Nosy Crow's Blog, page 5
May 17, 2024
Read an exclusive extract of Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd Stanton
We’re very excited to be publishing Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial in June – an action-packed new adventure series from award-winning author Kieran Larwood and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winner Joe Todd Stanton.
And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!
CALLING ALL DUNGEON RUNNERS
There’s space for a new team of heroes. This is your chance to enter the leagues and fight your way to the top!
Kit has dreamed of being a Dungeon Runner all his life, although being a gnorf (part gnome, part dwarf) means he’s much smaller than the other competitors.
But when a space opens up for a new team in the Dungeon Running League, Kit doesn’t want to miss this chance to try out! With his new friends Sandy and Thorn, they’re ready to take on anything – mazes, puzzles, monsters, treasure and most of all adventure!
Are you ready for the games to begin? Welcome to the Dungeon!
Read an extract of Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial here:
Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial will be published on June 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 of Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd Stanton appeared first on Nosy Crow.
May 1, 2024
Read an exclusive extract of I Am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm
We’re very excited to be publishing I Am Wolf in May – a bold, thought-provoking adventure by author Alastair Chisholm.
And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!
Coll belongs to Wolf.
He lives with his crew on a Construct, a huge technological “creature” driven by the crew’s combined willpower. Together they roam their world, fighting other Constructs and absorbing them into their own.
But when a new and dangerous Construct attacks them, Coll is thrown clear from Wolf and left behind. Now he must survive life on ground and get back to his crew. He is helped by Rieka, a “Tock” who makes the Constructs work. She promises Coll a way to return, but can she be trusted? And what is she really trying to do…?
When Coll uncovers the truth, it destroys everything he thought he knew about Wolf, the world they live in, and even himself. In a world full of danger, and suddenly without meaning, can he find a way back?
Read an extract of I Am Wolf here:
I Am Wolf will be published on May 9th – 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 of I Am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm appeared first on Nosy Crow.
Read an exclusive extract of I Am Wolf by Alistair Chisholm
We’re very excited to be publishing I Am Wolf in May – a bold, thought-provoking adventure by author Alistair Chisholm.
And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!
Coll belongs to Wolf.
He lives with his crew on a Construct, a huge technological “creature” driven by the crew’s combined willpower. Together they roam their world, fighting other Constructs and absorbing them into their own.
But when a new and dangerous Construct attacks them, Coll is thrown clear from Wolf and left behind. Now he must survive life on ground and get back to his crew. He is helped by Rieka, a “Tock” who makes the Constructs work. She promises Coll a way to return, but can she be trusted? And what is she really trying to do…?
When Coll uncovers the truth, it destroys everything he thought he knew about Wolf, the world they live in, and even himself. In a world full of danger, and suddenly without meaning, can he find a way back?
Read an extract of I Am Wolf here:
I Am Wolf will be published on May 9th – 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 of I Am Wolf by Alistair Chisholm appeared first on Nosy Crow.
April 26, 2024
The Inspiration Behind Secrets of the Snakestone – a blog by Piu DasGupta
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to travel. Perhaps it comes from being a product of a mixture of cultures and influences – my dad was Indian and my mum English (with Scottish and Irish blood too!). Even now, I feel a thrill of excitement when I go to an airport and see the destinations flashing on the departure board. I imagine all the places I could go: Helsinki? Marrakesh? Hyderabad? The world is such a vast, exciting place!
I was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, and grew up in Croydon – but the travelling bug never left me. At school I learned French and spent time on an exchange with a family in Paris. I never forgot the excitement of that visit. I’d been surrounded by different languages all my life, but the thrill of speaking in a language I’d learned only from textbooks, rather than hearing it first hand, was a real head rush! It felt like a true achievement all my own, something I had chosen for myself. One of my greatest inspirations was a fantastic French teacher, Mademoiselle Poque, who was elegant and mysterious, but took time to patiently correct my faltering French “r’s”. I was spellbound by her tales of growing up in a village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques before she came to study and, eventually, settle in the UK.
Paris was a place of dreams and weekends away, until by complete chance I met and married someone who actually lived there! Now the city is my home, but the Paris I know and love is not the city of macarons and romance. That’s all there, but it’s the Gothic, dark side of Paris that is much less well known, a world of underground sewers and Catacombs, which is the city of Secrets of the Snakestone. I wanted to transport young readers to this mysterious place, to entrance them with the same taste of adventure and thirst for different worlds that captivated me. To give them a sense that, whatever their background or race, they too could visit this capital of dreams.
