Little bit of news time! A bookseller who is taking on the London Marathon for @booktrust.org.uk! Excited to celebrate my 40th year with this challenge. #kidlituk

Little bit of Sunday news: www.justgiving.com/page/helen-t...

2026 is The Year of Reading, and I am determined I promote that reading is fun, and how it's important to understand that fun reading is different for everyone. Allow children to choose. A joke book may not be your jam, but it may be the definition of reading being fun for someone else!

This!

Helped to organise a Pride event. Mostly went well, unfortunately some homophobia on social media but largely a great day. And then today a vaguely threatening comment on one of the social media posts stating "hope nothing happens to you" followed by a derogatory term. What is WRONG with people?

There are now signed copies of Some Body Like Me, Strangeworlds and Artezans at @waterstonesargyle.bsky.social. Huge shoutout to D for recognising me instantly when I was trying to be coy and cool and subtle asking where the hardback scifi was 😭🥰🩵

Overload reached a whole new level last night. I lay on the bed for an hour trying to work out what I wanted for my dinner, couldn't work out dinner because thinking was too hard, and ended having a bowl of broccoli.

See also: stepping stone. (provokes a similar reaction)

Children's books are never "just a children's book." They stay with us. They can shape us. The stories can become part of us. And so, when a loved children's author leaves us, it isn't just news, but it's grief. The stories last a lifetime. Thank you Allan Ahlberg for the magic. ❤️ #kidlituk

Each Peach Pear Plum was the early memory. But I LOVED Burglar Bill. My daughter loved it too. I am so sad to learn that Allan Ahlberg has died. When children and adults of all ages can quote lines from his works, and his works with Janet, that's a special legacy, isn't it? Iconic. #kidlituk

Retford Pride. August 2nd. Get it in the diaries!

Is there a word for that feeling when you feel a bit peculiar because your child has now finished primary school and in your mind, they only just started, but also, you feel like you only just left school yourself?!

So lovely to do this today!

Four year olds are not too old for picture books. A beautiful book was turned down by someone in the shop yesterday due to the child being about to start school, and therefore "too old" for picture books. Please don't force children to give up picture books too quickly. #kidlituk

Always love a hair refresh!

Tactical voting experts have confirmed: the best way to beat Reform UK this Thursday is to vote Liberal Democrat in Ranskill. If you want to stop the Tories or Reform UK, make your vote count – back the Lib Dems on 10th July.

The choice is clear for the #Ranskill by-election. Vote for positive change on the 10th July with Simon Russell & the Lib Dems. No scandals, but probably socks & sandals.

Comic books are real books. As you were.

Sitting in the sunshine and watching the world. Well I was and it was lovely but now I'm back to scrolling.

There's also an open letter you can sign here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

What a gorgeous evening celebrating the launch of Kickflip by @ldlapinski.bsky.social and Logan Hanning. Lovely bookshop, lovely people.

This is my little bookshop and we are launching an award! ❤️

Council climate scorecards have been published and it is quite staggering that Bassetlaw is down on the already poor 2023 performance. councilclimatescorecards.uk/scoring/dist...

Children's books really can change lives. And author/illustrator visits can be utterly transformational. ❤️ #kidlituk

Yup⤵️ Many earn far less and celebs skew stats. From what I'm hearing at the moment for middle grade, many folks are typically getting 3-6k advance, which is split into three payments which can span years, and from which agents are paid 15%. This is why there are so few full-time authors.

What is common knowledge in your field but shocks outsiders? Unless you can print a book in huge quantities, the profit at each stage of sale – the total being divided between the retailer, the publisher, the author and their agent, don’t forget – very often ends up as pennies rather than pounds.

What is common knowledge in your field but shocks outsiders? Booksellers don't get time to read on the job.

What is common knowledge in your field but shocks outsiders? The average author income is about seven grand a year.

Just been having a chat about comics. I love them, and think the medium is very much misunderstood. Comics are not a genre, they are a medium. You can get non-fiction comics, romance, humour, horror etc, in the same way as prose.

Anyway, this is me, now making an effort to bring my bookish chat to BlueSky. Hello #kidlituk! I'm the owner of Wonderland Bookshop, and I love all forms of children's literature.

I am so bad at using my personal BlueSky.

Reading for pleasure is at a low. Part of tackling this has to be giving children the agency to choose reading material, instead of us as adults, dismissing choices as not being "challenging enough" or "not a proper book." To encourage reading for fun, let children choose to read what they find fun

It's National Blood Donor Week, so just a reminder that if you are able to donate blood, please consider doing so. I received blood transfusions back in 2014 and I wouldn't be here without them and I'll be forever grateful ❤️

A week ago, my little bookshop, @wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social was awarded Children's Bookseller of the Year 2025 at the British Book Awards. I am still buzzing! It's okay to be insufferable for a bit longer, right?!

We've been working with @pluslibdems.bsky.social and @assoclibdemcllrs.bsky.social on a template council motion on trans rights that ALDC will be sending out next week! Transphobia isn't feminist, and Lib Dem Women will always stand with the Trans community.

Too many lives in the LGBTQ+ community have been blighted by discrimination and hate. Liberal Democrats will always stand up against homophobia, transphobia and biphobia. And we'll fight for fair society where everyone’s rights and dignity are upheld. #IDAHOBIT 🏳️‍🌈 ❤️ 💜 💙 🏳️‍⚧️

I've just been made aware of The Yasmine McClory Foundation who fund counselling for LGBTQ+ youth. I think this is really important to share, especially today. www.yasminemccloryfoundation.org.uk/our-work/lgb...

EXACTLY. But hey, if it makes me a buzzkill, so be it.

Parents and educators - there are a lot of discussions in publishing about how to improve reading for pleasure. Is there anything you wish publishing would do more of? Or just understand about kids and reading? Any insights from teaching/parenting of what gets kids reading? #KidLitUK #Edusky #KidLit

Reading for pleasure is at an all time low. So surely it's best that children have the agency to choose? Comics, prose, poetry, pictures, we all like different things! #kidlituk

If you are able to donate, there's a gofundme to raise emergency earthquake relief funds. Thank you @meemalee.bsky.social for sharing the link. gofund.me/67f61c01

So Bluesky seems to have an issue with fundraising because the Better Burma @betterburma.bsky.social account has been suspended! This is the link to their Myanmar Earthquake Appeal that got deleted www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-...

There is no rush to move a four year old on from picture books. Children love picture books. So do grown-ups!

It’s felt like a huge, intimidating responsibility to be a judge for the children's and YA Jhalak Prize this year, considering past winners and judges, but the process has been a joy and I'm delighted the longlist is now public:

Why am I dating everything 2021 today?

Denis Gifford states that the 1930s were the Golden Age of British comics. I think that the 2020s marks The New Golden Age. However, I also think that there's much more to do from publishers to fill the space that's yearning for comics!

For the love of god publishing industry, repeat after me: ‘Reading images is reading’

Great article. My dissertation states that we are in a New Golden Age for children's comics.

To mark #InternationalWomensDay, 10% of all book sales 8-9 March go to the Women's Prize Trust, supporting their work as a UK charity to improve access to and appreciation of women’s writing for all readers, and discover the experts, thought-leaders, and changemakers of tomorrow. bit.ly/wptrust2025

Happy International Women's Day to all the men over on Threads mansplaining me about comics. PS - comics rule.