Here are the books I have bought for my little girl and why I think they are great for babies.
Best books for babies
Tactile Book
I ordered this one from Amazon. She loves the crinkle sound and looking at herself in the mirror. I went with this one as the Black & White high contrast pictures have been specially designed to be stimulating for babies. It also has a strap to make it easier to attach to a buggy.
Bath book
I ordered mine from The Works. Babies dribble a lot, are sick and want to put everything in their mouths. These books are wipe clean. I choose this one as I liked the three detachable characters that can be used for matching games.
When she is older I will let her take it in the bath.
Wooden Book
I picked this up from Lidl during a baby event. Being wooden makes it really robust. She has thrown it and chewed it and it still looks perfect.
Not suitable for babies
I did buy these for my son and was sad when they got ruined. However, these do help encourage speaking so as long as you don’t leave your baby alone exploring the books, you should be okay.
Picture books
At this age you should take care with picture books as although they may love it they have a tendency to grab things and love scrunching up and tearing paper.
If you go down this route, look out for nursery rhyme collections like those by Miles Kelly as babies love hearing the repetitive sounds and it can encourage talking.
Board books
Board books might look sturdy but they are made of cardboard. If you leave a baby unattended with one, they’ll chew the corners into a pulp and the picture will peel off.
If you go down this route, look out for stories that rhyme like those by Julia Donaldson.
Touch and feel books
Another good choice is tactile books like the “That’s Not My” line. These books are also useful for developing a child’s vocabulary of descriptive words.
Other touch and feel books will enable them to feel different textures and learn about a topic. The picture below is one about farm animals.
Would you recommend these?
I hope you found my suggestions useful. I would love to hear what books you have loved sharing with a baby too.
Personally, I like my projects to have a title before I start writing, some people don’t feel this necessary. My debut novel, currently being queried, was originally called Drift.
Here is a collection of some of the covers I have created for it over the years (there are more).
You will also notice one is called Wipeout as originally there was two books but during a brutal edit, I cut loads , they became one.
I have recently changed the title of Drift to Jewel of the sea. Here is the current cover and can be read on Wattpad.
If you would like to learn more about creating a novel title please check out today’s featured post by Lorraine. She shares her simple and easy to use tips on how she develops her novel titles. Here is the link to her article: http://lorraineambers.com/2018/03/31/creating-a-catchy-novel-title/
As a writer, I wish there was a resource with links to literary competitions, online events and festivals where I can copy the content to my own diary. But, I’m yet to find one.
So, I created my own. And, I am going to share this with you.
Google calendar
I created a public Google calendar so you can see everything I have added. If you want to copy an event then you too will need a google calendar (it is free with a free Google email account).
I hope you find this resource useful. If you notice my calendar is missing any events that you feel ought to be included, please comment with the link. I’ll then check it out and add it to the calendar to help other writers out.
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post listing literary festivals taking place in the UK throughout the UK that have caught my eye. To read the full list, please click here.
This post is to remind you of those taking place this Winter.
It looks like December and January are a downtime for book festivals so this list starts and ends with February.
“Our inaugural festival in 2018 was a great success with a line-up including Man Booker-shortlisted author Deborah Levy, journalist Martin Bell, psychogeographer Iain Sinclair and performance poet John Hegley. We featured over thirty events with writers from Kent and further afield, as well as writing workshops, poetry events, and more.
We hope you will join us again in February 2019. We have another exciting programme of events and activities planned for book lovers of all ages and persuasions, featuring author talks, discussions, creative workshops and spoken word events.”
“The Festival, formerly known as Kate O’Brien Weekend, is this year celebrating its 35th edition. The event continues to honour the life and works of the Limerick author, while attracting prominent participants from all over the world. Building on this significant history, the Limerick Literary Festival seeks to promote Limerick nationally as a place of literary excellence and to provide a platform where readers can meet their favourite authors and other readers.”
One of the best things about having kids is the children’s books. I am a huge fan! What started out as one shelf in our front room for children’s books quickly turned into three shelves and a bookcase upstairs!
I find it really hard to persuade Father Christmas not to buy more books becuase he loves them as much as I do! Today, I am going to share the books that I enjoy sharing with my son, the most, at Christmas time.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margarey Williams
Be warned that this famous beloved tale isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. At the end the boy has to get rid of his rabbit but because he loved it so much, it becomes real.
