Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Eoin Colfer - Iron Man: The Gauntlet (Marvel Fiction) - Book Review

Tony Stark is known throughout the world as many things: billionaire, inventor, Avenger. But mainly for being the Invincible Iron Man.

Just when Tony is about to add his pizzazz to an international eco-summit in Ireland, someone close to him forces him to question his role in making the world a more dangerous place with his high-tech weaponry. But Stark doesn't have much time to reflect before an old enemy presents him with an even greater challenge: the assassination of all the eco-ministers, and Iron Man himself. Just how invincible Iron Man is when he is stripped of everything remains to be seen in this breathless adventure by the best-selling author of Artemis Fowl.

Marvel comic favourites are becoming literally bigger, bolder and more exciting than ever! Marvel Press is proud to present five brand-new young adult and middle-grade novels coming in 2016!  The first issue is Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, which was created by the writer and editor Stan Lee. 

The character first appeared in a Tales of Suspense (issue 39) in March 1963. More recently Iron Man has appeared in many classic epic Marvel movies which has instilled a big passion in many people across the globe. If you have read the comics or watched the films then you will certainly love to read this new instalment as it ties in so brilliantly with both sets of fans. 

Eoin Colfer, a life long fan of the super hero, has set about the task of bringing the character to a new generation of fans, but he has given it the Eoin Colfer electric charm. The glossy cover will flash before your eyes as the action unfolds from the very first page. The story feels very original as it takes a well known character, but then takes it to new superhero ball park of Dublin, Ireland. The story is played out in the whimsical fantasy dream world of Eoin Colfer. 

When Iron Man sets out at the start of the story with his so called "Party Pack" Iron Man suit, Eoin has drunk his first cup of tea. When Iron Man is flying around saving the world Eoin puts pen to paper and thinks of being Iron Man. He dreams of being supercool, smart and funny but, ironically, Eoin is the man behind the power who moves this epic story into a brilliant fantasy adventure that any reluctant reader will love to hang around in. 

Iron Man's back history is quickly explored. We are given the basics for those uninformed before explosively leaping into action. Iron Man notices the sudden reappearance of a missing U.S. gunboat off the coast of an uninhabited Irish Island. He investigates with humour and charm despite having no backup and only a party-pack Iron Man suit loaded with fireworks, disco music and SOME AMAZING dance moves. A simple scout mission suddenly uncovers a sinister plot to destroy a vitally important World Eco-summit happening nearby. 

The fantastic story explores the mind and personality of Tony Stark; it shows his vulnerabilities and personal feelings which are loaded with his deadly smart aleck comments. I really liked this aspect of the story as you don't really get this in the Marvel Comics or the Films. I also love the Irish twist, humour and character that Eoin hurls at the reader faster than a spinning sliotar. 

The character of Inspector Conroy was my favourite as he made me chuckle on a number of occasions; he brought some zany reality to the story. I really did feel for him. It was an absolute pleasure to read this book with a great villain at the heart of the adventure, action in abundance and some fantastic gadgets. It is a really easy to follow plot, full of shining whit, Irish charm and a whole bucket of craziness to boot. Hopefully we will have a lot more to come! 

Published by Marvel Press (26 Oct. 2016) Egmont (27 Oct. 2016)

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Favourite Children's Book Picks US Published October 2016 - Post Two

Michael Dante DiMartino - Rebel Genius (Rebel Geniuses) - Published by Roaring Brook Press (October 4, 2016)

A new fantasy-adventure series from the co-creator of the hit animated shows Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra!

In twelve-year-old Giacomo's Renaissance-inspired world, art is powerful, dangerous, and outlawed. A few artists possess Geniuses, birdlike creatures that are the living embodiment of an artist's creative spirit. Those caught with one face a punishment akin to death, so when Giacomo discovers he has a Genius, he knows he's in serious trouble. 

Luckily, he finds safety in a secret studio where young artists and their Geniuses train in sacred geometry to channel their creative energies as weapons. But when a murderous artist goes after the three Sacred Tools--objects that would allow him to destroy the world and everyone in his path―Giacomo and his friends must risk their lives to stop him.

Rachel Hawkins - Journey's End - Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (October 25, 2016) 

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings us a riveting middle grade fantasy-adventure, perfect for fans of Lisa Graff.

