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Image 3I started the book, Emilio, and was unable to put it down!! Three hours later I made it to the end, through adventures, family kidnapping, and dealing with drug cartels, all through the eyes of Emilio.

In Chapter Two, Emilio hears the bad news.'

The Federal policeman said, 'My name is Raul Castro, and I am an officer of the PF here in Mexico City....I regret to inform you that I have bad news.'

Emilio learns that his mother has been kidnapped.

Author Sophie Masson deals with real life issues for a young person in an area of conflict. It is excellently written, and is part of the Through My Eyes series published by Allen and Unwin with series editor Lyn White.

As well as being a great read it has information about the languages used, the areas of drug cartels and a timeline of drug conflict in Mexico and provides a good teaching resource for use in schools.

We recommend this book for 9 - 12 year olds.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout


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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Image 2Peggy's family is hosting a barbecue for their neighbours, the Dawsons. Peggy is not sure about the Dawson boys but she is delighted with the unexpected arrival of a crocodile.

What an unfortunate habit though of eating the guests!!

This book is brilliant, the story just leads you on into the world of a very polite but yet hungry crocodile. The illustrations are a real joy of the book, simply drawn yet captivating, especially the expressions.

Kim Kane has been short listed for many awards and now lives in Melbourne,Australia and this partnership with Sara Acton, is one to watch.

Sara lives near a beach in Sydney, just how awesome is that! From there she writes and draws in her studio for children's books.

The Unexpected Crocodile is published by Allen and Unwin, and is part of their excellent portfolio of children's books.

It can be purchased on line and if you buy through Dolphin Booksellers, we will donate 10% to Kalpana finding a home again in Nepal.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout


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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Image 2Kate Grenville was in conversation at the Australia and NZ Festival of Literature and Arts in London on Saturday 30th May.

Her new book One Life, has just been published with Cannongate. It is the story about her mother Nance, born in 1912 in New South Wales. A remarkable story, not because Nance became famous or wealthy but the story is about a woman growing up in a harsh family, in Australia in the 1920's and onwards.

After training as a pharmacist, she went to work in a local chemist and learnt much more about life than dispensing drugs.

Kate Grenville has a remarkable way of telling a story and after a few minutes of conversations and readings from One Life, it felt that we knew this woman Nance, her character of directness and ambition, to do all she could to make the most of life. As a young girl this was not easy at that time, but her determination was unstoppable!

It was a schoolteacher who changed her life and Mr Crisp, left her with a love of literature. Nance instilled in Kate a love of words, Nance had poetry in her mind and was able to deliver apposite quotes just when needed.

This was an amazing chance to listen to Kate Grenville and also hear about the very special book, The Secret River. Image 1

So now to read the book, One Life, from the opening pages it will be a book that will be hard to put down.

Check out the website for further conversations and adventures at the Australia and New Zealand Festival with lots of exciting authors.

Sue Martin


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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Image 2Azzi and her parents are in danger. They have to leave their home and escape to another country on a frightening journey by car and boat.

This is a telling story, set in graphic novel format and now available in paperback from Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

It is written and illustrated by Sarah Garland, who has worked directly with refugee families and the text shows that Sarah has been able to hear and understand the thoughts from children as they leave friends and family.

But for all the hardships, this book explores the resilience of children and the times when Azzi, starts to make friends and to learn at school are so valuable for her and her family.

A quote from Julia Eccleshare, ' Sarah Garland tenderly creates a story of home from the troubled experience of immigration in this warm-hearted picture book.'

This is a great story to share and to have in any school or home. We recommend to all our schools and Children's Centres

Sue Martin - Dolphin Booksellers - the best in children's books, always 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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Image 1Books Go Walkabout held a conversation with Australian author, Carole Wilkinson and students at Kellett International School, Hong Kong.

The Dragonkeeper Series, published by Walker Books, Australia is a great read for students for ages, 9 - 13yrs.

It is set in Ancient China, during the Han Dynasty and begins with a slave girl and her master,two dragons and a rat. One of the dragons dies and is made into pickle, the other dragon and the slave girl escape and their journey to the ocean begins.

The students had read the first 5 chapters and asked some insightful and searching questions such as;

' Why didn't you give the slave girl a name at the beginning?' student.

'I didn't want her to have anything, she had a hard life I wanted the reader to feel for her.' Carole.

The questions kept coming for an hour and the students at Kellett School also shared their own dragon that they had made. Carole explained that dragons in China were good and didn't always have wings. Maybe the Year 5 dragon will try and fly once his wings have been attached?kellett master cmyk aw

More reviews will follow this blog and photos and student comments will be added to Books Go Walkabout.

