In the Reading Corner

Simon James Green is a writer of children's and YA fiction. He was listed for the Branford Boase Award for his debut novel, Noah Can't Even

His novel Alex in Wonderland (nominated for the Carnegie Medal and selected was one of the top 20 LGBTQ+ books of 2019

His first middle grade novel Life of Riley: Beginner’s Luck was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Award.

In this episode, Simon talks about his humorous novel Sleepover Takeover, a story about making friends and being brave enough to find them. It's a perfect novel for children in year 6 about to transition to secondary schools.

About Sleepover Take Over
When Otis wakes up after a sleepover at popular kid Rocco Rococo's house, it's a scene of total chaos and disaster. Weirdly, no one can remember what happened the night before, so Rocco and Otis reluctantly team up to retrace their steps in the hopes of working out what happened.

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Diana Mayo is an established  British illustrator, Her most recent picturebook is The Snow Ghost, written by Tony Mitton and published by Bloomsbury. In this episode, she talks with Nikki Gamble about the creative choices made when illustrating the book as well as some of the challenges it presented.

About The Snow Ghost
Snow Ghost came whispering out of the air, "Oh, for a home to be happy - but where?"Flying through the swirling, snow-filled skies, Snow Ghost searches for a place to call home, swooping gracefully over the whirling traffic of town, winding her way through the dense, tangled wood and to the top of the blustery hill. Then on the quiet calm of the moors, she sees a girl and a boy playing. She breathes magic and sparkle into their play until it's time for them to stumble back home to bed.

And while shimmers of moonlight cast their glittering light, Snow Ghost curls herself around the roof of the farmhouse. She has found her happy home at last. A timeless story of hope and belonging, perfect for sharing with loved ones this winter.

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Author and illustrator Jen Carney wrote the B.U.G. series to celebrate diverse - and perhaps slightly bonkers - families. In this episode, she talks with Nikki Gamble about the importance of adopted and fostered children being visible in books for children and introduces us to the world of B.U.G.

About B.U.G series
Meet Billie Upton Green and her VERY accidental diary - and don't you DARE call her B.U.G! 

Billie has taken the new girl at school under her wing. She'll teach her the important stuff - Biscuit Laws, Mrs Patterson and of course where to sneakily eat a Jaffa Cake. She might even get invited to the EVENT OF THE YEAR (Billie's mums' are getting married).

But then suspicion sets in. The new girl seems VERY close to Billie's best friend Layla. And she knows a LOT about the big school heist - the theft of Mrs Robinson's purse.

But, Billie is on to her. Well, as long as Patrick doesn't catch her eating biscuits first

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

It's an unbelievable 10 years since the publication of the first Tom Gates book.  Undoubtedly popular with young readers, the virtue of funny books written in diary format is sometimes unappreciated by adults. In this podcast, Liz talks to Nikki Gamble about how the books encourage reading by stealth and celebrate children's creativity.

View books in the Tom Gates series

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Pádraig Kenny is an Irish writer. He started his career writing radio drama. As an arts journalist, he has contributed work to the Irish Times, the Sunday Tribune, the Sunday Independent, the Irish Examiner, and several other publications.

His debut novel Tin was published by Chicken House in 2018 and was Waterstones Children’s Book of the Month. It has been nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the Northern Ireland Book Awards. His second novel Pog was published in April 2019 and was Independent Booksellers’ Children’s Book of the Month.

In this podcast, he talks with Nikki Gamble about his Rookehaven stories: The Monsters of Rookhaven and The Shadows of Rookhaven

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

When Shadows Fall is a novel about what happens when tragedy strikes and the effect grief has on a teenage boy when the safety net that should be there to catch him is taken away. It's also about the power of friendship that can help overcome the impact when the cards are stacked against you. It is a profoundly moving story.

Sita Brahmachari, Natalie Sirett, Mattie Whitehead and Charlie Moyler joined me In The Reading Corner to explain why this story is so important to them.

About When Shadows Fall

Kai, Orla and Zak grew up together, their days spent on the patch of wilderness in between their homes, a small green space in a sprawling grey city. Music, laughter and friendship bind them together and they have big plans for their future - until Kai's family suffers a huge loss.

Trying to cope with his own grief, as well as watching it tear his family apart, Kai is drawn into a new and more dangerous crowd, until his dreams for the future are a distant memory.

Excluded from school and retreating from his loved ones, it seems as though his path is set, his story foretold. Orla, Zak and new classmate Om are determined to help him find his way back. But are they too late?

