Book of the Month – Page 6

Small Island by Philip Parker

To celebrate the launch of Small Island: 12 Maps that Explain the History of Britain , here, the author Philip Parker briefly explains some of the changes Britain has gone through since 500,000 BCE.

Life on board an ocean liner in the early 20th Century

Judith Eagle, author of Children’s Book of the Month, The Accidental Stowaway, describes what life was like on board an ocean liner at the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

In The Accidental Stowaway, Patch stows away on RMS Glorious, a ship that is sailing from Liverpool to New York. RMS Glorious (or Glory, for short) is based on the steamships that went back and forth across the Atlantic in Edwardian times.

The transatlantic liners were nicknamed ‘floating palaces’ because they were so luxurious. They were fitted out to look like the grandest hotels in Europe, with electric elevators, restaurants, libraries, music rooms, and lounges. They were decorated in the latest styles; the menus were created by the most fashionable chefs; and some of them even had special ‘extras’ like newspapers printed at sea!

Children’s Book of the Month: The Accidental Stowaway

Stanfords Children’s Book of the Month for August 2022 is The Accidental Stowaway by Judith Eagle.

By the celebrated author of The Pear Affair and The Secret Starling – Patch finds adventure on every deck of the ‘floating palace’ she accidentally stows away on.

Book of the Month: Small Island: A History of Britain in 12 Maps

Our Book of the Month for August is Small Island: A History of Britain in 12 Maps by Philip Parker.

A fascinating analysis of a dozen maps from critical points in British history over the last 2,000 years, from the Celtic period when ‘Britain’ was just a patchwork of tribal kingdoms, to a century ago when the whole of Ireland, India, Australia, much of Africa, Asia and the Americas were also marked as British.

Children’s Book of the Month: The Moon of Kyiv

Our Children’s Book of the Month for July 2022 is The Moon of Kyiv by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna.

100% of the net profit from the sale of this book will be donated to Save the Children fund for supporting children impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

In 1955, beloved Italian poet Gianni Rodari penned a nursery rhyme called “The Moon of Kyiv”. It was a poem about our shared humanity – the poem reminding us that, no matter where we’re from, or where we live, we all exist under the same moon.

Book of the Month: Atlas of Vanishing Places

Our Book of the Month for July 2022 is Atlas of Vanishing Places: The Lost Worlds as They Were and as They Are Today by Travis Elborough.

Atlas of Vanishing Places won the 2020 Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award for Illustrated Travel Book of the Year. Now it is out in paperback so is lightweight and perfect to pack for holidays.

Have you ever wondered about cities that lie forgotten under the dust of newly settled land? Rivers and seas whose changing shape has shifted the landscape around them? Or, even, places that have seemingly vanished, without a trace?

Children’s Book of the Month: Martha Maps It Out

Our Children’s Book of the Month for June 2022 is Martha Maps It Out by Leigh Hodgkinson.

Martha LOVES drawing maps. She creates maps of everything-even her thoughts and dreams! Let Martha be your guide as she welcomes you to her world. Starting in outer space, we zoom in page by page, to our planet, Martha’s community, and beyond to her dreams of a future where ANYTHING is possible. Full of quirky details and fun non-fiction labels that children will love poring over-they will discover cool new facts with every reading. Each map is imbued with an irresistible sense of excitement about the world and optimism for the future.

Book of the Month: Where the Wildflowers Grow

Our Book of the Month for June 2022 is Where the Wildflowers Grow: My Journey Through Botanical Britain by Leif Bersweden.

‘When was the last time you stopped and noticed a wild plant?’

An intriguing and timely exploration of the importance of Britain and Ireland’s plant life.

Leif Bersweden has always been fascinated by plants. From a young age, his afternoons were spent hunting for and cataloguing the plants in his local area. But it is a landscape that is fast disappearing.

Since the end of the Second World War, 97% of Britain’s wildflower meadows have disappeared. Climate change, habitat destruction and a declining pollinator population mean that the future for plant life looks bleaker than ever before. Many of us are also unable to identify, or even notice, the plants that grow around us.

Antarc-TECH-a!

Karen Romano Young, author of our Children’s Book of the Month for May Antarctica: The Melting Continent describes some of the tech used in this far away part of the globe.

Going into “the field” — on adventures in nature — with scientists has introduced me to some of the incredible machines they’re using to find new data and make discoveries about Antarctica. Would you like to meet a small sampling?

Ran: Named for a sea witch in Norse mythology, the HUGIN underwater robot is remotely operated, so it can explore under ice where ships and divers can’t go. Swedish scientist Anna Wåhlin “deployed” it (puts it in the sea) to study the enormous Thwaites Glacier, the size of the UK.

Children’s Book of the Month: Antarctica

Our Children’s Book of the Month for May 2022 is Antarctica: The Melting Continent by Karen Romano Young, Angela Hsieh.

Antarctica – vast, cold and mysterious. This frozen continent is full of incredible stories. Here you can discover incredible wildlife, awe-inspiring landscapes and adventurous scientists and explorers.

Join author Karen Romano Young on a trip across Antarctica, hanging out with people and animals and learning about how this special place is changing, and what it means for our planet. Hang out with some of the coolest creatures on earth above and below the ice as you meet emperor penguins, killer whales and elephant seals. Explore some of the harshest landscapes on earth following in the footsteps of brave explorers. And learn about how scientists survive here today and what they do all day – from studying climate change to investigating ice cores to learn about the history – and future – of our planet.