We are thrilled to be able to offer schools An Illustrated Year 2017. The initiative has been dreamed up by the brilliant team at Storytellers Inc. – if you are ever in or nearby St-Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire, do pay them a visit.
An Illustrated Year 2017 is the perfect way to introduce a new book to your class each month. Here’s how it works:
If you would like to find out more, see a sample of the beautiful calendar or sign up, just contact us!
01277 230 068/info@chickenandfrog.co.uk
Fanfare please! We have won the Raring2go! award for ‘Favourite Family Retailer’. Thank-you so much for everyone who voted for us!
Well, are you Zombie ready? We know someone who most certainly is; Molly Looby. How do we know? Molly came in on Sunday night, to share her awesome new book, ZA, with us.
Not only did Molly talk about her book, she also told us a little about Molten Publishing, the hybrid publishing company that she has set up with her lovely dad. The thing that makes Molten so special, is that Molly always gives feedback on submissions. If you want to know more, or you’d like to submit your YA writing, follow the link.
Back to ZA. ZA has been in Molly’s head for 5 years now and over that time, has completely transformed from the original manuscript to the gritty YA novel that it is today. That’s a long time to work on one project, but Molly is passionate about zombies and writing! She’s also been busily writing other novels at the same time.
During the course of the Q&A session, Molly told the audience about a great initiative called National Novel Writing Month. The very short version is that individuals commit to writing a 50K word novel in November. There’s a lot of support available to the writers though, so for more information, check out this link.
We had a great time with Molly. If you missed her, we have signed copies of ZA available in-store. And, if you’re a local(ish) school who would like a visit from Molly, let us know.
*A special mention is surely deserved for James, pumpkin carver master!
It’s almost Halloween, which means that there’s definitely a hint of magic in the air. And what better way to celebrate than with a wonderful author visit.
Luckily for us, award-winning author, Emma Cox made the very long journey from Exeter to visit us today. The bus replacement service didn’t deter her, which we are most grateful for.
Emma’s book journey is far more interesting than her slightly disconnected experience travelling to us this afternoon. She entered Malkin Moonlight in the New Children’s Author Prize, organised by the National Literacy Trust and Bloomsbury and only went and won it! You could say ‘lucky Emma’, but you could also say ‘lucky Bloomsbury’ and most certainly ‘lucky readers’.
After a lot of hard work, editing and re-editing this beautifully poetic tale, Bloomsbury published Malkin Moonlight in the summer of this year. We only hope that there will be a sequel…
If you didn’t get the chance to drop in today, never fear, as Emma has kindly signed some copies for us. There are also beautifully illustrated bookmarks up for grabs, for those of you who purchase the book.
Emma left great cat character sheets behind, which our creative writing club have put to good use. You’d be surprised at the array of different cats that can be created in such a short space of time!
Watch the bookshelves for Emma’s name, as we are certain that this is just the beginning of her long and exciting career as a magical author.
Yesterday was #BookshopDay, a national campaign from the Booksellers Association, celebrating the world of bookshops. We, as booksellers, are greatly supported by the BA and lots of superb publishing houses, who champion the bricks and mortar bookshop. As a result of this energetic campaign, we have wonderful Winnie the Pooh bags to give away to our customers*, from Egmont, as we celebrate 90 years of that silly old bear.
We were approached by Book Machine, to contribute to their amazing website this week, with our top tips for bookselling, from the shop floor. I am not sure that we are experts, but we gave it our best shot. The article can be found here. If you haven’t visited the site before, it’s certainly worth a read, although I warn you now, you may well lose hours in there. We’re most grateful for the opportunity to share our love of bookselling with others and also to Book Machine for linking their social media this week to the #BookshopDay campaign.
And on to the day itself. In the afternoon, we were joined by Nicky Dee, author of a fantastic series of dinosaur books. Each book focuses on one particular dinosaur; packed full of fascinating facts, with accurately drawn illustrations. Not only did Nicky share dino facts with the children, she also brought with her, the teeth from a T-Rex! The children got to handle the artefacts, as well as plenty of opportunities to ask Nicky questions. It really was a brilliant afternoon – I know that I learnt a lot!
If you didn’t get a chance to meet Nicky yesterday, we are delighted to be able to tell you that she has agreed to take part in next year’s Brentwood Children’s Literary Festival.
* Whilst stocks last
Hello! I’m Josh and I’ve suddenly now found myself another place to shout about books online! Every so often I’ll be blogging here on the Chicken & Frog’s website about great children’s books you should be looking out for, but today I start off with an interview I conducted earlier this year at the Brentwood Children’s Literary Festival with Dreamsnatcher author Abi Elphinstone!
What inspired you to become a writer?
