More awards success for The House of One Hundred Clocks!
December 2020
A.M. Howell’s The House of One Hundred Clocks has been shortlisted for the Dudley Children’s Book Award. The Award recognises the best children’s books voted for by schools in Dudley. This marks yet more awards success for A.M. Howell, who recently also won the East Anglian Book of the Year Award.
Congratulations, A.M. Howell!
East Anglian Book of the Year Award win for The House of One Hundred Clocks
November 2020
A.M. Howell's middle-grade mystery The House of One Hundred Clocks has won the East Anglian Book of the Year Award! The title had previously won the Mal Peet Children's Award and had been put forward for the coveted £1,000 Book of the Year Award, which was decided by a panel of judges, with the winner revealed in a virtual ceremony on the 19th November.
A big congratulations to A.M. Howell on this wonderful win!
Doctor Who title The Wintertime Paradox launches today
October 2020
The Wintertime Paradox, the second of Dave Rudden’s Doctor Who titles, publishes today. Featuring twelve stories of Doctor Who Christmases past, present and future, this book is sure to delight any fans of the Doctor Who universe.
Christmas can mean anything . . .For Missy, it's solving Murders in 1909.
For a little girl in Dublin, it's Plasmavores knocking at the door.
For Davros, it's a summons from the Doctor, who needs the mad inventor's help.
The perfect collection for the bleakest - and sometimes brightest - time of the year, these are the tales for when you're halfway out of the dark . . .
The Wintertime Paradox is out today in hardback.
Check Mates longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021
October 2020
Check Mates by Stewart Foster has been longlisted for the 2021 UKLA Book Award, in the 7-10 category. The awards aim to celebrate books that reflect and promote diversity and showcase experiences that readers can relate to.
The shortlist will be decided by a panel of judges and announced in mid-2021.
Congratulations, Stewart!
Publication Day for The Last Garden
October 2020
It’s a double whammy for our Agency with the publication of The Last Garden, written by Rachel Ip and illustrated by Anneli Bray. Both Rachel and Anneli are represented by our Agency and formed a great collaborative team to work on this touching picture book.
In a war-torn city, a little girl tends to the last garden. But everyone is leaving and soon the girl has to leave too. The garden is all alone now but soon the seeds scatter throughout the city and the roots take hold.
Inspired by true events in Syria and war gardens around the world and throughout history, The Last Garden is a thoughtful, tender story of hope, touching on issues of conflict and migration, from a talented debut picture book pairing.
Congratulations to both!
Savage Her Reply out today
October 2020
Savage Her Reply, Deirdre Sullivan’s dark and feminist retelling of the Irish fairytale The Children of Lir is set for publication today.
Aife marries Lir, a king with four children by his previous wife. Jealous of his affection for his children, the witch Aife turns them into swans for 900 years. Retold through the voice of Aife, Savage Her Reply is unsettling and dark, feminist and fierce, yet nuanced in its exploration of the guilt of a complex character.
Publication day for A Poem for Every Autumn Day
August 2020
Just in time for autumn, A Poem for Every Autumn Day, beautifully illustrated by Zanna Goldhawk, is now out!
Perfect for reading aloud and sharing with all the family, this book dazzles with an array of familiar favourites and remarkable new discoveries. These seasonal poems – together with introductory paragraphs – have a link to the date on which they appear.
Congratulations, Zanna!
Never Show a T-Rex a Book out today!
August 2020
Never Show a T-Rex a Book, Rashmi Sirdeshpande's first fiction picture book is published today.
What would happen if you showed a T-Rex a book?
Well, she wouldn't know what to do with it . . . would she?
A madcap, super silly adventure story rooted in the transformative power of books. Out now in paperback!
My Other Life out today
July 2020
Polly Ho-Yen’s My Other Life publishes today. Perfect for early readers, this book introduces the topic of chronic illness to children and is perfect for helping children to develop their literacy.
Mae spends a lot of time in hospitals. She's had asthma since she was little and sometimes she just can't breathe. She was in hospital the very first time she saw the hole - a tear in the universe which seems to appear only to her. Before she knows it she is drawn into a parallel world, where things aren't quite the same...
Available now in Paperback and Ebook.
Two Sides shortlisted for the Alligator’s Mouth Award 2020
April 2020
Two Sides, written by Polly Ho-Yen and illustrated by Binny Talib, has been chosen as one of five shortlisted titles for the 2020 Alligator’s Mouth Award.
The award celebrates the best books for 6-8 year-olds, with the shortlist picked by a panel of children’s book experts including Nick Sharratt. A digital ceremony will be held in June to announce the winner.
Congratulations, Polly!
The Book of Hopes launches today!
April 2020
The Book of Hopes, a collection of over 100 pieces by a number of top children’s authors and illustrators, launches today. Edited by Katherine Rundell, the anthology aims to inspire hope and wonder in a time of uncertainty and is dedicated to all doctors, nurses, carers and hospital staff working through the coronavirus crisis.
