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Blog Guest blog with Nicola Skinner

Guest blog with Nicola Skinner

By Nicola Skinner | Author, Family, Interview, Kids, Guest Blog

Guest blog with Nicola Skinner

Author Nicola Skinner shares her special recommended reads just for us!

Hello, I’m Nicola.

I started writing semi-professionally when I was five. One thing led to another, and now I write children’s books. I wrote ‘Bloom’, ‘Storm’, and the soon-to-be-released ‘Starboard‘.

I live near Bristol in the UK, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, am a Fire Snake, which I only mention because it sounds sort of cool.

What you will find is some things about me, my books, other things I’ve written, and that one time I was on the radio with Michael Rosen. You can find out more on my website.

 

Here are my recommended reads, especially for Young Writers!

  • A Clock of Stars by Francesca Gibbons 
    Gibbons’ debut, about a pair of sisters who accidentally walk through a tree into an entirely new world of monsters and lies, is witty, daring, and beautifully written.

 

  • Rat by Patrice Lawrence 
    This is an incredibly moving story about a lonely young boy attempting to rebuild his life with limited resources – and his pet rats.

 

  • Orphans of the Tide by Struan Murray
    Murray is a really exciting new middle-grade fantasy writer, and his world-building and characters are out of this world - literally.

 

  • Cane Warriors by Alex Wheatle 
    This story of a young boy navigating the risks of a slave uprising in 18th century Jamaica is by turns moving, gripping, extremely tense, and poignant.

 

  • TrooFriend by Kirsty Applebaum 
    This story about an android robot navigating her own emotions and growing sense of independence is heart-breaking and wonderful.

 

  • Voyage of the Sparrowhawk by Natasha Farrant 
    I read this wonderful adventure earlier this year and adored it; it feels like a modern classic, and every sentence deserves to be read at least twice.

 

  • Starboard by Nikola Skinner  
    This is the story of Kirsten, an apparently happy and successful 11-year-old YouTube star who meets a ship that comes alive… and is claimed by it as its new captain as it breaks free from its dry dock. Inspired by the true history of the SS Great Britain, Starboard is about the friendship, heroism, and bravery that you can find in others, whether they’re made of flesh or iron. It’s about taking control of your own life and going on epic adventures. But most of all, it’s about finding out who you really dare to be, when you’re completely out of your depth... Published by HarperCollins Children’s Book ISBN 9780008422400.
Published: Fri 30th Apr 2021

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