Why I'm glad corporal punishment is now only found in books
It’s hard to believe that just 30 years ago teachers used to routinely hit children who got out of line. Author Jon Walter on what it was like to fear physical punishment at school when he was growing up
Stories have the power to create a more hopeful world
In the wake of the Brexit vote, children’s author Sita Brahmachari on the sustaining stories that will help young people find hope and strength in these unsettled times
Refugee week: too many adults have forgotten a very human part of themselves
Zana Fraillon wrote The Bone Sparrow, her book told through the eyes of a boy who has grown up in an immigration detention centre, for children because they are strong and courageous enough to question the truth behind the silences
The books world is a massive diversity fail – here's how we change it
Catherine Johnson
Many people are fed up of talking about diversity in children’s books – we all know the arguments, so why isn’t it happening? Author Catherine Johnson takes stock of recent progress and what’s still required at an Inclusive Minds event
Jenny Downham: 'I hope readers will be less afraid of dementia after reading Unbecoming'
The latest book from the bestselling author of Before I Die is a dense web of ‘unbecomings’, a story exploring the societal, familial and self-imposed limits placed on girls and young women, and the experience of living with dementia. Here she explains why she chose the title – what it means to lose yourself, and find yourself
Self confessed word nerd Hayley Long decided to take a big risk with her latest book Sophie Someone which is about someone so utterly freaked out that she just can’t put it into words
Why reading books can help you become a better footballer
Ahead of Euro 2016 kicking off on Friday, children’s author and keen footballer Danny Scott on why books should be part of every footballer’s training regime
'Imprinted in the soul of every Italian': Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio
Alessandro Gallenzi on why Italy’s most famous children’s writer is so worth loving – and about his mission to polish up lost gem The Adventures of Pipì the Pink Monkey, with help from illustrator Axel Scheffler
Black girls can be princesses too, that's why I wrote my books
The Princess Arabella books are now famous in Holland and beyond, but publishers worried Arabella’s ‘uncombed’ hair might be considered offensive in the US. Dutch author Mylo Freeman on how the battle for diversity in children’s books is far from over
Women’s freedoms are frequently curbed by well-intentioned parents and society. Writing a book encouraging women to go out and explore their surroundings alone at night, novelist CJ Flood grappled with the risks while urging teenagers to stay unafraid and inquisitive
Teen author Natalie Flynn didn’t want to sensationalise or censor the violent act of stabbing in her latest book The Deepest Cut, which is dedicated to the memory of Rob Knox who was murdered on 24 May 2008