“I think that it was partly growing up where I did, in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, and I think seeing all that rugged landscape around me, instilled a sense of wonder in my soul, and I think at the heart of the best children’s books is a sense of wonder and adventure, and because I grew up having a lot of that in my life inspired me to go on and write. I loved reading as a kid, so I think that was a part of it, but I wasn’t one of those kids that was always inside reading all the time, I was out and about and I think what I saw when I was out with my siblings climbing trees and building dens and about made me want to write about adventure made me want to write about adventure and kids that explored the outside world.”
Where did the inspiration for Moll & Gryff come from?
“I love child-animal bonds, but not in the domestic sense, I like a feral or wild bond; the animal and character and child have to grow in trust. I love that idea that there might be a wild animal that’s bonded with you in some way, and a wildcat fit with that story, because I knew the third book was going to be set in the Northern Wilderness, which is my take on Scotland, and one of Scotland’s animals that they’re really proud of, but is becoming increasingly rare, is the wildcat.”
What was it about fantasy that drew you to it?
“When I first wrote The Dreamsnatcher, I thought I’d written straight up adventure, but then in my first interview someone asked me how it felt to be writing fantasy and I was shocked! And I have tree ghouls and witch doctors, and yes there are witch doctors that do exist around the world, but I felt that my kind of magic could verge on being true. The more writing that I’ve done, the more magical I’ve become and more into the fantasy world. Shadow Keeper is more magical than The Dreamsnatcher. I loved reading fantasy when I was little, but fantasy that might be real. I like full blown fantasy too, but I like stories rooted in our world and include magic too.”
How excited were you when you got your second book deal?
“When I got my first book deal, I just assumed that was it and you were a writer for life, I had no idea that if your first book didn’t sell you got let go! When I found out the first two needed to sell, I did lots of events and got and started promoting them, and I was really nervous that I wouldn’t get to write again. I worked incredibly hard, and thankfully the momentum for the first two books picked up, and I got a second deal. The second deal was just as exciting as it cemented that idea that you were a writer and it wasn’t all just a fluke!”
Did anyone tell you that you may find it difficult to get published because of the groups of people you wrote about?
“A few publishers told me that they liked the story and the characters, but they were nervous about taking a book on Romany Gypsies, perhaps because it may have been difficult to sell foreign rights in areas where anti-Romany Gypsy feelings might be high. Some publishers turned it down on that front, and some others have said that they may take this series on but they are interested in anything I write in the future. The characters in terms of feisty and a bit silly but fun underneath females are fine, but I think it was the culture I drew in. Upsettingly too, you’d like to think we lived in an accepting world, but apparently not…”
Which is easier; character or plot?
“Characters sometimes come instinctively; Moll is basically with brown hair. Plot you have to really work to conjure up something original, but I do enjoy crafting plot, because especially for the MG market, that’s where you can really go wild with adventure and wonder. Although it’s really strenuous coming up with ideas, but once you’ve come up with that original twist, it’s really satisfying. The reward of seeing it all shaped out is really fun.”
Do you have a specific writing process?
“I do a lot of events, so often I write on trains or buses on the way to events, but if I have a day off, I have a little writing shed in my back garden. I just get up at 6:15am and I treat it as if I was doing an office job. I think that’s how you’ve got to be, because I’ve got so many deadlines, and if you fall behind deadlines publishers may get annoyed but you feel out of control. I get up, I write through until lunch, have a sandwich, then write through until 7pm, plus it’s quite trancelike when you’re writing. I kind of get lost in it all.”
“Usually I start off by reading a fairy tale because I find that there’s some really strong motifs in fairy tales that you can lift and do something of your own with. I go on a lot of adventures, which could be me walking through an antiques market, but when I’ve got my collection of ideas, I draw out bubbles, I write the stages of the book in those bubbles, plus I make a map of locations in my book and imagine my characters visiting them.”
How long did it take you from starting off writing to getting published?
“I started writing at 22 years old. My first book was published at 29. I had 96 rejections from literary agents on the books I wrote before Dreamsnatcher, so it took a long time for things to happen and for me to write anything half decent. Even know, I’m proud of what I’ve written, but I can still see things to improve. But I think that’s really good as a writer that you can find areas on which you can hone in.”
“96 rejections is a bit of a battering, and usually they’re self addressed envelopes with generic notes, so there’s only so many of them you can get before you start thinking you’re terrible at writing. It was really discouraging, but for some reason I had this innate sense of grit, my mum’s told me never to give up, so I just kept going. Ironically, when I first sent The Dreamsnatcher out, I did think to myself that this was the best it was going to get and if this doesn’t work maybe it’s not meant to be. But who knows? Perhaps if that got rejected, I would’ve tried again!”
“It definitely gave me a really hollow, empty feeling, but I think I learnt so much from being rejected. I learnt so much about perseverance and humility and courage in regards to publishing and in life, so actually every good bit of luck that comes my way now I’m very grateful. You tend to get the impression these days that people jump to fame in 5 seconds. It was quite a humbling thing for me to learn that you’ve got to try hard, you’ve got to work to it.”
