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The Joy of Summer Reading

21/7/2015

 
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How is summer reading different to winter reading? I’m not sure. The danger of dropping your book in the pool? Getting sand between the pages? Smudging the print with sweaty fingertips? Falling asleep to find a book-shaped tan mark across your middle? Using a paperback to fight off wasps? (Don’t bother. Wasps are evil and will always win. Just run.)

I think perhaps people expect you to read more FOR FUN in the summer. For pleasure. But then shouldn’t books always be read for pleasure? I think so. If you’re not enjoying a book, throw it out the window, that’s what I say. (Er, unless it’s a library book, obviously.)

All the same, you maybe don’t want to read snowy Christmas tales in the middle of August. So here are some recommendations for wonderful summery reads (all suitable for 8+) that’ll keep those blue skies sparkling above you (or knowing the English summer, let you imagine them).


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My Family and Other Animals, Gerrald Durrell
: the Durrell family decamp to balmy Corfu, and young Gerald spends his days poking around the island wildlife with often hilarious results. A classic.

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The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
: one of my absolute favourite series as a child, full of charm and magic and carefree summer days.


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Hatchet, Gary Paulsen: want a bit more action with your hot weather? 13-year-old Brian gets exactly that when his plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, leaving him to fend for himself with nothing more than a hatchet...


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Holes, Louis Sachar: Camp Green Lake doesn’t have a lake – instead it has blistering heat, terrifying lizards, disgruntled child prisoners, evil grown-ups and a little touch of magic. A masterpiece.

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The Fox-Busters, Dick King-Smith
: another childhood favourite. Chickens fighting back against foxes? A recipe for hilarity.


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Journey to the River Sea, Eva Ibbotson: want to travel all the way to the Amazon for your summer? You’d do worse than make the journey in the company of orphan Maia and the wonderful characters she meets in her new home. 

The Wonderful World of YALC

20/7/2015

 
It was boiling. it was busy. it was bookish. It was brilliant. Here's my 2015 YALC in pictures.
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Olympia or Pandemonium? The lower reaches were as packed, smelly, noisy and labyrinthine as the capital of Hell, but I think a liiiiiittle more fun was being had. Probably.
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The YALC panels were fantastic. One of my favourites: the very entertaining opening panel, on horror, with Dawn Kurtagich, Darren Shan, Lou Morgan, Will Hill and Matt Whyman.
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Much excellent cos was played.
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There were lots of ace workshops. Here's Dawn Kurtagich and I with Anna McKerrow at Anna's fab Writing with the Tarot workshop, where she inspired me to write about voodoo shops, the cost of magic, and how everyone's scared of clowns.
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I found a Blade!
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...and Nikki Sheehan found a dude to act as pretty good promo for her forthcoming book Swan Boy.
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There comes a time in all con-goers lives when they must slope off for a mojito or three. With Kat Ellis, Dawn Kurtagich, EM Castellan, Mareike Nijkamp, Luna, Sarah Benwell and Lucinda Murray.
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Can't imagine why I bought this the next day.
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Favoruite purchase? Favourite purchase.
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Tatum out. See you all again next year!

How To Plan A Bookish Event By Someone Who Had No Clue

13/7/2015

 
On Saturday, weeks of planning, excitement and panicking came to fruition, as Brighton Rocks Books took over the fantastic Jubilee Library in Brighton for the day. I had never even been on a panel before, let alone helped organise an event involving 14 authors, 3 panels, 2 workshops and 1 children's laureate, so to say I was nervous was an understatement. It's possible I changed my outfit 33 times before leaving the house and still ended up with odd socks. BUT... it went absolutely brilliantly, and I can't thank everyone involved enough. 
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AF Harrold, me, Cameron McAllister, Chris Riddell, Julia Lee, Nikki Sheehan, Vivienne DaCosta and some of the brilliant kids who came along


If you're ever thinking of organising an event, here are my top twelve tips:

1) Press gang much cleverer people than you into helping organise it. *bows to Nikki Sheehan and Lisa Heathfield*
2) Finagle your local librarians into giving you space, and steal all their know-how on how to set everything up. *high-fives Lucy Castle, Vicky Tremain, Stephanie Coates et al*
3) If you're going to be on a panel, up on a stage, probably don't wear a short skirt. Ahem.
4) Don't forget illustrators! We were lucky enough to have new Children's Laureate Chris Riddell along for the ride, and having an illustrator sketching during our kids' panel definitely made the whole thing a lot more fun.
5) Speaking of our esteemed Laureate - a confession. I didn't ask Chris to come along because I felt sure he was out of our league. Nikki was braver than me, Chris said yes to her, and I'm not exaggerating when I say he made the event. Moral of the story: ask bigger names to attend. The worst they can do is say no, and they just might say yes!
6) Try not to have it on one of the hottest days of the year. If you do, perhaps don't wear leather trousers, Tatum.
7) There will be hitches. Try not to hyperventilate. Instead bring some extra volunteers along to fill in just in case people can't turn up last minute, or there's a sudden plague of locusts that needs dealing with.
8) Make time for an audience Q&A after the panels. Kids especially love to have the chance to ask questions, like 'What do you like to do when you're not reading or writing?' *Blank faces all round from authors*
9) Ask your friendly local bookshop to provide books for signings. Bring bookmarks or postcards too if you have them, so attendees who don't opt to buy books still have something to take away.
10) Bribe the moderators to sneak you some of their questions beforehand, so you can pretend to be articulate and witty off-the-cuff. *cough*
11) If you've never been on a panel and the thought of speaking to an audience from a stage terrifies you, I can heartily recommend being so distracted by organising the event you don't have time to worry about it.
12) And finally... Even if you're panicking more than Indiana Jones in a snake pit: try to relax and have fun! It'll be contagious.
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AF Harrold and I with Chris Riddell and the amazing live-sketches he drew of us during the MG panel
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Cameron McAllister's ace kids' writing workshop
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Tween/Young YA panel: Harvey Sheehan videoing Sarah Sky, Jenny McLachlan, Jon Walter and Nikki Sheehan, with mod Viv DaCosta
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Nikki Sheehan and I at the signing table
Once more, a massive thank you to all the kids, teens and adults who came along to watch panels or take part in workshops when it was perfect beach weather; to all the authors who gave their time for free: Chris Riddell, Julia Lee, Jess Vallance, Jenny McLachlan, Jane McLoughlin, Jon Walter, Nicky Singer, AF Harrold, Cameron McAllister, Sarah Sky and Eve Ainsworth; to the wonderful librarians who helped make the event such a success, and also gave us CAKES; to our helpers, Vashti Hardy and Lindsay Moakes, and 11yo videographer Harvey; to the Book Nook for providing books; to the brilliant moderators Viv DaCosta and Ellis Rossiter; to Charlotte Ellis for doing fabulous PR for us; and to any one else I've forgotten. You were all stars.
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    Tatum Flynn is the author of devilish MG fantasies The D'Evil Diaries and Hell's Belles (Orchard/ Hachette Kids), and several unfinished To Do lists.

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