Tag Archives: Christmas Books For Young People

JANE CABLE INTERVIEWS CAROL THOMAS ABOUT HER CHRISTMAS BOOK FOR CHILDREN

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In a year where kindness and thinking of others have been brought to the fore, I am delighted to be chatting to Carol Thomas about the release of her latest children’s book, Being a Friend at Christmas. You may be more familiar with Carol as a romance writer, but her children’s books are wonderful too.

In this, the second in her Little Pup series of books, Little Pup is looking forward to his first Christmas in his new home, but he also remembers the dogs he left behind in the shelter and wants them to have a happy Christmas too. Little Pup has an idea, but he needs Father Christmas’ help to make his wish come true.

I love the premise of the book and the fact it carries a message of thinking about others, what inspired you to write it?

Having seen Little Pup settle into his forever home in the first book, I couldn’t resist revisiting him at Christmas. I had the idea for the story soon after writing the first. As a teacher and a mum of four, I think children are good at grasping concepts, such as empathy, kindness and generosity, from the books they read. Stories can be enjoyable and fun, as well as inspiring a conversation, and I believe that’s what this book does.

I know you illustrated the book too, which do you prefer illustrating or writing?

Writing definitely, but I did love drawing the pictures for Being a Friend at Christmas. I drew them during lockdown while homeschooling my son and supervising my two high school aged daughters with their studies. It was quite therapeutic. I love dogs, so bringing Little Pup to life was a lot of fun.

How did you manage to keep the creativity going during lockdown?

There are five of us at home, and it was actually lovely to find our own rhythms for the day. We started work at times that suited us, went for walks, and did things like sit down and eat together – something usually prohibited by getting to various after-school clubs. I think focusing on those positives and not putting pressure on ourselves really helped.

I wasn’t the only one who got creative in our household, either. My daughter started making bracelets, earrings, bead art and keyrings and opened an Etsy shop. She’s had some lovely, positive feedback and I think it’s great to see a teenager being creative and using their initiative. You can check out her crafts here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RedDaisyCrafts

 As people turn their attention to buying for Christmas, I am sure they will make great stocking fillers, as will your book.

Thank you. I hope so. I love to share Christmas stories with my own children and hope others feel the same. There is something very special about sharing a book, and snuggling up in the winter months complete with pyjamas, slippers and a heartwarming story; it’s is a real treat!

 

And with being a friend and thinking of others in mind, between now and Christmas, Carol is raising funds for Angel’s Garden, dog shelter, in Xanthi, Greece on all purchases of Being a Friend at Christmas, made from this link: https://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/blog-dogs-at-christmas/

Christmas Books For Young People | Christmas Gift List

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It is never too early to get a child into books. Hopefully it will become a life-long habit. These are a great selection for tots to teens. christmasbooksforchildren

Deadly 2015 Annual Steve Backshall  Out 6 November, HB £12.99

This is a brilliant book to get your child interested in nature and the wider world. Steve Backshall’s Deadly team travel to all corners of the world to film, visiting the driest deserts, the steamiest rain forests, the highest mountains and the snowiest forests in search of the most awesome wildlife. This annual is full of amazing pictures and facts about these incredible places and the animals that spend their lives there. There is also plenty of puzzles, pictures and fun stuff to enjoy.

Deadly Annual 2015

 

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager 

A great idea for a book. Becoming a teenager can be as hard as living with one. This brilliant book is a guide to starting the journey to an ideal life as a teen. It helps support young people to become the very best version of themselves—and shows them how to figure out who that is, exactly. Written by experts in the art of happiness and positive psychology, this new book will help teenagers become brilliant at school, work and life in general. They will learn to stay cool under all the pressures they’re facing and plot a map for the future that takes them wherever it is they want to go.

