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This week has seen many a Year 1 child taking a ‘Phonics Screening Check’ at school. The ‘check’*comprised of 40 words which the children were asked to read/decode. Half of the words were ‘real’ whilst the other half were ‘pseudo’. Why? So that the children’s knowledge and understanding of phonics could be checked. Many children can have a good go at guessing words from initial sounds or a recognised letter pattern, with pseudo words children have to draw on their decoding skills only.

There have been many arguments against this process since its unveiling. I have mixed feelings about it. My concerns are not really about the check itself or the fact that the data is sent to your local authority. Those who argue that this is too young to ‘fail’ our children need to remember that data from the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) is also submitted and the children are a year younger. I don’t believe that it fails our children. Poor teaching and ridiculous legislation created by people who live in a bubble far away from the chalk-face fails our children. The upside of this process (and we should look for one as it’s likely to stick around for a while) is that it provides focus for those schools who may be struggling to help their children learn to read. I know that phonics alone isn’t the answer, but the reality is it is part of the primary curriculum. And as such, I’d rather teach it successfully than badly.

My main concern about the screening is that someone without teaching experience will pull out a large calculator and set unrealistic targets for our children’s future reading levels. Being able to decode phonics alone does not make you a reader. A true reader is someone who can digest the text (and illustrations) that they are presented with. They form and justify personal opinions based upon what they have read. That’s a reader. Barking at nonsensical letter strings does not a reader make!

*That’s right, the government are not referring to it as a test. Clever heh?!

The glorious Lovereading are running some fast paced, super duper competitions at the moment and this is how it works:

To celebrate the fact that they have recently passed 10,000 (wow, that’s A LOT)  followers on Twitter,  a series of competitions have been set.  Every day this week they will be launching a ‘Prize Alert’ at a random time in the day (There will be one Twitter ‘Prize alert’ per day, and one on Facebook).

Fans will have exactly one hour to either share the image (Facebook) or retweet the Tweet (Twitter), in order be in with the chance of winning a randomly selected prize. This prize will be picked from the following list:

9 x copies of ‘Alice Bliss’ by Laura Harrington
9 x copies of ‘The Summer of Secrets’ by Alison Lucy
1 x Grand Prize, consisting of an Amazon Kindle + One copy of each of the above books.

So, if you’re feeling lucky, have a go!

I don’t know why but I decided that I would have a good old sort out through the children’s books this evening. We’re rapidly running out of shelf space, so something needs to be done.
However, this task is riddled with problems:
Problem 1 There are books quite literally everywhere; where do I begin?
Problem2 I am a huge book nerd (no surprises there) and find parting with books very difficult.
Problem 3 My kids are also big book nerds and they’re worse book hoarders than me.
Problem 4 A lot of the books on the children’s bookshelves are actually mine and quite frankly I’m not prepared to part with them.

So there you have it. Space is limited, my book habit is worsening and I am terrible at giving books away. The result? We may have to invest in more shelving!

I have finally finished reading my proof (gloat) copy of Michelle Paver’s Gods and Warriors. It didn’t take ages because I wasn’t enjoying it, in fact the opposite is true. I read the first half very quickly and then made myself slow down, because I didn’t want it to end. Yes, it’s that good.

Without giving too much away, this book is certainly on par with Paver’s previous works of art. The pace is so intense, it leaves the reader breathless and the protagonists so believable that you root for them all the way. I only hope that the follow up to this powerful story isn’t too long in the offing.

Due for publication in August, Gods and Warriors is sure to delight the reader. You may find it in the children’s section, but believe me an adult will get just as much from Paver’s magical prose. Paver fans and those not yet converted, you are in for a treat!

I know I wrote about the Carnegie/Greenaway Awards yesterday, but I’d left my notebook behind and really wanted to throw a few inspirational quotes your way. Before I do that, a few stats which may interest you (if not, skip past to the next paragraph and please suppress your yawns). There were approximately 90,000 children involved in the CILIP Shadowing Scheme, from all different backgrounds and schools. Over 13,000 reviews have been posted on the website in the past few months. So who says that children have become disengaged from reading? This scheme is a testament to all that is good about the world of literature. As Philip Bradley (the CILIP President) said, books and reading groups ‘have the ability and power to engage…and fosters a sense of community,’ Well said!

As I said yesterday, libraries were high on the agenda and rightly so. Jim Kay spoke so touchingly about the impact that libraries have had on his life, ‘I owe everything in my life to libraries…[libraries are] essential to creative arts.’ He went on to say that the loss of libraries is more than the loss of the ‘quantifiable’, but ‘most disturbingly of all…a child’s potential.’ Patrick Ness (aah, lovely Mr Ness) echoed these words in his acceptance speech. Most poignantly though, the lovely Mr Ness recognised all that is good and true about teenagers, that they are amazing and deserve praise. ‘For all the incredible young readers out there…thank-you very much.’

Rachel (I’m so sorry I can’t remember her surname), the Chair of judges spoke passionately about libraries and the work which our qualified librarians do. They ‘show us other possibilities…that is the power of stories.’ ‘We set knowledge and stories free and in doing so we give hope.’ Powerful and inspirational stuff. There is nothing that I can or need to add, so I will leave it there.

…Wow, what an amazing day I have had. I took my rather brilliant reading group (The Reading Saints) to the Barbican today to attend the Carnegie/Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards. For those of you not in the know, the CILIP Carnegie Medal is the country’s oldest and most prestigious prize for children’s and young people’s writing. The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal was established in 1956 and is awarded for “outstanding illustration in a children’s book”.