What’s next for you?
“I’ve got another book signed with S&S that is an Arctic adventure, with narwhals, killer whales, possibly inspired by my travels to Mongolia, trying to shift the Eagle Hunters I met north. I’m wondering whether I might write that as a standalone, then launch into my next series. I’d like to do a portal book. I loved worlds that could be really close to our own as a child, so I’d like to experiment with a modern contemporary setting opening up a portal and going somewhere. I don’t like time travel too much though…”
What tips do you have for any aspiring writers?
“Focus. It’s becoming increasingly hard, especially with social media, to focus. I came off Twitter for the end of June and all of July because I couldn’t focus. I wasn’t even on Facebook before I got a book deal, but I think you’ve got to turn off all your apps and just write. Don’t think that because you’re on Twitter mixing with other writers that you’re writing. When you’re alone at your laptop writing, that’s when you’re writing!”
“Just work hard and don’t give up.”
You can find Abi online at abielphinstone.com or on Twitter @moontrug. Plus, her books are available to buy at the Chicken And Frog Bookshop too!
We have had such a lovely afternoon, with author of Ninja Nan and The Famishing Vanishing Mahoosive Mammoth, Hollie Hughes.
If you haven’t come across them yet, you must read Hollie’s beautifully illustrated picture books. Although very different in style (with Natalie Smillie and Leigh Hodgkinson illustrating respectively), Hollie’s great sense of fun and knack for weaving an enticing story, come through, page after page.
Hollie read her stories to a very keen audience, before guiding them through some super crafts, including circus tents, plates of mammoth food and flying pigs. We may be finding glitter for a fair few weeks!
Thanks to Hollie, Hollie’s family and of course, our great customers who popped in to get covered in glitter. We are hoping to take Hollie into a school or two, so watch this space.
Our next event in-store is with Nicky Dee, on Saturday 8th October. Dinosaurs will feature heavily.
If you know us well, then you will know that we are committed to get children (and their grown ups) partnered up with the perfect book. Part of the process is, of course, having a conversation with someone about what they like, and then pointing them in the right direction. However, another way (the best way) to inspire the act of reading, is to share a book and who better to do that, than the author or illustrator that created it? It’s exciting to meet a person who loves books so much, that they have been creative and brave enough to share theirs with the world.
That’s why we love to bring authors and illustrators to Chicken and Frog, as often as possible. In the coming months, we have quite a few visiting us here in sunny Brentwood.
So, here’s the run down of author visits (so far), between now and the end of the year:
Hollies’ books are, quite frankly, laugh out loud funny! (Age 3+)
Nicky will be bringing along dinosaur artefacts, as well as her beautiful books. (Age 4+)
This event is slightly different, as it is to raise awareness and funds for the Young People’s Counselling Services, here in Brentwood. Louis and Kathryn will be joining us from Spain, via Skype!
Perfect timing, just before Halloween. Magic and charm are the order of the day. (Age 7+)
Local author, Molly Looby, will be giving a talk, before mingling amongst the audience to sign books and answer your questions. (Age 13+)
Paula’s book is our Book Club pick for October, so we’re delighted that you’ll have the chance to meet her in December.
We will also be joined by Chitra Soundar in October, but need to finalise the details before we share them with you.
So there you have it, a run down of the author events taking place over the coming months. All events (apart from Molly’s) are free, so just turn up!
Hello lovely readers. Apologies for my absence; summer hols are a funny old time for us and I’m not sure where the last few weeks have gone.
We needed a week to get over the Brentwood Children’s Literary Festival. Not because of anything bad, we were just exhausted! So, that took us to week two of the break and between running a summer school for Larchwood Primary School, phonics sessions, 11+, the odd 1:1 teaching, Lego, plus all of the regular weekly goings on, we have somehow managed to get to the last couple of weeks without blogging.
So, here we are. A huge plus of such an extended school break is all of the reading time that it offers. I’d like to say that my wish-to-read pile has diminished as a result, but what has actually happened is that I have just added to it, thinking that somehow the days will magically extend to fit it all in.
In the past week or so, I have read a cracking proof from A.F.Harrold, entitled The Song from Somewhere Else. It is one of the most beautifully crafted books that I have read in a long time and is due to hit bookshelves in November. It’s well worth the wait…but then I can say that because I’ve already read it *insert evil laugh here*.
Frank Cottrell Boyce’s The Astounding Broccoli Boy is our Book Club pick for September. This is great, for two reasons. Firstly, because I just know that the group are going to love it. Secondly, because it’s given me an excuse to re-read it. Happy days!
What are you reading this summer?
