Book
buzz
Blackwell’s Schools Newsletter
Reader Review
During December author Matt
Ralphs visited the whole of year 8 at
Gosford Hill School and talked about
his new book ‘Fire Girl’. Fire Girl is an
amazing fantasy book based around
the life of Hazel and witchcraft.
Matt talked to us about the progress
of the book, telling us: “It took me
two years to write my book, I wrote
it in between my shifts at work and
by candlelight on my canal boat.” He
told us it wasn’t easy and he could’ve
easily given up, but he was glad that
he hadn’t because he’d persevered
and achieved his dream.
Matt inspired a number of students
at Gosford Hill when he gave his talk:
“A read I can’t put down.”
“An inspirational talk.”
“Simply inspiring.”
“I loved it when he brought out his
sword.”
“I loved it when Matt involved the
audience.”
As this quote shows, Matt spoke to
the audience and involved us. He
based his talk around the students
and was described by them as
‘confident’ and ‘interesting’.
As a prolific reader, I can honestly
say that the genre of the book
didn’t appeal to me, but as soon as I
heard Matt read the extract, it soon
changed my mind. I bought a copy of
the book which Matt Ralphs signed. I
think the book is a fantastic read and
I can’t put it down.
Cerys McAdam
Well done for your review Cerys. It’s
great to hear that Matt’s visit inspired
you to read his book. A £5 Blackwell’s
voucher is on it’s way to you now.
If you would also like to win yourself
a wonderful Blackwell’s voucher get
scribbling away and send your ideas
or reviews in.
February 2016
Meet the Bookseller
Hi, I’m Adam and I work in the Customer Service
Department in the Norrington Room. The
Norrington Room has over £1,000,000 worth of
books on over nearly three miles of shelving, which
I think is pretty cool. I have been a Bookseller
for just over two years and my favourite thing is
recommending a book that really changed the way
I think about the world.
The first book I’d like to recommend is ‘The Shadow of the
Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It tells the story of a young boy in
Barcelona who is taken by his father to a secret library to choose
a book. The book he chooses is also called ‘The Shadow of the
Wind’. This is an exciting thriller which has loads of mystery.
Next I’d like to recommend ‘Night Watch’ by Terry Pratchett. It
follows Sam Vimes, as he travels back in time to track down a
murderer and change the outcome of a revolution. All this whilst
training his younger self how to be a policeman.
Finally the last book I’m going to recommend is another Terry
Pratchett, that he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. ‘Good Omens’ is
about the coming of the Anti-Christ and the end of the world. The
only problem is that nobody remembers where the Anti-Christ is
and with the end of the world approaching, people are beginning
to get a little strange. It relies upon the unlikely friendship
between an angel and a demon to sort the mess out. This is a
really funny book with loads of sinister twists.
So these are just three of my favourite books and I hope you will love them
just as much as I do. If you see me in the shop I am always willing to give more
recommendations on books I love.
Book of the Month
Electrigirl – Jo Cotterill and Cathy Brett
I don’t know about you but I’ve never really fancied
being struck by lightning. Having superpowers,
though, that would be cool. Meet Holly Sparkes, an
ordinary 12-year-old, struck by lightning and now
able to generate electricity just by thinking about it!
Of course, having powers is all very well, but when
Holly accidentally blows up her class room, she runs
the risk of everyone knowing she’s ELECTRIGIRL!
Good thing Holly’s younger brother Joe reads
comics and knows everything there is to know about
superheroes. When Holly’s best friend disappears,
Holly and Joe are the only ones to suspect the creepy
Professor Macavity and her high-tech organisation
CyberSky. Can they foil Macavity’s plan and save the
world? Told through a combination of text and comic strip, ELECTRIGIRL is a
brand new action-packed superhero story that’ll make your hair stand on end!
