Guest Post – My Favourite Children’s Books by Janey Louise Jones
I have recently received copies of these fab books in the Superfairies series!
Written by Janey Louise Jones, released on the 28th January 2016 and published by Curious Fox they look super fun and with gorgeous illustrations by illustrator Jennie Poh I simply cannot wait to be transported into this super fairy world!
I feel completely honoured to be featuring a brilliant guest post from Janey today with her Favourite Children’s Books……
About The Books
No, Basil, don’t play near the river on your own! Superfairies Rose, Silk, Berry and Star rush to help a bear cub in danger. The Superfairies of Peaseblossom Woods use their teamwork to rescue animals in distress, bringing together their unique superskills, petal power and lots of love.
Dancer, don’t run away! The Superfairies want to stop a wild pony being nervous for the Summer Fair dance contest, but first they need to catch up with her! The Superfairies of Peaseblossom Woods use their teamwork to rescue animals in distress, bringing together their unique superskills, petal power and lots of love.
My Favourite Children’s Books
When I was working on my new series, Superfairies, aimed at readers 6-8 years old, I got thinking about what books I liked as a child, and which books have stood the test of time. When I list out my favourite children’s books today for Tales of Yesterday I realise that a lot of them have themes which I’ve, almost subconsciously, worked in to Superfairies – animals, nature, strong girl characters – so really, in Superfairies, I’m writing for myself as an 8 year old.
Without further ado here are my favourite children’s books:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The transformation of both the garden and Mary’s personality touched me and appealed to my sense of optimism. I like to resolve things in life and think that everyone has a redeeming feature if care is taken to find it.
Little Women by Louisa M Alcott
The journey from girlhood to womanhood definitely intrigues me and this story triumphs in the way it details a clutch of characters so deftly. The fact that most readers can identify with one of the March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, is a stroke of genius.
Anne of Greengables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Anne Shirley is a plucky heroine (an orphan as heroes and heroine so often are) and I love her spirit. This was a favourite at the time when I also adored the Little House on the Prairies series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. American and Canadian authors write about childhood and adolescence especially well.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I was intrigued and scared by this story in equal measure. I liked that Alice had an adventurous spirit. As I thought about the book in later life, I think the fact that she feels various too large and too small sums up the dilemmas of later childhood perfectly. The random cast of characters from the Queen of Hearts to White Rabbit and the Mad hatter never cease to fire the imagination.
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There are hints of Cinderella and Jane Eyre in this story of humility, and I do strongly believe that we don’t know what reserves we have within us until they are tested. Sara has to endure poverty after wealth – a recurring theme in children’s fiction. Thought to be inspired by an unfinished Charlotte Bronte novel, Emma, I think my love of this is fuelled by my love of the Bronte’s.
Flambards by KM Peyton
As a young teenager I loved the mix of country estate, horses and romance in these three novels set before during and after the first world war. The classic elements of being orphaned, financial complexities and brutish guardians seem to create the right amount of tension and empathy.
Pony Jobs for Jill by Ruby Ferguson
One of nine books in the ‘Jill’ series, I enjoyed these stories at the age of nine or so, when I was pony obsessed myself. The original versions have been updated and I like that stories considered a bit old-fashioned now can be enjoyed by a new generation after a few tweaks.
About Janey Louise Jones
Janey Louise Jones has been a published author for ten years. Her Princess Poppy series is an international bestselling brand, with books translated into ten languages including Hebrew and Mandarin. Janey is a graduate of Edinburgh University and lives in Edinburgh with her three sons.
You can follow Janey Louise Jones on twitter using @janeylouisejone
About Jennie Poh (illustrator)
Jennie was born in England and grew up in Malaysia, in the jungle. At the age of ten, she moved back to England and went on to study Fine Art at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, as well as Fashion Illustration at Central St Martins. Jennie loves the countryside, animals, tea and reading. She lives in Woking, England with her husband and two wonderful daughters.
You can buy Superfairies here
A huge thank you to Janey for a brilliant guest post and for Georgia at Curious Fox for asking me to host and for sending me copies of the books for review.
What are your favourite children’s books? Have you read any one the ones above? Are you excited for Superfairies? I would love to hear from you! Why not leave a comment using the reply button at the top of the page or tweet me on twitter using @ChelleyToy
Happy Reading!