The Snowman And The Snowdog (pop up & light up book)
This beloved tale about a boys Snowman coming to life and taking him on adventure is available in lots of formats but the pop up and light up book is a real treasure. There is something facinating about pages that jump off the page but at the end of this book, the stars twinkle due to a built in sensor and built in tiny lights
The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet Ahlberg
All the Jolly Postman books are amazing. Children love the little envolpes (from and to fairy tale characters) and finding out what is inside. The letters sometimes contain a gift like a puzzle or a comic. This book makes a lovely gift (thank you aunty Heather) and the snowy variation of this book is great to share over the winter months.
Stickman by Julia Donaldson
I don’t own this book, we borrowed it from the library. Borrowing books is a great way to discover new books for free. Stickman is about a stick that gets seperated from his family. He ends up on a dangerous adventure as he tries to get home to his family. On his adventure he helps Santa who in return helps him get home.
Another, wintery tale by Julia Donaldson is The Gruffalo’s Child. The sequel to the popular Gruffalo. The brave Gruffalo Child sneaks out of the cave on a dark snowy night to find the Big Bad Mouse. Once again, the quick witted mouse out smarts this little Gruffalo.
How The Grinch Stole Christmasby Dr Seuss
My son absolutley loved the Grinch. This descpicable character feelings towards Christmas is quoted as “hate, hate, double hate, loathe entirely”. His hate for Christmas is very entertaining and when he says “Poo poo to the whos” my son laughs and makes me read that line over and over again. Don’t worry, in the end, the Grinch learns that there is more to Christmas than giving gifts.
My Rhyme Time Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
This is an all year favourite for bedtime but when I was asking my son to help me pick the books for this post, he inisited on this one as he like the twinkle star nursery rhyme and at Christmas time we change the words to “Twinke twinkle Christmas star”. The book is filled with traditional nursery rhymes and illustrated beautifully by Miles Kelly.
The Christmas Show by Rebecca Patterson
This book was a gift from my son’s nursery. He isn’t the easiest kid to keep in line so I am not sure if this book was chosen especially for him in mind or just a lucky chance that he got it. It is all about the children preparing for the nativity play, the main little boy doesn’t really pay attention and on the big day he gets it all wrong but his performance is still loved by his family and he is told to ignore the mean words of the head angel.
Thank you for reading
Are any of the above your favourites? Can you recommend any more that I should add to my collection?
With Christmas fast approaching, I have decided to create a list of gift ideas for writers. Here you go from the extravagant to the affordable.
As my list got too long for my post <eek>, I have had to split it between two posts. Part 1 is the more affordable gifts and part 2 are the more extravagant gifts (anything over £20).
Here it is:
Writing course
Another idea is to support the writer in developing their craft. One of the best presents my husband got me was my online writing course with Curtis Brown Creative. Courses start from RRP £200. Click here to read my review.
Groupon is a great place to shop for bargains and often have offers on courses. This is where I got my Write Story Books for Children online course for just £30! I also got Write Romance Fiction but have not started it yet. The course are flexible and you can study wherever, whenever and take as long as you like!
You could check with your local college or library to find details about writing courses nearby.
Some people prefer a face to face learning experience. A writing retreat would make a great gift. You can buy a holiday that allows them to escape and be with other writers. The retreats often include workshops as well as an ideal environment to write. Check out Skyros Holidays. Breaks start from RRP £90.
Another option is to buy them a mentor! The Literary Consultancy is a company that offers mentors, manuscript assessment and editing. A writer could learn so much from one of their packages. They sell gift vouchers too!
Vintage
Mr & Mrs Vintage Typewriters is a place to buy high quality vintage type writers (prices start at around RRP £125). Alternatively, you can check second hand sites like eBay or Gumtree. I got mine from Facebook. Writers have a warmth for the aesthetics of these. Some writers might even use one to avoid web distractions.
You could buy them an antique writers bureau (or a new modern one). These desks look beautiful and are an ideal place to sit on your laptop working on your novel. I’ve always wanted one with the fold up lid like this RRP £350 real wood one at Cotswolds.
Green Woods Funiture in the UK uses sustainbly sourced wood to make custom bookcases. Prices start from around RRP £250.
The Ethical Superstore sells fair trade products including furniture. They have bookcases/shelves starting from around RRP £250.
Technology
In the digital age, no writer should be without an electronic means of writing their novel. You could buy them a tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard, a laptop (the Microsoft Surface Pro has a pen to enable them to hand write their novel if they prefer to do so over typing) or a PC. When buying, check out things like whether they can save to a USB device or if they will need cloud storage.
Although most agencies allow you to submit your manuscript online, there is still a need to print. Your writer might appreciate a printer so they can take a document with them to their local writers group or to make editing easier. I have always liked the compact shape of the Canon printers. When buying, look for ones that allow wireless printing so your writer can print to it from anywhere in the house.
