Podcast appearances and mentions of nikki gamble

Jeremy Strong's final novel, Fox Goes North, is a beautifully written fable about a brave, loyal and quirky group of friends who travel together in a topsy-turvy caravan on a quest to see the Northern Lights. For the old, wise fox, this will be her final journey and resting place. Full of wisdom and humour, the themes of friendship, love and loss are handled with compassion and understanding.Jeremy was able to complete what he hoped would be his 'best book' but sadly died before it was published. In this conversation with Nikki Gamble, he discusses the book's themes, his writing life and his awareness that in this story, he was not only writing Fox's journey but also his own.Jeremy's legacy is that over 8 million of his books have made it into the hands of young readers and will have opened countless doors into the world of reading.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

In this episode, Elle McNicoll talks to Nikki Gamble about her novel, Keedie, the prequel to her novel, A Kind of Spark, now a BBC television series.About KeedieSet in Juniper five years before A Kind of Spark comes a powerful coming-of-age story from award-winning author Elle McNicoll.As Keedie and her twin Nina approach their fourteenth birthday, they seem to only be growing further apart. Keedie instead feels drawn to, and fiercely protective of, their quiet younger sister Addie – who on the surface is the opposite of loud and fiery Keedie, but in fact they have more in common than anyone knows.Support the Show.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

In this episode, Nikki Gamble talks to award-winning poet, novelist, playwright, and literary critic Clare Pollard about her debut children's novel, The Untameables.About the UntameablesUnder the bloody rule of King Arthur – as the cruel Knights of the Round Table wage wars and hunt magical creatures – the ordinary people of Camelot are getting sick. Really sick. Something is poisoning the land. No one in Arthur's court seems to care, but a spark of hope remains... The Holy Grail could save them all, and two children embark on a quest to find it.Shy, gentle Roan, a young dog keeper who works for the knights, is desperate to find a cure for his mum. He befriends Elva, a generous and outspoken kitchenhand with her own reasons for seeking the elusive Grail. Together, can they beat the knights to find it? And will drinking from it save Roan's mum? Clare says, 'Writing The Untameables was the most fun I've ever had with a laptop. I've always loved Arthurian myth – from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to the legend of Holy Grail; Morgan le Fay to Questing Beasts – and wanted to subvert and reclaim these tales for contemporary children (including my own), starting from the premise that maybe the knights of the round table were the bad guys. From a cameo by the Lady of Shalott to medieval riddles to solve, this is a love letter to our literary history, whilst – through the perspectives of Roan and Elva, children who work below-stairs at Camelot – it is also an attempt to look at it afresh. I'm so pleased to be with Emma Press for my first children's novel and to be part of their thoughtful, beautiful list.Support the Show.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Jodie Lancet-Grant is the author of The Pirate Mums and The Marvellous Doctors for Magical Creatures. and The Legend of the Wild West Twins, The Pirate Mums made history as the first book with a two-mum family to be read as a Cbeebies Bedtime Story, when it appeared in 2021, read by Sue Perkins. In her day job, she is Associate Publisher at Bluebird, Pan Macmillan, where she commissions high-profile non-fiction books. Jodie is the chair of judges for the Polari Prize for Children's Books, which celebrates LGBTQ+ books and creatives. She lives in East London with her wife and their twin daughters.  Support the Show.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

After training as an actor and working as an English teacher, Lucy published her first novel, The Secret of Nightingale Wood, which won the 2014 Montegrappa First Fiction Prize; further novels, Our Castle by the Sea, The Ghost of Gosswater, and Sisters of the Lost Marsh have been published with critical acclaim. Hilary Mckay called the latter the 'book of the year.'The Island at the Edge of Night is Lucy's fifth novel.About The Island at the Edge of NightAbandoned at a boarding school on a bleak and remote Scottish island, Faye discovers that she and the other pupils have been sent there for doing something wicked. But what has Faye done?She might be bold enough to explore the prison-like island, but does she have the courage to face a secret deep within herself?Support the Show.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Nikki Gamble talks to science journalist and author Maya Wei-Haas about her recently published book, What A  Rock Can Reveal.The discussion ranges from the creation of volcanic rock to stromatolites, the earliest known form of life on Earth. Maya also makes suggestions for engaging young readers with geology, no matter where they live.Support the Show.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

