Planet Earth 2.1?
For some reason these scenes didn’t make the final edit for the BBC’s Planet Earth II. No idea why. Perhaps they’re saving them for the director’s cut?
‘Refugee’: Children’s Word of the Year
The BBC’s Newsround has announced that ‘refugee’ has been deemed the Children’s Word of the Year. That comes after OUP analysed 120,000 stories written for BBC Radio 2’s 500 Words competition. In October, we published a children’s book (7+) about a very unusual refugee – Angle the crocogator – who has to leave Nowhere to go to Elsewhere. It…
Paul Murdoch on Stones tour!
Yes, author, songwriter, singer and guitarist Paul Murdoch is living the dream – he’s on a Stones tour. Okay, so it’s not the Rolling Stones. We’re talking standing stones. (What Mick Jagger & Co will become in the next few years?) Paul’s inspiration for The Peck Chronicles came partly from regular visits to the ring of…
New Peck Chronicles trailer
Paul Murdoch‘s Citadel and Tyrant will both be launched on 3 March. This will give you a feel for what to expect…
Q. Which Strident author is in the new Star Wars?
Is it: A. R2D2 B. Harrison Ford C. Hugh Holman Somehow we don’t think you’ll find that one too difficult! And the X-wing? It’s his mode of transport. (In the film, not in real life…)
A 2016 sneaky peek at Citadel
Later this month (Jan 2016) you’ll be able to get your hands on Paul Murdoch‘s Citadel – book 2 in The Peck Chronicles that began with Talisman. We know that many of you will be relishing the prospect of more edge-of-your-seat fantasy adventure. That’s if you haven’t worn out that seat edge already… And it won’t…
Hamley is a pog
He’s also one of our favourite aminals. Aminals are, of course, animals that derive from 2 species. Can you guess which species feature in Hamley’s phylogenetic tree. Hamley is a bundle of fun. He crashes into Hugh Holman‘s The Almost Animals like a bowling ball into skittles. Which is your favourite aminal?
Talisman in Primary Times
This from Mossneuk Primary School’s P7B class, writing in the new edition of Primary Times about the big launch of Paul Murdoch‘s Talisman at their school. The event included book trailers and a particularly good true story about a bear on the banks of Loch Lomond! Be sure to ask Paul to tell the tale if he comes to…
The real-life dragon that inspired DarkIsle
Meet the inspiration behind the dragon,Shona, in D A Nelson‘s DarkIsle books. The trilogy has captivated readers worldwide, but starts in Scotland (where the books are widely read in schools and elsewhere). That’s where this massive stone dragon – constructed from the remnants of a disused railway bridge – sits above the dunes in Irvine Beach Park…
Which is your favourite Aminal?
Today sees the publication of Hugh Holman‘s The Almost Animals. It’s a gem of a book aimed at reading age 7+ but which will delight ‘read to’ children from 5 upwards. We wonder what everyone’s favourite aminal will be. And that’s not a spelling mistake – we do mean aminal. Our particular favourite – apart from…
Mossneuk Primary School launch Talisman fantasy
Pupils in P7 at South Lanarkshire’s Mossneuk Primary School last week staged a fantastic launch event for Talisman, the first book in Paul Murdoch’s Peck Chronicles fantasy series. Paul dressed-up for the occasion – in a particularly cool T-shirt of the book. (His publisher was very jealous.) 2 impressive P7s acted as hosts, introducing the book…
Mossneuk Primary pupils to launch Talisman
It’s all go at East Kilbride’s Mossneuk Primary School, where preparations are in full swing for the launch of Paul Murdoch’s 9+ fantasy novel Talisman on 6 October. Primary 7s are doing the organising – fantastic preparation for their transition to secondary school next year. And they have everything under control. Chairing, reviews, trailers, posters,…
The Almost Animals
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ll be publishing this gem in October. The Almost Animals by Hugh Holman tells the tale of Angle the crocogator’s search for acceptance in Elsewhere. (Angle is the green one on the top ledge, under the WELCOME TO NOWHERE sign.) We adore this book. It’s quirky, uplifting and poignant, with that underdog-deifies-the-odds cleverness…
Danger, danger, danger!
At a recent event at Waterstones in Glasgow’s Argyle Street, their children’s bookseller Lana noted a resurgence in rip-roaring adventure novels. It seems book-buyers are embracing jeopardy again. At Strident we like a good dose of danger and get our kicks not on Route 66, but from reading Matt Cartney’s Danny Lansing Adventures series. Few characters take risks like…
Kids’ Lit Quiz
Young people know too much these days. That’s what Linda Strachan, Matt Cartney, Cathy MacPhail, Kirkland Ciccone and Keith Charters found out when they competed in author teams at recent heats of the Kids’ Lit Quiz – the KLQ. There were lots of prizes on the day, but had their been £1 for each time an…
DarkIsle: The Final Battle – ebook now available
The final instalment of D A Nelson‘s brilliant DarkIsle trilogy is now available as an ebook as well as in paperback. Inspired by a huge stone dragon in Irvine, on the west coast of Scotland, this series has captured the imagination of readers around the world with its combination of fantasy, adventure and humour. [metaslider id=1749]…
Matt Cartney: Action Man
Is it a bird, is it a plane…? Actually, it’s probably Matt Cartney researching his next Danny Lansing Adventures novel. Matt may not have the Swivel Eyes of the Action Man below, but he’s got a lot more get up and go, as demonstrated by this short film. (Click link to view. You should be taken…
WOLFIE is a Fantastic Book Awards WINNER!
Wolfie by Emma Barnes announced a winner of the Fantastic Book Awards
Windscape used for school eco projects
Sam Wilding’s eco thriller Windscape is being used by a number of schools running combined literature+eco projects. A neat example of cross-curricularism! (Made up word? Probably!)
Adventurer Matt Cartney wows Craigroyston
Action man and adventurer Matt Cartney used his expert map-reading skills to find Craigroyston recently. Read all about it in this North Edinburgh News blog… Matt Cartney enthralls Craigroyston
Shiver Me Timbers!
It be International Speak Like a Pirate Day t’day, me hearties. Which be the ideal day to be bringing out some scribblings entitled Pyrate’s Boy. They be the workings of an E B Colin, they be. And ye can find ’em in all good bookshops, priced 5 whole pounds and 99 of the little bits…
Matt Cartney’s research trip…to Russia…by motorbike!
Matt Cartney, the intrepid author of the Danny Lansing Adventures series, is at it again. Follow his motorbike journey to Russia…all in the name of research for his next novel. Matt Cartney’s blog on his Russian research adventure
New: Trailer for Matt Cartney’s Danny Lansing adventures
Watch: Trailer for The Sons of Rissouli and Red, White & Black by Matt Cartney. Action-packed adventure-thrillers.
Lee novels…the trailer
Click to watch the brand new trailer for the hilarious LEE series…Lee novels trailer
New: trailer for Nick Green’s Cat Kin trilogy
See the great new trailer here! Includes previously unseen artwork. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8HT5gBVgdM&feature=youtu.be
Sam Wilding tours WINDSCAPE novel
This week it’s Bristol’s turn to be entertained and educated by Sam Wilding, with Ayrshire, Northern Ireland and Berwickshire to follow in the next few weeks. There’s great interest in this page-turning adventure from Sam. It’s partly the intrigue of the plot and the quality of the storytelling, but it’s also because it’s backdrop is the sometimes controversial subject of wind…