The town of Journey's End may not literally be at the end of the world, but it sure feels like it to Nolie Stanhope. Spending the summer with her scientist father in the tiny Scottish village isn't exactly Nolie's idea of a good time, but she soon finds a friend: native Journey's Ender Bel McKissick. 

While Nolie's father came to Journey's End to study the Boundary--a mysterious fog bank offshore--Bel's family  can’t afford to consider it a threat.  The McKissick’s livelihood depends on the tourists drawn by legends of a curse. Still, whether you believe in magic or science, going into the Boundary means you'll never come back. 

…Unless you do. Albert Etheridge, a boy who disappeared into the Boundary in 1914, suddenly returns--without having aged a day and with no memory of the past hundred years. Then the Boundary starts creeping closer to the town, threatening to consume everyone within.

While Nolie's father wants to have the village evacuated, Bel's parents lead the charge to stay in Journey's End. Meanwhile, Albert and the girls look for ways to stop the encroaching boundary, coming across an ancient Scottish spell that requires magic, a quest, and a sacrifice.

Ron McGee -  Ryan Quinn and the Rebel's Escape - Published by HarperCollins (October 25, 2016)

Ryan Quinn and the Rebel’s Escape is the first fast-paced, sensational novel in a trilogy about a New York City teenager who could give James Bond and Jason Bourne a run for their money. Fans of Alex Rider and the Spy School series will be completely enthralled.

Ryan Quinn hopes his traveling days are over. The son of a United Nations worker, he’s grown up in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa—everywhere but home. He’s finally settled at a great school in New York and is making friends when, suddenly, his world is turned upside down.

Ryan is blindsided when his father disappears and his mother is abducted. Left with nothing but questions, he soon discovers his parents have been leading a double life. They actually work with the Emergency Rescue Committee, an underground organisation that has performed dangerous rescue missions since World War II, and they’ve been secretly training Ryan to follow in their footsteps.

With his parents’ lives in the balance and more at stake than he knows, Ryan dives into a mission of international intrigue that sends him around the globe. To survive, he must trust his training and perform his own daring rescue mission in a thrilling race for freedom.

Don't miss this first book in Ron McGee’s high-stakes trilogy about Ryan Quinn.

Dan Jolley - Five Elements #1: The Emerald Tablet - Published by HarperCollins (October 18, 2016)

Five elements. Four friends. One city—and its sinister shadow. This epic new middle grade series is filled with awesome elemental powers, nightmarish creatures, and nonstop adventure that will thrill fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rick Riordan, and Brandon Mull.

When Gabe Conway and his friends find a strange old map in his uncle’s office and follow it to a crumbling secret chamber beneath San Francisco, they think they’re just having one last adventure before Gabe moves away. 

They don’t expect to end up bound to the magic of the elements, or to set off a chain of events that none of them can explain. But they’re about to get more of an adventure than they bargained for.

For the last century, a power-hungry cult has been plotting to merge our world with a twisted parallel realm. Gabe’s bloodline holds the key to the barrier between the worlds—and now it’s up to Gabe, his friends, and their new elemental powers to save San Francisco from utter destruction.

Guest Post: Andy Seed - Prankenstein On Tour - Total Write-Off: Fiction vs Non-Fiction (Halloween Day)

Welcome, Andy Seed, to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books to celebrate the publication of the third book in the Prankensteinseries which was published on October 6th by Fat Fox Books. The story sees our hero, Soapy Thompson, having a fun time on a world cruise along with his friends from Estonia, Arvo and Loogi (the 'twince'). All is going well until some modern-day pirates board the ship and kidnap Soapy's mum. 

This is a brilliantly illustrated (Richard Morgan) silly adventure full of fun and trouble aimed at readers 7 years and upwards. Here is Andy's Post Total Write-Off: Fiction vs Non-Fiction.

Most children’s authors write made up stuff and some write true stuff. The made up stuff (i.e. stories) comes under the boring label ‘fiction’ and the true stuff (i.e. fact) has the completely useless title of ‘non-fiction’. If ever there was a phrase to send children to sleep, someone has found it and attached it to a whole sphere of publishing. To make matters worse the label is absurd: how can you define something by what it’s not? ‘Coffee or non-coffee, madam?’ 


