#fridayreads: Phil Earle and Hounslow 2016 Teen Reads Book Award Shortlist

A veritable shelf load of book recommendations this week!

On Tuesday I was invited to speak at the Hounslow 2016 Teen Reads Book Award launch event at the Paul Robeson Theatre. I had a great morning chatting with staff and students from six local secondary schools before the shortlist was announced.

Hounslow 2016 Teen Reads Book Award Shortlist

Between now and March, students will read and discuss the six shortlisted books before casting their votes to decide the winner. All the books are standalone titles, written by UK authors, a couple of which I've already read and enjoyed. There's lots of variety on the list and a couple in particular with a really interesting premise. I'm hoping to head down to my local library this weekend to see if I can get copies.

This weeks #fridayreads — Phil Earle!

I've been travelling a fair bit during the past two weeks, doing events up and down the country—lots of fun and also a good opportunity to catch up on some reading. Saving Daisy by Phil Earle kept me company for most of last week and, to be honest, the miles flew by. I'm a huge fan of Phil's stuff, he manages to tackle difficult subjects with honesty and great warmth. Check out any of the titles in the picture—you won't regret it.

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Happy reading!

Cheers, Dave.

Look Hoo's Talking … About Books!

The Marquee at Luton Hoo Walled Garden, the venue for the event.

Author Jon Mayhew and I had a great time at the Hoo's Kids Book Fest "Look Hoo's Talking … about Books" Award event on Friday. 

Students from eight local schools spent the day discussing (and arguing!) the merits of each book on the shortlist, before settling down for a workshop by Jon, and a talk from me.

Congratulations to Phil Earle whose excellent book The Bubble Wrap Boy was chosen by the students as the winner. It was a real privilege to be in a room full of young people so passionate about books, and to hear their presentations for each of the shortlisted titles. 

Thanks to all the staff and students from Parmiter's School, Icknield High, Stopsley High, Hemel Hempstead School, Francis Combe Academy, Sacred Heart Primary and Tennyson Road Primary. 

Huge thanks also to Charlotte Cassella, Jayne Truran, Charmian Allwright, Liz Stratton, Bela Brown, Ellen Krajewski and Chorleywood Bookshop for making it all happen!

Summer Reading Challenge

The summer months have always been a great time for reading. What could be better than a few hours in the sun (or shade!) with a mug of tea and a good book? 



An important part of getting ready to go on holiday as a teenager was choosing the books to take with me. Looking back now, the details I remember are often linked to the books I was reading: having my copy of The Two Towers stolen on a ferry or spooking myself with Robert Westall's The Scarecrows in a rainy, wind-blasted cottage in the Lake District. My copy of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not still bears the greasy stains of Ambre Solaire and the odd grain of Dorset sand stuck between the pages. Over the past two days I've been scanning the blue summer sky for aircraft trails while reading Elizabeth Wein's Codename Verity.

I'm a little too old to join in the Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge to read six books before the schools go back in September, but thought I'd have a go anyway. Here are my six summer reads (plus the one I've already started!)

Leave me a comment and tell me which books you'll be relaxing with this summer.

15 Days Without a Head in bookshops now!

I'm not sure I'll ever get lose the thrill of seeing my book in a bookshop. More than any other part of the process, finding a copy on the shelves makes it finally feel real. 
I was delighted to walk into my local branch of Waterstones and find 15 Days Without a Head at number six in the Kids' Chart!

And number ten in the store paperback chart!

Huge thanks to the staff at Waterstones and to everyone who has been in to buy a copy.

During my recent schools tour, I spent a day with Nigel French from Cole's Books in Bicester. After a great morning with students from years 7 and 8 at The Cooper School, we managed to find time to grab half an hour to browse his fantastic bookshop.

I was extremely chuffed to find myself next to Phil Earle on the display. Cole's are selling signed copies of 15 Days Without a Head through their website, with free postage and packing to UK addresses. (see the link in the sidebar)

It was also a pleasant surprise to walk into my local Empire cinema to find 15 Days postcards on the racks, next to Sky Hawk (a superb book by fellow OUP author, Gill Lewis)

But possibly the best thing about the past few weeks has been going into schools and having the opportunity to meet students, and talk to them about books, writing and wanting to be an astronaut! The response to 15 Days Without a Head has been fantastic. So a big thanks to the staff and students at The Broxbourne School*, St Gregory the Great and King Alfred's Academy in Oxford, The Cooper School in Bicester and Bruern Abbey, Oxfordshire – for their time, enthusiasm and cake!*