But I know that not every child gets the opportunity to travel. Growing up, we only ever went on family vacations in the UK, as foreign holidays were too expensive. Secrets of the Snakestone is an adventure of the imagination, where children can explore the underground passageways and catacombs of Paris, without actually being there. I want my readers to be like Matilda, who travelled “all over the world, while sitting in her little room.” The book begins with a map of Paris, on which are marked the fun things – the circus, the Catacombs – that flag the journey on which my readers are about to embark.
There’s a growing body of research showing that learning foreign languages and cultures is good for you, building empathy and reducing prejudice towards people who are different. Secrets of the Snakestone is peopled by a myriad of characters of different backgrounds and ethnicities. By portraying Belle Epoque Paris as a melting pot of cultural identities, we see history being lived (and made) by a rainbow of races, as opposed to a monoracial narrative. I also play with linguistic techniques such as Malapropisms, used (appropriately enough) by a circus contortionist, whose twists in speech reflect those of her body. Language is fun, not a chore, and I hope to get my readers to join in on the celebration!
It’s important to me that my readers are swept away by the excitement and pace of the adventure. There are lots of “serious” themes in Secrets of the Snakestone (impact of colonialism, class, women, friendships and poverty to name but a few), but these come second to the twists and turns of the story. With increasing competition from computer games and social media leading to declining concentration spans, I am aware that children have less and less time to immerse themselves in a book. We writers need to hook them in with fast, pacy narratives, twists and turns, and cliff-hanger chapter endings. In short, we need to use every trick in the writer’s book to keep those kids turning the pages, not resorting to Minecraft!
I’ve been blown away by the colourful and imaginative reactions of children to Secrets of the Snakestone. From the girl who wrote a beautiful summary of the story, enclosed in a drawing of a coiled snake, to the boy who asked me if the name of one of the main characters, “Jules”, was a reference to the stolen “jewel” of the story. They are a testimony to the fact that we all, whoever and wherever we are, can join in a Parisian adventure!
The post The Inspiration Behind Secrets of the Snakestone – a blog by Piu DasGupta appeared first on Nosy Crow.
Kid’s Club April 2024
Welcome to our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club! Each month, we have fun activities for young readers. Join us for engaging content! Every month we will share a creative prompt inspired by our recent publications. We may also provide printable activity sheets for children to enjoy.
What Animal With Magical Powers Would You Be?This month, the kid’s club activity takes inspiration from the new picture book Shadow Fox! A beautiful story of loss and belonging from the multi-award-winning author of I, Cosmo and Always, Clementine, Carlie Sorosiak!
If you could be any animal with magic powers, what animal would you be? What powers would you have?
Would you want to be able to share thoughts with humans, like Shadow? Have unmatched speed to get where you’re going faster? Or maybe have the ability to turn yourself invisible?
The possibilities are endless! Come up with your own magical abilities as well as your chosen animal and what you would do with your powers! Would you use them for yourself and family? To help others? Or only when absolutely necessary?
Be sure to let us know if your young readers and illustrators partake in our activities. Please do share drawings, book reviews, or stories with us via email digital@nosycrow.com or @nosycrow on social media.
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April 24, 2024
Read an exclusive extract of Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton
We’re very excited to be publishing Bird Boy in May – a story of migration, conservation, healing and hope by multi-award winning author Catherine Bruton.
And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!
After the tragic death of his mother, eleven year old Will is sent to temporarily stay with his uncle in the mountains. After years trapped in a high-rise flat, with only birds for company, Will doesn’t know how he’ll survive a place like this, but he soon finds solace in the woods, when he’s surrounded by birdsong.
With his new friend Omar – a refugee from Afghanistan – Will discovers an osprey nest, with two small chicks inside. He forms an unbreakable bond with the birds, especially the smallest chick, who they name Whitetip. But when tragedy almost strikes again one stormy night, and Whitetip is knocked out of the nest – breaking a wing, Will is determined to save her. Smuggling her down from the mountain, he finds a way to keep her alive.
As Will helps Whitetip to grow and to heal, he finds a strength inside himself that he never knew he had. Maybe, finally, Will can find a way to take flight too…
Read an extract of Bird Boy here:
Bird Boy will be published on May 9th – 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 of Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton appeared first on Nosy Crow.
April 22, 2024
Celebrate Earth Day: Protect Our Planet and Embrace a Sustainable Future
Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd and is a global movement with a mission raise awareness about environmental protection.
Earth Day HistoryThe first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970! This day was created to “give birth to a broad new movement to protect the planet”, according to the official Earth Day website.
Since that day, many laws have been passed and created, all in the name of protecting the planet from harm! Some of these laws you may already be familiar with, such as EPA (Environmental and Protection Act), and have been adopted worldwide in the global pursuit of keeping our water and air clean, protecting endangered species and much more.
How Can You Participate?How can you get involved?