I’m one of the few authors who writes both novels and factual books for kids and because they are so perceived to be so different you might think it’s almost like having a split writing personality. With fiction there’s a blank page and the author is the creator of people, places, events – the controller of time, space and, well, everything. With non-fiction there’s a known world out there: a box of information into which you dip and select and then weave into some kind of paper presentation, probably with pictures and diagrams and facts and figures. 


Except that it’s not that simple. Most of the time fiction writers work within the real world and need to do lots of research to ensure that their tale has plausibility and a convincing setting. My most recent novel Prankenstein on Tour may be a funny romp about a prank-playing monster who sends a world cruise into meltdown but it still needed to be set on a ship which reads like a real ocean liner and the characters needed to visit real places with buildings and details described as they really are. 

So, fiction writers must check their facts too, a lot of the time, and therefore blend imagination with reality. Of course if you’re setting a story on Planet Mooku in the year 3028 then it’s a different game although your spacecraft will still have to obey the laws of physics and the galaxy you’re in must make sense to the reader. 

In the case of Prankenstein on Tour, it’s the third book in a series and I really enjoyed the fact that I could re-visit previously created settings and work with established characters, injecting humour and fun into the story. In the book, the central character Soapy Thompson, aged 12, is overjoyed when his dad wins a world cruise for five and even more excited when his best friends, the detective-like Estonian twins Arvo and Loogi can come along too. The problem is cheese. If Soapy eats any he turns into an uncontrollable prank-crazed beast. Normally there’s no cheese at his house but here on a giant cruise ship… 


So, what about writing non-fiction? Well, for a start it doesn’t just cover facts. My own non-fic children’s titles, such as The Silly Book of Side-Splitting Stuff which won the 2015 Blue Peter Best Book with Facts Award is mainly factual but contains jokes, riddles, silly names, poems and lots of other content that was created rather than researched. 

Children sometimes ask me if it’s harder to write fiction and usually I say it is because you have to create a whole world and then make the characters in it take us on a journey which will draw us in powerfully. Yet there’s a huge imaginative process in the writing of factual content too. There are a million ways to do it and more. Take the fact that the tiger is the largest of all cats. How can that be presented? Written in a dull sentence, yes, but a picture would help. A photo? What about a comparison with another animal or a human? A diagram? Some kind of snappy graphic? Instead of telling its weight in kg, how many 5 year-olds might it weigh the same as? (18 using averages) and so on. There’s a different kind of process but it’s still highly creative. 


There are places where the two worlds collide too, of course: biographies and true stories for a start. So maybe fiction and non-fiction aren’t so different. But pleeeeease, let’s have a new label for the latter.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Interview with Kieran Larwood - Podkin One-Ear (Faber & Faber)

Kieran Larwood's latest book, Podkin One-Ear, is about a legend: a fearsome warrior rabbit whose reputation for cunning and triumph in battle has travelled the ages. It is a magically illustrated fantasy affair that everyone will love, regardless of age. To tempt you all to read it, I have asked the author a range of questions regarding the book and his writing career. I hope that you enjoy this interview and it will grab you enough to pick up this book and read it, unless you have already done so. 

Podkin One-Ear is out now in all good bookshops and has been published by Faber &Faber in October 2016. 

Welcome Kieran Larwood to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books... 

Tell us a little bit about yourself perhaps something not many people know. 
I live on the Isle of Wight where, as well as writing, I still work as a primary school teacher. I have four children and, just because my life wasn’t hectic enough, have recently adopted the world’s most annoying dog. I won the Times Children’s Fiction prize in 2011 with my first novel, and my second has just been published by Faber. Most people don’t know that my writing started accidentally– I always wanted to be a comic book artist, and I only discovered, while writing the scripts, that I actually enjoyed it more than drawing. 


How would do you sum up Podkin One-Ear to potential readers? 
My favourite comparison so far is ‘Watership Down meets Game of Thrones’. It’s a children’s fantasy set in a world populated by a race of rabbits. A bard arrives at a warren in the depths of winter and begins to tell the real tale behind the legend of Podkin One-Ear: a chieftain’s son who has to fight to save his world from an evil race of armoured rabbits.


In the book Podkin One-Ear is a fearsome warrior rabbit, how did you start to bring his character to life? 
I wanted to explore how legends are made, and what the real people (or rabbits) would be like. So Podkin begins as a spoilt, lazy character who has to grow up very quickly. I also wanted children to be able to identify with him, so he often feels very frightened and vulnerable, but manages to overcome it when he needs to. 


