Took the girls to the local library today. Books for free, order anything they don't have, even sit and read for a while? Truly magic! Don't forget your local library for budget reading. Plus authors get a few pennies each time you borrow a book - so winning all round really 😀

If you are teaching the Romans this year, then History Through Today's Eyes has a new podcast episode for you. In all the usual places, including Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0blL...

Just a pond I'd walked past loads of times... or not. This is the crash site of a B17 bomber in 1945 from a nearby airfield. It crashed on take-off after suffering engine failure, with 5 of the 9 crew sadly killed. Last month this lovely memorial was dedicated at the site.

As we remember the terrible tragedy of the Holocaust today, spare a thought too for those kind people who organised the Kindertransport - rescuing almost 10,000 mainly Jewish children from Europe in the days before WW2.

I love the little nuggets you find when researching a book - like the fact that Bethnal Green tube station was incomplete in WW2 and the tracks were boarded over to provide sleeping accommodation as an air-raid shelter. There was even a library and theatre inside!

Watched a couple of episodes of this last night and remembered how much I loved it back in the day. On reflection, I'm pretty sure this is where I got my fascination with WW2 time travel 🥰

Some of my favourite WW2 middle grade books. All have a slightly different slant to some of the commonly read class texts and would be good for a teacher wanting to switch it up this term.

History is all around us and doesn't have to just live in books. You can see and touch it on a walk not far from your house. I wonder who waited for invasion in the pillbox, hid from bombs in the air-raid shelter and worked in the ROC plotting room...?

As an author, I feel privileged (and also responsible) in helping encourage children to read. This year, the National Year of Reading can hopefully shine a stronger light on this amazing activity and those who champion it. These are my focus areas this year.

So, 5 free copies of The Blitz Bus downloaded so far, plus 3 99p copies of the other books. Promo going well so far 😀 If you fancy a free read - amzn.to/48zhyfZ

During WW2, the Soviet Union had a regiment of female pilots who flew night raids against German forces. To maintain the element of surprise, they would switch their engines off as they approached their target. 🧵1/2

Teachers - do you have any reluctant or disadvantaged readers in your class? I like to give away a few books at Christmas where the need is greatest - if you would like to nominate a pupil, please DM with their first name & reason. I'll pick some and contact those teachers to arrange sending out. 📚🎁

Why, as a children's author, do I like writing podcast episodes too? Simple - I love to blend education with entertainment. If I write fiction with an educational slant, then hopefully I can also create podcast episodes helping children understand key moments from history.

🎙️New episode alert🎙️ Bitesize introduction to life in Victorian London - suitable for KS2. open.spotify.com/episode/7Mnh...

Planning some writing today, using the 3 Act Method. I always liken it to a rollercoaster (hence the line on the page) as it helps me build the tension in the right places 📚

This gas lamp is powered by.... farts! Sited in Carting Lane, just off the Strand, it is London's last surviving sewer gas lamp - designed to burn off excess methane built up in the Victorian sewer system. These days though, it burns biogas from a sewage treatment works instead.

Educating our children today on the decisions and consequences of the past is the best way ensure all those who suffered are not forgotten. We can then hope this leads to a better tomorrow. Here are some favourite books which I feel give a rounded view on WW2. #RemembranceSunday

Fancy a hotel with a sea view? For German pilots shot down over the Channel during WW2, this rescue buoy would have been a welcome sight. Equipped with 4 bunks, rations and electric light, it could provide safe accommodation until a seaplane or rescue launch... 🧵1/2

Looking for a new half term read??? The Disappearing Diamond is a classic Victorian adventure but with a twist - Jack and Emmie are from the present day! How will they navigate 1850's London to find the stolen diamond and get home again???

What's unusual about these houses in Bayswater, London??? Well, they're just a facade - literally! 23-24 Leinster Gardens, not far from Bayswater tube station, were demolished in the 1860's so the Metropolitan line could be built - using the shallow cut and cover technique. 🧵1/3

Imagine a gun so powerful it could shell London from 100+ miles away. Germany built it during WWII. Meet the terrifying V-3 supergun. It used multiple sequential charges along the barrel to boost projectile speed - a giant, experimental cannon. 🧵1/2

For anyone teaching WW2 this term, History Through Today's Eyes has a number of bite-sized 10 minute episodes on topics like the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and how WW2 started. Available in all the usual places - let me know if you have any requests for future episodes too. 🎙️

📚Teachers - fancy a free virtual author visit to support your WW2 topic? I'm taking bookings for this term and the visit is totally free when you buy 4 books from me (£7.99 each plus P&P). Please DM me for further details/to book, or have a look at www.glenblackwell.com/schoolvisits/

Teaching the Maya this term? History Through Today's Eyes has a new episode cramming in loads of content about the ancient civilisation in just 10 minutes. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/02z8... #edusky

Did you know Japan once tried to bomb the USA using balloons? It sounds wild, but it really happened during WWII. Japan launched over 9,000 hydrogen-filled balloons called Fu-Go, each carrying explosives. 🧵1/3

On 1st Sept 1939, as Germany invaded Poland and war became a reality around them, the last group of children left Berlin on the Kindertransport, bound for Britain. Over 10,000 children had been brought to safety via this route in the lead up to WW2.

