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What I want to be.........

The Daycare Trust are asking children and young people of all ages to join them to celebrate National Childcare Week 12th – 16 th July.

The art competition is based on “ What you want to be”. It may be a racing driver, a teacher, a writer, a spaceship astronaut, who knows......

fifiWinners of the competition will be invited to an awards ceremony in Central London where they will receive their prizes and the chance to meet some famous book and tv characters, like Big Chris and Roary the Racing Car and their creator, Keith Chapman. The closing date is 18th June 2010.

All the winning entries will be published on the Daycare Trust website and Flickr.com and other outlets, as well as being included in a booklet to mark the occasion.

SmithMartin Partnership LLP is a supporter and sponsor of the event and are pleased to be part of the Daycare Trust's continued work, campaigning for accessible and quality childcare.

The research carried out by Daycare Trust continues to be relevant and informative to parents, employers and government initiatives. One of the recent guides produced by Daycare Trust is...

'A Guide to childcare for disabled children' which provides lots of details and support contacts .

You can become a member of Daycare Trust and receive much of the information for free. Contact the Trust through their website.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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May give-away from Bookstart!

Last chance to enter the competition to receive a free picture book from Bookstart.

This month you can win a wonderful picture book from Max Velthuijs , either  Frog finds a Friend or Frog is Frog.

Great books to have and to share with your children. There is a whole series of Frog books and the illustrations are terrific, simple and appealing in the same way as the Maisy series.

The Frog titles have been translated into over 50 different languages and there stories and simplicity have the same appeal the world over.

'Frog is worried about his health: His heart is beating too fast. His friend Hare says that he must be in love - but who is he in love with?'

From Frog in Love 1989

The Bookstart website has a huge range of information and details about future events. The front page is just a delight, watch the bear and his friends come out of the sandcastle armed with books.

The  Booktrust Children's Books site has even more information about the whole range of children's books.

But try the May competition, there may just be chance over the holiday weekend and you may be lucky.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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jl2This is a book with real energy.

The story is about a real big issue.... set in the streets of East London where different communities live and work together. But for one boy, whose father is deeply involved with a fascist group, life is hard. His friends are what really matters to him and yet he can't seem to change his father's attitude.

He hears a voice from his friend, Fatima, in his head, helping him, like a voice of reason when life gets tough, and tough it certainly gets. Especially when the street is filled with an intimidating march led by his father to drive non whites from their homes.

Fatima and her friends make a stand to stop the march.
Where will Georgie be? Whose side will he be on?

'For a second I could hear cries of anger and confusion from some of the Fascists close by him. They were soon drowned out by an enormous cheer from behind me........ But soon, like a receding tide, they all began trudging back the way they had come.'

Joe Layburn at his best, and with a flair for excellent story writing and dialogue that all children will relate to.

Street Heroes is a new publication from Frances Lincoln. This book deserves to be read by children and adults alike.

Joe had joined us at one of our City Stories events called Leyton Stories - a great success.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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ipadWhatever you may feel about the idea of books being downloadable, there is something amazing about accessing such a wealth of material at arms length.

We are very interested in the whole thing, but can never quite see a world without the actual book, the real printed thing, that is!

The implications for learning are phenomenal and two organisations are already on the way for producing some interactive material that will encourage all students of any age and ability.

kiwaAt the London Book Fair we met with Kiwa Media . The Apps they had already loaded in their iPad were excellent, including many features,such as voicing the actual words, spelling and meanings, a range of languages too.

Handling an iPad was great, it felt like a tool that you could easily work with. The way that the touch screen operates means that it is just as intuitive as an iPhone. Even 2 year olds can work them!

ncNew on the block is also is Nosy Crow , a brand-new independent company, creating children's books and apps .They have number of authors and illustrators working with them and are keen to find new talent.

When the iPads make it to the market at the end of May it will be the start of the future. We don't feel that the book will be replaced but its no good being an ostrich.

At Dolphin Booksellers we are looking to buy and finding our way into the future.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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picThe government is to spend £3million pounds on training children's centre outreach workers. This is a drive to ensure that the most disadvantaged families are reached and the needs of all children and families are being met.

Now that children's centres have been running for some time they are good at planning and delivering services and activities and ensuring in many cases that financial stability is a priority.

Our partnership is involved in developing children's centres and continues to support them in both their marketing and work with the community. The local neighbourhood and a knowledge of families and organisations can make so much difference to ensuring that they are part of the community and not seen as another service beyond a closed gate.

Over 5000 workers are intended to be part of the training programme, which is being developed by Children's Workforce Development Council. It is being provided by National Children's Bureau through a programme called Families Going Forward and underpinned by 4Children.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Bradfield College

A whole weekend of children's books at Bradfield College, Berkshire - a splendid setting and the warmest days so far.

A great success for the FCBG Annual Conference 2010 .

Cake at Conference

We were there for the Saturday speakers.

Hadn't realised that there would be so much cake.

Definitely a bonus!

A Gothic Imagination started the day with Sarah Singleton, author of The Poison Garden and Century . She carried us through the attics of neurosis and cellars of repression, describing gothic style as somewhat claustrophobic, with decay and a feeling of being trapped in the past.

John Burningham(author of Mr Gumpy and many many more books), gave some amazing reflections on his work and career as an illustrator and author, somehow even finding a flair for trains in Japan.

Truth Lies and Violence was a lively seminar with Graham Marks (I Spy - The Constantinople Caper) and Marcus Sedgwick (Revolver). They even managed to travel to get the real feel of the settings for their books and in Marcus' case tried out a gun to see what it would feel like.

