Category Archives: Writing for Kids

Writers & illustrators of children’s books

07/03/2025 · 15:21

Felix has a double problem

Eleven-year-old Felix Twain’s life revolves around TWO. He skips every second step when he takes the stairs, he taps door handles twice and positions objects in pairs. The problem has become so bad that Felix, who suffers from autism and OCD, is on the verge of being expelled. The principal has had enough of trying to run the school around his pupil’s very specific rules.

Then Charlie Pye arrives and turns Felix world upside down. She’s grown up with very few rules – of which two wasn’t a part. She eats cereal for lunch, calls a boat home, and has a very loose interpretation of school uniform. The question is, can Felix ever learn to be wrong when he is so obsessed with being right.

This is a new edition of a bestselling title by Sally Harris and illustrated by Maria Serrano, which includes a whole new section on how to make a comic. Compiled by the husband and wife team behind Quickdraw Stories, it shows how readers can easily learn how to create their own version – like Felix Twain and Charlie Pye do in the story!

Double Felix is for 7+ and published by Wacky Bee Books

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17/04/2014 · 08:35

LBF: The Show

It wouldn’t be LBF without lots of famous faces. Unfortunately other commitments kept me away from the opening day, so I missed out what the International Authors Forum and LBF had designated as International Sir Terry Pratchett Day, to mark his phenomenal global success. Authors around the world will be asked to vote for their favourite Terry Pratchett character. Where do you start?

This year seemed at times to be somewhat quieter than 2013, but only the final stats will tell. It was great to see friends back again and to make new ones amid the rush and hubbub of the event. Katrine Konar from the Swedish publisher Fill & Tell paid a return visit to promote her wonderful memory books (all now available here) including dogs, horses and weddings as well as grandchildren and, of course, babies. I shouldn’t forget my favourite Fill & Tell character Låba, though sadly he’s not yet in translation.

Louise Jordan of the London based Writers’ Advice Centre, who kept me well supplied with bagels and chocolates, introduced her latest publishing venture Wacky Bee. This will see a range of children’s books offering light, pacey character-driven humorous stories but especially attention-grabbers. Check out her new site Wacky Bee for more info. Check back here for updates.

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17/04/2014 · 08:18

LBF: New Writing Competition

A raft of supporters have lined up behind publisher Scholastic and Italian pen manufacturer Montegrappa to launch the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize for New Children’s Writing announced at the show. The LBF, literary agents LBA Books and The Independent have joined the two main sponsors.

The organisers are looking for new talent for writing fiction for 7-12 years age group  –  open to unpublished authors aged over 18 from the UK and Ireland. The winner gets a publishing deal with Scholastic, plus a weekend for two in Venice to visit the home of Montegrappa and receive a handmade pen worth over £1000. Judges include: children’s author, Cbeebies presenter and Booktrust patron Cerrie Burnell; Samantha Smith, Fiction Publisher at Scholastic, Louise Lamont, children’s agent at LBA; Arifa Akbar, Books Editor of the Independent.

Time is tight for this competition with the first 5,000 words required by 2 June 2014. If you’re shortlisted then they need the rest of the story by August as the shortlist will be announced at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The winning novel will be revealed at next year’s LBF.

Is this you? Visit Scholastic for entry details.

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Filed under Writers, Writing for Kids