Does your book have a lesson or a moral behind it? 
I didn’t consciously give it a lesson, as I just wanted to focus on making it an epic story, but you could probably draw quite a few morals from it. Mostly that even the smallest, most timid of us can still do amazing things if we try. That and how important your family and friends are. 


What did you edit out of this book? 
I didn’t have to remove very much at all, luckily, but I did change quite a few things from the first draft. Originally, Podkin’s magic dagger spoke (and was very sarcastic) and the Gorm were just a race of invading rabbits, a bit like the Vikings. I was worried about making the story too dark and scary, but my agent told me to go for it, so I did! 

David Wyatt has done a cracking job on the illustrations, what are your personal thoughts about these? Do you have any favourites? 
I literally could not be happier with David’s work. It’s like he has a telepathic link to the world in my head! He is such an incredible artist– it’s an honour to have him illustrating my story. 

I love all of his pictures, but I think the scene of Boneroot, the underground beggars’ city, is my favourite. Every time I look at it, I spot a new detail I haven’t seen before. 


You're hosting a literary dinner party, which authors/illustrators would you invite? 
It would have to be a fantasy-themed one. Guest of honour would be J.R.R.Tolkein, also Terry Pratchett, Arthur Rackham, George R.R.Martin, J.K.Rowling, Robin Hobb, 
Ursula Le Guin, Steph Swainston and China Mieville. I would sit in the corner, too in awe of everyone to even speak. 


Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process? 
Definitely. At least for that first split second when it catches your eye and makes you pick it up. After that, you start flicking through and the writing takes over, but it’s the cover that first reels you in. 


Have you written any other books that have not been published? 
I did write one after Freaks and before Podkin that didn’t get taken up. It’s a Young Adult sci-fi novel that still needs a bit of work, but hopefully might see the light of day at some point.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Favourite Children's Book Picks US Published October 2016 - Post One

E. K. Johnstone - Star Wars Ahsoka - Published by  Disney Lucasfilm Press (October 11, 2016)

Fans have long wondered what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order near the end of the Clone Wars, and before she re-appeared as the mysterious Rebel operative Fulcrum in Rebels. Finally, her story will begin to be told. Following her experiences with the Jedi and the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka is unsure she can be part of a larger whole ever again. But her desire to fight the evils of the Empire and protect those who need it will lead her right to Bail Organa, and the Rebel Alliance .

Shaun Tan - The Singing Bones - Published by Arthur A. Levine Books (October 11, 2016)  

Wicked stepmothers, traitorous brothers, cunning foxes, lonely princesses: There is no mistaking the world of the Brothers Grimm and the beloved fairy tales that have captured generations of readers. Now internationally acclaimed artist Shaun Tan shows us the beautiful, terrifying, amusing, and downright peculiar heart of these tales as never before seen.

With a foreword by Neil Gaiman and an introduction by renowned fairy-tale expert Jack Zipes, this stunning gallery of sculptural works will thrill and delight art lovers and fairy-tale aficionados alike.

Diana Wagman - Extraordinary October - Published by Ig Publishing (October 18, 2016)  

October is an ordinary girl. From her plain looks to her average grades, there seems to be nothing special about her. Then, three days before her eighteenth birthday, she develops a strange itch that won't go away, and her life is turned upside down. Suddenly, she can hear dogs talk, make crows fly, and two new and very handsome boys at school are vying for her affections. After she starts "transplanting" herself through solid rock, October learns that she is not ordinary at all, but the daughter of a troll princess and a fairy prince, and a pawn in a deadly war between the trolls and the fairies. Now October will have to use all of her growing powers to save her family, and stop a mysterious evil that threatens to destroy the fairy world.

Anna-Marie McLemore - When the Moon was Ours: A Novel - Published by A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin's Griffin (October 4, 2016)

Anna-Marie McLemore’s debut novel The Weight of Feathers was greeted with rave reviews, a YALSA Morris Award nomination, and spots on multiple “Best YA Novels” lists. Now, McLemore delivers a second stunning and utterly romantic novel, again tinged with magic.

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up. 