A great start to the Dragonkeeper series.

Sue Martin Books Go Walkabout at Kellett School


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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Image 4The best venue for those interested in Children's Books is Bologna Children's Bookfair, March 30th - April 2nd 2015.

The country focus this year at Bologna is Croatia and there are a wealth of countries from all over the globe with fascinating workshops and stands.

Books Go Walkabout is especially interested in the Digital Café,

Meeting with Dust or Magic

Speakers: Warren Buckleitner, Chris Meade, Louise Carleton-Gertz and Kristin Heitmann
Organized by: Children’s Tech Review

An impromptu coffee with Warren Buckleitner (Children's Tech Review), to discuss the state of children's tech.

Image 2Last year Walker Books, Australia, won the Bologna Prize for Best Children’s Publisher of the Year - Oceania Region.

A great achievement and we are pleased to be working closely with Walker Books Australia and their authors.

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Stay on line, if you can't make it to Bologna and listen to some amazing stories.

This blog will keep you in touch, or join us on Twitter @booksgowalk

Sue Martin at Books Go Walkabout BGW logoJS


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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Image 2 Adventures in looking at Art is a brilliant book by Quentin Blake and published by Frances Lincoln in association with the National Gallery Company, London.

Quentin describes the vision for this book as a way for children to talk about the pictures, and the story that is within them. On each page there are characters alongside the picture with captions from the characters.

 

Image 1Great to watch on Quentin Blake's web page.

The book was originally published in 2001 and this new edition is in hard back and makes a truly beautiful book to have for home and for school.

 

On choosing the pictures, Quentin says,

'All the pictures in this book are the ones I like, and if you like them too you may eventually want to know more about them and the artists who created them, so there are many notes about the artists...at the end of the book.'

Tell Me a Picture is a book with real adventures in looking at art, and if you buy this book it will lead into further adventurers I'm sure.

Sue Martin - Children's Books in Dolphin Booksellers and BooksGoWalkabout


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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March 5th 2015

Image 2The Biggest Book show on Earth.... is how World Book Day is described. With children all over the world dressing up and just getting down to reading, there are all sorts of things to do. Share a story competition, Dress Up and Donate, The Biggest Bookshop in Earth Online and a World Book Day, Lucky Dip... plus of course the £1 offer on loads of books.

BooksGoWalkabout is offering a free conversation with one of our authors from across the world. It can be to any school with internet connection that can skype out.

BGW logoJSCheck out the offer at World Book Day events

Have fun on World Book Day.

Sue Martin Books Go Walkabout-


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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Image 5'You are invited to a Digging Party and there will be free cakes and even some hidden treasure.'

Daisy's Big Dig is one of the new books from Francis Lincoln this Spring, through Janetta Otter-Barry Books. It is written and illustrated by Angie Morgan, and the pastels and watercolour mixes make for some brilliant illustrations throughout the book.

'The people who live in Daisy's street, never, ever talk to each other. But Daisy has a big plan to bring everyone together- a Digging Party!'

This must make a welcome change to all parents who try and find the latest in childrens themed parties.

A great book written and illustrated beautifully and published by such a successful childrens book publisher.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers - Children's 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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IbbY uk - 21st Annual IBBY UK/NCRCL

MA Conference, University of Roehampton, Saturday 8th November 2014

'Belonging is...an exploration of the right to be included and the barriers that must be overcome'

Something that is deep inside us all is the need to belong, to belong to our family, to belong to a group of friends, to belong to the places that we are part of in our work and free time.

A good theme for the conference and met with enthusiasm by all present.

The topics ranged from inclusivity and diversity, against the need for publishers commercial concerns,.

It was really interesting to hear about The International Conference held in Mexico this year. Pam Dix, the chair of iBbY UK, and other members who attended the Congres International de IBBY gave a wonderful account of the global dimensions and international development in children's books and the need to pursue an agenda of translation.

Image 3 Alexandra Strick, from Inclusive Minds encouraged others to join their collective and share ways of enabling inclusivity and the creation of characters with needs being just part of the story rather than being a stereotype of special needs.

Julia Hope, who has carried out a great deal of research on refugees in the primary classroom, gave a brilliant account and gave examples of children's books which are fundamental to the story and narrative of refugees. These included; The Silver Sword by Ian Serrailer, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr and Waiting for Anya by Michael Morpurgo.

Always a good day with time for reflection and thoughts about the role and immense importance of children's literature.

Sue Martin - Books Go Walkabout and Dolphin Booksellers

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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.