Author of the month - Jo Cotterill
Jo Cotterill has been writing stories and songs since she
could hold a pencil and has now published over twenty
books for children and young adults. Her most recent
novel, LOOKING AT THE STARS, a story about refugees and
the power of storytelling, was nominated for the Carnegie
Medal and Highly Commended in the Oxfordshire Book
Awards. She has also written six books in the light romance
series SWEET HEARTS and enjoys writing shorter stories for
reluctant readers. She lives in north Oxford with her family,
likes making cards and cakes, and believes passionately that
there should be more female superheroes.
So Jo, in your life you have previously
been a teacher, an actor, and a
musician amongst many other things.
Do you think you’ve accepted life as
an author or do you have any burning
desires to try anything else?
I say I get bored easily, but I think it’s
just that I like variety. My interests have
always spanned a whole range of arts –
performing, music, art, design, crafts – as
well as the fascinating area of special
needs. And I just love working with young
people, who are constantly surprising and
inspiring. Writing provides a great outlet
for me because it really can be as varied
as I like. There are still things I’d like to try,
writing-wise: theatre plays and film scripts.
And maybe a novel for adults too. Give me
time!
Your books cover many different
topics, from war to synchronized
swimming and love to super heroes.
Where do you even begin your
research to make your stories as
realistic as possible?
The story always starts and ends with
my characters – how they feel, what
their values are, how they relate to other
people – so all the other stuff, like wars
and hobbies, is there to serve the story.
Research is a necessary part of that, and
if I’m writing a story that deals with things
I’m not personally familiar with, then I
usually try to talk to someone who knows
what it’s like. For example, when working
on A LIBRARY OF LEMONS (out in May
2016), I talked to a couple of social workers
because the central character is a young
carer, and there’s a crisis in the story
which means social workers get involved.
I wanted to make sure I got those details
right (and I did have to change the story
when they told me it wouldn’t happen like
that!). Researching synchronised swimming
was a BLAST because the GB Olympic
team let me watch their practice (and let
me tell you, those women are FIT) – and
researching ELECTRIGIRL meant reading
lots of superhero comics and being shown
around the local substation by an engineer,
which was fascinating!
Imagination is something you
obviously have a lot of. When you were
at school what kind of things did you
think about?
Er, you mean apart from whichever boy I
was in love with? (They usually didn’t know
I existed.) Music. I wrote a LOT of music,
at every opportunity, and sometimes in
lessons when I was supposed to be doing
something else. And I frequently imagined I
was Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth.
Your latest book Electrigirl is already
getting rave reviews. Yay. It’s quite
different from your other books.
Where did the idea of a super hero
story come from?
From my growing frustration with
inequality. I have two daughters and I’m
more feminist now than I ever was. Where
are the female superheroes? Why do boys
think girls are uncool and uninteresting?
Why don’t girls believe they can rule the
world? Who are my daughters supposed to
dress up as? Where’s my soapbox? Oh, I’m
standing on it.
Being a graphic novel type book
Electrigirl has loads of pictures, which
is great. But how did you find working
with an illustrator?
It took us a little while to settle into our
roles, to be honest. Initially, Cathy and
I thought that we would work quite
collaboratively. I bounced story ideas
off her, but she wasn’t as critical as
I’d expected, and then I made some
comments about her drawings which she
didn’t like – and then we decided we’d stick
JANUARY Classic Story Quiz- Answers
1. Wizard of Oz
2. S
wallows and
Amazons
3. Winnie the Pooh
4. The Borrowers
5. A
lice’s Adventures
in Wonderland
6. The Secret Garden
7. Oliver Twist
8. T
he Tale of Peter
Rabbit
9. Mary Poppins
10. T
he Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe
11. Peter Pan
12. T
he Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn
to our own areas of expertise! So now
I write the text first, along with detailed
instructions for the comic strip sections
(what’s happening in each panel, any
speech bubbles, sound effects and so on)
and then Cathy and I sit down with the
editors and designer and plan the layouts
(what size/shape of panels etc) and then
she goes away and draws it. And then I’m
MEGA excited when I get to see the artwork
because it is always FANTASTIC!
