From 2021, on the discussion of Kate Clanchy's book: 'How does a book in which a writer frequently employs controversial and denigratory language come to be championed as a work of political acumen? What does this suggest about how writing is evaluated?' booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/beyo...

Learning that Kate Clanchy is on a podcast to complain of her "cancellation" is gross. Clanchy lied about the quotes being fake; they were genuine. She started pile ons on anyone calling out her bigotry. This, from Book Riot, sets out the sequence of events. archive.ph/TX2jK

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-brit... If you’re in Sheffield next week, why not come along? JT Williams is always a treat to hear.

📚 What stories do we tell children about the past? 📚 From whose point of view are these stories told? 📚 Whose lives are considered important — and whose are forgotten? 📚 What are historical “facts,” and who gets to interpret them? We’ll explore these questions at our conference on November 8th!

Congratulations to Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan, who was named Campaigner for Health Equity Award at Women of the Year Awards 2025! www.womenoftheyear.co.uk/team/rageshr... 1/3

6th November. Former #LittleRebelsAward Champion, @amdassu.bsky.social , is sharing her latest book at a totally FREE event for schools. #KidLitUK

This is amazing! This class have already got a copy of Wild Journey, thanks to their teacher. Week made! Thank you @pynchonic.bsky.social!

Great Line up! Tickets available: www.tickettailor.com/events/ibbyu... @ibbyuk.bsky.social @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social @theclpe.bsky.social @chrishaughton.bsky.social @gitaralleigh.bsky.social @balirai.bsky.social @candygourlay.bsky.social @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social

"The BBC has clanged their doors shut on those histories, those stories, those lives and ways of working that are revealed through the joint industry of the historian and the archivist." @helenwheatley.bsky.social on the devastating decision to limit access to BBC archives. tinyurl.com/y4tnyw9a

Reflecting Realities in Your Classroom: Use CLPE’s award-winning research to build a representative curriculum. Learn to choose inclusive books & create a positive, diverse curriculum. https://clpe.org.uk/training/webinars/reflecting-realities-your-classroom-recorded-lessons-literacy-cpd-series-1

⭐️Comics &graphic novels starring racially minoritised characters.    With each #BeyondTheSecretGarden column by @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social -we share the highlights at @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social #KidLitUK uk.bookshop.org/lists/beyond...

#London, coming up 28th October at Bard Books to mark the 1st year of the #JhalakReview & first of 10th year celebrations of the #JhalakPrize. With brilliant writers who are creating fearless, incredible, future shaping work. Come!!! It will be amazing: www.wearebardbooks.co.uk/event-detail...

Philip Nel warns against the ways institutional book banning efforts lead to self-censorship Read "Being Banned Is Not an Award" in the new issue of Bookbird Free on @projectmuse.bsky.social thru 31 October tinyurl.com/3hy62uye #AcademicSky #BannedBooksWeek

Who do you ban from your personal reading selections? Ready to challenge that? pearlsandrubys.slj.com/2025/10/04/c...

Support bookstores. Not billionaires. Free shipping on any purchases 10/7-10/8. See our recommendations and more: bookshop.org/shop/peoples... @bookshop.org

It's the start of #DyslexiaAwarenessWeek in England and Wales! Did you know that the tinted paper in Barrington Stoke books helps to reduce visual stress and glare for many dyslexic readers? Find out more at: bit.ly/dyslexia-sup...

shows.acast.com/storyshaped Excited to see that the Storyshaped episode with @darrenchetty.bsky.social is available for everyone to hear now!

In an open letter, Walker Books 'is concerned to see the latest developments in Weymouth, particularly given the extreme reality of book banning in the US. We must ask ourselves is this the beginning of something, and what comes next?' www.bookbrunch.co.uk/page/article...

1/4 🥳CONGRATULATIONS to the first ever double prize winner of The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social #KidLitUK #UKKidLit …a little thread on why this book matters so much ⬇️

November is Empathy Action Month and what better way to celebrate in school than by joining @amdassu.bsky.social for a FREE virtual event on Thurs 6th Nov who will whisk you on a mesmerising journey across the world with her new book, #WildJourney Register here sevenstories.org.uk/event/author...

🥳🎉CONGRATULATIONS🎉🥳 We are delighted to announce that the Winner of the 2025 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction is @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social for The Fights That Make Us, published by Usborne. Congratulations, Sarah! Our first ever double champion!! #KidLitUK

Generous overview of characters of colour in comics&graphic novels, from stereotypes to representation. (Via gems like Ed Sec’s K Baker’s book ban) Latest @darrenchetty.bsky.social & @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social column in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social #UKKidsLit booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/beyo...

