Peter Bunzl

My 6 favourite animal sidekicks!

| Peter Bunzl

I love animal sidekicks. My children’s series ‘The Cogheart Adventures’ features an animal sidekick named Malkin. Malkin is a mechanical fox. Unlike a real fox he can talk, but, just like a real fox, if real foxes could talk, he has high-minded opinions about everything.

Here are six of my favourite animal sidekicks from children’s literature…

Who are you favourite animal sidekicks?

Why not write a story with your own animal sidekick in?

Secret Staff Meeting Interview…

| Peter Bunzl

Two weeks ago I went to do a workshops with A Tale Unfolds as part of a new Readingzone project that will be coming soon to help children create book trailers for their favourite books in classrooms. We had a fantastic time at Copenhagen School in Islington working with the kids to create a trailer for Cogheart 

Afterwards Dom from A Tale Unfolds asked if I would like to do an interview for their ongoing youtube series: The Secret Staff Meeting, which is aimed at introducing authors to teachers. Here are the results. We chatted about how I got my start in writing, my background in film, the books and how I write them, things I think should be taught in schools, and my new book Skycircus. You can check out the interview below…

Skycircus Cover revealed…

| Peter Bunzl

On July the third the beautiful cover for the third Cogheart book: Skycircus was revealed by Scott Evans over on his blog: thereaderteacher.com

It was designed by Kath Millichope and illustrated by  and the special circus animation was done by me…

So without further ado, Ladies and Gentlemen, boy and girls, welcome to the

The book is to be published on the fourth of October 2018.

 

Skycircus Cover – small gif

If you love pinterest, you can take a look at some of the inspiration for the ideas and characters in the book, here…

And below you can see the youtube version of the cover animation with the Circus music that Usborne provided…

 

Cogheart wins Awesome Book Award 2018

| Peter Bunzl

I am delighted to announce that on the third of May (over a month ago now, but I am a woeful blogger) Cogheart won the Awesome Book Award 2018!!

ERICA’S ELEPHANT

RADIO BOY

THE GOLDFISH BOY

THE SECRET OF NIGHTINGALE WOO

The book was up against some stiff competition in the form of: Erica’s Elephant by Sylvia Bishop, Radio Boy by Christian O’Connell, The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange, Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson, and so I was walking on air when Cogheart was finally announced the winner!

It was a fabulous event organised by and taking place at Cranleigh Prep, with book sales from Pea Green Boat Books. You can read more about the evening here, on the Awesome Book Awards Website.

But in the meantime here are a few of the pictures taken by the photographer from Cranleigh Prep…

With the other nominees. L-R- Lisa, Christian, Me, Syliva.
Accepting the Awesome Book Award from last Year’s winner Ross Welford.
Signing books for Students of Cranleigh Prep.

The Cogheart Adventures to be published in the U.S.

| Peter Bunzl

I am absolutely delighted to announce that The Cogheart Adventures Trilogy is to be published in the U.S by Jolly Fish Press, which is a division of North Star Publishing Ltd. I am so excited to work with everyone at North Star and Jolly Fish Press, and the plan is to bring the first book in the series, Cogheart, to the U.S. for Spring 2019. Here is the official announcement…

My Cogheart events with the PopUp Festival

| Peter Bunzl

This year – on the 22nd of June, quite a long time ago now, but that’s how I roll with the blogging – I took part in the PopUp Festival. 

The Popup Festival is celebration of reading, writing and visual storytelling, taking place annually in 500 classes in schools from regions of the UK with the greatest literacy needs. Every participating class, from nursery to year 9, is matched with an exciting, engaging book, and provided with a set to work with over a period of six weeks. Then, over two weeks in June, each class meets the writer or illustrator of their book for a creative workshop.

Genius Cogheart comic – of the moment Lily and Robert first meet.

Thanks to PopUp and the organiser Saul, I was able to visit schools I might not ordinarily. The best thing about it was the kids in the classes had ALL read Cogheart, or had it read to them in class, and they were ALL engaged with it and excited to meet me. And because they had been so engaged with the book recently, their questions in the sessions were very unique and interesting.

The two schools I visited were Priorslee Academy and Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge in Telford and they were both fantastic sessions. The kids had made artwork and done projects around Cogheart which are always amazing to see, and had great questions – even about specific characters and events in the story – that they had prepared beforehand.  Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge School had even made some fabulous book trailers. Here are a few pictures from various student’s gorgeous work around the book…

There are some PopUp Resources for schools, featuring books from their other events here

Continue reading →

Waterstones Book Prize 2017 Trailer

| Peter Bunzl

Check out this beautiful little trailer Waterstones has made for the Waterstones Book Prize 2017 nominees in the children’s category. If you go to their instagram account you can see a trailer for each category of the prize — they are all brilliant. I am really looking forward to attending the awards ceremony this Thursday evening at Waterstones Piccadilly and meeting the other nominated authors and some of the fantastic Waterstones staff. Keep your fingers crossed for Cogheart, and I will let you know how it goes!

Cogheart makes various 2016 Library Awards Shortlists and Best of Lists!

| Peter Bunzl

I’m delighted to say that over the holidays Cogheart was nominated for quiet a few School Library Service book awards shortlists…

Dudley Teen Book Awards

The award recognises the top 6 books for teens published during 2016 as nominated by teen readers.

The six shortlisted titles for 2016 are Peter Bunzl – Cogheart, Jane Elson – Swimming to the Moon, Stuart Foster – Bubble Boy, Ann Martin – How to look for a lost dog, Laura Martin – Edge of Extinction and Ally Sherrick – Black Powder.

School libraries and library staff are promoting the award which promotes reading and fosters a love of books. Library customers, reading groups and school book groups are being encouraged to read as many of the titles as possible but young people can still vote for their favourite if they don’t read all the nominations.

St Helens and Sefton Super Reads

Cogheart has been shortlisted for Sefton Super Read 2017. Super Reads is an award voted on by high school children from across Sefton’s 20 High Schools. It has be running for over 10 years, previous winners include Ali Sparkes, Sally Gardner, Curtis Jobling and Eleanor Updale. The award winner is announced on the 30th of March.

Haringey Children’s Book Award 2017

Lovereading4kids. HARINGEY CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD SHORTLIST 2017. The Haringey Children’s Book Award is now in its 3rd year, set up by the librarian community in Haringey to promote literacy across the borough through interaction between schools.

 

Hillingdon Primary Book of the Year 2017

Hillingdon Primary Book of the Year 2017

This award is aimed at young people in Year 6. The winning title will be announced at the Finale Event which will be held at The Middlesex Suite, Civic Centre, Uxbridge on 15 June 2017.

 

 

 

Leeds Book Awards

Leeds Book Awards started in 2009 and has evolved into a successful city wide initiative, run jointly between Leeds School Library Service and Leeds Public Libraries.

The Award is now a fantastic opportunity for pupils aged  9- 11, 11-14 and 14-16 to take part and vote for the best children’s and young people’s (CYP) books published in the last year.

 

 

Cogheart also made the best of 2016 lists of various lovely bloggers and writers…

 

Books of the Year 2016Love reading for Kids – Books of the Year 2016