Some of you already know about my writer friend Tommy Donbavand, who was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer in March and has been undergoing some really severe treatment ever since. He’s doing really well – hurrah for Tommy! – and to support him through his recovery and return to health, some of his friends … More Tommy V Cancer blog tour!
Spotted in Oxfordshire! Watch out, Professor Macavity!
I started reading The Secret Railway to my seven-year-old daughter, but she stopped me at the end of the introduction. ‘You can’t read on, Mummy, you’re not allowed. You’re married.’ See, Wendy Meddour has done this introduction which carefully weeds out the people who ‘aren’t 100% child’ by means of a questionnaire. No matter that … More The Secret Railway – review
Somebody Stop Ivy Pocket is the sequel to the brilliant Anyone But Ivy Pocket, which was one of my stand-out books of last year. It’s not quite as brilliant, but that’s possibly because it’s the middle book in a trilogy, which is very hard to do well (unless you happen to be The Empire Strikes … More Somebody Stop Ivy Pocket – review
Last Friday was my launch party for A LIBRARY OF LEMONS and it was SO much fun! I shared the event with my author pal John Dougherty (who published his book Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Great Big Story Nickers on the same day as my Lemons) at the brilliant Blackwells in Oxford, and we … More Launching Lemons with added Stinkbombs and Ketchup!
How Not To Be Weird by Dawn McNiff continues in her vein of ‘magical realism’ stories – where the power of belief is tested against real-world situations – and is a lovely heart-warming and encouraging read. Woody Trindle is starting secondary school and feels far too young and awkward. Woody’s father died when Woody was … More How Not To Be Weird – review
Whew, it’s finally here! A LIBRARY OF LEMONS publishes today, hurrah! And really, you don’t know QUITE how relieved I am, because this has been possibly the hardest book ever to write. Well, the first draft was easy. But the many, MANY drafts that came after that…well, they weren’t all easy. And they got harder … More Happy Lemony Publication Day to Me!
Jo Cotterill 