The weather. It is a constant companion and a constant source of conversation. It is also a rich source of material for story-writing. Just two weeks ago I shared a storytime reading featuring the weather, I had to don my rainhat and coat for it for off we went into the storm! There are picture books featuring rainbows, puddles, fun in the rain, the sun in every weather. Readers of chapter books have the Rainbow fairies each of whom is linked to a type of weather, lovers of c

When a book is written its story can be sparked by any number of prompts, ideas, experiences. They can be personal, they can be observed in others, they can be imaginary. It is the way the thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences that ignite that spark are then combined to make a story which make for compelling reading. Having had, in the last couple of weeks Sarah Kuhn’s From Little Tokyo With Love (Penguin Teen) and Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After (Macmillan) in my reading p

Louise Ellis-Barrett, Armadillo Editor, has been enjoying a little sprinkling of magic this week. Magic. It is all around us if we know where to look. Some days we feel as though we need a very big sprinkling of magic, other days just a little sparkle will do the trick. Magic though is not just about sparkle and wands; it is about beauty, friendship, acceptance, fun and wonder. It is here that we can bring in the now somewhat ubiquitous unicorn. Take a moment to look around y

Philosophy begins in wonder according to Socrates and Aristotle. Children and young people naturally wonder, and this is where we can introduce great stories, encouraging us all to wonder about the philosophical questions arising from our reading. Philosophy in UK schools began a little later! Interest in philosophy burgeoned in the 1990s, 1389 years after Socrates death. Many teachers watched the BBC documentary “Socrates for Six-Years-Old’ broadcast in 1990. This documentar