It's 20 years since the publication of Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, the first book in the Tiffany Aching arc within the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. To celebrate, Terry's daughter Rhianna Pratchett and Gabrielle Kent have produced a handsome gift book, Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch, stunningly illustrated by Paul Kidby.Rhianna and Gabrielle joined Nikki Gamble In The Reading Corner to talk about the joint venture.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Peter Brown is an American writer and illustrator. He is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for his illustration of Creepy Carrots (written by Aaron Reynolds) and the author-illustrator of picture books Mr Tiger Goes Wild, My Teacher is a Monster, Fred Gets Dressed and The Curious Garden.His novel series about Roz, the Wild Robot has garnered lots of critical praise and many fans. In this episode, he talks with Nikki Gamble about the third novel in the series, The Wild Robot Protects,Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is the author of We've Got This! Six Steps to Build Empathy and Miranda McKearney is a founder and director of Empathy Lab. In this episode, they talk about the science behind empathy and ways to develop it with young people.An extended version of video version of this talk is available on our website.About We've Got ThisWe've Got This! Six Steps to Build Your Empathy Superpower, written by Rashmi Sirdeshpande in partnership with EmpathyLab, is the essential empathy handbook for young readers. In just SIX simple steps, readers will be taught how to harness empathy as theirhuman SUPERPOWER, and discover how using this power can change their lives and the world around them for the better. The emotional well-being of children is just as important as their physical health, but it's not something that all children are taught about or are offered support for.Harnessing empathy and growing their emotional intelligence allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with life's ups and downs and understand and experience other people's emotions, feelings and points of view. Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Pippa Funnell is well-known for her equestrian achievements. She's an Olympic medalist and Rolex Grand Slam winner 2003.  She is also the author of a series of books for children, Pippa's Pony Tales. In this episode, Pippa talks to Nikki Gamble about how her love of horses inspired the books and how she hopes the books will encourage children to follow their dreams and be prepared to work hard to achieve them.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Roland Chambers is a writer, illustrator and storyteller. He is the author of a biography about Arthur Ransome and the children's stories, Nelly and the Quest for Captain Peabody and Nelly and the Flight of the Sky Lantern.His new series, features Billy Shaman - a  shaman by name and by nature, who embarks on a voyage of self discovery from the museum that is the former home of scientist and explorer, Charles Darwi., It's an exciting adventure, told with wisdom and humour.In the first adventure of the series, Billy, travels to the Arctic Circle, where he meets an Inuit girl Ahnah, a Greek explorer, Pytheas and a powerful shaman, Sedna.Roland dropped into The Reading Corner to tell Nikki Gamble all about it.About The Adventures of Billy Shaman: The Rage of the Sea Witch Shaman by name and shaman by nature - Billy just hasn't found his magic ... yet.His selfish, globetrotting parents abandon him for yet another summer in Charles Darwin's strange, museum-like house, where Billy stumbles across a 200-year-old giant talking tortoise named Charles Darwin, by the famous man himself. Charles D, the tortoise, knows every inch of the house and every artefact in it, and he's keen to help Billy realise his powers and set him on the path to adventure. A beautifully carved Inuit ivory necklace is the first object that whisks him back in time to the shrieking chaos of an Arctic blizzard to meet its rightful owner, a girl called Ahnah, her shape-shifting grandmother and the mysterious explorer Pytheas.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Jo Ellen Bogart and Maya Kastelic are the joint creators of the wordless picture book, Anthony and the Gargoyle. In this episode, they talk about their different roles in producing the book.Jo Ellen Bogart is a US and Canadian writer of children's books living in Ontario.Maja Kastelic was born in Slovenia, where she studied painting, philosophy and the theory of visual arts.About Anthony and the GargoyleA boy befriends a baby gargoyle in this magical wordless story from award-winning creators Jo Ellen Bogart and Maja Kastelic. Anthony wakes up one morning to find his favorite rock has cracked open - and it's hollow! He discovers a strange-looking hatchling inside, and the two become fast friends. When Anthony asks his mother where the rock came from, she shows him photos from their trip to Paris, including of Notre-Dame cathedral, with its familiar-looking forms perched on top.Could Anthony's new friend be a gargoyle?This magical wordless story is brought to life in stunning, silent, hand-painted panels, and is a touching tale of true friendship and letting go.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