Among the contributors is Polly Ho-Yen, whose story Hello follows a young girl approached by an alien wishing to learn about humans. Other contributors include Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson, Chris Riddell and Axel Scheffler.
The book is free to download on the Literacy Trust website and is published by Bloomsbury.
Collecting Cats longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2020
February 2020
Lorna Scobie’s Collecting Cats has been picked for the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize alongside fifteen other debut picture books. The illustration prize celebrates talented new illustrators in the picture book market, selecting from a diverse range of titles.
The shortlist will be announced on 19th May 2020 at a public event held at Foyles Charing Cross Road, with the winner revealed on 16th September 2020.
Collecting Cats is Lorna’s debut picture book as an author-illustrator. It was published in 2019 by Scholastic, closely followed by Lorna’s second picture book, Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!, in January 2020.
The Garden of Lost Secrets longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2020
January 2020
A.M. Howell has been longlisted for the 2020 Branford Boase Award for her debut novel, The Garden of Lost Secrets. Longlisted alongside Ann-Marie are the book’s editors, Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker at Usborne.
For over twenty years, the Branford Boase Award has been celebrating authors of outstanding debut children’s fiction and has often selected the most talented authors at the beginning of their careers. The award is also one of the few to recognise editors and their contribution.
The shortlist will be announced on Thursday 30th April 2020. The winner will be announced on 1st July at a ceremony in London.
Congratulations, Ann-Marie!
The Kissing Booth 2: Going the Distance is out today!
January 2020
The Kissing Booth 2: Going the Distance, Beth Reekles’ sequel to the Netflix sensation The Kissing Booth, publishes today.
Elle Evans seems to have finally tamed hotter-than-hot bad boy Noah Flynn, but now they're facing a new challenge. Noah's 3,000 miles away at Harvard, which means they're officially a long-distance couple - and it's tough. After all, there's only so much texts and calls can satisfy - and when Elle sees a post which suggests Noah's getting friendly with another girl, she's devastated.
On top of that, it's hard to ignore the new boy at school. He's gentle, sweet, cute - and definitely interested in Elle. With her heart on the line, what's a girl to do?
Join Elle, Noah, Lee and all your favourite Kissing Booth characters for another amazing romantic story that's sure to have you swooning.
Congratulations, Beth!
Savage Her Reply wins An Post Irish Book Award
December 2020
Deirdre Sullivan's Savage Her Reply, a dark and feminist retelling of the Irish Children of Lir fairytale, has won the Teen and Young Adult Book of the Year Award at the An Post Irish Book Awards.
The Irish Book Awards celebrate the diversity of the Irish literary scene, with the winners announced during a virtual ceremony on Noember 25th. The winners of each category are decided through a combination of public vote and a panel of judges, with an Irish Book of the Year also decided.
Congratulations to Deirdre on her well-deserved win!
The House of One Hundred Clocks wins the Mal Peet Award
November 2020
The House of One Hundred Clocks by A.M. Howell has won the Mal Peet Award for 2020, a category of the East Anglian Book Awards. The awards aim to celebrate and showcase the best books from across the whole of East Anglia. Considered by a panel of judges, the six category winners will now enter into competition to for the coveted £1,000 Book of the Year Award.
The House of One Hundred Clocks is A.M. Howell's second title, published by Usborne in February 2020. Her first historical middle-grade mystery, The Garden of Lost Secrets, received great critical acclaim and was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2020. Both titles have been featured in The Telegraph’s list of Best Children’s Books and have been named as The Times Children’s Book of the Week.
Congratulations, A.M. Howell!
Santa’s New Beard US Publication Day
October 2020
Caroline Crowe’s seasonal picture book, Santa’s New Beard, is set for publication today in the US. Published in the UK in 2019, this humorous and fun story is fast becoming a festive favourite.
When Santa accidentally shaves off his famous beard, the elves all rally round to help. Can they glue it back on? Maybe the answer is whipped cream or candyfloss. Or perhaps it's mashed potato . . .
Will they be able to sort him out before Christmas Eve? Things are not looking too good until the littlest elf has a bright idea!
The Garden of Lost Secrets shortlisted for the Awesome Book Awards
October 2020
A.M. Howell’s historical middle-grade adventure The Garden of Lost Secrets has been shortlisted for the Awesome Book Awards, a prize that celebrates the best new fiction authors for readers aged 7-10. The winner will be decided by thousands of school children across the South East of England, who will vote on their overall winner.
The Garden of Lost Secrets is A.M. Howell’s debut novel and was published to great critical acclaim in 2020, earning the author a longlisting for the Branford Boase Award.
Congratulations, A.M. Howell!
Paperback Publication for Twelve Angels Weeping
October 2020
Dave Rudden’s anthology of Doctor Who villain stories, Twelve Angels Weeping, is being released in paperback today.