There is plenty of software to make writing easier. You could buy them MS Word or software specifically designed for writers like Scrivener or Dabble writer.
Comfort
I do get cold writing and I would love it if someone bought me some nice socks or a warm blanket. These also come in handy when curling up with a good book.
Alpaca wool is hypoallergenic yet warm like wool. You can purchase a fair trade, luxury Alpaca Throw from TraidCraft for RRP £135.
If you writer is vegan they won’t want a blanket made from animal hair. How about an Organic brushed cotton Fair Trade throw from White & Green RRP £133.
Gift sets
For RRP £29.95 you can get them The Writer Box from The Little Bookish Gift Company. The box set contains writing tools and refreshments.
For £39.99 the Writers Hamper from The Story Gift contains a selection of goodies for a writer including writing tools, mug and coaster. They have several other hampers to choose from including one specifically for female authors and another for fairy tales.
How about a tote bag from Zazzle, Cafe Press, The Literary Book People, or Story Gift. These are great reusable bags to use to carry books from the Library. But, if you want something a little more glamourous, how about a Disaster Designs bag from Campus Gifts. Disaster Designs have a ‘Book Club’ clutch bag RRP £35.95, a type writer bag RRP £30.95 and their Ampersand Satchel RRP £49.95.
Thank you
I hope you found this list useful and don’t forget you can always treat yourself. Is there anything on this list you would love? Please let me know if there isanything I have missed out.
Thank you for reading my extravagant writers gift list. I hope you found it useful. If you would like more ideas, please check out my affordable writers gift list.
An airborne disease infects all the males in the world but women are immune. Males are kept safe in sanctuaries as soon as they are born. The rest of the world is run by women. Only the elderly remember life with males.
Virginia wrote this book imagining what the word would be like if men were not part of the world. First she had to decide how to make this world possible and then how this impact would change life as we know it.
How it starts
Fourteen year old River finds an XY (what boys are called) unconscious in the road. She takes him home to her family.
The middle
The family decide to keep the boy and help him heal. It is a miracle he has survived outside the sanctuaries. The laws require he be reported and returned or killed if to sick. The family have to keep him hidden.
Adapting to life with a boy is the main focus. River needs to be aware of her nudity. The boy, Mason, has different mannerisms and customs – like a foreigner in her world.
How it ends
River has an obsession with planes and one of her favourites arrives at a nearby town. She goes to the hanger but it is being kept locked up.
River manages to get in by offering to help refuel the plane. Whilst there she sees a man and helps him escape but things turn nasty and she ends up killing him with a rock. There hasn’t been any murders in years so when Mason takes the blame, everyone believes him.
River then helps Mason find his mum because if they can there is a way around the law. River and Mason then leave to find his mum. When they do, she accepts him and as a result keeps him safe. C
What did I think
The book really made me think about how our genders do play a part in our identity and how others perceive us. I found the world Virginia created was cleverly thought out.
The book started by throwing us right into the action. It was written in first person POV enabling me to feel her distrust and fear of the boy.
Virginia’s writing was really strong and vivid. I would definitely be interested in reading more by this author.
I met Virginia at Felixstowe Book Festival. You can read all about it by clicking here.
I preferred this to The Gender Game by Bella Forrest which is about the world divide between men and women. You can read my review here.
My earliest reading memories are built on Roald Dahl’s books. His books brought joy and fear to my childhood and today I shall share those memories and my fondness for his characters.
Roald Dahl’s birthday is 13 September 2018. Each year during September activities are planned close to his birthday to celebrate his books. Find out how to celebrate on his website.
My memories
As a child he was one of my favourite authors and his books will always hold a special place in my heart.
The first novel I stayed up to read
As a little girl, my dad read me a chapter of a book each night at bedtime. One night, we started the BFG (Big Friendly Giant).
He finished the first chapter, tucked me in and turned off the light. But, I couldn’t sleep as I wondered, what happened next to the kidnapped little girl in giant land?
Their was a dim glow coming from my nightlight and I sat up and took a sneaky peek at the next chapter… – Next thing I know, it is morning. The book was finished and I hadn’t slept a wink. I think I had to take the day off school to recover from my reading marathon.
I wasn’t a fan of the film. The little girl wasn’t as I remembered but it may be that it was a long-time since I read the book.
The scariest book I never finished
After that, my dad thought I was able to read before bed on my own. He reminded me of the importance of sleep and tucked me in.
One night, Roald Dahl engrossed me in a world where terrible child-loathing withes existed. It was so real and terrifying, I never finished the book.
I have since watched the film and loved it but the book is still too much.