David Wolstencroft is a screenwriter who has notched up a number of BAFTA awards, including one for the TV spy drama Spooks. He has also written two spy thrillers, Good News, Bad News and Contact Zero.In this episode, Nikki Gamble chatted to David about his debut children's book, The Magic Hour, a thrilling and pacy magical adventure.About The Magic HourEleven-year-old Ailsa Craig is always late! To everything - her own birth, school, and even her own house exploding! Although it is certainly better to be late for that than early...But then, one day, Ailsa discovers the secret of a lifetime: An extra hour in the day. The Magic Hour which exists in a fantastical, parallel Edinburgh, accessed at twilight. As she explores this extraordinary place where anything seems possible, Ailsa can't believe her luck.Her grades improve, and life seems to be on the up - even the popular kids start liking her. But messing with time can have desperate consequences. When Ailsa discovers that the extra time comes at a terrible cost, she must battle the sinister forces at work and save herself, her parents and the world.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Mark Bradley is a comics writer and artist who lives in Yorkshire with his family. He grew up reading stories about ghosts and monsters and promptly decided that he preferred them to humans. Having worked for the probation service for many years, he saw first-hand how important emotional literacy is and hopes his debut series will help young readers explore feelings in a fun setting. Bumble and Snug developed out of characters he kept drawing in the margins of other projects until he launched them on his Instagram account (@markbradleyillustration) and found himself with a book deal – something he never even dared to dream was possible.In this episode, Mark talks to Nikki Gamble about his new comic book Bumble and Snug, which readers can enjoy from around age 5 upwards.Originally recorded in April 2019About Bumble and SnugBest friends Bumble and Snug are Bugbops – little monsters filled with BIG feelings! In this full-colour graphic novel, join them on a funny, imaginative adventure with some VERY angry pirates, learning about the world outside and inside along the way.Bumble and Snug are going on a big adventure to … have a picnic! But when they accidentally get lost, they're both cross – is their adventure ruined?Working together to find their way home, Bumble and Snug come across a pirate treasure horde. But taking treasure that isn't yours is a good way to get into trouble; sure enough, some VERY angry pirates aren't far behind.Bumble and Snug are certain they can replace the treasure and fix things to make everybody happy. But there's another monstrous obstacle in store – and this one has TENTACLES.Bumble and Snug and the Angry Pirates is a story about being cross and how to listen, friendship and sandcastles, and one GIANT octopus!Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Jasmine Richards is an author, editor and entrepreneur. She's the founder of Storymix, a company with a mission to increase the visibility of characters of colour in children's books and to mentor writers of colour in the early stages of their writing careers.Jasmine's books include Oliver Twisted and The Unmorrow Curse and Oliver Twisted (under the pseudonym J D Sharpe).Books from the Storymix studio include Aziza and the Fairy Door,  Future Hero and Granny Jinx. Jasmine joined Nikki Gamble In the Reading Corner to talk about her career in publishing and her hopes for the future of Storymix.All books are available from our partner bookseller Best Books for SchoolsSupport the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Kwame Alexander is an American poet and author of books for children, including the verse novel The Crossover, which was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2015 and is the basis for a new series from Disney Plus (2023). It is also available in a graphic novel adaptation illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Kwame's novels often use sport as a metaphor for the characters' struggles or the books' themes. In Booked, the sport is football, And in his most recent book, The Door of No Return, the main character, Kofi, is learning how to swim,Kwame's father was an academic and activist in the civil rights movement. And Kwame has written a picture book, Undefeated,  celebrating Black History and the extraordinary strength and bravery of those that transcended their circumstances.Two new books, The Door of No Return and the picturebook Unspoken (published in the US as An American Story), also assert this strength and the refusal to be defined by one aspect of Black History - slavery.In this episode, Kwame talks with Nikki Gamble about both books and their origins.About The Door of No ReturnEleven-year-old Kofi Offin has dreams of water, of its urgent whisper that beckons with promises and secrets. He has heard the call on the banks of Upper Kwanta, where he lives.He loves these things above all else: his family, the fireside tales of his father's father, a girl named Ama, and, of course, swimming. But when the unthinkable - a sudden death - occurs during a festival between rival villages, Kofi ends up in a fight for his life. What happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.Yet Kofi's dreams may be the key to his freedom...About UnspokenHow do you tell a story that starts in Africa and ends in horror? About strength and pride and refusing to be broken? One that still hurts and still loves?A powerfully moving, poetic exploration of the story of slavery: from Africa to the tall ships, from back-breaking work in a strange land to resilience and eventual emancipation, Kwame Alexander tells the story that's hard to hear. Told through the lens of a teacher speaking to their young pupils, and in multiple art styles from award-winning artist and sculptor Dare Coulter, the story of slavery becomes one that you can tell with the bravery to lift your voice.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Mariajo Illustrajo is a Spanish designer, printmaker and illustrator living in the UK. After studying at the art school in Madrid, she moved to Bath, where she completed a degree in Graphic Communication.  Later she graduated from the Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University with an MA in Children's Book Illustration. In 2020 she was the overall winner of the World Illustration Awards.To date, Mariajo has produced two children's books: Flooded and Lost, published by Frances Lincoln. In this episode, she joined Nikki Gamble to talk about her journey to children's book illustration and how her picturebooks were conceived.Read  our review of Flooded on the Just Imagine website Purchase Flooded from our bookselling partner Best Books for Schools.Flooded is a funny and beautifully illustrated tale of animals living in a city that is slowly flooding. The flood comes gradually at first. All the animals ignore the obvious and go about their busy lives, disjointed from one another and preoccupied with their own problems.Eventually, the flood water reaches a height they can no longer ignore, and they must work together to save their city. All the animals join together in a line and pull out the plug drowning the city. This exceptionally illustrated story teaches a message not to let problems fester, and with a little teamwork and community spirit, no problem is insurmountable.About LostLost is the story of a polar bear who finds himself lost and alone in the big, cold city until a young girl takes him under her wing, showing him that there is love, friendship, and help to be found even in the loneliest of places...Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Shirley Marr is a Chinese-Australian author who migrated from Singapore with her family in the 1980s. Her novel, A Glasshouse of Stars, which won the Children's Book Council of Australia Award, is based on this early experience. It was nominated in the UK for Cilip Carnegie Medal. Her latest novel, All Four Quarters of the Moon, also draws on this early childhood experience but focuses on the relationship of two young sisters and the comfort they find in each other's company, storytelling and imaginative play.Shirley joined Nikki Gamble, In the Reading Corner to talk about the book, her personal experiences and the line between fact and fiction.Read our review of All Four Quarters of the Moon on the Just Imagine website. Purchase All Four Quarters of the Moon from our bookselling partner Best Books for SchoolsPublishers BlurbEverything so far, if Peijing had to sum it up, was a string of small awkward experiences that she hoped would end soon. The night of the Mid-Autumn festival, making mooncakes with Ah-Ma, was the last time Peijing remembers her life being the same. Now facing a new home, a new school and a new language, everything is different.Peijing thinks everything will turn out okay as long as they all have each other. But cracks are starting to appear in the family. Biju, lovable but annoying, needs Peijing to be the dependable big sister.Ah-Ma keeps forgetting who she is, and Ma Ma and Ba Ba are no longer themselves. Peijing has no idea how she's supposed to cope with the uncertainties of her own world while shouldering the burden of everyone else. If her family are the four quarters of the mooncake, where does she even fit in?Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Deborah Ellis works as a mental health residential counsellor in Toronto. She is the winner of the Governor General's Award in Canada (equivalent to the Carnegie Medal) for her first novel Looking for X.She was raised in Paris, Ontario, and from the time she was 17, she has been a political activist advocating non-violence. After high school, she went to Toronto and worked in the Peace Movement. Later she got involved in the Women's Movement, focusing on women's rights and economic justice.Deborah has spent much time in Pakistan, in Afghan refugee camps, talking to women and documenting their lives under 20 years of war. Her main engagement continues to be anti-war politics.Deborah has written four novels about a 12-year-old girl, Parvana, living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan and the challenges that she and her family face. The fourth book, My Name is Parvana, is set against the American invasion and is a period of cautious hope.Since the American withdrawal and the subsequent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, Deborah has been compelled to write a fifth novel about Parvana, One More Mountain.  She joins Nikki Gamble In the Reading Corner to tell us more about it and her involvement with the women and children of Afghanistan.About One More MountainIt's 2021, and the Taliban have regained power in Afghanistan. Parvana and Shauzia, the brave protagonists of The Breadwinner, must now flee to escape new dangers from an old enemy. It has been 20 years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families.But when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, it looked as if Afghans could finally rebuild their country. Many things have changed for Parvana since then. She has married Asif, who she met in the desert as she searched for her family when she was a child.She runs a school for girls. She has a son, Rafi, who is about to fly to New York, where he will train to become a dancer. While Asif tries to get Parvana's sister, Maryam, and Rafi on one of the last flights out of Kabul, the Taliban come to the school, and Parvana must lead the girls out of Green Valley and into the mountains.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Abi Elphinstone is a writer of children's fantasy stories, including The Dream Snatcher, Sky Song and Rumblestar. She has also written picturebooks, The Snow Dragon and the Frost Goblin. Many of Abi's stories are set in magical cold places, inspired by growing up in the North of Scotland. This is true of her latest book, Saving Neverland, which reimagines J M Barrie's Peter Pan for the 21st century.Read our review of Saving Neverland on the Just Imagine website Purchase Saving Neverland from our bookselling partner Best Books for SchoolsNumber 14 Darlington Road, looks like a perfectly ordinary townhouse - at first glance, anyway, but magic is good at hiding . . . when it's waiting for the right person to discover it . . .Martha Pennydrop is ten, and desperate to grow up. But growing up is a tricky business. It means turning your back on imagination, fun and magic, because those were the things that led to the Terrible Day when something awful nearly happened to Martha's younger brother, Scruff, which would have been All Her Fault.But when Martha and Scruff discover a drawer full of mysterious gold dust in the bedroom of their new house - along with a window that's seemingly impossible to close - it's the start of an incredible adventure to a magical world: Neverland! The Pennydrop's new house used to belong to another family - the Darlings - who once visited this world themselves. Now Peter Pan is back, and in need of their help. Neverland is in the icy grip of a terrible curse - cast long ago by Captain Hook.And only Martha and Scruff can save it . . .A reluctant Martha and excited Scruff are swept off to Neverland and into the company of the Lost Kids. But when Scruff is kidnapped, Martha must rediscover all the imagination, magic and belief she has buried deep inside herself for so long, to save him - and Neverland itself.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Neuroscientishttps://justimagine.co.uk/review/the-boy-who-didnt-want-to-die/t and Holocaust survivor, Peter Lantos, has written a children's book about his childhood experience of being sent, aged 5 years old,  with his family from Hungary to Bergen Belsen.  In this episode, he talks to Nikki Gamble about his reasons for writing a children's book, his experiences, and his hopes for future generations.Read our review of The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die on the Just Imagine websitePurchase  The Boy Who Didn't Want to Die from our bookselling partner Best Books for SchoolsA story of survival - and of enduring hope in the face of unspeakable hardship - on an extraordinary journey, made by Peter, a boy of five, through war-torn Europe in 1944 and 45. Peter soon realises that this new adventure is really a nightmare, watching bombs falling from the blue sky outside Vienna, and learning maths from his mother in Belsen.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Berlie Doherty is one of our foremost fiction writers for children and young adults. She is a double recipient of the Carnegie Medal with her novels Granny was a Buffer Girl (1986) and Dear Nobody (1991). She is also the author of the popular middle-grade novel Street Child and its sequel, Far From Home, which are read extensively in primary schools.Berlie has written many more books for children and teenagers, from picture books, young fiction, retellings of fairy stories and Bible stories, and YA novels.Her most recent book, The Haunted Hills is published by UCLan. Berlie returns to her Derbyshire home for the setting of this evocative ghost story.In this episode, she talks to Nikki Gamble about the importance of music and landscape in her stories and the paradox of finding beauty in derelict places.About The Haunted HillsWhen Carl visits the Peak District with his parents to try and recover from the fallout of a horrific accident, he becomes caught up in the mysterious tale of the Lost Lad. Are the hills actually haunted or is Carl being chased by his own demons? As past and present collide, Carl must learn to come to terms with the loss of his best friend, Jack and find a way to move on.Support the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Emily Gravett achieved instant success with the publication of her debut picture book, Wolves - a university project that was awarded the Macmillan Prize and was published by Macmillan Children's Books. It won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2005.Since then, Emily has produced many well-loved picture books, including Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears, Meerkat Mail,  The Odd Egg, Monkey and Me,  Tidy and Too Much Stuff.She has also illustrated novels for A F Harrold, Nick Lake and Matt Haig. And a prestigious illustrated edition of Quidditch Through the Ages.Nikki Gamble invited Emily to join her In The Reading Corner to talk about some recent work , including her latest picture book for young children, 10 CatsSupport the showThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Neurodivergent teenager, Libby Scott tells us how she came to be a published author and her partnership with author Rebecca Westcott. Libby and Rebecca talk about co-authoring, the importance of own voices literature and their latest book All the Pieces of Me.About All the Pieces of MeYear 9 can be tough for everyone, but for Tally,  it feels even tougher. Make-up, boys, social media, GCSE prep - why is everything starting to feel so different? Tally has always known that being autistic means some things are harder for her than other people. But becoming a teenager has left Tally feeling like she has no idea who she is anymore.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Front desk series, two YA novels and a non-fiction book about the Chinese American experience.in 2019, she was awarded the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature and the Parents; Choice Gold Medal, along with several other accolades.Kelly immigrated to America when she was 6 years old and grew up in Southern California, where she and her parents worked in three motels. She eventually left the motels and went to college at the age of 13 and law school at the age of 17. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she majored in Political Science, and Harvard Law SchoolShe is the founder of The Kelly Yang Project, a writing and public speaking project for children based in Hong Kong,Kelly joined Nikki Gamble In The Reading Corner to talk about fiction as a powerful vehicle for writing about life and to offer some reflections on the Chinese American immigration experience. She also talked about Key Player, her most recent novel in the Front Desk series.About Key PlayerMIA TANG IS PLAYING TO WIN!The Women's World Cup is coming to California, and everyone has football fever - especially Mia! But when her PE teacher gives her a C, Mia has to pull up her grade by scoring interviews with the championship teams. It's not so easy when... 1.The two teams are hunkered down in secret hotels in Pasadena and not taking any media requests. 2. Mr Yao is back at the motel- as a co-owner! Jason is sure his dad deserves a second chance.Mia is not so sure. 3. Mia's parents are trying to buy a house of their own, which turns out to be a LOT harder than they thought! As Mia aims for her goals, she'll have to face strikers from all corners and her own fears.But if anyone can find a way to win big, it's Mia Tang. The fourth book in the FRONT DESK series - following Mia Tang as she plays to win!vThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