I have a whole host of brilliant quotes in my notebook, which I have rather superbly left at school, but I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow before sharing some of this experience with you. To say that it was fantastic would be an understatement. Apart from anything else, it was held in pretty swanky surroundings and there were canapés a plenty! To top that, the place was teaming with wonderfully talented authors and illustrators, all who were happy to speak with our children, pose for endless photographs and sign an untold number of autograph books (yes, including mine. I have no shame).

The well deserved winners were Jim Kay for his undeniably beautiful, yet eerie illustrative work and the rather lovely Patrick Ness. What was truly ground breaking was that this was a collaborative work, which scooped up both prizes. The book, of course, is A Monster Calls. If you haven’t read it, why not? It’s a book about love, facing your fears and hope. This was a theme which was alluded to in the speech given by the Chair of Judges, who really focussed on the power of the written word in the lives of children, and subsequently in all of us.

What struck me the most was the powerful support of libraries this afternoon. In a time when our libraries are closing by the dozen, or run by volunteers and machines, it was heart warming to hear the passion which so many in the book world have for libraries. They are places where we can escape, where we can find ourselves, become inspired and be inspirational. My message to you is this, visit and support your local library and librarians (they are exceptionally good at what they do) and also take a look at the Carnegie/Greenaway website. Anyone who can bring a group of children together in a reading group is eligible to take part in the shadowing scheme and I can happily say that it has been a truly positive journey, not just for the children, but also for me. The debates which this process has sparked have been at times quite fiery, which is what it’s all about. Let our children celebrate and explore the power of the written word.

Tomorrow I will be taking my very fabulous reading group to the Barbican for the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children’s Book Awards. I think it’ fair to say that I am just as excited (possibly a little more) than the children. This is simply my idea of heaven!

So, prepare yourselves for a full account of the day and possibly some groovy photo’s too. Now, what to wear…

An exciting day indeed for Chicken and Frog, as we welcome our first guest blogger. Ok, it’s H and I asked her, but it’s better than reading my ramblings.

I love Enid Blyton books because there’s something in there for everyone whether you like a mystery, a straightforward tale or a story about trouble and tricks, these books are for you. A mixture of emotions are in many of the books, from Famous Five to Malory Towers. Her books capture everything!
Enid has written many books about girls’ boarding schools and all of the mischief they get up to. I particularly enjoy the Malory Towers series and have read them over and over again. There are marvellous midnight feasts, troublesome tricks and very courageous characters who save others. When you pick up one of these books, you don’t want to put it down, that is the great thing about Enid Blyton.
As well as school stories, she has also written adventure stories such as Famous Five and the Secret Seven. All of these are about children (no interfering adults!) solving crimes and sorting out problems. She has written a wonderful range of books as you can see. Why not read one?

If you would like to be a guest blogger, just email us blog@chickenandfrog.co.uk

One of the perks (yes, there are some) of this new venture is that from time to time we get sent a wonderful parcel of proof copies. I am a huge fan of this, firstly because I get free books and that’s never a bad thing and secondly, I get to have a sneak preview of some amazing stuff!

So, this week I have been reading Michelle Paver’s Gods and Warriors. Paver is an award winning author, claiming the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. A great achievement indeed. I think something that sets this author apart from the rest is her immersion into the whole process. She researches painstakingly, which builds towards the creation of very credible, although fantastical worlds.

I’ll be honest, when I first received this book I earmarked it for our youngest daughter, thinking it would be perfect for her. I have waited two whole weeks and now my patience has worn out. I couldn’t wait any longer for H to read it first, so I have stolen it away. In just two days I have read a little under half of the book. I know that doesn’t sound like much to some of you, but it is half term, which means herding three children (four including Mr Frog) around and I have been poorly (sympathy always accepted, thank-you).

In summary, I would say that this is a real page-turner, with beautifully constructed settings and characters so well crafted, that you feel instantly connected to them. I will endeavour to finish Gods and Warriors within the week and let you know my final thoughts.With the blurb on the proof claiming ‘this is a guaranteed Number One best seller.’ it will interesting to see if Paver’s new publishers are right.The book is due to be published on 28th August.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we ‘lost’ the premises that we have been negotiating/haggling/stressing over since January. Initially I was too despondent to blog about it, that moved onto anger and now I feel ready!
I thought that it may be useful for others to know what an indie business needs to go through before they are handed the keys to their own place. It’s a complicated (and relatively expensive) business, even if all of your hard work doesn’t lead to anything concrete.
The initial step is market research. You may be passionate about your ideas, but if others aren’t, it’s back to the drawing board. Also, local market research drums up interest and fuels your ideas, resulting in even more ideas! In addition to sending out questionnaires, flyers etc I would say that Twitter has benefitted us greatly in terms of getting our name known. We have over 660 followers already, many of whom are locals, waiting for us to open.
Next, but preferably in parallel, finances are a biggy! Yes it sounds obvious I know. You have to account for every eventuality, and then add on some more for contingency. I am extremely grateful for my wonderful accountant mum – figures hurt my brain a little. If you’re the same, I highly recommend seeking some professional advice.
If after months of research you are sure that your idea has possibilities, then you’re ready to look at premises. This is a huge step. Premises are expensive and full of hidden complications, so be prepared. If it’s in a shopping centre, the rent may seem appealing compared to the high street, but beware of service charges and non-negotiable insurances. They add up fast, making your bargain not quite such a good catch. The other area which caught us off guard was the Heads of Terms, which are often unclear and open to interpretation. I would urge you to get these checked and clarified early on.
And finally, employ a reliable surveyor. If you choose right (we went to the RICS website), their advice is invaluable to you. Again though, they come at cost, so make sure that everything else is ironed out first. Our experience has cost us approximately £2,500 and we’re no closer to physically setting up shop than we were six months ago.
All is not lost though, we have learned a great deal and if anything, it has strengthened our resolve to make Chicken and Frog the best children’s bookshop ever!