"My name is Book and I'll tell you the story of my life." Non-fiction like you've never read it before! Quirky and humorous, part poetry, part reflection, this is the story of the book told by none other than ... BOOK! This extraordinary character begins by reminding us of his origins in oral story and clay tablets, then ponders on papyrus, parchment and paper, and on being a scroll who finally gets a spine. We see Book lovingly illuminated by monks in medieval monasteries, then witness the massive changes brought about by the invention of the printing press, and the coming of paperbacks and eBooks in the 20th century. But Book's not the straightforwardly chronological sort, and can't help musing - and those musings, whether they're on the evolution of the alphabet, libraries, book-burning or blurbs, are delightful and thought-provoking. Sixteen years of reflection and observation have gone into this charming title.

 

This book has been graded for interest at 9-12 years.

There are 144 pages in this book. This book was published 2016 by Walker Books Ltd .

John Agard is a prolific playwright, poet and author for children. In 2012 he was awarded the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and has won a raft of other awards. Gillian Cross is an acclaimed author for young people, who won the Carnegie Medal for Wolf, and the Whitbread Award and the Smarties Prize for The Great Elephant Chase. Her Demon Headmaster books were turned into a successful television series by the BBC. Gillian and her husband Martin live in Shaftesbury, Dorset. They have four children. Find Gillian online at www. gillian-cross. co. uk, or follow her on Twitter under the handle @gilliancross. Neil Packer is an exceptional talent in children's books. Graduating from Colchester School of Art, he worked on advertising campaigns before illustrating One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Name of the Rose and Labyrinths for the Folio Society. Neil lives in London NW1 with his son Arvo. Find Neil online at www. neilpacker. co. uk.