That time of year again…

It’s October, which means Children’s Book Festival season, in association with those lovely folks at CBI and taking place in libraries and schools and arts centres all around the country.

Like many other kids’ and YA writers, I’ve been doing my share of visiting libraries, talking to groups of kids and teenagers and delivering writing workshops and answering questions about books, writing, ideas, publishing, the idea of ‘suitability’ in teen fiction, and favourite foods (but of course).

I’ve also been petting copies of the CBI Recommended Reads guide, which is a free resource available from your local library. I was section editor for the 12-14s this year, and also reviewed a few titles for it, so let me just take the chance to mention some of them:

The Pointless Leopard (Colas Gutman, illus. Delphine Perret, trans. Stephanie Seegmuller) – ages 5-8, featuring a small boy and some animals who want to know exactly what the point of him is
A Drowned Maiden’s Hair (Laura Amy Schlitz) – ages 9-11, set in the Edwardian era and featuring a feisty orphan who gets caught up in the world of spiritualism
The Great War (various) – ages 9+, an illustrated collection of WWI-themed stories
This Book Is Gay (James Dawson) – ages 14+, non-fiction, and a handbook on all things LGBTQ+ that should be in every school library

All terrific reads – do check them out, and make sure to pick up a copy of the guide. Your to-read list will likely increase, yes, but it’s a risk you simply must take.