Many of the peoples of Old Earth celebrated a winter festival. A time to huddle together against the cold; a time to celebrate being half-way out of the dark. But shadows are everywhere, and there are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things, lurking in the cold between the stars.
Here are twelve stories - one for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas - to remind you that to come out of the darkness we need to go into it in the first place. We are not alone. We are not safe. And, whatever you do: don't blink.
The Peculiar Thing with the Pea out now
September 2020
The Peculiar Thing with the Pea, illustrated by Claire Powell, it hitting the shelves today. Published by Barrington Stoke, this title is particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers.
Prince Pete isn't ready for marriage - he's only eleven! And this peculiar business with the pea is the daftest thing he's ever heard. Mother reckons she can find him the perfect royal bride and thinks the pea is the one true test. But when scruffy-looking Patsy comes along, claiming to be a princess, Mother's careful scheming quickly turns to soup. A laugh-out-loud retelling of The Princess and the Pea like you've never heard it before!
Second publication of the month for Rashmi Sirdeshpande with DOSH!
August 2020
A massive congratulations to Rashmi Sirdeshpande, who is celebrating her second book publication this month! DOSH: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It is now out in paperback.
Having some dosh in your pocket can be really exciting. And when it's used as a force for good, those pennies have the power to change the world. But managing money can seem daunting, especially in uncertain times. This book is here to build your confidence, transform you into a money expert and look toward the future.
Whether you want to become an entrepreneur, be a savvy shopper, save all your pennies or splurge on something you really want, children's author and former lawyer, Rashmi Sirdeshpande, is here to help you make the right decisions. Discover what money is, why it mattes, how to spend it and ways to make more of it in this fun and brilliant guide.
The Kissing Booth 2 released on Netflix
July 2020
Today marks the release of The Kissing Booth 2 on Netflix, following the huge success of the first Kissing Booth film. Both movies are based on the novels by Beth Reekles, who found fame at the age of fifteen when she uploaded The Kissing Booth to the story-sharing platform Wattpad, where it accumulated over 19 million reads.
Inspired by The Kissing Booth: Going the Distance, published by Penguin Random House, the movie follows the story of Noah and Elle as they juggle a long-distance romance and Elle’s changing relationship with best friend Lee.
Head over to Netflix now to watch this summer’s must watch movie!
The Garden of Lost Secrets shortlisted for CrimeFest Best Crime Novel for Children Award
June 2020
A.M. Howell’s The Garden of Lost Secrets has been shortlisted for the CrimeFest Awards, in the Best Crime Novel for Children category.
The awards ceremony was due to be held at a gala dinner in June but due to Covid-19, the announcement will now take place online on Tuesday 7th July.
The Garden of Lost Secrets is A.M. Howell’s debut novel and was published by Usborne in 2020. It was picked as one of The Telegraph’s Best Children’s Books 2019 and longlisted for the Bradford Boase Award 2020.
Congratulations, A.M. Howell!
Bo-Bo’s Cave of Gold out today
April 2020
Bo-Bo’s Cave of Gold (At the Heels of History) publishes today in the US. Illustrated by Claire Powell, this the second in the At the Heels of History series, written by Pam Berkman and Dorothy Hearst.
To save their family, Bo-Bo, a golden mutt, and her human brother Sheng must find a legendary treasure during the California Gold Rush in this second book of the At the Heels of History series, inspired by important events and told through the eyes, ears, and noses of dogs.
Publication Day for Tiny Ant
April 2020
Tiny Ant, written by Claire Freedman and illustrated by Claire Powell, is out today.
A joyful, rhyming celebration of finding your voice and not judging others by their appearance, written by the bestselling author of the Aliens Love Underpants series.
It’s time for the jungle talent show, and all the animals want to show off what they can do! The acrobatic lion, dancing gorilla and juggling monkey are all determined to impress the judges. But up against the mighty beasts of the jungle, what can Tiny Ant do?
The House of One Hundred Clocks Out Today!
February 2020
Today marks the publication day of The House of One Hundred Clocks by A.M. Howell.
JUNE, 1905.
Helena and her parrot, Orbit, are swept off to Cambridge when her father is appointed clock-winder to one of the wealthiest men in England. There is only one rule: the clocks must never stop.
But Helena discovers the house of one hundred clocks holds many mysteries; a ghostly figure, strange notes and disappearing winding keys Can she work out its secrets before time runs out?
The publication was preceded by a big marketing campaign organised by Usborne Books, which included special coffee cups featuring the cover.
Many congratulations, Ann-Marie!
Publication day for Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!
January 2020
Lorna Scobie’s newest picture book, Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!, publishes today.
Rabbit loves being the only child in the family. But when rabbit's parents have some news, and then more news, things start to get awfully crowded at home! Maybe the fox next door can help?
A picture book sure to have children screaming - with laughter, that is!
Congratulations, Lorna!