With the chance to buy Beyond the Secret Garden, by Darren + @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social minus the cost of p+p + copies of Sita's latest - Phoenix Brothers, a prequel to 'Amir + George', as featured in EMC's Iridescent Adolescent

Factsheet about migration. From Safe Passage International. @safepassageintl.bsky.social

Happy hours making up bundles of #LittleRebelsAward 2025 Shortlist Bookmarks for UK primary schools distribution via a forthcoming YLG mailout🙏😌 #UKSchools #UKKidLit #KidLitUK @ylglondon.bsky.social @cilip-ylgse.bsky.social @jakehope.bsky.social

#YLGConference. @cilipslg.bsky.social @cilip-ylgse.bsky.social now taking about the book Beyond the Secret Garden which is an absolute classic about diversity in children’s literature. It’s an absolute must-read!

A wonderful lunch in sunny #Hastings today to celebrate the publication of #DanceOfResistance by @catwrote.bsky.social joined by fellow Barrington Stoke authors @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social and @melindasalisbury.com and the brilliant Fen Coles from @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social!

I hope this will include the highlights of ESEA writing and publishing for children—so much good stuff out and coming out!

Over the last few months, the George Padmore Institute (GPI) has been developing a resource to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Black Parents Movement (BPM), detailing the organisation’s history, governance, key national and international campaigns. Check it out here: buff.ly/vQszy33 📽️

“C Johnson has managed to extract, from a complicated history, all of the  gems & then polished them up so as she can deliver them both honestly&thoughtfully to her young audience” Dance of Resistance @catwrote.bsky.social is out 11th Sep! Review/pre-order: www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page...

“The stories that make up this year’s shortlist reminds us that the fight for justice is nothing new.” We were very honoured this year to be joined again by Dr. @darrenchetty.bsky.social at the shortlisting stage. Reflecting on the shortlist, Darren said…⬇️⬇️⬇️ #KidLitUK #UKKidLit

So @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social are offering a 'Beyond the Secret Garden' book pack. 1 BTSG book, 24 discounted children's books & some specially written discussion plans and a voucher for training with @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social and me! More here: www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page...

🤩Social Justice Books for School🤩 Every year, award organisers @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social puts together a Little Rebels Award Book Pack with: 🖤The shortlisted books/discounted 🤍Reading guides ❤️Poster 💚Stickers 🖤Bookmarks www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page... #KidLitUK

… explore time travelling via Patience Agabi, tech hazards & scientific ethics via @malorieblackman.bsky.social & @heychante.bsky.social , Zanib Mian’s friendly aliens- & surgical augmentations from Kenechi Udogu 🔭🔬⚗️🧬🧪🥼🧫🕵🏿‍♀️ #KidsLit #KidsLitUK

MORNING COFFE ALERT☕️🥐 “Darren Chetty & Karen Sands-O’Connor seek out universal access in science-fiction writing for children” It’s the latest Beyond the Secret Garden column: @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/beyo...

Darren’s debut picture book, I’m Going to Make a Friend came out in May. He & @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social co-author the #BeyondTheSecretGarden columns for @booksforkeeps.bsky.social Some were published by @engmediacentre.bsky.social this year. How lucky we are! Thank you @darrenchetty.bsky.social

Do you read rebelliously? How many of the #LittleRebels shortlist have you read? @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social @housmansbookshop.bsky.social

Out now! #BfK273, our #summer special! Authorgraph interview Kenneth Oppel, Windows into Illustration Jarvis, new Beyond the Secret Garden, new Picture This, Nikesh Shukla on reading for pleasure + interviews, new #childrensbook reviews & more #KidLit #BookSky 😎 booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk-27...

Ooh, can’t wait!

Looking for a last minute summer read? There's still time to treat yourself to a copy of Beyond the Secret Garden by @darrenchetty.bsky.social + @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social. As recommended by @michaelrosenyes.bsky.social in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Lovely couple of days in Cardiff, talking with @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social about Beyond the Secret Garden for the National Literacy Trust, and then at the Senedd talking to the @bameednetwork.bsky.social Wales group.

🇵🇸Beyond the Secret Garden: Palestinian People in Children’s Books. A bookshelf at @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social via @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social column in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social uk.bookshop.org/lists/beyond...

#CFP: Crossing Borders, Shifting Selves: Migration, Liminality, and the Reimagining of Childhood in Global Children’s Literature IRCL Special Congress Issue Deadline: November 1 2025 Email: Johari Murray ([email protected]) and Izaskun Elorza ([email protected]); and Roxanne Harde ([email protected])

How do we build a diverse curriculum that addresses harmful material in historical literature? Join @literacy_trust @rapclassroom @ksandsoconnor @connor_allen92 for FREE CPD – and take away a FREE copy of ‘Beyond the Secret Garden’ 📆10 July 📍Cardiff Book now: literacytrust.org.uk/events/creat...

Great to see @darrenchetty.bsky.social’s ‘I’m going to make a friend’ in this list of the best new picture books and novels from @theguardian.com! www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Delighted to join Dr Melanie Ramdarshan Bold and @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social for a panel that explored Englishness, Britishness and children’s literature at @irscl2025_usal. A great conference - thank you to all who worked to make it happen!

July 10th 😃 Sign up here! literacytrust.org.uk/events/creat...

Link here: literacytrust.org.uk/events/creat...

Cardiff primary school teachers and similar folks, you should go to this. Darren is brilliant.