Blog
Get the latest news with our Children’s Book Blog. We’re sharing our thoughts on the latest trends in publishing and children and YA books, along with odd musing and update from our award-winning author, Robin Bennett.
The Magic of Myths and Folklore
Being based in the south-east, it’s no surprise that Monster Books has a penchant for bizarre and fantastical stories. Narnia, Middle Earth, and Wonderland were all invented in nearby Oxford, and the river that runs through the inventively named Henley-on-Thames is...
How to get a child interested in reading
Some children seem to have been born with their noses stuck in books. I was one such child, exhausted every day at school because I had stayed up late reading Molly Moon or My Secret Unicorn - or whatever I was obsessed with at the time. In an act of desperation, my...
Fantastic Fantasy: The best YA fantasy reads for right now
After the frankly unbelievable plot of the past 12 months in real life, it’s hard not to wonder if we’re going to have to rethink the definition of fantasy fiction. When reality has had you suspending your disbelief for an extended amount of time, you have to choose...
What makes a children’s bestseller?
Observations of a Children’s Bookseller World Book Day is about getting children interested in books - and that’s the job of a children’s bookseller all year round. So as the day approaches once again, I find myself thinking - what is it that makes the popular books...
Funny February: The Lifeline of Funny Books
The world is throwing us many challenges at the moment, one of them being exactly how to keep kids engaged with learning while they’re stuck at home, missing their friends and teachers. It’s not easy - but funny books might just come to the rescue. The role of funny...
Funny Books For Kids By Age
Trying to keep kids interested in reading can be a challenge at the best of times - and especially when they’re stuck inside all day getting a bit sick of all the home schooling. Luckily, funny books come to the rescue to grab their attention. There’s a huge range to...
Funny February
Reason in rhymes By Robin Bennett There was a sad and grumpy king Who said, ‘I’m bored as anything, I’d share my kingdom half and half With someone who could make me laugh.’ Seriously Silly Stories by Laurence Anholt and Arthur Robins (Illustrations) … and, frankly,...
Covid and Translation
A sure-fire investment for the future I’m 52 years old today (… why thank you – it’s all that clean living) but, I can still recall the classroom dust motes, the smell of polish and wood, and the pain and anguish, 40 odd years ago, as I sat there, utterly baffled by...
How to Write a Children’s Book – The Five (and a Half) Rules
Ever wanted to know how to write a compelling and entertaining children’s book that kids will actually want to read? Not just the ones their parents give them at Christmas that they meagrely feign excitement for. No, I’m talking about the books they like so much that...
Insights: Q&A with a start-up publisher
We interviewed our very own Robin Bennett (a.k.a the knight on the home page) for an insight into his journey to the present and his plans for Monster Books in the future. Here's what he had to say: How did you start out in the children’s book...