Atmospheric, dynamic, and packed with gorgeous prose, When the Moon was Ours is another winner from this talented author.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Teen Book Picks UK Published - October 2016 - Part 2

Philip Reeve - Black Light Express - Published by OUP Oxford (6 Oct. 2016)

There was nothing, and then there was a train. A train with two passengers: a petty thief from a dead-end town, and an android girl who could be more human than the rest of us. Join Zen and Nova as they find out what really lies beyond the end of the universe . . . 

Take a ride in Philip Reeve's incredible imagination as he returns with this stellar follow-up to Railhead. Full of extraordinary beings and utterly real, complex characters, of thrills and thoughtful moments, this is a stunning step beyond the universe which will appeal to both sci-fi fans and foes alike.

Garth Nix - Goldenhand (The Old Kingdom) - Published by Hot Key Books (4 Oct. 2016)

Goldenhand is the long-awaited fifth installment of Garth Nix's New York Times bestselling Old Kingdom series Lirael is no longer a shy Second Assistant Librarian. She is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, with dead creatures to battle and Free Magic entities to bind. She's also a Remembrancer, and wielder of the Dark Mirror.

When Lirael finds Nicholas Sayre lying unconscious after being attacked by a hideous Free Magic creature, she uses her powers to save him. But Nicholas is deeply tainted with Free magic and Lirael must seek help for him at her childhood home, the Clayr's Glacier.
But even as she returns to the Clayr, a messenger is trying to reach Lirael with a dire warning from her long-dead mother, Arielle, about the Witch with No Face. But who is the Witch, and what is she planning?

Moira Young - The Road To Ever After - Published by Macmillan Children's Books (20 Oct. 2016)

Davy David, an orphan, lives by his wits in the dead-end town of Brownvale. When a stray dog called George turns Davy's life upside down just days before Christmas, he sets in motion a chain of events which forces them to flee. A mischievous wind blows the two of them to a boarded-up museum on the outskirts of town where they meet the elderly recluse, Miss Flint. She has planned one last adventure before her time is up and hires the reluctant Davy and George to escort her. 

A magical adventure about an unlikely friendship and an unforgettable journey.

Veronica Cossanteli - The Halloweeds - Published by Chicken House Ltd (6 Oct. 2016)

Dan promised he'd look after his siblings, but he hadn't bargained on his scientist parents dying on a jungle research trip. The children decamp to crumbling Daundelyon Hall. Horrible Aunt Eg reigns supreme, tending her mysterious graveyard garden. But why are Aunt Eg and her servants each missing a finger? What are the hungry 'Cabbages' in the greenhouse? As Dan struggles to solve the mystery he encounters one final question: what's the price of everlasting life?

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's/Teen Book Picks UK Published - October 2016

What have we here? - Some cracking books here. Check them out! 

Lucy Strange - The Secret of Nightingale Wood - Published by Chicken House Ltd (6 Oct. 2016) 

1919. Mama is ill. Father has taken a job abroad. Nanny Jane is too busy to pay any attention to Henrietta and the things she sees - or thinks she sees - in the shadows of their new home, Hope House. All alone, with only stories for company, Henry discovers that Hope House is full of strange secrets: a forgotten attic, ghostly figures, mysterious firelight that flickers in the trees beyond the garden. One night she ventures into the darkness of Nightingale Wood. What she finds there will change her whole world ...

Henry H. Neff - Impyrium - Published by HarperCollins Children's (4 Oct. 2016)

"A rare jewel. A new classic in the fantasy genre." Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl series

"A magnificent, rich, exhilarating book. I say this with all honesty: I haven't read about a world so deep, so purely magical, so well-developed, since Harry Potter." James Dashner, author of the bestselling Maze Runner series

In the first book of Henry H. Neff s new high-stakes middle grade fantasy series, two unlikely allies confront a conspiracy that will shake the world of Impyrium to its core.

For over three thousand years, the Faeregine dynasty has ruled Impyrium. But the family s magic has been fading, and with it their power over the empire. Whether it s treachery from a rival house, the demon Lirlanders, or rebel forces, many believe the Faeregines are ripe to fall.

Hazel, the youngest member of the royal family, is happy to leave ruling to her sisters so that she can study her magic. But the empress has other plans for her granddaughter, dark and dangerous plans to exploit Hazel s talents and rekindle the Faeregine mystique. Hob, a commoner from the remote provinces, has been sent to the city to serve the Faeregines and to spy on them.