There are so many ways for you to partake in Earth Day and show your support for this amazing movement! Any participation is important and contributes to creating a healthy and sustainable earth for all!
Plant a Tree
Planting a tree is a classic Earth Day activity for a reason! Trees are an essential part of our environment as they not only cool down our atmosphere, they also decrease a city’s temperature by up to 10 degrees, clean our air, provide us with oxygen and SO much more! If you need any inspiration for planting trees, check out the National Trust: Tilly Plants a Tree.
Ride a Bike Instead!
One way to really help contribute to Earth Day is but cutting down on carbon and other harmful emissions that come from public transit and other vehicles. Riding your bike to school or work can help reduce air pollution that contributes to global warming. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to ride a bike, Bert didn’t either! Learn alongside him in Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike.
Shop Smart
A great way to participate in Earth Day (and every other day) is by sourcing your clothing from ethical and environmentally-friendly places. One way to do this is by online shopping. Not only is it extremely convenient, it has actually been shown that shopping online takes about 30% less energy than in-store shopping! Join Maya on her own version of discovering environmentally smart clothing in Earth Friends: Fair Fashion, and browse the rest of the Earth Friends series for more stories about discovering how one act can help contribute to a healthier environment.
Stay Informed and Up to Date on the Environment
There’s nothing like doing your own research! The more we understand, the more we can appreciate and contribute to our environment. Learn about different ecosystems, plants, environments and everything else this world has to offer us. Discover new and exciting plants and trees in National Trust: Out and About Tree Explorer, learn how to create beautiful flowers that grow all around us by using the National Trust: Nature Origami, or take a look at some of the earth’s more treacherous environments by reading How To Survive Anywhere: Staying Alive in the World’s Most Extreme Places.
Our earth has so much to offer us, and we only get one! It’s up to us to protect it, so take part in Earth Day this April 22 and use your voice to spread the word! Browse our curated Earth Day list content that is perfect for those looking to learn more about the environment!
Do you have other ideas of how to participate in Earth Day? We would love to hear them! Send your ideas to digital@nosycrow.com or tag us on our socials @nosycrow.
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April 19, 2024
Unleash the ‘bookworm’: Ideas to inspire children to read whatever their age!
In a world filled with screens and digital distractions, cultivating a love for reading in children is more important than ever before. Beyond the joy and entertainment it brings, instilling a passion for reading in young minds has far-reaching benefits that extend into every aspect of their lives. From young and new learners, to older and more advanced readers, this blog has options for everyone! Discover below some ways that parents and teachers can introduce reading to children in a way that makes it fun and educational!
How to make reading more exciting for children
Reading Together
Sit down with your kids and listen to one of our free Stories Aloud audios that come with all of our paperback picture books and baby books!Reading along with an audiobook can elevate the reading experience for everyone. With animation sounds, book narration and an overall more interactive reading experience, this is a great way to introduce children to reading, making it more exciting!Creative Ways to Bring Books to Life
If you are finding that it’s difficult to get your children excited and interested in reading, there’s no better time to think outside the box and bring the books to life!Hunker down in a home-made fort while reading mystery books such as Secrets of the Snakestone, by Piu DasGupta, or create some origami by following along the steps of Blossom Origami by the National Trust, or even dress up as Pip and Posy from well-known author, Axel Scheffler, while reading along!
Build a Book Nook
Creating a safe space for reading can help to get children excited about reading while having a comfortable place to read.Set up a chair by a window, surrounded by some books and lighting with some ambience music in the background can really set the scene and get children in the mood to read!Follow-Ups
To allow for children to get more out of reading, at the end of each book, conduct a follow-up, interactive conversation (acting as a mini book club) discussing what they liked about the book, didn’t like and their overall thoughts.This provides you with a sense of understanding about the certain types of books they are reading and their thoughts, but also what they are taking away from it.Can lead to more in-depth and fun discussions about books! To further the adventure, head to our Activity Sheets page to print out some at-home activities to accompany select books!
How teachers can encourage reading
Newsletters
Create a monthly newsletter to go out (either to parents, staff, or both!) detailing what books the class has read that month and why. This can help to encourage children to further their reading at home and on their own.Start a class book club
Suggest a book for your class to read either per week or month that children have to read at home. This will encourage children to pick up a book outside of school and allow them to discuss the book with the rest of class. Holding weekly or monthly meetings will also help you, as a teacher, to check the class’s understanding and how they are getting on.Some titles that have been nominated as “Teacher’s Picks” that are perfect for classroom reading and stimulating discussions are No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton, Sweet Pizza by G.R. Gemin, Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge and many more!
