Category Archives: Young Adult

From 15 years without a book to “15 Days Without a Head”, Dave Cousins nails it with this uplifting tale of growing up for teenagers

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Yvonne Keen

                      Fifteen days refers to 15 hot days in the middle of summer when life begins to unravel for fifteen-year old Lawrence, his six year old brother Jay and their … Continue reading →

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Make time for reading for pleasure and not just to get ahead at school. Egmont’s ‘Reading Street’ reveals key benefits of children reading being missed

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Yvonne Keen

Our time (as children and adults) is constantly under pressure – from work, school, including homework and preparation for endless tests and exams (UK children are amongst the most tested children in the world), television, computer games and hand-held gadgets.   And … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Pre-teen, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Five favourite family board games enjoyed during the holidays and not an on-switch in sight!

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Yvonne Keen

Board games, it appears, are making a comeback – see a recent piece in The Guardian.  I, myself, have always loved board games – there is no on/off switch, they can be competitive or collaborative and they can be hilarious: … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Knizia, Reiner, Pre-teen, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow: in a near-future, Internet-dependent Britain, sixteen year-old Trent takes on the powerful media moguls and their brutal anti-piracy laws

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Imagine a world without the Internet.  No Internet to listen to music, watch films, find out what friends are doing (or perhaps what they’re pretending to be doing), no online banking, no online dating, no quick answers to the kids’ homework (because we’ve all become … Continue reading →

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Fire City by Bali Rai. A Little Babblers Review by Sophie Thompson from High Wycombe

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Fire City by Bali Rai : a review by Sophie Thompson Twenty-five years ago, humankind lost the war against the demons. Now the demons have taken over, yet there is still hope, there is Martha and the rest of the resistance, … Continue reading →

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Four very different Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland books plus beautiful, never-before-seen Alice illustrations by talented artist Marie Petty

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

 ”There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!’ (when she thought it … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 2-4, Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Carroll, Lewis, Kusama, Yayoi, Pre-teen, Sabuda, Robert, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Terrible Thing That Happened To Barnaby Brocket: A Wonderful Tale Celebrating Difference by John Boyne

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

“That’s just not normal, that”. But what exactly is normal and who, if anyone, has the right to decide what is normal?  Your parents, your wider family, your friends, your teachers, society? Where do we learn what is ‘normal’ and from … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 8-10, Boyne, John, Pre-teen, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Giver by Lois Lowry: from Utopia to Dystopia. A powerful story about what it is to be human.

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Jonas lives in a community which seeks order, conformity.  The Elders of the Community call it Sameness.    Sameness, it is thought, will protect the community’s citizens from pain, hunger, fear, violence, mistakes, wrong choices.  It is extended to all parts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Lowry, Lois, Pre-teen, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Getting to grips with Shakespeare: Great resources for gently introducing the writings of the Bard to children plus a fun Shakespeare game

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

There’s no doubt that the retelling of Shakespeare’s stories to a younger audience presents a challenge.   In Shakespeare’s original tales, the language is not entirely straightforward and I can remember when studying Twelfth Night for O level getting very bogged down … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Matthews, Andrew, Mayhew, James, Pre-teen, Ross, Tony, Ryan, Patrick, Teenage, Williams, Marcia, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

From India to London and back again: The Wheel of Surya by Jamila Gavin and Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari (plus stunning images from The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, edited by Susan Stronge)

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Our journey starts in the Punjab, north-west India, around the time of the Second World War.  Tensions between the different religious communities in India have been rising, fuelled by Britain’s declaration of war on India’s behalf and nearly a century of … Continue reading →

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Babbleabout and Random House Children’s Publishers UK launch “Little Babblers” plus tips on how to write a children’s book review

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

Babbleabout and Random House Children’s Publishers love to see children enjoy a good book.  So together we are offering children the opportunity to become book reviewers and to see their reviews published on Babbleabout.   In other words, to become “Little … Continue reading →

Posted in Age 4-6, Age 6-8, Age 8-10, Pre-teen, Teenage, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Dying to Know You by Aidan Chambers: “Could I talk to you?” “Why?” “You’re a writer?” “And?” “I need your help.”

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Yvonne Keen

“COULD I TALK TO YOU?” “Why?” “You’re a writer?” “And?” “I need your help.” “You see the sign on the door?” “Yes.” “What does it say?” “No visitors without an appointment.” “Have you an appointment?” “No.” “Then I suggest you … Continue reading →

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