Books at Bedtime, in the middle of the afternoon, wasn't at all soporific! Wendy Cooling , David Melling and Clara Vulliamy were inspirational in their illustrations and composition of picture books. Hugless Douglas and The Bear with Sticky Paws are two of their titles.

And even time to relax too!

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Time to look at new books coming on the scene, chance to meet up with friends.

We enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and listen to the creativity of writing and illustrating.

Just wait until the children start getting stuck into those books.

Dolphin Booksellers for books and information on-line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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TwThe Twilight effect has taken children's books into another world, not just literally either. The saga and series of books are written by  Stephenie Meyer - Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, published by Atom Books of the Little, Brown Book Group have sold in epic proportions.

The films Twilight and New Moon are also available on DVD and they make chilling viewing.

But one of the real successes of the book is how a love story and other stories are interwoven in the framework of vampires and evil, a world Bella stumbles into. Once there, it seems like there is no escape.....

You may not find the books in the children's section any longer. That's mainly because so many 'grown ups' are now reading them. But what teenager would want to walk in to a children's section with Thomas the Tank Engine and The Gruffalo.This series is a stunnning new approach and brings you to a supernatural world, mixed with romance and a large portion of suspense.

Available from Amazon.co.uk through our web links above. Hover your mouse over the 'little book' icon to see the details of the title.

The books are available at great price today. So why not start at the beginning with Twilight and start reading. I guess you will not be able to put them down.

Dolphin Booksellers always on line - bringing you information and great books.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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lbThe  School Library Association have launched a Primary School Library Charter on Monday 15 th February. The charter will help primary head teachers and governors set up and run a school library or increase the contribution that their current library makes to the school’s effectiveness and the pupils’ well being and learning.

At Dolphin Booksellers and at SmithMartin Partnership we are so pleased that the value of libraries in primary schools is really celebrated. A well resourced library with an area and space which is attractive for children to sit and read or to access information is so important. Library spaces we have created have been places that children just love to be in.

Many schools, for many children, are the only place that they have access to a wide range of books. It becomes the very start of their own reading materials and if we are lucky it can be the catalyst for finding the way to local libraries.

Sir Tim Brighouse, associate professor at the Institute of Education , University of London and former Schools Commissioner for London, welcomed the charter, saying: ‘The school library is one of the key indicators of whether a school environment is as best fitted as it can be for learning. If the library is a desert, you start to worry.

Lucy Bakewell, librarian at Hill West Primary School in Sutton Coldfield and the first primary winner of the SLA’s School Librarian of the Year award (2009), believes that a primary school library plays a unique role in ‘grabbing children when they are building their vocabulary and growing their imaginations to introduce them to reading habits and information handling skills which will stand them in good stead later’. She adds: ‘Primary school librarians are also well placed to reach parents and help to create a reading ethos in families as well as in schools.’

Watch this space for more information, we will be interested to find out the response from Gordon Brown to a letter from international colleagues.

Dolphin Booksellers for up to date information and a chance to buy books on line.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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if Hotbook was launched at the Free Word Centre, Farringdon Road, London on 2nd February 2010. It was really exciting to discover this new style of accessing texts.

The message below will be beamed from the future to secondary students in the UK via the HOTBOOK, a ground breaking and free digital resource created by if:book, the think and do tank.

'The Great Wipe hath irrayzed much of world culcha, butta few bits of licheracha haveth bn found ­ pleez help mi choose most bestest 2 exxibit' -
from the curator of a history of the book 2/2/3010

The HOTBOOK aims to ignite a passion for literature, by introducing and exploring fragments of great works.These are presented in ways that will excite the audience of young people, who also use electronic games and social networking as well as reading.

"Schools have good I.T. equipment and technical support, but English teachers need inspiring resources to help them stretch their digital imaginations and make creative use of the amazing potential of new media for literature," said Chris Meade, Director of if:book, a charitable company which also offers training to teacher

'These are a fantastically creative set of multi modal resources with which to deliver the rich experience of both language and literature at the heart of the revised curriculum at KS3'.

if1Ellie Clarke, Head of English at Queensbridge School , one of the pilot schools, in the picture with two of the pupils and the box!

The teachers guide, is available from the website at Future of the Book.

Funding and support is given from Esmee Fairburn Trust and the Arts Council, along with Booktrust.


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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snThe Snow Leopard by Jackie Morris

Whilst listening to the radio, I heard that snow leopards are perfectly adapted to the snow and bitterly cold weather we are having in the UK. It made me stop and think, then refind my copy of The Snow Leopard by Jackie Morris, published by Frances Lincoln.

The beauty and spirituality of these animals is captured wonderfully. The story is truly magical.

“From the beginning of time the Snow Leopard has sung the stars to life, the sun to rise and the moon to wax and wane. She weaves a song to keep her hidden valley safe from the world of men and as she sings, a child down in the valley beneath, dreams her song.”

slThe illustrations are amazingly evocative with the dreaming and sleeping child snuggled close to the leopard. The shades of cobalt blue matched boldly against the white and grey fur.

If you are looking for a book to use for creativity and imagination, go for this one over the winter spell. The writing and illustrations will give endless scope.

And just open the pages, read, gaze and dream............

For a more scientific approach, facts about the snow leopard can be found on the BBC nature web site with further links. There are some great videos of snow leopards, these solitary cats need about 2000 acres of snow covered lands in which to roam.

Or visit Jackie's website and find out more about her work, she has a large range of prints for sale too.
Buy The Snow Leopard, by Jackie Morris before you leave?


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.