My all time favourite
It has to be Matilda. She’s a likable character that is strong and determined and doesn’t let her misfortune hold her back. She has telekinetic powers and uses them to make things right. I wanted to be her.
The film is great fun for kids. All the characters look exactly as I imagined, especially, the villain, Ms Trunchball.
https://youtu.be/XuyElRs_48Q
Final thoughts…
I am looking forward to sharing Roald Dahl with my children.
We’ve had free books from MacDonald and my 4y old has enjoyed his samples of The Enormous Crocodile, Willy Wonka and The Witches (he’s braver than me).
He has recently started picking chapter books from the library (Thank you Dennis The Menace from bringing the term ”bum face” into our home), so, I think he is likely ready for a Roald Dahl novel. With his recent love of toilet humour, I think The Twits would be a good place to start or George’s Marvellous Medicine. What do you think?
Can you remember the first book that kept you up all night and which Roald Dahl book is your favourite?
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post listing literary festivals taking place in the UK throughout the UK that have caught my eye. To read the full list, please click here.
This post is to remind you of those taking place this Autumn.
You can attend individual days or the whole weekend. The event has been running for twelve years at the university and includes workshops, one-to-ones and helping writers getting an agent or with publishing independently.
This event is run by Norwich Writers’ Centre and I think this is its fifth year. You pay for the events you wish to attend (some are free) which range from author talks to workshops.
This year, they are celebrating their 20th anniversary as Scotland’s National Book Town.
There are hundreds of events and you by tickets for those you wish to attend. There are free events for children and if books aren’t your thing you will find other arts featuring at the event such as music, film and theatre.
At the time of writing this years date and prices were yet to be confirmed. I included it because last years line up was full of house hold names (like Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Miranda Hart, etc). I’m sure this year will be just as promising – this is one to watch!
The information for the site is currently about last years event which was aimed at families and young adult. I recognised a lot of the names and books in attendance and the event is supported by The Times and The Sunday Times. I expect it will be very promising again this year.
Once called Manchester Poetry Festival, this event has grown year upon year. It now hosts a wider range of events. The main events take place in October but there are literary events outside of this window. You pay for the events you wish to attend.
Held by Liverpool University is a weekend of literary events in this cultural city full of history. It is a varied programme with some big name in attendance and you buy tickets to the events you wish to attend.
Literary events are planned over the weekend and you can by a day ticket to attend all of them that day. It’s a small event but with good variety. Plus, Southwold is a beautiful seaside town to visit.
Originally, I hadn’t bought a ticket to this event, at Felixstowe Book Festival 2018, as I thought it was only for children and accompanying adults. When I discovered I could attend, I bought a last minute ticket and I am so glad I did.
This workshop covered different techniques for making books. We were given paper, pens, needle and thread.
We were shown three different techniques. First we created a simple folded book and they showed us how to use this technique to create a thin long book or a short wide book.
Then, we made a shaped book. The design they taught us was in the shape of a house. Inside we cut out doors.
We were encouraged to fill in our books. I choose to turn the ‘house’ book into Noah’s home with easy words for my son to read. Another attendee theirs into a row of beach huts, someone else had the house changing through the seasons and a girl drew each house belonging to her best friends. It was great to see how universal the design was for each person.
For the folded book, we were asked what our favourite word was. Mine is “banana”. We were then challenged to fill our books based on our favourite word. I decided to write about different colour bananas to the tune of “one potato”. Later, I gave the book to Noah to colour in. He was able to read the colours and word banana easily. As a minion fan, he found it funny that it was about bananas.
The final technique we were shown was a stitched book. They taught us how to gather a suitable number of pages and the right size cover. We were shown how to safely make the holes for binding and the pattern to use for the stitch using a waxed thread.
We then had time afterwards to try making any of the methods again or to continue decorating and filling in our books. I made another stitched book and used floral paper from their scraps box. I plan to use this as a notebook to records ideas for a best selling novel!
The scraps box was full of all sorts of different bits of paper ranging from left over card/paper to gift wrap and gift bags to wallpaper. For the cover you need something thicker than the paper used inside. It really demonstrates how creating your own books is very sustainable as you are repurposing stuff you may have otherwise thrown away.
Around the room were several books for anyone wanting to learn more about making books. They recommended:
The event was brilliant. Emily and Jeni worked well together to deliver an engaging and interactive workshop. I hope they continue to return to Felixstowe Book Festival to share their knowledge and enthusiasm of making books.
*****
I had planned to create a video to illustrate how to make these but haven’t had the time. Hopefully, I will one day.
Have you ever made a book – what style do you make and what did you use your creation for? I am hoping to do this with my son to encourage his writing. Please let me know if you’ve got any tips.
