Time Slip (Up) Tales

The paradoxes of time travel often elude the most promising minds. Even the brilliant Headmaster of Hogwarts gets it wrong sometimes...

When is Pottermore actually going to happen?

In an article for the Guardian, Shoshana Kessler voices the frustration of millions at the delay in the official opening of the Harry Potter interactive website - Pottermore. Featuring 18,000 words of new text by Rowling and an unprecedented opportunity to virtually explore the Potter universe, Pottermore seems like the Holy Grail for the loyal fans who have been suffering withdrawal symptoms since the last installment in the series was published in 2007. Last July, a million lucky fans were offered access to the site. Seeing Rowling poised at the threshold to this magical kingdom, it is impossible not to think of Willy Wonka, the eccentric gatekeeper to the wondrous chocolate factory. A pledge was made that access to Pottermore would be granted to all the following October. Five months later the site is still in beta mode and will continue to be so indefinitely. But will the children who don't have a golden ticket ever get to see it?

The World of Dickens

Actor Simon Callow leads us on a tour of key locations from the life and work of Charles Dickens. Callow's new biography on Dickens is entitled Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World and explores the performative life of the 'celebrity' author. Here he visits the Portsmouth and Chatham of Dickens' childhood, as well as the city that would be the source of Dickens' early misery and home of his later success.  London in Dickens' work had a character as vivid as that of Oliver Twist or David Copperfield. He loved its human diversity but hated its many inequalities. Remarkably, much of Dickens' London survives intact today.

Storytime with Christopher Walken and George R.R. Martin

Two videos for you today. Actor Christopher Walken reads Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Walken used Sendak's tale for his own particular brand of improvisation.

Nominate your Children's Literature Laureate

It is time to elect a new Irish Laureate na n-Óg (Children's Literature Laureate). Siobhán Parkinson, Ireland's first Children's Literature Laureate, will complete her term in May 2012. You now have until the 24th of February to nominate your choice for the next Laureate. Children's Books Ireland have laid down the following criteria of eligibility:

Can (and will) children today read Dickens?

Kermit and Michelle Obama read
A Christmas Carol to children

Celebrations of Dickens' bicentenary this month has lead to a widespread reappraisal of his literary work. A common consensus is that the writer, who achieved unprecedented popularity in his own time, has an enduring appeal. Dickens is still being read and, it is assumed, will continue to be read in the years to come. But questions are also being asked as to whether the children of today can enjoy and appreciate the works Dickens in the way that their parents and grandparents generations did.

100 Greatest Books for Kids

Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine published a list of "100 Greatest Books for Kids." E.B.White's Charlotte's Web tops the list, with Harry Potter, Dr. Seuss and Anne Frank's diary predictably appearing in the top ten. Notable omissions include J. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series was not included on the grounds of being "too mature" though the violent world of Scholastics own The Hunger Games did find a place on the list (33). The complete list is available here.

What the Dickens?!

A bit of Dickensian humour for you today...

BBC cartoon on Dickens

Here is a wonderful cartoon on the life of Dickens that gives a potted biography of the master novelist (and might help you with your homework too).

Kids' Corner: Ella's Favourite Books

Welcome to Kids' Corner, where Yellow Brick Reads invites younger readers to discuss their favourite books. Today we have Ella in studio to talk about her three favourite reads:

Charles Dickens at 200

Today marks the 200th birthday of English Victorian writer Charles Dickens. As a prolific writer of novels, novellas, short stories, plays, news articles and opinion pieces, Dickens became arguably the best known writer of his age, achieving a degree of fame hitherto unknown by a literary author. Today, his works are still widely read and the iconic characters that he created - from Miss Havisham, Fagin and David Copperfield to Magwitch, Little Nell and Ebeneezer Scrooge - remain firmly imprinted on the popular consciousness. 

Kids' Corner: Ollie's favourite books

Welcome to Kids' Corner, a new feature which invites younger readers on the blog to discuss their favourite books. Today we have Ollie in studio to talk about his three favourite reads:

Favourite Books from Childhood: A Bear Called Paddington

Today I am launching a new regular feature on this blog: Favourite Books from Childhood. I will be inviting guest bloggers onto Yellow Brick Reads to talk about their early reading memories and the books that they demanded at bedtime. To kick this feature off, I want to remember one of my own all-time personal favourites: A Bear Called Paddington. I received this book for Christmas when I was seven years old and it was my initial introduction to Paddington Bear. My first impression of the book was that this was serious stuff - at 635 pages it was definitely the longest book I had ever read. The Omnibus edition I received was in fact a collection of five Paddington books: A Bear Called Paddington; More About Paddington; Paddington Helps Out; Paddington at Large; Paddington Marches On. I read the Paddington books in five days (quietest Christmas ever for my parents I imagine!) and have been a firm fan ever since. In recent times I had forgotten about the bear they called Paddington until I came across a stall of Paddingtons in Lima Airport, Peru. It brought back many memories of the books that I had loved so much in childhood. 

February is Charles Dickens Month

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

In honour of the upcoming bicentenary of Charles Dickens' birth (7 Feb 1802), February at Yellow Brick Reads is officially declared Charles Dickens Month. Along with our regular YBR features you can expect a number of posts reviewing the life and legacy of one of the most popular novelists of the Victorian period.