David Atherton is a food writer and presenter. In 2019, he won The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 and has since been featured on Steph's Packed Lunch, ITV's Good Morning Britain, and the BBC's Blue Peter. In 2022, David partnered with the North York Moors National Park for a series of four short travelogues exploring the region as the “capital of cakes”.In 2020, David released the first in a series of three cookbooks aimed at children – My First Cook Book (2020) this was followed by My First Green Cook Book (2021)In this episode, he talks to Nikki Gamble about his most recent children's book, My First Baking Book.About My First Baking BookA beautifully illustrated collection of baking recipes for first cooks written by the 2019 winner of The Great British Bake Off.Learn how to bake breads, cakes, pastries and biscuits to perfection in this imaginative collection of deliciously healthy recipes. Featuring easy-to-follow, beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions, and a wealth of classic and creative bakes, this first baking book is jam-packed with inspiring content and has everything budding bakers need to take their first steps to baking glory!Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Peter Kalu is a poet, fiction writer and playwright. He was a member of Manchester, UK's Moss Side Write black writers workshop and has had nine novels, two film scripts and three theatre plays produced to date.  With writers Melvin Burgess and Tariq Mahmood, Peter has written one story in what will be a triptych of novels set in a dystopian near future England ruled by white supremacists.Peter talked to Nikki Gamble about the triptych and his novel, One Drop.About One Dropn war-torn Britain, inseparable Black Radicals Axel and Dune are arrested. With SIMs implanted in their heads, they are placed in a prison camp for those who defy the Bloods' white supremacist government. The SIMs brainwash them with the Bloods' evil philosophy, and drones constantly monitor their movements and thoughts.In this living nightmare, the couple battle to keep their love alive and to break free. The odds of survival are long. Dune and Axel have very different takes on how to escape.But when things come to a head, will their love hold them together and set them free, or will it tear them apart?Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Kandace Chimbiri (writing as K.N. Chimbiri) started as a self-published author.She didn't grow up wanting to be a writer. However, she was greatly disturbed by the lack of diversity in children's books, particularly in Black history.  In 2009, Kandace set up her own one-woman publishing house to address this inequity. Over the next decade, she researched, wrote, published and distributed four Black history books for children from her spare bedroom.She has also worked with museums on children's trails, workshops, outreach projects and tours.  In 2013 she was part of the community committee for the Origins of the Afro Comb, 6,000 Years Of Art and Culture exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.In 2020 Kandace signed a three-book deal with Scholastic, which included a reprint of The Story of Windrush.Kandace joined Nikki Gamble to talk about her experience as a publisher and writer - and to explain the background to her most recent book, The Story of Britain's Black Airmen.About The Story of Britain's Black AirmenExplore the fascinating, rarely-heard stories of Black airmen during the First and Second World Wars. The Story of Britain's Black Airmen celebrates the inspiring contributions of people of African descent to British aviation. From pilots to ground crew, and with tales from across the globe, the story of Britain's Black airmen is an important part of the history of flying.By aiming for the skies, many helped bring about changes that are still making our world a better place. Includes inspirational key figures such as Cy Grant, Errol Barrow, Sam King and John Henry Smythe With full-colour illustration by Grenadian illustrator Elizabeth LanderThank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Newcastle-born author, Malcolm Duffy, has a background in advertising.  And has won numerous awards for copy, press, TV and radio. He worked for Comic Relief as Creative Director where he created campaigns for Red Nose Day and Sport Relief.He has written three novels for young people.  His debut novel Me Mam. Me Dad. ME.  dealt with the subject of domestic abuse and won several awards including Sheffield Children's Book Award, Redbridge Children's Book Award and was a World Book Night title for 2019.This was followed by the equally successful Sofa Surfer, a story which brought homelessness to the foreground.In this episode, Malcolm talks to Nikki Gamble about his third novel, Read Between the Lies.About Read Between the LiesTwo very different boys, one new family, a shared struggle and a big secret. Tommy is talented, cool, a young offender, and dyslexic. Ryan is smart, uncool, well-behaved, and dyslexic.The two develop an unlikely friendship. As Ryan helps Tommy to read, a secret is revealed that will change their lives forever. Prize-winning Malcolm Duffy's third novel explores the joys and challenges of dyslexia in a story full of his hallmark heart and humour. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Greg Jenner is a public historian specialising in public engagement. He's an author and award-winning podcaster.His smash hit podcast 'You're Dead to Me' pairs up top comedians with top historians to deliver funny, fascinating summaries of the most interesting subjects from global history.He has worked on the Horrible Histories and Corpse Talk the animated show based on the graphic novels by Adam and Lisa Murphy.Greg's latest children's book, You Are History is published by Walker Books.In this episode, Greg talks to Nikki Gamble about history, humour, everyday objects and the importance of reading.About You Are HistoryFrom the alarm clock to the toilet, discover the incredible history all around you in this hilarious and fascinating book from popular historian and podcaster Greg Jenner. Thought history was only in museums? Think again! Join Greg Jenner as he takes you on a trip through the amazing history hidden in the things you use every day. Did you know that the first TV was made out of biscuit tins and knitting needles? Or that the humble paperclip helped lead an anti-war movement? Or that a few hundred years ago it was fashionable to style your hair with cat poo?! Find out the delightful, daft and downright deadly history of your everyday life that your teachers won't tell you about.Bursting with humorous illustrations and entertaining true stories, this is history - but not as you know it!Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Nyanda Foday was Birmingham's Young Poet Laureate 2016-2018, and is inspired by the impact that words can have to create, unite, explain and enjoy. She strives to connect with others where she can by sharing and listening to others' work. Joelle Avelino is a Congolese and Angolan illustrator and animator. She graduated from the University Of Hertfordshire in 2012 with a BA (Hons) in Illustration with Marketing. She has worked with many clients, including; BBC, Malala Fund, Elle Magazine, The Guardian and Google's Women Tech Makers Nyanda and Joelle joined Nikki #InTheReadingCorner to talk about the power of books, the importance of finding yourself in a  book and their book, Bookworms.About BookwormsWhat does a book mean to those who search for acceptance and understanding? A place to find friends, feel part of a family, or to be your true self. A good book takes you to new worlds, the right one shows you can exist in this one.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Scottish author Juliette Forrest is the award-winning author of Twister,  The True Colours of Coral Glen and The Night My Dream Came Alive Twister was a Sunday Times Book of the Week and chosen by The Guardian as the one must-read kid's book of the summer. It was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award and won Calderdale Book of the Year. The True Colours of Coral Glen was picked by the Evening Times as a best book of 2020 by a Glasgow author. Juliette says, 'I write children's fiction featuring quirky female lead characters with strong voices. Packed with adventure, my stories combine gritty reality with magic. I love imagining new worlds as well as unforgettable baddies.'In this episode. she talks to Nikki Gamble about The Mountain Rescue Dog,  a story inspired by the true history of the pioneer of mountain rescue.About The Mountain Rescue DogA young girl heals from grief and loss in the snowy Highlands of Scotland, with the help of her loyal, trusting rescue dog. Clova's life changes forever when her mother, who was a search and rescue volunteer, dies tragically in an avalanche. Her grieving father withdraws and life at home feels lonely, until the day she meets Border Collie Tatty, a shy and frightened dog who Clova helps make bright-eyed and boisterous again.She begins to train Tatty as a search-and-rescue dog and when two local boys go missing on the moor, Tatty and Clova spring into action to track them down and save the day. But Dad is furious when he finds out Clova has been on the mountain, and sends Tatty away. Clova is heartbroken.On the first day of spring, the sudden rise in temperature after a cold snap and heavy snow causes an avalanche on the mountain - and Clova's dad is up there! The Search and Rescue team - plus Clova and Tatty - scramble onto a helicopter for a dangerous rescue mission in the growing dark - can they find Dad and save the day? Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Naturalist, eco-journalist and activist Sarah Roberts is the author of three children's picture books about environmental concerns.Somebody Swallowed Stanley addressed the problem of plastic waste in the oceans and Somebody Crunched Colin looked at the issues of the careless disposal of crips packets.Sarah's latest book, Somebody Woke Wilson, looks at a more complex topic - the need to keep carbon under ground. She joined Nikki Gamble #InTheReadingCorner to tell us more.About Somebody Woke WilsonAll Wilson wants is a rest! Wilson has slept warm and toasty deep underground for millions of years, along with billions of other carbon atoms. But when Wilson is suddenly woken, he is swept away on a startling adventure from the ocean to the sky and on. Bumping and jostling in the sky is TOO MUCH.Wilson just wants to rest! A beautifully illustrated picture book with a powerful message about the carbon cycle from environmental expert Sarah Roberts.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