Hello dear reader. How are you? I don’t know about you, but the fact that it is already July has come as quite a shock. For a start, the summer weather has only been with us for a few days and I’m sure that there are still remnants of Easter eggs at the back of the cupboard. However, like it or not, July did indeed arrive 11 days ago, which means that the school holidays will be here very soon. In fact, for some, they are already upon us.
As a parent, I love the school holidays; especially the long summer, with endless days of family fun ahead. My bank balance isn’t quite so keen though, but that’s a whole other blog! This summer there’s a plethora of brilliant activities to take part in, including the Family Fun Days around Brentwood. The focus of this blog is the new Brentwood Children’s Literary Festival ,which launches on 20th July with closed events for Brentwood County High School and Shenfield High School, before opening to the public on Friday 22nd Ju;y, with the darkly funny Christopher William Hill.
Here’s a run down of the line up:
THE AGE SUGGESTIONS BELOW ARE FOR GUIDANCE ONLY – ALL ARE WELCOME!
Abi Elphinstone: Prepare for catapulting hedgehogs and magical runes. (Sunday 24th July, 5:30p.m. Hogarth Primary, Age 8+).
Andy Robb: An hilarious treatment of teenage angst for all you geeks out there. (Tuesday 26th July, 11:00a.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 11+).
A.F.Harrold: Riotous performance poetry, escaping the circus and a magnificent beard. (Monday 25th July, 3:00p.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 7+).
Bizzy Bear: Join this lovable story book character for a free story session – SOLD OUT!
Caighlan Smith: YA author all the way from Canada. This is an exclusive UK launch of Caighlan’s new novel.Caighlan will be on hand to read your writing, as well as talk about her life as an author. (Saturday 30th July, 6:00p.m., Chicken and Frog Bookshop, Age 12+).
Christopher William Hill: Christopher’s tales are darkly funny – perfect for fans of Roald Dahl. (Friday 22nd July, 5:30p.m., Hogarth Primary School, Age 7+).
Dave Cousins: Football, friendship and guaranteed laughs. Also, learn what to do if confronted with an angry bear. (Thursday 28th July, 3:00p.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 7+).
David O’Connell: David’s artwork was displayed in Chicken and Frog for the Art Trail. David is the comic genius behind Monster and Chips. Join him for a writing and illustration workshop. (Friday 29th July, 11:00a.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 7+).
Elli Woollard: Fight dragons and design your own knight’s shield. Elli is double-billing with Michelle Robinson. (Saturday 23rd July, 3:00p.m., Hogarth Primary School, Age 4+).
Giles Paley-Philips: Design your own dinosaurs with Giles. (Saturday 23rd July, 11:00a.m., Hogarth Primary School, Age 4+).
Hazel Williams: Sorry, Hazel’s illustration workshop – SOLD OUT!
Ian Whybrow: Join the legend behind Harry and his Bucketful of Dinosaurs. Roar!! (Friday 29th July, 3:00p.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 4+).
Julie Irwin: Join Julie for a writing workshop packed full of energy. Bring your best ideas! (Thursday 28th July, 11:00a.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 7-12).
Karen McCombie: What can we say?! Karen is the undeniable Queen of Tween. (Monday 25th July, 11:00a.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 7+).
Michelle Robinson: Eat astronaut ice-cream and get involved with plenty of shenanigans. Michelle is double billing with Elli Woollard. (Saturday 23rd July, 3:00p.m., Hogarth Primary School, Age 4+).
Nikki Sheehan: Magical realism at its greatest. Discover your inner animal. (Wednesday 27th July, 3:00p.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 9+).
Pete Johnson: The king of both horror and comedy for children. Learn how to control your parents! (Tuesday 26th July, 3:00p.m., Brentwood Theatre, Age 8+).
Sara Grant: Sara is running two writing workshops, but the afternoon session is already full. (Sunday 24th July, 11:00a.m., Chicken and Frog Bookshop, Age 11+).
In addition to all of the events, we have some treats for you. Thanks to the Breakfast Brentwood Rotary we have dictionaries to give away; a selection of books generously donated by Bloomsbury; as well as signed copies of our authors’ books, due to the kind work of Gerry Bender, who has been persuading people to ‘donate a book’ to the festival. All you need to do to be in with a chance of receiving one of these free books, is purchase a ticket and attend an event.
Ward Councillors have funded free tickets have been made available for some lucky children who attend Hogarth Primary School, St Thomas’ Infants, St Thomas’ Infants, St Helen’s Juniors and St Helen’s Infants, but you must still get online to book your places!
Tickets (at just £3 per event) are available via the website www.brentwoodlitfest.com
Tickets must be purchased for babes in arms if you are booking for an event at the Brentwood Theatre.
THE AGE SUGGESTIONS ARE FOR GUIDANCE ONLY – ALL ARE WELCOME!
Chicken and Frog Bookshop 
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