Quick fire round
Chocolate or cheese?
Cheese. Really. Chocolate is a very close
second though.
Sea or mountains?
Sea. I love the sea. Especially when it’s wild
and windy and exhilarating.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs. You know where you are with a dog.
Cats are fickle.
Rugby or football?
Football. I even know the offside rule.
Claudia or Tess? (Strictly)
Claudia, a million times. I luff her. She
makes me laugh so hard I can’t breathe.
Superman or Spiderman?
Spider-Man.
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Wars (my husband would choose the
opposite). Especially the new film! Hurrah
for Rey!
Monthly Discount
Password
In what year was
Roald Dahl’s book
‘The BFG’ published?
To get 10% discount on Children’s
books quote your answer to the
Bookseller when you pay in the
Children’s department.
Discount valid at Blackwell’s Oxford
until 29th February 2016. Cannot be
used with any other offer.
NEW BOOKS FOR YOUNGER NEW BOOKS FOR OLDER
READERS (9-12 YEARS) READERS (12+)
1
6
2
3
7
4
8
5
9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
10
1. The Box of Demons – Daniel Whelan (£6.99)
2. Anna and the Swallow Man – Gavriel Savit (£9.99)
3. The Many Worlds of Albie Bright – Christopher Edge
(£6.99)
4. Wilfred the Unwise – Cas Lester (£5.99)
1. Maresi – Maria Turtschaninoff (£10.99 - £2 off RRP)
5. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K Larsen – Susin
Nielsen (£7.99)
2. The Art of Being Normal – Lisa Williamson (£6.99)
3. The Icarus Show – Sally Christie (£10.99)
6. The Case of the Missing Moonstone – Jordan
Stratford (£7.99
7. Medusa’s Curse – A.J. Hunter (£5.99)
4. W
hen Everything Feels Like the Movies – Raziel Reid
(£12.99 - £3 off RRP)
8. The Last Immortal – Alex Marlowe (£6.99)
5. Pariah – Donald Hounam (£7.99)
9. Trickster – Tom Moorhouse (£6.99)
6. Movers – Meaghan McIsaac (£7.99)
10. D
reaming the Bear – Mimi Thebo (£6.99)
7. How Hard can Love Be? – Holly Bourne (£7.99)
8. More of Me – Kathryn Evans (£6.99)
All titles listed above are included in our ‘3 for 2’ offer unless otherwise stated.
Crossword
1
Across
2
3. R
ick Riordan’s most famous character (5,7)
5. B
ook featuring Mrs do as you would be
done by (3,5,6)
6. The Selfish (5)
9. Residence of Mr Toad (4,4)
3
4
10. A time travelling rodent (7)
11. Divergent, insurgent (9)
5
12. R
oald Dahls first autobiography (3)
13. C
ountry the pied piper originates from (7)
6
7
8
14. Name of children’s laureate (5,7)
Down
9
1. G
ame made famous by Winnie the Pooh (4,6)
10
11
2. Charlie Brown’s dog (6)
12
4. T
eenage diarist who grew up in Ashby De
La Zouch (6,4)
7. C
olour of the owl and the pussycat’s boat (3,5)
13
14
8. P
oet who influenced the book Skellig (7,5)
Events
Harry Potter Evening
Thursday 4th February,
4pm-6pm (age suitability 7-12 years)
To celebrate Harry Potter Day we have
a series of Hogwarts themed activities
including Pin the Sock on Dobby, badge
making, fortune telling and wand making
amongst other things.
This event is free to attend however
we advise you to book a place to avoid
disappointment. Tel: 01865 333623 or
e-mail [email protected]
Michael Scott : Delphi
Thursday 4th February,
7pm-8pm (age suitability 15 years +)
We are very pleased to welcome Michael
Scott to Blackwell’s to talk about ‘Delphi:
A History of the Centre of the Ancient
World’. The talk will be followed by a book
signing and drinks reception, as well
as the chance to find out more about
Voyages to Antiquity.