A. M. Dassu is an English writer of fiction and non-fiction. In 2017, Dassu won the international We Need Diverse Books mentorship award. Her bestselling debut novel, Boy Everywhere, was published in October 2020 and was shortlisted for the 2021 Waterstone's Children's Books Prize. Anne-Marie talks about the book in a previous episode of In The Reading Corner.In this episode, she talks with Nikki Gamble about her latest novel, Fight Back.About Fight BackWhen a terrorist attack occurs near her home and racial tension increases, Aaliyah decides to begin wearing a hijab to challenge people's preconceptions of her faith. Aaliyah has to channel all her bravery and resourcefulness to halt the tide of hatred rippling through her community.A story about finding your identity and fighting for it.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Sophie McKenzie is the undisputed queen of the teen thriller. After being made redundant from her job in 2003, she started a year-long 'Writing for Children course' at the CityLit Institute in London. She finished her first novel, Girl Missing at the beginning of 2005, it was then published by Simon & Schuster Children's Books in 2006.Sophie joined Nikki Gamble  In the Reading Corner to talk about her thriller Truth or Dare.About Truth or DareWhen lies are everywhere, how far will you go for the truth? A tense eco-drama with an explosive twist from the million-copy-selling author of Girl, Missing. Fourteen-year-old Maya cannot believe she has to spend the summer with her grandmother, helping out at the family cosmetics firm. But things get much more exciting when she meets a community of activists campaigning against the dumping of chemical waste.Getting closer to one boy in particular, Bear, Maya is dared into joining one of their protest missions but doesn't know that her grandmother's business is the target. Someone has been lying about their environmentally-friendly products, and as danger threatens, Maya must uncover the truth or betray her family forever. In this edge-of-your-seat drama exploring the line between truth and lies,Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Named after nature writer Alfred Wainwright, the  Wainwright prizes are awarded to the work which best reflects Wainwright's core values and include a celebration of nature and our natural environment or a warning of the dangers to it across the globe. In 2022 for the first time, a children's prize is awarded.Naturalist Dara McAnulty and founder of the Outdoor Guide Gina Bradbury Fox joined Nikki Gamble to talk about the importance of the children's prize and support for getting children into the great outdoors.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Philip Ardagh is one of the funniest children's writers, and Ben Mantle is a well-loved illustrator. The combination of talents produced the explosively hilarious Bunnies on the Bus, which provided a much-needed laugh for children and families during lockdown. Now they have produced another riotous story, Bunnies in a Boat, so it was a huge pleasure to invite them both to The Reading Corner.About Bunnies in a Boat.!The bunnies are back! And this time, they've commandeered a BOAT! Watch out, Sunnytown beach, the Bunnies are dashing and a-splashing on a speedboat frenzy.They whoosh past the sailboats, and zoooom across the sand, then it's up onto the jetty where silly billy Bunnies get all covered in spaghetti! But watch out, oh no, where are the bunnies off to now? To the airport, across the tarmac ... it's bunnies on the PLANE. Here we go again...Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Naomi Walmsley runs Outback2Basics with her husband, Dan. She has a passion for teaching young people Stone Age education and Bushcraft, and she also runs some workshops for adults.Naomi says, 'I like to think my writing reflects my own experiences, linking nature with education and imagination.'She has co-authored Forest School Adventure and Urban Forest School with Dan. Her most recent book is Live Like a Hunter Gatherer, a perfect book for any class studying The Stone Age.About Live Like a Hunter Gathererf you imagined that all Stone Age people lived in caves, were not very clever, not very clean and said “Ugg” a lot, then think again. Marking the start of all human history, the Stone Age lasted around 3.5 million years.Delve into that incredible time with this book packed full of amazing facts, information, crafts, storytelling and myth debunking to discover what it was like to live as a hunter-gatherer.Many of our Stone Age ancestors' everyday needs were similar to ours – how to keep warm, where to sleep and what to eat and drink. We find out how they met those needs, what a typical day was like, what medicine they used and even how they had fun – all brought to life with beautifully detailed illustrations. Dotted through the book are step-by-step craft activities and recipes that give you first-hand experience of some vital Stone Age skills – making a Mesolithic shelter, fat lamps, a digging stick, creating cave art, making a bow and arrow and a fishing hook are just a few.A fictional tribe member pops up throughout the book to tell us about her life, describing the sights, sounds, smells and emotions she experiences. The safety of a warm cave with flickering firelight and other tribe members nearby, the gnawing feeling of hunger when food is scarce, and the excited relief when a deer is hunted.Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. And if you are interested in the books we have featured, purchasing from our online bookshop Bestbooksforschools.comIn the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. It is produced by Alison Hughes.Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentreFull details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Petr Horacek is a children's picturebook creator with a background in fine art. He was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia and at the age of 15 attended the High School of Art in Prague, where he developed skills in printing, photography, sculpture and painting.After working for a design agency, he went on to further study at the Academy of Fine Art and was awarded his Master of Fine Art degree in 1994.His first books, Strawberries are Red , and What is Black and White? were published by Walker Books in 2001. And he was awarded the Books for Children Newcomer award that year.Since then he has gone on to write and illustrated many favourites including A New House for Mouse, Silly Suzy Goose, Puffin Peter,  The Greedy Goat Blue Penguin and The Perfect PresentIn this podcast, Petr talks to Nikki Gamble about his picturebook A Best Friend for BearYou may also be interested in this livestreamed event

