Meet our fourth shortlistee!
Each week we're introducing one of the five brilliant authors shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. Up this week is Jamie Smith, author of Frostsliver – the story of one girl’s extraordinary survival when caught in a mountainside avalanche atop a sentient glacier.
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Befriend a Beetle with M.G. Leonard and PTES
If you've read Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard, you'll know what incredible creatures beetles are – but sadly in many countries stag beetles are now extinct. If you live in the south of the UK you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a beetle in the wild, so please keep an eye out for them and visit the People's Trust for Endangered Species website to find out what you should do if a beetle rocks up in your garden. (more…)
Meet our third shortlistee!
This week we're introducing Julie Mee, our third Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition shortlistee. Julie is the author of Project Cat's Away, which follows 12-year-old junior CIA agent, Emma, who struggles to maintain her work-life balance when a friend discovers her secret. (more…)
Meet our second shortlistee!
Each week, we're introducing you to one of the five fantastic authors shortlisted for this year's Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. This week it's the turn of Tracy Darnton, author of Milo and Operation Stepdad, which follows Milo’s funny and heart-warming quest to find a partner for his single mum. (more…)
Meet our first shortlistee!
Each week, we'll be posting a profile on each of the authors shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition, so you can find out more about them and their book before the final winner announcement in mid June. First up is Janine Barnett-Phillips, author of Asterix Clementine – a gritty love story between two teens with an unexpected twist. (more…)
Reaching the shortlist
As our 2016 shortlistees draw towards the final leg of their journey and the uber-exciting WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT (squee!), we Chickens feel incredibly privileged: we’ve got five amazing manuscripts on our desks, and we’re publishing one of them. It’s impossible to guess which the judges will choose! But what does it really take to make the final five or six in the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition? I’ve been investigating competition data from the past eight years, and I’ve discovered some interesting facts … (more…)
Two minutes with Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Today is the official publication day of the extraordinarily wonderful The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. You might have already spotted it in stores, as it's Waterstones' Children's Book of the Month for May! We caught up with Kiran to ask her some of our burning questions ... (more…)
A magical launch for The Girl of Ink & Stars
This week we descended upon the stunning Daunt Books in Marylebone to celebrate the wondrous book that is The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave! Here are a few of our favourite snaps from the night ... (more…)