Parents' blog
What do Bookstart parents have to say? Find out more and add your comments.
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Bookstart in Warwickshire
Posted Tuesday September 29th 2009
by Nikesh Shukla
Listen to a podcast featuring interviews and rhymes from Bookstart parents and carers about their children's favourite nursery rhymes. Click play on the icon below to stream the podcast.
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Sarah Matthews and daughter Rachel, aged 3, from Warwick reading one of the Bookstart books which are free to all children. Rachel Matthews, aged 3, from Warwick, is just one of the recipients of the Bookstart packs. Her mother Sarah Matthews said: 'The Bookstart books are really well chosen and Rachel's five-year-old brother Sam even got in on the act by reading one of them to her.' She added: 'Rachel’s favourite nursery rhyme is Twinkle, twinkle little star.
Reza Ali and his son Rhys aged 15 months, from Rugby, reading one of the Bookstart books which are free to all children. Rhys Ali, aged 15 months, from…
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Winners of the Early Years Awards 2009 announced!
Posted Thursday September 24th 2009
by Nikesh Shukla
Booktrust today announces the winners of the 2009 Early Years Awards. The winning books all exemplify the remarkable creativity in words, design and illustration necessary to encourage young children to read.
The winners were announced at a ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 23 September at BAFTA.
The winner of the Baby Book Award:
Chick by Ed Vere (Puffin)
The winner of the Pre-School Award:
Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide by Mara Bergman, illus. Nick Maland (Hodder Children’s Books)
Best Emerging Illustrator:
Box of Tricks by Katie Cleminson (Jonathan Cape)
Wendy Cooling presented the winners for each category with a cheque for £2,000 and a customised trophy. The best emerging illustrator was presented with a specially commissioned piece of original artwork donated by the children’s illustrator and judge Neal Layton.
The publishers of the three winning titles were presented with certificates naming them as one of the Booktrust Early Years Awards Publishers of the Year.
Wendy Cooling, MBE and Chair of Judges:
‘The winning books have that wonder that is so important for very young children; they will be read over and over again and adult readers will not complain at the “Again please!” There’s originality, imagination and excellent…
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Download some free new John Prater bookplates
Posted Wednesday September 23rd 2009
by Nikesh Shukla
Keep your home library growing with these wonderfully illustrated bookplates by John Prater.Download your very own Bookstart bookplates to make your favourite books even more special.
You can either print them onto sticky labels; or simply print on paper, then use scissors and glue.
“You are never too young to start a home library of your very own books.It will start a love of reading to enrich your childhood and last your whole life.” Anne Fine, author.
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Is it a bird?
Posted Wednesday September 2nd 2009
by Natasha Baker
Is it a bird?…….. is it a plane?…… NO, IT’S SUPERBEBE!
But before I show you cute photos of my niece, aka Superbebe, I wanted to share how fantastic it is being an Auntie for the first time.
On June 6th 2009 Isabelle Rose (aka Superbebe) entered this world of ours and I became a very proud first time auntie.
Okay time for a cute photo:
SuperBebe – just 3 hours old. My eyes are closed because I haven’t got a handle on that whole x-ray and heat vision thing……yet!
It’s been 10 weeks or so since her birth and she gets cuter each time I see her, but don’t just take my word for it, see for yourselves (optimistically hoping for plural readers):
'Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, not around the eyes, not around the eyes, look into my eyes!'
And it’s fascinating to see how she is developing – for example, not only is she mildly interested in her crazy Auntie T singing nursery rhymes to her on a sunny Sunday afternoon (No that does…
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The Start of an Exciting Journey
Posted Tuesday September 1st 2009
by Megan Farr
I’ve just enjoyed a blissful ten days home alone whilst my partner and 3 ½ year old daughter, Bea, were away on holiday. It was of course wonderful to have them back yesterday and in particular the happy return to the bedtime story routine as I told Bea the tales of the Three Little Pigs, Billy Goats Gruff and The Gigantic Turnip before she fell sleep after an exhausting day of travel. So lovely to have her back, until this morning when she woke up at 6am, demanded cocoa pops, her red spotty dress, music to dance to (6.20am) and then had a strop when we said she couldn’t watch telly at 6.50am. We managed to appease her with a Snow White book and CD she’d brought back from holiday, and she was soon quietly pouring over the pictures and following the story, cocooned in her Thomas the Tank Engine tent.
One of the most exciting things about being a parent is witnessing the amazing journey of learning to read and I am really curious to watch the learning process. Bea is at the age where she is fascinated by the words and symbols around her, beginning to make the…
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Recommended Picture Book for September
Posted Tuesday September 1st 2009
by Nikesh Shukla
Our recommended read of the month for Bookstart parents is The Haunted House by Kazuno Kohara.
When a young girl goes to live in a magnificent, old house at the edge of town, she doesn't seem at all worried to find that it is haunted by not one, but many, floaty white ghosts.
Using only black and white on orange, the colours of Halloween, printmaker Kazuno Kohara has created a unique book experience for youngsters which oozes atmosphere without being scary.
