Nosy Crow's Blog, page 11

Read an exclusive extract from The Boy Who Saved a Bear by Nizrana Farook

This April we’re absolutely thrilled to be publishing The Boy Who Saved a Bear – Nizrana Farook‘s fourth thrilling adventure set in a fictional Sri Lanka.

And today we’re very pleased to be sharing the first few chapters of the book – you can read an extract below!

Nuwan works at the library, delivering books. One day, he accidentally takes away a very valuable key that’s been hidden inside one of the books, and in the process thwarts the plans of some very dangerous thieves. On the run, he hides in a cave, only to discover in the middle of the night that he is sharing it with a big, hairy, terrifying bear! After some hair-raising moments, he and the bear reach an understanding and they travel on together, evading the bad guys and hoping the key will unlock the answers to the mystery so that they can stop running and return home…

Take a look inside:

The Boy Who Saved a Bear  will be published on April 6th – you can order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or from Amazon here. Do let us know on socials what you thought of the first few chapters when you’ve finished reading!

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our latest book news, including exclusive previews, giveaways, award news and more, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

The post Read an exclusive extract from The Boy Who Saved a Bear by Nizrana Farook appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Celebrating World Poetry Day With Our Favourite Poems

Happy World Poetry Day! Held every year on 21st March, World Poetry Day, according to UNESCO, celebrates ‘one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity.’

We’re big fans of the poetic form here at Nosy Crow, and are glad to have published a number of wonderful anthologies over the years: I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree, Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright and, most recently, And Everything Will Be Glad to See You. All three are perfect collections to begin a lifelong love of poetry.

This year, to celebrate World Poetry Day, we asked the team to pick their favourite poems, and tell us a little about why they made their choice. Here are their selections!

Our favourite poems

Anastasia Shubnikova, Assistant Accountant, picked Cats Sleep Anywhere by Eleanor Farjeon. She said that, ‘I am a cat lover, so my favorite poem is about a cat.’

Manda Scott, Head of Design for Picture Books, picked Invictus by William Ernest Henley. She said: ‘This was a poem that I was introduced to as a teenager during a particularly difficult time in my life. I still remember the I felt reading those words “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” when I felt incredibly helpless to the world around me – it made me question why I felt so helpless.  To this day have never forgotten them. My journey is not without obstacles – but how I navigate and react to them, is in my control.’

Rachel Kellehar, Publishing Director for Non-Fiction, Preschool and Activity, picked Refugees by Brian Bilston, and said: ‘This is one of my favourite poems, and very relevant given current news. It’s such a clever way of turning all the hateful and short-sighted discourse about migrants in desperate need of our help on its head. It makes me tear up almost every time I read it.’

Lauren Fairgrieve, Editor for Non-Fiction and Activity, picked Small Kindnesses by Danusha Laméris. She said: ‘This poem is one of my all-time favourites. The poet is grounded and doesn’t pretend that life is perfect – the focus in the writing itself is on the everyday actions that we all take for granted. Yet there’s something so hopeful and sweet about the message, I always come away from reading Small Kindnesses feeling optimistic about life.’

Hannah Kettle, Marketing Executive, picked Keep a Poem in Your Pocket by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers. She said: ‘I often think poetry is out of my reach but Keep a Poem in Your Pocket reminds me that poetry is about emotion and that a small handful of words, put in the right order, can spark powerful feelings every time you read them.’ (Keep a Poem in Your Pocket also features in our wonderful poetry anthology,And Everything Will Be Glad to See You.)

Miranda Baker, Senior Editor for Picture Books, chose The Hippopotamus by Ogden Nash. She said: ‘I loved Ogden Nash’s poetry as a child, and I love it still. This is one of my favourites as I enjoy the combination of the formal, quite old-fashioned language and the silly subject. It always makes me smile!’

Xeni Soteriou, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, chose Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. She said, ‘It’s such a powerful, moving piece that inspires self-respect, confidence, and strength.’

Rebecca Anastasi, Assistant Editor for Picture Books, chose Moonless Night by Louise Glück. She said: ‘My favourite poem is Moonless Night by the American poet Louise Glück. I love its quiet, meditative tone and the sense of freedom in the lines: ‘Nothing / is always the answer; the answer / depends on the story.’ Glück’s rejection of a fixed truth opens up a world of possibility for the reader. Every person’s story is unique, and although our ‘answer’ might be different from others, it is no less worthy.’