One wants to protect the dynasty. The other wants to destroy it. But when Hazel and Hob form an improbable friendship, their bond may save the realm as they know it or end it for good.

Piers Today - There May Be a Castle - Published by Quercus Children's Books (6 Oct. 2016)

A remarkable story about love and death from the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize

Eleven-year-old Mouse is travelling to see his grandparents on Christmas Eve with his mother and two sisters. But it's snowing, and visibility is bad, and the car goes off the road, and crashes. 

Mouse is thrown from the car. 

When he wakes, he's not in his world any more. He meets a sheep named Bar, who can only say Baaa, and a sarcastic horse named Nonky, who is a surprising mix of his beloved toy horse and his older sister.
So begins a quest to find a castle in a world of wonder - a world of monsters, minstrels, dangerous knights and mysterious wizards; a world of terrifying danger but also more excitement than Mouse has ever known.

But why are they looking for a castle? As the cold grows, we realise it might just have something to do with the family he's left behind; and that Mouse's quest is more important than ever. 

This is a novel about love and death. It's about the power of stories to change the way we view the world - and it's about the power of a child to change their own world. Emotionally arresting but ultimately uplifting, this is a remarkable novel for our times.

Kieran Larwood (Author) David Wyatt (Illustrator) - Podkin One-Ear - Published by Faber & Faber (6 Oct. 2016)

A thick white blanket covers the wide slopes of the band of hills known as the Razorback Downs . . .

Podkin One-Ear is a legend: a fearsome warrior rabbit whose reputation for cunning and triumph in battle has travelled the ages. But how did he become such a mighty fighter? The answer may surprise you . . . When a travelling bard arrives at Thornwood Warren on Midwinter night, he is warmly welcomed. In return for food and lodging, he settles down to tell the tale of Podkin One-Ear - and soon the rabbits are enthralled to hear the story of how one lost little rabbit overcame the cruellest enemy imaginable, and became the greatest warrior their land has ever known.

Check out more fantastic drawings on David Wyatt Illustration "MY Hero" 

Loogabarooga Festival of Children’s Illustrated literature October 2016 - Michael Rosen/Harry Potter Exhibition

MICHAEL ROSEN, JULIAN CLARY AND HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION COMING TO LOUGHBOROUGH FOR LOOGABAROOGA FESTIVAL 2016


Programme of events is launched for Children’s Illustrated Literature Festival from 19-24 October 2016


The programme of events for this year’s Loogabarooga Festival of children’s illustrated literature has been launched. The new programme includes many new highlights for families and children who love reading to see and hear from 19-24 October 2016 at venues across Loughborough. 


Performers, workshops and exhibitions at Loogabarooga Festival 2016 include Michael Rosen, best-selling children’s author and poet, and former Children’s Laureate; comedian, entertainer and writer, Julian Clary reading from his latest book, The Bolds To The Rescue; and the Illustrating Harry Potter exhibition at Charnwood Museum, an illustrated reimagining of the blockbuster classic, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. 


Tickets for all of the free and paid events can be booked online at www.loogabarooga.com. Copies of the free programme will be available to collect from Loughborough Town Hall, Charnwood Borough Council offices, Charnwood Museum and venues across Loughborough and Charnwood. 

Following the success of the inaugural Festival in 2015, this year’s programme will also include free creative drop-in workshops, storytelling sessions, advice on how to write and illustrate your own book, with appearances from some of the nation’s favourite children’s authors and illustrators.

The Loogabarooga Festival will be organised by Charnwood Borough Council in partnership with Leicestershire County Council, Leicester Shire Promotions and supported by Love Loughborough. 


Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough said: "This year's Loogabarooga Festival promises to be better than ever. The programme is packed full of exciting events and Loughborough is looking forward to welcoming some very special guests. There is a real buzz around the 2016 festival and I am looking forward to taking part in what promises to be a thrilling line-up." 


Hilary Fryer, Charnwood Borough Council's Cabinet member for Open Spaces and Leisure, said: "We are delighted to be hosting the festival once again and extremely excited to have some really big names coming to Loughborough. 

"The first festival was a huge success and this year is set to be bigger and better. Loogabarooga is not only great fun, but it also celebrates the joy of reading and brings people to Charnwood." 


For all of the latest information, follow the Festival on Facebook at www.facebook.com/loogabarooga or on Twitter @loogabarooga16