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Broadcaster, Harry Whittaker, joined Nikki Gamble In The Reading Corner to talk about the book that he co-authored with his mother the acclaimed novelist, Lucinda Riley. The book is illustrated by Jane Ray and published by Macmillan.

Grace and the Christmas Angel
It's Christmas Eve. The tree is decorated, the presents are wrapped and it's a big day for Grace.

She is singing a song in the nativity show, and her fisherman daddy has promised to be back in time to watch her. But when a storm blows up at sea, Grace walks out on stage to find Daddy is not there. She's very worried.

But luckily, Grace has someone watching over her. Will Hope, the Christmas Angel, be able to help Daddy get home safely for Christmas morning?

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.com

In 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/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates, follow us on Twitter @imaginecentre

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Michael Mann is a primary school teacher by day, and mostly writes when he should be sleeping at night. He was a winner of SCBWI’s Undiscovered Voices 2020, and the 2019 London Writer’s Award (Spread the Word). He is passionate about diversity in children’s literature as a person of British and Indian heritage. 

In this episode, he talks about his debut novel Ghostcloud, how teaching has inspired his writing and learning from other writers.

About Ghostcloud
Kidnapped and forced to shovel coal underneath a half-bombed, blackened power station, 12-year-old Luke's life is miserable.

Then, he discovers he can see things others can't. Ghostly things. Specifically, a ghost-girl named Alma.

Alma, who can ride clouds through the night sky and bend their shape to her will, befriends Luke. And with Alma's help, Luke discovers he is in fact a rare being - half-human and half-something else ... Then Luke learns the terrible truth of why children are being kidnapped and forced to work in the power station, and he becomes even more desperate to escape.

Can Luke find out who he really is ... and find his freedom?

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Storyteller Margaret Bateson-Hill and illustrator, Karin Littlewood, bring their combined talents together in this beautiful retelling of the nativity story.

In this episode, I talked with Margaret and Karin about the continued relevance of the Christmas story in a pluralistic society and specifically what they wanted to achieve with their retelling.

Leah's Star
Bethlehem has never been so busy! Leah, the innkeeper's daughter businessman off her feet. Then in the starlight miracles begin. This beautiful, fresh new telling of the Nativity story, through the eyes of a young girl, brings wonderful humanity to this familiar tale.

With a story as ancient and familiar as the Nativity, it's easy to forget the human drama at its centre a young woman about to give birth for the first time, far away from home, her mother and the women who would usually help her; the older Joseph, concerned for his young wife. By telling the story through the eyes of young Leah, Margaret Bateson-Hill allows the reader to see the humanity of the ancient story. The Nativity's innkeeper is often portrayed as a callous businessman, turning the vulnerable couple away.

But at the time of the census in Jerusalem, his rooms would have been packed with travellers - not an ideal place for a young woman about to go into labour. In Leah's Star, we see his humanity in offering Mary and Joseph a warm, private space in his stable. Here is a young woman, about to go into labour who is helped by Leah and the local midwife.

These details bring the old familiar story to new life.

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk

Chris Naylor-Ballesteros is a picture book author and illustrator. Originally from Bradford and studied illustration and graphic design at Bradford College of Art. In 2000 he moved to France where, amongst other things, he was an English teacher before working in newspaper layout and design. When his children were small he realised he loved the picture books he read to them, sometimes even more than his children did. He went on to create, I'm Going to Eat This Ant, followed by I love, You Stick Insect and The Suitcase.

To-date he has written two Christmas books, The Lonely Christmas Tree and Tiny Reindeer.

He joins Nikki Gamble in this episode of In The Reading Corner to tell us more about his work.

About Tiny Reindeer

Meet Santa's smallest helper: Tiny Reindeer! He doesn't quite fit in, but when a very special letter arrives before Christmas Eve, he embarks on a mission to find his place in the world. Tiny Reindeer just can't find his place in the busy North Pole. Being much smaller than the other reindeer, he's not very good at any of the jobs Santa gives him.

But when a letter comes from a little girl with a Christmas wish to help keep the memory of her grandfather alive, Tiny knows exactly what he needs to do.

Support the show

Thank you for listening. 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by subscribing to our channel. and by purchasing books from our online bookshop, Bestbooksforschools.com

In the Reading Corner is presented by Nikki Gamble, Director of Just Imagine. 

Follow us on Youtube for more author events YouTube.com/@nikkigamble1

For general news and updates: follow us on X @imaginecentre  Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/justimaginecentre.bsky.social  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/justimagine_books/

Full details about the range of services we provide can be found on our website www.justimagine.co.uk