Elizabeth Jenner, Editorial Director at Large, chose A Day Is Vast by Jane Hirshfield. She said: ‘I came across this poem recently, and as someone who is always overly optimistic about just how much I can achieve in one day, this first stanza very much speaks to me! I love the questions this poem throws up about our perceptions of time and possibility, and that beautiful, tactile metaphor of yesterday’s pondwater ‘braided still wet in my hair’ has stayed with me.’

 

We hope this selection has resonated with you and that you’ve discovered something new and inspiring to read. If your favourite poem doesn’t already feature on this list, do let us know what it is, and why you love it, on socials!

The post Celebrating World Poetry Day With Our Favourite Poems appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Nosy Crow shortlisted for two 2023 British Book Awards!

The shortlists for the 2023 British Book Awards (also known as the Nibbles) were announced today – and we’re delighted to see that Nosy Crow has been shortlisted in two categories!

We’re shortlisted for Children’s Publisher of the Year, alongside David Fickling Books, Farshore, Hachette Children’s Group, Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, Sweet Cherry Publishing, Usborne and Wonderbly. The judges said: “A two-time winner in this category, Nosy Crow continued its relentless growth in 2022 with another record year. It came from right across the age groups and formats, rather than from brand licences or TikTok bestsellers, and well over half of all sales are now derived from beyond the UK. The year also saw Nosy Crow take big steps forward on diversity and sustainability.”

We’re also shortlisted for Independent Publisher of the Year, sponsored by Firsty Group, alongside Canongate, Faber, Hardie Grant Publishing, Harriman House, Joffe Books, Oneworld and The Folio Society. The judges said: “The 2020 winner—and twotime Children’s Publisher of the Year—had yet another stellar 12 months, and can now claim to be the UK’s sixth-biggest indie in TCM terms—not bad after just 12 years in business. It made substantial investments to secure more growth, including launching a US business and a move to new London digs. Sustainability was a key focus.”

You can read the full list of shortlists in every category at the Nibbies website, here.

The winners will be announced at The British Book Awards on Monday 15th May – wish us luck!

The post Nosy Crow shortlisted for two 2023 British Book Awards! appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Read an exclusive extract from My Life on Fire by Cath Howe

This April we’re absolutely thrilled to be publishing My Life on Fire  – a tense, page-turning story that sensitively deals with themes of family upheaval and kleptomania, by bestselling author Cath Howe.

And today we’re very pleased to be sharing the first few chapters of the book – you can read an extract below!

Ren’s family lose their home in a fire. They’re living with her grandmother now and things are a bit tense.

Ren lost her collection of things, her clothes; her brother lost his little bear and is inconsolable. So Ren starts replacing things with other people’s possessions. They’ve got loads of stuff, after all.

But she gets caught and has to strike a terrifying deal to avoid detection…

Take a look inside:

My Life on Fire will be published on April 6th – you can order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or from Amazon here. Do let us know on socials what you thought of the first few chapters when you’ve finished reading!

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our latest book news, including exclusive previews, giveaways, award news and more, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

The post Read an exclusive extract from My Life on Fire by Cath Howe appeared first on Nosy Crow.

What If? – a guest post by Alice M. Ross

This month we’re absolutely delighted to have published The Nowhere Thief – a mind-bending multiverse adventure about theft, family, and finding your home by Alice M. Ross. And today, we’re very excited to be sharing a guest post from Alice!

—

I’ve started playing a fun game on school visits when I go to talk about my debut children’s fantasy, The Nowhere Thief. I call it the ‘what if’? What if you discovered that your wardrobe didn’t have a back to it and you could just keep walking and ended up in a snowy forest? What if there was a secret school for witches and wizards that you’d never heard of before? What if everyone had a spirit animal called a daemon that they couldn’t get separated from or they would die? What if you could steal things from other worlds?

No prizes for guessing the first three ‘what if’s – but the fourth one is mine, and that’s how The Nowhere Thief began. I always knew I wanted to write about other worlds, also known as the multiverse, so I was trying to think of interesting ways to do that. I thought: what if you could travel to other worlds and bring things back with you? What would you do with those things? Well, I thought they’d probably be pretty interesting things, so you might be able to sell them. What if you already lived in an antiques shop, giving you the ideal place to profit from your crimes? That’s how Elsbeth came into being: she steals things from other worlds to sell in the struggling antiques shop she lives in with her mum. I also knew I wanted to write about a seaside town: one that’s a big sleepy but built on magical energy lines, a bit like Lewes in East Sussex. So I created Lewesby, where Elsbeth and her Mum live. It’s in a world very similar to ours, but not quite the same: the capital city is called Lunden, for example, and I hint that history didn’t quite go the same way as it did in our world.