This is a book for ambitious teens who are ready to become proactive, determined, successful and most importantly: happy! And for parents and teachers desperate to turn a down-beat teenager into a ray of positivity and delight

The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager

 

Adventures in Raspberry Pi by Carrie Anne Philbin

This is a great book to give your child a head start in life. Computing knowledge is a must and learning how to program will seriously boost their future career prospects. Assuming no prior computing knowledge, Adventures in Raspberry Piuses the wildly successful, low-cost, Raspberry Pi to explain fundamental computing concepts.

 

The Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized computer that, when plugged into a screen and a keyboard, can do many of the things that a desktop PC. Users can experiment by connecting up electronics circuits, learn to program in Scratch and Python, learn to manage programs and files with Linux and much more.

 

Written by Carrie Anne Philbin, a high school teacher of computing who advises the UK government, the book contains nine fun projects that young people will be able to use to learn basic programming and system administration skills. Starting with the very basics of how to plug in the board and turn it on, later chapters (called Adventures) cover areas including Programming Shapes and Building a Raspberry Pi Jukebox. Each project includes a link to a lively and informative video to reinforce the lessons, making it perfect for young, eager self-learners and their parents.

Adventures in Raspberry Pi

 

Tinder Sally Gardner

A great novel for teenagers (and adults) go sink their teeth into: Otto Hundebiss is tired of war, but when he defies Death he walks a dangerous path. A half beast half man gives him shoes and dice which will lead him deep into a web of dark magic and mystery. He meets the beautiful Safire – pure of heart and spirit, the scheming Mistress Jabber and the terrifying Lady of the Nail. He learns the powers of the tinderbox and the wolves whose master he becomes. But will all the riches in the world bring him the thing he most desires?

Fairy tales are often the cruellest stories of all; in this exquisite novel Sally Gardner writes about great love and great loss.

Tinder

 

Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Changed The World

The girl of the moment. Nobel Peace prize winner Malala has finally told her story. A wonderful gift to give children of either gender. A testament to how important education and equality is. Written in collaboration with critically acclaimed National Book Award finalist Patricia McCormick. Malala tells her story – from her childhood in the Swat Valley to the shooting, her recovery and new life in England.

Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World

 

Best Friends Bakery A Spoonful of Secrets By Linda Chapman

A Spoonful of Secrets is a fun and enjoyable read. This is the second book in the series. A great story about friendship, fun and baking. After a difficult beginning, things are starting to look up for the Sugar and Spice Bakery. Business is good, and Hannah is excited about starting school with her new friends. But as school starts, Mia is acting strangely, and it looks as though things aren’t going to be as easy as Hannah had thought…

A Spoonful of Secrets (Best Friends’ Bakery 2)

 

Mariella Mystery Investigates The Spaghetti Yeti By Kate Pankhurst

Book five in the series. A fun and engaging book for your child.

“Mariella Mystery (That’s me!) – totally amazing girl detective, aged 9 and a bit. Able to solve the most mysterious mysteries and perplexing problems, even before breakfast.

Is there really a spaghetti-loving yeti stalking the woods next to Limpet Rocks Campsite? Mariella and the Mystery Girls are determined to find out.”

Mariella Mystery Investigates the Spaghetti Yeti (Mariella Mysteries)

 

The Beaver and the Elephant by Keith Lemon

We were quite surprised that the same person who does the crude TV show Celebrity Juice had written a children’s book, but apparently it is true. A hilarious prequel to the bestselling Being Keith, Little Keith Lemon is a no-holds-barred memoir of Keith’s early life in Leeds.  Keith lifts the lid on all the experiences that have led him to become an international ladies’ man and national treasure – from honing his entrepreneurial skills while organising a topless jelly wrestling competition to turning his back on a breakdancing career. This first book, containing three short stories, brings Keith’s distinctive style to the page and follows the adventures of the bossy Beaver and the bumbling but loveable Elephant – whether they are shopping for shoes, splashing around in the sea on holiday or getting into the Christmas spirit. You might even spot a strawberry blonde Northern businessman in there too.

The Beaver and the Elephant is available here.