Patrice Lawrence was born in Brighton and raised in an Italian and Trinidadian household. Her first book for young adults, Orangeboy, was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Award and won the Bookseller YA Prize and Waterstone's Prize for Older Older Children's fiction. In 2021 she won the Jhalek Prizes inaugural children's and young category for her book Eight Pieces of Silva (2020).In this podcast, Patrice talks to Nikki Gamble about her middle-grade fantasy novel, The Elemental Detectives. Set in an alternate London where the elemental spirits power the world: the fiery Dragons, the airy Fumis, the watery Chads and the earthbound Magogs.Humans have been causing chaos in this world for centuries with their disregard and lack of consideration for the natural world. And now someone is out for revenge.

James Dixon is a London-born, Glasgow-based novelist, poet, and playwright. His debut novel, The Unrivalled Transcendence of Willem J. Gyle (Thistle, 2017) was shortlisted for the 2018 Somerset Maugham Award by the Society of Authors. His debut children's novel, The Billow Maiden,  is published by Guppy publishing.Nikki Gamble caught up with James to talk about The Billow Maiden and writing for children,About The Billow MadenAilsa's mum is ill, not the first time, so they spend the summer with her aunt and uncle. Aunt Bertha, Uncle Nod, and their dog Moxie live on an island off the coast, by a beautiful fishing village surrounded by beaches and clifftops. Ailsa and Moxie spend their whole time there exploring these beaches and cliffs, until one day, they find a hidden cave.Inside the cave, they find Hefring, a strange woman not keen on strangers. Ailsa slowly gets to know who Hefring is. She is a selkie, a mermaid, a billow maiden from ancient myth.However, she is stuck on land and slowly dying. It is up to Ailsa and her new friend Camilla to save her, but there are plenty of obstacles in the way - not least Ailsa's own fears and her mum's illness. The Billow Maiden is a beautifully told tale of friendship, family, healing, and transformation from a stunning new writer for children.

Former teacher, Jonathan Tulloch, is a journalist,  writer and naturalist whose nature features appear regularly in The Times and The Tablet, His debut children's novel, Cuckoo Summer, was published in July 2022, It's a wonderfully evocative novel set during the Second World War which captures Jonathan's childhood memories, and the stories passed down through generations. In this episode, Jonathan talks to Nikki Gamble about where it all began,,,About Cuckoo SummerSummer 1940. As the cuckoo sings out across the Lake District, life is about to change for ever for local boy Tommy and his friend Sally, the mysterious evacuee girl who lives on the neighbouring farm. When they find a wounded Nazi airman in the woods, Sally persuades Tommy not to report it but to keep the German hidden.This starts a chain of events that leads to the uncovering of secrets about Sally's past and a summer of adventure that neither child will ever forget.

Atinuke was born and grew up in Nigeria. She writes children's books because she loves the vibrancy, joy, wisdom and humour of her  African culture, which forms the basis for most of her writing. She has written about urban and rural life in West Africa and her stories show the diversity of backgrounds that children come from, debunking the imagery that is familiar from charity promotions and crisis journalism. While there are undoubtedly important issues for us all to address, these images give only a partial presentation of what it means to live in West Africa and specifically, Nigeria. Atinuke shares her thoughts with Nikki Gamble and reads from Too Small Tola Gets Tough.About Too Small Tola Gets ToughTola may be small, but she's very determined!Too Small Tola lives in a flat in Lagos with her sister, Moji, who is very clever, her brother, Dapo, who is very fast, and Grandmummy, who is very bossy. One day Tola discovers the secret of multiplication and division. She is so happy! But then there is news of a deadly virus, and news of lockdown too.Moji goes away to live and study with her teacher and Dapo goes off to live and work with his boss. Grandmummy cannot go out to work so Tola does instead. Tola goes to live with a wealthy couple, the Diamonds.She cleans and washes and scrubs, scrubs, scrubs. She befriends the other workers too. But she soon learns that even the wealthy Diamonds have problems of their own.And when it comes to solving them, Tola proves once again how kind and clever, mighty and resourceful she truly is.

Justyn Edwards graduated from Southampton University with a degree in archaeology. Since then he has worked as a caravan park attendant, a paperboy and a software engineer, but never as an archaeologist. He has always wanted to be a writer and his inspiration for The Great Fox Illusion.Justin magicked himself into the reading corner and talked to Nikki Gamble about his writing secrets. Of course, if you listen in, they won't be secret anymore.About The Great Fox IllusionSecrets and illusions abound as a group of young magicians compete for the prize of a lifetime in this gripping adventure, the first in an enthralling new series from debut author Justyn Edwards.“Magic is about dreaming what is impossible and making it possible. It's the innocent young mind in all of us that loves it. We want to be filled with wonder. We want to believe. I want the winner of this competition and the recipient of my legacy to dare to dream big. So, let The Great Fox Hunt begin."Thirteen-year-old Flick Lions has won a place on a new television show, in which young people compete to win the legacy of the Great Fox, one of the world's most famous magicians. But Flick isn't interested in uncovering the Great Fox's tired old magic tricks – she's after something much more important. The magician destroyed her family, and this is Flick's only chance to put things right. Inside the Fox's house is a secret that will change the world of magic forever, and Flick will go to any lengths to find it.

