WHY KIDS NEED ANIMALS

WHY KIDS NEED ANIMALS Gill Lewis on why we need to teach our children about animals in literature With more children growing up in towns and cities, maybe the animal story has had its day. Do kids really want to read stories about fluffy animal friends and adventures in the big outdoors? Are the last bastions of wilderness really relevant to today’s children? And do children care? It seems they really do care. When I visit schools as an author, I hear how concerned and aware they are about the state of the planet. I hear how genuinely worried they are about the disappearance of big species such as the tiger. I hear how appalled they are at the sight of oiled seabirds and marine life following huge oil spills. I’m glad children  care. We are dependent upon the natural world for our survival. Yet it is under threat as never before, and we need to engage with children and empower them with knowledge so that they can make a difference. MORE >

DESERT ISLAND BOOKS  The Orphan Choir author Sophie Hannah reveals her all-time favourite books The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch is the all-round best novel I have ever read. It offers everything fiction can and should: mystery, metaphysics, lust, love, envy, dysfunctional relationships, fascinating ideas. It is funny, tragic, moving, fascinating, infuriating and provocative. Bradley Pearson, the novel's narrator, is desperate to escape to somewhere secluded and write the great book that he knows he has in him. He is delayed by the attempted murder of his friend and rival Arnold Baffin – by Arnold's wife Rachel – then further delayed by the arrival of his hysterical sister, whose marriage is breaking down. When Bradley is at his most frustrated, he suddenly finds himself falling deeply and unexpectedly in love with the Baffins' daughter, Julian. Iris Murdoch understands and conveys the heartbreaking ludicrousness of life better than any other novelist. MORE >