THE NEXT BIG THING

To celebrate our exciting teenage fiction publishing this summer, we have produced a newspaper for you to view online.

www.thenextbigthing.me.uk

THE HORRIBLE SCIENCE OF SUBMARINES

The Royal Navy Submarine Museum are launching a new exhibition this Easter – The Horrible Science of Submarines.

This has been devised in collaboration with Nick Arnold and Tony De Saulles, the writer/illustrator duo behind The Horrible Science books. It is a funny, family friendly exhibition following young “newbie” submariner Sammy Sardine as he finds out just how smelly submariners were, the ghastly food they ate and how sub loos could turn into poo fountains.

Click here to download the flyer for more information

Click here to view the news release

World Book Day is held on 1st March 2012 and Scholastic’s very own Holly Webb has been selected as a special World Book Day author.

She has written The Clever Little Kitten which sees another instalment in Holly’s charming series - Magic Molly. The Clever Little Kitten is available in book shops for £1 or FREE in exchange for a £1 World Book Day Book Token. Read all about World Book Day on www.worldbookday.com

Holly Webb loves the idea of World Book Day - a whole day dedicated to reading! Her dream job as a child was to be a librarian, so she could sit in the library and read everything. She never thought about being a writer, she was a reader. Books were the ultimate adventure for a shy child who wasn’t very good at running fast or climbing things. It wasn’t until Holly was much older that she discovered the pleasure of writing too. Now Holly loves the thought that people are curled up with one of her books, imagining themselves in another world. Holly lives in Reading with her husband, three sons and a cat – who isn’t quite as troublesome as Posy, the star of The Clever Little Kitten.

Liz Pichon’s debut novel The Brilliant World of Tom Gates won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2011. We are overjoyed to announce that the book has also just won the Red House Children’s Book Award – the only national book award which is voted for purely by children.

The book is also on the shortlist for Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

The third book in the Tom Gates series publishes this month - Everything’s Amazing (sort of).

THE HUNGER GAMES

The Hunger Games is the bestselling trilogy by author Suzanne Collins.

This month – 23 March, the film The Hunger Games releases in UK cinemas. Read all the news about the film, the books and where to buy them on the dedicated Hunger Games website www.thehungergames.co.uk.

Watch the trailer for the film online now

Moira Young’s red hot debut novel Blood Red Road has WON the 2011 Costa Children’s Book Award

This is a very prestigious book award which truly distinguishes Moira Young as an exceptional talented new writer. Moira is currently working on Rebel Heart, the sequel to Blood Red Road which publishes in summer this year.

Keep up to date with the latest news on Blood Red Road’s Facebook page

JULIA DONALDSON:
CHILDREN’S LAUREATE 2011-2013

The role of Children’s Laureate is awarded every two years to an esteemed writer or illustrator of children’s books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field. Julia Donaldson is the author of many of the best-loved picture books ever written, and no storytime is complete without one of her fabulous rhymes. As the author of over 120 books and plays written for children and teenagers of all ages, Julia Donaldson will bring a great deal to the role.

She is the first Scottish-based Children’s Laureate and is thrilled to have been appointed: ‘It is a great honour to have been chosen as the new Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate. Over the next two years I hope to find every opportunity to be a spokesperson and advocate for children’s books and reading.’

Julia Donaldson is currently touring libraries around the UK as children’s laureate. She will attend Edinburgh International Book Festival in summer.

Alison Green Books have published five titles by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Read all about them here.

At the Royal Television Society Awards on Tuesday, the Horrible Histories® TV series was presented with its 10th award for Best Children's Programme.

The popular CBBC TV series has already garnered three Children's BAFTAs, three Kidscreen Awards, a Broadcast Award and an AIB Award. This year, the series also won a prestigious British Comedy Award – a first for a children's programme.

The BBC's Horrible Histories® TV series was described by the judges of the Royal Television Society as "An unpredictable show full of raw energy, with great comedy writing that makes you laugh out loud. Innovative, challenging, brave, bold and clever with outstanding acting."

Licensed by Scholastic Media and produced by Lion Television, Horrible Histories® hit TV screens in 2009 to great acclaim. The bestselling book series, written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, is a global brand with over 30 million Histories® books sold worldwide, translated into over 30 languages.

The series is now running its third season, and there is a now a adult version of the show available on BBC1 presented by Stephen Fry.

You’ve survived the books  and the TV series, now dare you discover the Horrible Histories® Virtual World?

Travel back in time and experience history in all its gory glory. Choose from five wicked worlds through which to guide your awesome avatar. Whether you belong in Ancient Egypt or Rotten Rome, whether you aspire to be a cruel queen or a putrid pirate, there’s a whole world of nasty bits only a click away. Enter if you dare...

The gruesomely good news just keeps rolling in for CBBC's Horrible Histories TV series: the already-award-winning show has now won the Best Sketch Show category at this year's British Comedy Awards.

Find out more at www.horrible-histories.co.uk.