The Reading Room

Book Signings!!!

Grab your copies of Anthony Horowitz and Darren Shan books and get yourself along to their book signings!

That's right, Anthony will be signing in WH Smith in Manchester on the 31st October and Darren will be signing in WH Smith in MeadowHall on the 9th October.

So get your copies of Darren Shan and Anthony Horowitz books here!

Back to top Added: 7th October 2008

The Winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2008 is...

PATRICK NESS

At last the result of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize has been announced and the worthy winner is Patrick Ness for his highly original and breathtaking novel The Knife Of Never Letting Go. Patrick Ness beat a range of brilliant authors including Jenny Downham, Frank Cottrell Boyce and Siobhan Dowd to claim the prestigious award. The judges, including last year's winner Jenny Valentine, were 'blown away by the breathtaking quality of Ness's writing', according to Julia Eccleshare the chair of the panel of judges.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the book you must! It's about the journey of 12-year-old Todd Hewitt who begins to learn the disturbing truth about the town in which he lives - a male-only town where you can hear people's thoughts.

So congratulations to Patrick Ness for winning this prestigious prize.

Buy 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' here!

Back to top Added: 30th September 2008

The 39 Clues online game has gone live!

A brand new and groundbreaking children's book series - The 39 Clues - was launched globally on 9 September 2008. This original and thrilling series includes 10 adrenaline-charged books, collectable cards, and a dynamic online game where readers uncover information beyond what is revealed in the books and cards and compete for amazing prizes against children around the globe. For UK players the grand prize is a massive £5000!

The 39 Clues centres around the Cahills - the most powerful family the world has ever known. But the source of the family's power has been lost. Grace Cahill, the last matriarch of the Cahills, changed her will minutes before she died, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: receive a million dollars or a clue. The first Cahill to assemble all 39 clues hidden around the world will discover what makes the family so powerful - a reward beyond measure. It's Cahill versus Cahill in a race to finish, with readers hot on the heels of the main characters, fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her eleven-year-old brother, Dan.

Let the hunt begin! ...

Back to top Added: 11th September 2008

The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize Shortlist is Announced!

At last the exciting shortlist for the prestigious Guardian Children's Fiction Prize has been announced! The shortlisted books are:

Watch this space to find out the overall winner which will be announced on September 24th.

Back to top Added: 10th September 2008

Rowling Wins Legal Battle.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has won a legal battle at a New York Court. She had sued RDR books last year in her attempt to stop the publication of Steven Vander Ark's Unofficial Harry Potter Lexicon, which threatened to breach copyright laws.

Ms Rowling objected to the book on the grounds that 'The proposed book took an enormous amount of my work and added virtually no original commentary of its own.' Her original plans to write her own Harry Potter Encyclopaedia and donate the proceeds to charity are currently on hold.

Read more on the JK Rowling court case!

Back to top Added: 10th September 2008

Roald Dahl Funny Prize Shortlist is Revealed!

Founded by and chaired by children's laureate Michael Rosen the Roald Dahl Funny Prize honours children's books that truly make us laugh out loud. In fact the judges, including Roald Dahl's granddaughter and author in her own right - Sophie, have promised that every title on the two shortlists are 'properly tears-in-eyes, wheezing, sneezing, snorting funny!'.

The shortlist for children aged six and under:

The shortlist for children aged seven to fourteen:

The winner of each category will receive £2500, which will be presented at an awards ceremony in London on the 13th November.

Check out more info on the Roald Dahl Shortlist here!

Back to top Added: 10th September 2008

Books In Space!!

There's a new book in town, well space shall we say!

The cover of the children's book, George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking is actually going to be blasted into space on October 12th 2008!

The book cover will be signed by Lucy Hawking and printed by Stephen Hawking. The covers journey will start in Cambridge then via Russia onto Kazakhstan then finally reaching it's destination at the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits 220 miles from the Earth's surface.

Read the full News Release

Back to top Added: 3rd September 2008

Shortlist Announced!

The Booktrust Teenage Prize shortlist has been announced!

The Shorlist is as below;

The winner, who will be announced on November 18, will receive a cheque for £2,500 and a trophy. Previous winners include Marcus Sedgwick for My Swordhand is Singing, and Mark Haddon for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

For more details on the shortlist visit www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/01/booktrust.teenage.prize.com

Back to top Added: 2nd September 2008

Groundbreaking!!

Puffin books has launched the Young Bond alternate reality game, The Shadow War. This is groundbreaking news as it is the first alternate reality game made specifically for children around books.

The launch precedes publication of the fifth book in Charlie Hogson's best-selling Young Bond sereis, By Royal Command, on 3rd September 2008

It is a gripping interactive online game which will put Young Bond fans in the shoes of a British SIS agent, or a Soviet OGPU Spy!

Start your mission at www.youngbond.com

Back to top Added: 28th August 2008