Jim Smith is the British children's author and illustrator of the Barry Loser and Future Ratboy series. Before creating the hugely popular Barry Loser novels for younger children, Smith worked as a designer, creating the quirky cartoon imagery for coffee chain Puccinos before branching out into stationery and gift design under the brand-name Waldo Pancake. The first Barry Loser book, I Am Not a Loser, was published in 2012. 10 years on Jim has created a full-colour graphic novel featuring the well-loved characters including Barry himself, who is most definitely NOT a loser.Jim chatted to Nikki Gamble about this new direction for the eponymous Barry Loser.About Barry Loser - Total WinnerThe bestselling, award-winning Barry Loser series is ten years old and Barry, Bunky, Nancy and the gang are off on a series of new adventures - in full-colour graphic novel format and with 'how to draw' sections to help you make your own comic books! In the first book, Barry has had enough of being a loser and wants to prove he's a Total Winner, but when his parents ban him from gaming he has to think outside of the box . . .Barry also has a new cat called French Fries - the keelest cat ever amen.

Mini Grey is one of the UK's best-loved illustrators with her witty visual and linguistic style that incorporates found objects and is characterised by playfulness and heaps of imagination. Her books work for a wide age range and are highly appreciated by adults as well as younger readers.She is the recipient of  The Kate Greenaway Medal for The Adventures of theD ish and the Spoon.In this interview, Mini talks to Nikki Gamble about her foray into nonfiction with a new book The Greatest Show on Earth.About The Greatest Show on EarthHere we are at 4.6 billion years ago, and as we raise the curtain . . . the STORY OF LIFE is about to begin! (Yes, that's right - we're telling the story of the ENTIRE history of Planet Earth). "In the running for the greatest children's picture book about Earth . .. Take your seats for the ENTIRE history of Planet Earth, as we take a whistle-stop tour from the birth of Earth, to the age of bacteria, the era of dinosaurs..  to the moment of people (blink and you'll miss it). Narrated by a friendly troop of insects and with mind-blowing, lively illustrations, this illustrated non-fiction book will entertain and educate, as we put on a show, the greatest show, the show of the evolution of life on Earth.

Jennifer has always wanted to be a writer, but really started when she applied for a Creative Writing MA at Brunel University, which is where she first got the idea for Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink., her debut book. Since then she has written two more books in the Alex Sparrow series, a standalone middle-grade fiction, Mo Lottie and the Junkers, and the spooky Crater Lake books.Jennifer's new series, Dread Wood gives us horror pitched for readers of 9+. In this episode, she talks with Nikki Gamble about the mechanics of writing horror, consideration for younger readers and some of the underlying themes.

Katie Cotton studied English Literature at Oxford University before becoming an author and editor of children's books. Her books Counting Lions and The Road Home were both published internationally and received starred reviews in the US.  Other books includeBricks: The House a Greedy Pig Built and The Road Home.Katie's most recent book is The Secret of Splint Hall, a historical fantasy, underpinned by a family mystery. Katie joined Nikki Gamble, In the Reading Corner to talk about the book.About The Secret of Splint Hall1945. War has ended, but for sisters Isobel and Flora the struggles still continue. They've lost their father and had their home destroyed in a bombing raid, and now they must go to live with their aunt and her awful husband Mr Godfrey in their ancestral home, Splint Hall.From the moment of their arrival, it seems that this is a place shrouded in mysteries and secrets. Who are the strange men who arrive with packages at night? What is the source of the strange blue sparks coming from the ground? And why do the locals seem to hate their family so much? As the girls begin to unearth an ancient myth and family secret, the adventure of a lifetime begins.

Lissa Evans has written books for both adults and children, including the bestselling Old Baggage, Their Finest Hour and a Half, longlisted for the Orange Prize, and Crooked Heart, longlisted for the Baileys Women's. Prize for Fiction.For children, Small Change for Stuart, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Costa Book Awards. It was followed by a sequel Big Change for Stuart. Lissa's next novel was the wonderfully witty, even satirical, Wed Wabbit, which employs fantasy and humour to explore some complex ideas about childhood, psychology and society.Lissa's most recent book, Wished, pays homage to some of the great classics of children's literature, particularly Edith Nesbit's Five Children and It, which Lissa admires greatly - the story is, however, wholly her own and will reward the reader with many surprises, twists and turn.In this episode, Lissa talks to Nikki Gamble about the book.About WishedEd and his sister Roo are faced with the most boring half-term holiday in history: five days spent in the company of their elderly neighbour, Miss Filey, and her ancient, smelly cat. But when they find a box of birthday candles in a cupboard in Miss Filey's house, their world is changed completely. Because these are no ordinary candles and every single one of them comes with a wish.There's only one problem: some of those wishes actually belong to someone else . . .From the bestselling author of Wed Wabbit, Wished is a hilarious misadventure about how the biggest wishes can come true, in the most unexpected ways.

Tony Bradman's Viking Boy is a popular book in primary classrooms, often used to support a historical study of The Vikings. Now Tony has written a companion book, Viking Boy: The Real Story.A scholar of history, Tony is particularly knowledgeable about the Roman, Viking and Saxon periods and in this episode, he shares his enthusiasm with Nikki Gamble.About Viking Boy: The Real StoryA sparky non-fiction guide to the Viking world, told by the hero of Tony Bradman's bestselling novel Viking Boy. Take a real-life tour of the everyday world of Gunnar, a teenage Viking boy: find out how the Vikings lived, what they believed, how they travelled and fought, and gained their legendary reputation as warriors. Gunnar tells us the real story of growing up as a Viking in an exciting first-hand account, introducing us to family and friends, famous warriors, sea-raiders and even a Norse god! Packed with historical facts, figures and anecdotes, with illustrated information panels on topics from Viking poetry to battle and bloodlust, this is a brilliant new read for Viking fanatics, both at home and in the classroom.