at possible story synopses and, once one has been chosen, a breakdown of how the chapters might progress. After the writer has written the first draft, we meet again to discuss the story – we focus on whether the story has a clear plot structure and help to refine the characters so they’re relatable and age-appropriate. We also make sure the language and tone match the intended age group.

Usually, the story goes through a couple more drafts and we give our feedback on these. Then, it comes to the editors for us to check the spelling, punctuation and grammar is in line with Twinkl’s style. We make sure any names, places and timelines are consistent throughout the story and check any factual information – in this case, the facts about the wildcats.

As editors, we’re really lucky to work on so many great stories – and this one was no exception! We loved following the journey that the main character goes on and the beautiful backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. We got to learn a lot about wildcats and rewilding initiatives too.

The editors also write and check all the additional teaching resources that are available alongside the story. For Wildcat Summer, we created a Scottish Mythical Creatures reading comprehension, some mindfulness colouring sheets featuring Scottish Gaelic greetings and a glossary containing key phrases linked to rewilding.

Illustrator – Alex

Illustrating books with Victoria is always a pleasure as our interests tend to cross over quite a lot. I am drawn to the fantastical and natural worlds as much as she is. The timing on this one worked out perfectly as I had just returned from a camping trip in the Highlands and felt inspired by the remarkable landscape.

Illustrating each book is often a similar process each time. I’ll read the text and after discussing illustration ideas with the team, I’ll present rough drawings to them. When approved, I’ll develop the rough into a more finished piece and then I’ll check with the team again before finalising the picture. It’s a many-step process with lots of checks and development along the way, making it much more collaborative than one might think, but it’s always a pleasure.

Designer – Tony Anderson

My role in designing the book is to bring everything together.

By the time I start, each book has already been in production for some time. The story has been written and edited, and the text is ready to place in the book. Work has already begun on concept illustration – often, rough and final illustrations have been started and can be slotted into the book.

My role in making the books is both technical and creative. There are lots of elements that go into a book: chapter starts, contents page, fonts and illustration placement. I also need to make sure that our books keep to the Twinkl brand ‘style’.

The cover is an aspect of the book we like to have ironed out early in the process – we might use the same cover fonts inside the book on things like chapter starts. A lot of team discussion goes into deciding on a final cover design.

I also design the resources that go with the books.

Educational Content Lead – Pete Lambden

At Twinkl Originals, while our commitment is always to create stories that are fun and exciting for our young readers, we also work to ensure that our books are based on educational and relatable topics that reflect the world children live in. My job is to guide the development of the book so that it has a place in the classroom as well as on children’s own bookshelves. I’m particularly proud of this book, as I think it provides lots of opportunities for discussion on how to be responsible stewards of the environment, and how children can take a positive, active role in their local areas of nature. We would love to hear how children and educators have used the book, so please do leave a review on our site if you’ve enjoyed reading it!

Together, the KS2 Originals team combine their unique talents and backgrounds to produce captivating and educational books that resonate with children, parents and educators alike. Their commitment to quality, diversity and curriculum alignment ensures that each story not only entertains but also enriches the learning experience for young readers. Find out more about the Originals books here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/twinkl-originals

The Twinkl Originals books can be downloaded by signing up to an account, which gives access to the library of 100+ eBooks plus nearly 1 million Twinkl resources: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/premium/choose