reading

The Children's CLiPPA – CLPE Poetry Award judging panel – is being chaired by Roger McGough and the shortlist has now been announced

Beanotown's Hugh Raine on creating for the comic he loved as a boy, the importance of this art form and really wild fun with Betty and the Yeti

Shifting friendships and moving up to senior school are compelling themes for children, played out compellingly in Simon Packham's new book

Ireland rugby international Donncha O'Callaghan was inspired by his own track record of embarrassing scrapes for the plotline in Disaster Dad

Colette Hiller's Colossal Words taps into children's innate gift for language by introducing them to words of substance and precision

Robin Scott-Elliot's Finding Treasure Island, weaves a gripping narrative around the boy and the hand-drawn map that inspired the epic 19th-century tale

For Jacqueline Wilson, being asked to write a new The Magic Faraway Tree adventure was a fantastic challenge, and an opportunity to revisit her own childhood

Coram has a long history of supporting children, and its Beanstalk volunteer reading programme celebrates its 50th birthday this year

Graphic novelist Jerry Craft talks about the importance of great expectations and giving children characters and stories they can believe in

Allie Esiri's anthology of nursery rhymes offers a rich variety of poems, songs and ditties ancient and modern to delight children and adults alike