Teachers - do you have a reading corner/wall in your classroom? Very happy to send a personalised letter encouraging reading to your class if you DM me the class name and an email address. Perfect if you are teaching WW2 this term too 📚 #edusky

If you are teaching WW2 this coming term, these are some of my favourite books arranged by theme. Some will be on every class bookshelf and others are a bit less well-known. I've enjoyed them all 📚

If you would like your pupils to come back to school to a letter from an author about the joys and benefits of reading for pleasure, just email or DM me.

Did you know this Japanese soldier kept fighting for 29 years after the end of WW2??? With the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, this story takes on a special significance. Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda refused to believe the war had ended in 1945 and went into hiding... 🧵1/3

If you're looking for a new summer read for the 8-12 year old in your life, look no further 😊

These fences aren't quite what they seem... During WW2, a lot of railings around the UK were cut down so the metal could be used for the war effort. You can often see the stumps of railings in front of older houses on the top of low walls... 🧵1/2

A long-abandoned Tube station used by Churchill for meetings during WW2??? Tell me more... Down Street station closed in 1932 due to lack of use & proximity to Green Park & Hyde Park Corner stations. As Britain prepared for war, it was chosen as a secret bunker location... 🧵1/3

Ever heard of a Stanton shelter? Thought not... I found these WW2 relics on a local walk recently - they lie on land which was once a US bomber base. The Stanton shelter was an air-raid shelter typically made of 18 pre-cast concrete arches, bolted together at the top. 🧵1/2

A secret underground factory in a Tube station??? When researching The Blitz Bus, I discovered that part of the Central line in London (between Leytonstone and Gants Hill) was turned into an electronics factory in WW2. That part of the Tube wasn't finished at the time... 🧵1/2

Did you know... that Poland had a bear who officially served in the military in WW2? In 1942, a group of Polish soldiers were evacuated from the Soviet Union and made their way to Iran. Along the way, they found and befriended a brown bear who they named Wojtek. 🧵1/2

As we approach the summer holidays, here's a reminder of some excellent WW2 books for 9-12 year olds 📚

Just finished this cracker from @claremulley.bsky.social. I thought I knew a bit about wartime Poland but nothing like the detail in here. Such an amazing story about a Polish heroine, but also a fascinating insight into Polish history over the past century.

What does Fanta have to do with WW2, you might well ask? The answer is a curious story indeed... Before WW2, Germany was a big market for Coca-Cola, but the entry of America into the war in 1941 meant that the availability of syrups stopped.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there (and those of us just left with memories). Thanks for all the bedtime stories which hopefully inspire a lifetime love of reading 📚

From Titanic to Dunkirk. As we reach the 85th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation, a bizarre story unfolds. Charles Lightoller (Second Officer on Titanic) witnessed both historic events, sailing his motor launch to France in 1940 & rescuing 130 men from the beaches of Dunkirk.

For any teachers wanting a short (5 min) overview of VE Day, I've created a video you might find useful. Available to download from the resources page on my website (totally free) - www.glenblackwell.com/resources/ #EduSky

14th April would prove to be the last grand luncheon for the passengers on board Titanic. Around 12 hours later, the great ship would sink, having hit an iceberg shortly before midnight. Sobering to see this piece of history as a reminder.

I'm a big Titanic fan, so I was fascinated to hear about this new 3D scan today. It proves, amongst other things, that the engineers did indeed work to keep the lights on as the ship sunk. Incredible. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

⚓ Teaching Titanic this term? ⚓ History Through Today's Eyes has a new episode covering the story of Titanic in just 10 minutes. Available on Spotify/others to support teaching on the subject. open.spotify.com/episode/7E15.... Happy to consider requests for future topics to cover 😀

To all the teachers, librarians and readers out there - Happy World Book Day! 📚🥳 My mantra whenever I visit a school is 'keep reading' - I never grow tired of the magical way a book can transport you to somewhere totally different in an instant. #WorldBookDay

Never forget. But also remember those brave people who brought 10,000 children to safety at the start of WW2 and saved them from a terrible fate. #HolocaustMemorialDay #Kindertransport

I'm booked up for online visits in January, but have some spaces in February and March. These are totally 🌟FREE 🌟when you buy 4 books direct from me (£7.99 each plus P&P). Please DM for details or look at www.glenblackwell.com/schoolvisits

My latest episode of History Through Today's Eyes covers the Kindertransport and the experiences of those children fleeing persecution. Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/3wC5... Amazing sculpture below commemorates these children and is by @ianwolter.bsky.social

You're very welcome! Thanks to @deputygrocott.bsky.social too 🎅