I always loved the idea of other worlds and was thrilled to discover when I was studying philosophy at university that people have actually studied this concept, so I actually wrote an essay on it as homework, which was probably one of the more fun assignments I’ve ever done. But I decided it would be more fun to write stories about other worlds, rather than study the scientific possibility they existed, so that’s how The Nowhere Thief came about.

I am a journalist by profession, so my career has been in writing, but (good) journalists have to make sure that what they’re writing is true, and it’s very fun being able to break those rules and write things that aren’t true – without getting fired!

One fun thing about being a fantasy writer is that you can invent all sorts of things but particularly animals. In The Nowhere Thief one world that Elsbeth visits has animals called chamchas in it: sort of like flying cats that fold up their wings along their back when they’re sleeping. One of the chamchas that Elsbeth meets helps her to piece together an important piece of the puzzle after her Mum goes missing. You can see a picture of the chamcha on the front cover of the book.

Also in the book we see versions of the same person in different worlds, and I love the idea that someone might be a slightly different version of themselves, depending on what’s happened to them and how they grew up. Something to explore in future books!

During the book Elsbeth has time to have a good think about what she’s been doing and what sort of person she wants to be, especially when she’s confronted by people that would like her to be different. So it’s also a book about deciding who you are and working out what and who is important to you. I loved writing it and hope you enjoy reading it!

—

Thank you, Alice!

 

Take a look inside:

 

The post What If? – a guest post by Alice M. Ross appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Beasts in the Basement!

We recently ran a competition through our teacher newsletter to celebrate the release of There’s a Beast in the Basement by Pamela Butchart & Thomas Flintham. To enter, students were tasked with designing their very own monster!

The standard of the entries was so high, and we received so many imaginative and impressive drawings, that we couldn’t resist sharing them with you!

Here’s a selection of brilliant beasts below, all sent in from St Joseph’s College, Reading.

 

 

Well done to the talented pupils who designed these terrific monsters. Would you like to design your very own beast in the basement? Download our free activity sheet here and get creative!

And don’t forget we have lots more activity sheets for you to explore here.

If you’re a teacher or librarian and you’d like to stay up-to-date with future competitions, resources, and exciting news about our latest books, then sign up to our school mailing list here.

The post Beasts in the Basement! appeared first on Nosy Crow.

PRESS RELEASE: Nosy Crow to publish official companion title for Spin Master Entertainment’s new animated series, Unicorn Academy™®

Nosy Crow is delighted to announce the publication of the official companion title for Spin Master Entertainment’s new fantasy-adventure series, Unicorn Academy.

The animated adventure will transport audiences to a magical world as they follow Sophia on her journey from ordinary to extraordinary, as she discovers her destiny as a unicorn rider. The series is adapted from The New York Times bestselling books originated and published by Nosy Crow written by Julie Sykes, and published in North America by Penguin Random House.

Unicorn Academy will launch on Netflix in Autumn 2023, followed by a toy line, digital game and expansive licensed consumer product rollout in 2024. This will include an official companion tie-in novelisation released for launch by Nosy Crow in October 2023. This will be the first title in a strategic programme of publishing by Nosy Crow.

2023 © & TM Spin Master Ltd. All rights reserved

Launching globally, the companion title will be a fantasy adventure story for 6+ readers, a tale of friendship, courage and finding your destiny.

At Unicorn Academy, Sophia can’t wait to discover her destiny and become a Unicorn Rider. First, she must bond with Wildstar to unlock her unicorn’s magical powers. But evil Queen Ravenzella wants to destroy the magical island, its school and its unicorns. Will Sophia and her new friends have the courage to fight to protect everything they love?

Kate Wilson, Group CEO of Nosy Crow, comments:

“Unicorn Academy has been a stand-out chapter-book series around the world since it launched five years ago, and it is hugely exciting to see it take on new life in Spin Master’s astonishingly rich adaptation. We much look forward to taking the novelisations to our customers, including the rights partners who have worked with us on the series so far.”

Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master’s President of Entertainment, comments:

“We are thrilled to invite kids to unlock the magic along with us at Unicorn Academy. Engaging characters, exciting stories, and of course, majestic unicorns with magical powers will captivate audiences of all ages. The diverse heroes from the original book series along with the powerful bond between rider and unicorn inspired us to create a vibrant, animated adaptation. Set in an enchanting world of magic and mystery, stories are brought to life with world-class animation, a cinematic score, and irresistible songs for an immersive entertainment experience.”