Have accompanying creative tasks
Having something, like an activity sheet, to accompany a book can also help to get children excited about reading. Being able to creatively express their favourite characters, what the book is about, etc may help them to be more engaged in the stories and books that are being read.Browse our activity sheets on our website to gather some ideas to spark creativity in the classroom!However you introduce reading, remember, it’s not just about shaping readers, it’s about nurturing curious minds and opening up a world of imagination in young children. By fostering a love for reading early on, we empower children to become lifelong learners, critical thinkers, and empathetic individuals who can navigate the complexities of the world with confidence and creativity.
Did we miss anything? If you have any other fun and creative ideas of how to encourage young readers, we would love to hear about it! Send it to us on socials or email us at digital@nosycrow.com.
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April 15, 2024
A behind the scenes look at the creation of This Book Will Make You An Artist by illustrator Ellen Surrey
Hello there! I’m Ellen Surrey, an illustrator from sunny Los Angeles, CA. I illustrated This Book Will Make You An Artist for Nosy Crow who reached out after seeing another book I illustrated, Mid-Century Modern Women In the Visual Arts. In the book, there is an illustration of artist Georgia O’Keeffe painting in the deserts of New Mexico. They liked this piece and wanted to replicate the idea by incorporating photographs of real artwork for Ruth Millington’s art history and activity book for kids, This Book Will Make You An Artist.
Illustrating a children’s book takes a lot of time and patience. The whole process for TBWMYAA took almost two years to complete! I worked closely with the team at Nosy Crow, going over sketches, color studies, and final art. I even had the rare opportunity to meet with designer Tina Garcia in person while working on the project. Overall, my experience working on TBWMYAA was enjoyable, challenging, and well worth the effort.
My typical day starts with a cup of coffee while going through emails. I work on a variety of projects, including newspaper and magazine illustrations, designing toys, and personal projects, in addition to children’s books. After catching up on any additional clerical work, I take a lunch break before diving into my illustrations.
When illustrating TBWMYAA, my work consisted of research, sketching, and creating the final artwork for the book. Creating the sketches was particularly challenging as I had to draw the artists and incorporate all the additional information while leaving enough space for the text. It was like solving a puzzle, and I enjoyed finding ways to incorporate little easter eggs related to the artists. For example, the cat on the Andy Warhol page is in reference to a book he illustrated called 25 Cats Named Sam.
Once the sketches were approved, I moved on to color studies, creating a road map of what colors everything would be in the final artwork. I also had to keep in mind that a photograph of the artist’s original work would be included in my illustration. So when picking my colors I tried to use some of the colors from the original piece for a cohesive look. Color studies were an essential tool at the beginning of the project especially when we were trying to figure out the overall look of the book. Color studies are like sketches that allow you to experiment with different ideas without committing to a final piece that may require changes later on.
When the color has been approved, I will move on to the final artwork. Because of the complexity of this book, I chose to work digitally in Photoshop. I knew working this way would give me the most flexibility if changes had to be made in the future. I like to start my digital work by blocking out the major shapes in black. I use this method to cover ground faster. From there I will go through and color all the individual parts, adding texture and more details along the way. There was a lot to keep track of so I separated my workdays into working on the artist pieces and activity pieces to keep everything organized. I also kept a to-do list for each spread of the book with notes of changes so I could gradually cross them out as I went. When the artwork was finished, I sent it to Tina, who would put everything together with the final text. From there, it was out of my hands until it was a fully bound book.
https://nosycrow.kinsta.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Surrey_SketchToFinal.mp4Opening a box of new books always feels surreal as it’s the first time I get to see the final product. You open the box and suddenly see something you’ve spent years working on in its final form. It’s an exciting feeling knowing that something you have been one of the only people to see will soon be seen by the world. TBWMYAA is a special book to me as the subject is so close to my heart. As a kid, being an artist was all I wanted to do. My father was an integral part of my artistic development, being an artist himself, and it’s the reason I dedicated the book to him. He made me an artist and I look forward to this book being a part of making more young artists.
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April 8, 2024
Read an exclusive extract of Shadow Fox by Carlie Sorosiak
We’re very excited to be publishing Shadow Fox in April – a beautiful story of loss and belonging, written by best-selling author Carlie Sorosiak.
And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!
Bee’s family runs a lakeside inn, offering rest and sustenance to weary travellers. Bee’s Nan has gone missing, possibly drowned, but Bee knows that can’t be true. And so does the hungry fox that her grandmother was feeding. Shadow is cross that her supply of salmon has dried up and is determined to do something about it. Soon both fox and child are on an adventure to find Nan, uncover what’s happening to all the secret islands on the Great Lake and learn just how far magical powers can take you…
Read an extract of Shadow Fox here:
Shadow Fox will be published on April 11th – 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 of Shadow Fox by Carlie Sorosiak appeared first on Nosy Crow.
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