Tickets for this event cost £5 per
person. To purchase tickets, please
contact our Customer Services
Department on Tel: 01865 333623, or
e-mail [email protected]
Jo Cotterill, Cathy Brett
and Cas Lester Book Launch
Friday 5th February,
6.45pm-8.30pm
Electrigirl, the first book in a brand new
superhero series for 8-12s is published!
Come and help creators Jo Cotterill and
Cathy Brett celebrate.
Sharing the joint launch is ‘Wilfred the
Unwise’ by Cas Lester, a story for younger
readers about an 11th century wizard
accidentally catapulted into the 21st
century! Costumes encouraged - a prize
for the best! Wizards AND superheroes
what’s not to like?!
Philosophy in the Bookshop
with Nigel Warburton and
Stephen Law
Tom Moorhouse Book Launch
Saturday 6th February,
11am-12pm (age suitability 15 years +)
We are pleased to announce that author
of ‘The River Singers’ and ‘The Rising’, Tom
Moorhouse will be launching his new
book ‘Trickster’. Why not come and join
the celebration and take the opportunity
to chat with Oxford’s resident Zoological
Children’s Author.
We are hosting a series of events entitled
‘Philosophy in the Bookshop’ where
Nigel Warburton interviews a fellow
philosopher on a range of thought
provoking topics.
For the first talk, Nigel will be in
conversation with Stephen Law.
Stephen is the author of the bestselling
philosophy books, The Philosophy Gym
and The Great Philosophers: The Lives
and Ideas of History’s Greatest Thinkers
among others and is also the editor of
philosophical journal Think.
These talks are free to attend and will
last approximately 1 hour, which includes
time for questions from the audience. The
talks will take place on the first Saturday
of each month. For more details or
enquiries, please call 01865 333620 or
e-mail [email protected]
Harry Potter Night
Saturday 6th February,
7pm-9pm (age suitability 15 years +)
Why should the kids have all the fun?
Did you grow up with Harry Potter
or have you recently become a fan?
Either way join us for some Harry and
Hermione themed fun. The evening will
take the format of a trivia quiz, where all
customers will be split into the Hogwarts
houses. There will be breaks to try your
hand at wand making, have your fortune
told, create your own living photo’s and
test your potion making skills with our
cocktail potion bar.
This event is free to attend however
we advise you to book a place to avoid
disappointment. Tel: 01865 333623 or
e-mail [email protected]
Wednesday 10th February,
6.45pm-8.30pm
This event is free to attend however
we advise you to book a place to avoid
disappointment. Tel: 01865 333623 or
e-mail [email protected]
Teen Fiction Reading Group
Friday 12th February,
6.30pm-7.30pm
The Teen Fiction reading group meets
once a month in Caffè Nero at Blackwell’s
Bookshop, Oxford.
This month we will be discussing ‘The
Art of being normal’ by Lisa Williamson.
If you would like to join the group
please contact Hannah Chinnery
on 01865 333651 or e-mail
[email protected]
Moving Pages Film Book Club:
Stardust
Thursday 18th February,
6.30pm-9.30pm
Each month a book is chosen that has
been adapted into a film. Members
read the book before hand, then during
the session we watch the film together
and share our thoughts on book verses
film. This month we will be reading and
discussing “Stardust” by Neil Gaimen
This event is free to attend! We are unable
to allow entry without registration, so
book your place now Tel: 01865 333623
or e-mail [email protected]
This event is free to attend although
we are unable to allow entry without
prior registration. To book your place
please contact Hannah Chinnery
on 01865 333651 or e-mail
[email protected]
Please send your questions, reviews and ideas to Rebecca Waiting, Blackwell’s Bookshop, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BQ
or e-mail them to [email protected] or [email protected]
01865 333606
@kidsblackwell
Blackwells.co.uk