 

 

ABOUT NOSY CROW

Nosy Crow is a multi-award-winning publisher which began publishing child-focused, parent-friendly children’s books and audio books in 2011. It was named Children’s Publisher of the Year (2017 and 2019) and Independent Publisher of the Year (2020) at the British Book Awards, and was awarded the Independent Publishers Guild’s overall Independent Publisher of the Year twice (2016 and 2021). It has also won the IPG’s Children’s Publisher of the Year six times. Nosy Crow’s perspective is international: it has won the IPG’s International Achievement Award five times; the British Book Award for Export twice; and is the only book publisher ever to win two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for International Trade. Other prizes include the Stationers’ Company Innovation Excellence Award, the Nectar Small Business of the Year Award, the Growing Business Awards Young Company of the Year Award and many others for individual titles. Nosy Crow is also proud that it has been shortlisted for the IPG’s Sustainability Award and Diversity and Inclusivity Award.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Mason by email: rebecca@nosycrow.com  

 

ABOUT SPIN MASTER

Spin Master Corp. (TSX:TOY) is a leading global children’s entertainment company, creating exceptional play experiences through its three creative centres: Toys, Entertainment and Digital Games. With distribution in over 100 countries, Spin Master is best known for award-winning brands PAW Patrol®, Bakugan®, Kinetic Sand®, Air Hogs®, Hatchimals®, Rubik’s Cube® and GUND®, and is the global toy licensee for other popular properties. Spin Master Entertainment creates and produces compelling multiplatform content, through its in-house studio and partnerships with outside creators, including the preschool franchise PAW Patrol and numerous other original shows, short-form series and feature films. The Company has an established presence in digital games, anchored by the Toca Boca® and Sago Mini® brands, offering open-ended and creative game and educational play in digital environments. Through Spin Master Ventures, the Company makes minority investments globally in emerging companies and start-ups. With over 30 offices in close to 20 countries, Spin Master employs more than 2,000 team members globally. For more information visit spinmaster.com or follow-on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @spinmaster.

The post PRESS RELEASE: Nosy Crow to publish official companion title for Spin Master Entertainment’s new animated series, Unicorn Academy™® appeared first on Nosy Crow.

World Book Day Costumes 2023

We were delighted to see so many wonderful and resourceful costumes inspired by characters from Nosy Crow books for yesterday’s World Book Day.

Designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. World Book Day founder, Baroness Gail Rebuck, says: “We wanted to do something to reposition reading and our message is the same today as it was then – that reading is fun, relevant, accessible, exciting, and has the power to transform lives.”

Dressing up is a fun and exciting way to help encourage children to engage with reading, swap recommendations, and celebrate the books they like to read.

Below are just some our favourite costumes that we were lucky to spot across our social channels!

@jamieillustrate @patrick_primary For World Book Day tomorrow Evie wanted to go as Twinkle, she loves this book! 📚🪄 pic.twitter.com/VANhLL8I9S

— Rosemary Robinson (@Rosemar59381626) March 1, 2023

Find out more about Get Me Out of Witch School!

Conlaoch dressed as Eilis from Dragon Storm, with Pathseeker next to him for world book day! @alastair_ch #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/URXoHdk59K

— Kevin McKenna (@caoimhin85) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Dragon Storm: Ellis and Pathseeker

@alastair_ch Cara and Silverthief say hi! pic.twitter.com/3jrfsQulw0

— silviai (@silvia_i_) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Dragon Storm: Cara and Silverthief

My little book worm dressed up as her favourite book cover! Thanks @cath_howe for your stories that, in my 9 year olds words… “are sooooo relatable, it’s like reading about my days” She’s obsessed and is “going to read them all!” Happy World Book Day! pic.twitter.com/2S9SA0Uqex

— claire walker (@clairew27217376) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Ella on the Outside

One of our favourite days of the year – #WorldBookDay
Who else would she be, but the fabulous Sarah Todd Taylor’s – Alice Éclair – Spy Extraordinaire! @scraphamster pic.twitter.com/FN9IoEp8jF

— Ruth (@RuthieAir) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire! A Recipe for Trouble

It had to be the one and only Octopus Shocktopus! @PeterBently @StevenLenton a book I recommend to everyone AND can recite word for word😅🐙 #WorldBookDay2023 pic.twitter.com/G5SGr1Mzan

— Rebecca Oljanuk (@woodpeckergreen) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Octopus Shocktopus!

Happy #WorldBookDay everyone! Here’s our octopus, inspired by Octopus Shocktopus, all ready for a day of bookish reading adventure! 🐙🦑🎉@peterbently @StevenLenton @CAYPTeam pic.twitter.com/NTAEhTNu0G

— Gateshead Libraries (@gateslibraries) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Octopus Shocktopus!

