A Song For Will and The Lost Gardeners Of Heligan has been shortlisted for the Historical Association’s Young Quills Award 2018! You can find it in the 7-9 years olds section. And there are also some Young Quills reviews.
Peace Lily, the fourth and final book in the World War 1 series for children, honours the contribution and dedication of women to the war effort. Written in rhyme and beautifully illustrated by Martin Impey it tells how, after a long and painful battle, peace is found not only within borders but in hearts too.
You can buy the book here.
The National Literacy Trust has published a list celebrating the most popular books chosen every year of the last two decades by children who have taken part in the Young Readers Programme. ‘Mixed Up Fairy Tales‘ was voted as the top book of 2004 by 384.000 children.
The UK’s leading veterinary charity, the PDSA, has launched its annual Animal Heroes Writing Competition 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of World Book Day. Hilary has teamed up with the charity to write the beginning, middle and end of a story called ‘Buddy Saves The Day’ – and it’s up to young people to write the rest!
The winner will receive a set of signed books including Flo of the Somme, an Amazon Kindle and an opportunity to meet Hilary herself at one of the PDSA Pet Hospitals.
To submit your stories, go to the PDSA Writing Competition website. You’ll find Hilary’s prompts and you can also read an article by Flo of the Somme, all about how she and other animals helped in the war effort.
Special, limited edition copies of ‘A Song For Will’ – The Lost Gardeners of Heligan is published this month. Hilary and illustrator, Martin Impey, worked in partnership with The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall to produce a stunning, highly illustrated story for children and young adults about the gardeners and outdoor staff of the estate who enlisted after the outbreak of World
War 1. The story, which has drawn on archive and military detail of the time and includes many local landmarks and places of interest at Heligan, has been described as a deeply moving tribute.
‘A Song For Will’ – The Lost Gardeners of Heligan is published by Strauss House Productions (ISBN 978-0957124530)
“Flo Of The Somme” the children’s book which honours the work of mercy dogs during World War 1 wins Historical Association’s Young Quills Award 2016.
‘Flo of the Somme’ has been shortlisted by the Historical Association for their Young Quill’s Award 2016 and nominated for the North Somerset Teacher’s Book Award.
Hilary’s story, The Flood at Honey Pot Farm was broadcast on Radio 4 Extra on the 5th May. It tells the story of a dog from Poland who helps to rescue a stray lamb. In at 5’04.
As a Patron of the Children’s University, Hilary will be speaking and presenting awards on behalf of Lambeth at South Bank University on the 23rd June.
Flo of the Somme is an absolutely stunning book: beautiful illustrations and a moving story told in a simple, meaningful way. The history of children’s literature tells us that young people are fascinated by stories of animals: and through the pages of this new book they will see the First World War in a very different way. I hope one day that it might inspire them to stand at Crucifix Corner, depicted in the book, look towards the dark mass of High Wood and imagine Flo there with them, and remember the millions of animals who were there because ‘they had no choice’.
Read the full review at WW1 Centenary