Happy World Book Day from Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam!
🐶🧁📚@WorldBookDayUK @booksaremybag @StevenLenton @TraceyCorderoy @NosyCrow #WorldBookDay2023 #ShiftyMcGiftyAndSlipperySam pic.twitter.com/I2LZXH7SiX

— Darling Reads (@darling_reads) March 2, 2023

Find out more about Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Karen Williams (@willo.karen)

Find out more about The Phantom Lollipop Man

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nicola, Aden, Shay and baby Nate! (@adensadventures)

Find out more about Where’s Mr Lion?

 

And now to finish off with something slightly different: Ashley Bruce’s daughter created Frank and Bert out of toilet rolls instead of dressing up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find out more about Frank and Bert

 

Had a fun World Book Day? Share your photos with us on socials or send your photos in to social@nosycrow.com to be featured in our roundup!

The post World Book Day Costumes 2023 appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Kids’ Club February 2023

Welcome to another instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club: a monthly feature with lots of engaging activities for the young readers in your life! Each month we’ll post a creative writing prompt based on one of our recent publications, and some downloadable activity sheets for you to print for your little ones.

Write a Story

 

Taking inspiration from our recently published Press Start series by Thomas Flintham, our story prompt this month focuses on creating your very own computer game narrative! This activity is taken from our Press Start Educational Resources for KS1, written by Lucy Marcovitch, which you can find in their entirety here.

Share your little ones’ finished stories with us on social media, by tagging us @NosyCrow! You never know, we might even share a selection on our channels …

Activity Sheets

Young readers can level up into SUPER READERS with our Press Start Reading Record!

With space for logging books they’ve read along with their review, this handy printable encourages reading, as kids aim to complete all five levels and reach Mount Boom! Download the Reading Record here.

We hope you enjoyed the second instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club! Be sure to let us know if your little ones partake in our activities, and if there’s anything else you would like us to include, by getting in touch via email or social media.

The post Kids’ Club February 2023 appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Dress Up Ideas for World Book Day!

It’s World Book Day soon, and we’re very excited to see all of your wonderful costumes again this year! Dressing up is a great and enjoyable way to encourage engagement with books, and to help kids discover even more titles they might like, too.

Stuck for ideas? Here are some characters from Nosy Crow books that your kids might like to dress up as this year! Be sure to tag us in any costumes – we’d love to see!

Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire!

Baker by day, spy by night, dressing up as Alice Éclair is a great choice this World Book Day! A simple outfit like the above, a magnifying glass – and optional whisk and cat – and you’re ready to be everyone’s favourite spy. And if you’re really striving for authenticity, you might even place a sneaky croissant into your junior spy’s satchel for breaktime …

Read an extract from Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire! A Recipe for Trouble:

Find out more about the Alice Éclair series here.

 

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam

Shifty and Sam are a perennial favourite and it’s not hard to see why! A simple robber’s costume and swag bag can transform your little ones into either one of this doggy duo. No stripy black and white t-shirts at home? Emulate Shifty and Sam’s transformation into bakers with a chef’s outfit and some doggy ears! Or, if this canine couple isn’t quote their thing, channel one of the villains from the books, like the infamous cat burglar Kitty-le-Claw or swashbuckling Captain Sharpwhiskers!

Read an extract from Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam:

Find out more about the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam series here.

Princess Minna

Grab a crown, some round glasses and your best polka dot dress to cast a magical spell as Princess Minna this World Book Day! This lovable heroine can tame unicorns, kiss frogs and fight dragons (apart from her best friend Lorenzo), and she is very good at fixing things before it’s time for bed.

Read an extract from Princess Minna: The Enchanted Forest:

Find out more about the Princess Minna series here.

Octopus Shocktopus!

In years past we’ve seen lots of inventive Octopus Shocktopus costumes, and we’re always very impressed by them! It requires a slightly more crafty approach than some of our other suggestions, but we think it’s definitely worth the effort. Cut an octopus out of some cardboard and paint him orange to be placed on top of your little one’s head – just like the octopus in this brilliantly bonkers story!

Read an extract from Octopus Shocktopus!:

Find out more about Octopus Shocktopus here.

 

And if none of these costumes feel quite right, and you or your little ones can’t find inspiration among your bookshelves at home, check out our books page for even more ideas.

We can’t wait to see all of your amazing costumes on March 2nd! Don’t forget to tag us, and we’ll share as many as we can in our World Book Day round-up blog, as in years past.

 

The post Dress Up Ideas for World Book Day! appeared first on Nosy Crow.