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Marianne Doherty

@mariannedoherty.bsky.social

2.9K followers 2.6K following 1.5K posts

Manager of Bookzilla and Bookbug apps for Scottish Book Trust. Children’s books and comics enthusiast. Dyslexic. ME/CSF. Here for the kids book chat. All views my own. #KidsBooksFriday 📚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 2d

My fab colleague Paul and I got to write the autumn children's book reviews for the Scotsman. I think they were in the paper at the weekend but you can read them here online...
www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...

#UKKidLit #KidLitUK #KidLit

The best new children's books for autumn 2025

Among the heroes of this autumn’s best kids books are a sleepy bear, a water-loving rabbit and a pair of hyper-competitive turtles. Reviews by Paul Kane and Marianne Doherty

www.scotsman.com

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 28m

Happy #BookshopDay!

I’ve been keeping a list of all the wonderful indie bookshops I’ve discovered on here so far. Anyone I’m missing?

#KidLitUK #UKKidLit

bsky.app/profile/did:...

Reposted by Marianne Doherty

M. G. Leonard @mglnrd.bsky.social · 1h

Happy Bookshop Day! To celebrate I'll be in Book Nook Hove at 2pm talking, reading, signing and generally hanging out and celebrating my favourite type of shop. Come and join me. It’s free.

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1h

I will do!

Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1h

Back to the top it goes…

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1h

#KidsBooksFriday

Gabby @gabliotecaria.bsky.social · 2h

Since I'm late to this one, lemme just add With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo, the Marvellers series by Dhonielle Clayton, and of course City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak

Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1h

I keep putting City of Stolen Magic to the top of my tbr, but you lot keep recommending other great books and it gets hidden again! I’m going to promise to read it before the year is out!

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 11h

I’ve not read any of these. I must seek them out.

Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 11h

#KidsBooksFriday

Stephen Dilley @stephenjdilley.bsky.social · 14h

Birdie would have been one of my picks - but here are some other favourites!

Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 16h

Looks gorgeous. Look forward to reading it!

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Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Helen Jones @hfj0108.bsky.social · 17h

No social media at school. By the time I get home, most of my favourites have been mentioned already! I couldn’t see these though and have probably missed several others. #KidLitUK #KidsBooksFriday

Cover of High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson

Cover of The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood by Farhana Islam

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 17h

I never know what’s the best time to post. I try as early as I can to catch school staff before school but often depends on how my own morning is going! But all recommendations are welcome at any time (or any day!) and I always think doublers help folk know it’s something REALLY worth seeking out. 😁

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 17h

It’s such a beautiful book.

Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Fleur Hitchcock @fleurhitchcock.bsky.social · 19h

By total chance - Just read this excellent book by @sufiyaahmed.bsky.social #UnderFire so clear, so interesting #kidsBooksFriday #sharedhistory - review here with a link to buy: www.waterstones.com/book/under-f...

Under Fire by Sufiya Ahmed | Waterstones

Buy Under Fire by Sufiya Ahmed from Waterstones today! Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over £25.

www.waterstones.com

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Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Good Night To Read @gntread24.bsky.social · 1d

An astonishment of authors with wonderful stories full of adventure & emotion. #KidsBooksFriday #DiverseBooks #UKKidLit #BookBloggers #Librarians

Lilac, black & gold. Pink strands of branches curling in from left & right. Girl in silhouette blowing stars ✨

🐻 Bear, leopard 🐆 , whale 🐳 & elephant 🐘 against different backdrops. Green jungle, orange sky, blue water. Set of 4 books.

Purple sky with red border of branches & leaves. Fireworks 💥 exploding in sky. 3 silhouettes of children in centre

Different shades of light & dark blue. Back of boy with red rucksack 🎒 & brown hair, silhouette of child sitting in window watching stars ✨, Red bus with silhouettes in windows & child facing open door with strip of light. Set of 4.

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Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Caroline Fielding @cazapr1.bsky.social · 1d

How about the winners of The Diverse Book Awards, announced last night! #TheDBAwards

2025 winners: Until You Find the Sun for picturebook, Birdie for kids, Wild East for YA, Allow Me to Introduce Myself for adult.

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Reposted by Marianne Doherty

JohnChalmers+SandraMarrs=Metaphrog @metaphrog.bsky.social · 1d

Sharing some classic graphic novels here: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson & Omar Mohamed, New Kid by Jerry Craft, Timid by Jonathan Todd. #KidsBooksFriday

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1d

Good luck! 😅

Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 1d

One of the things about this study is that a lot of baby and toddler books are written in house, by editors. So the study reveals the whiteness of editorial in kidlit even if not explicitly. But, big picture, this trend is unacceptable. I remember so many promises www.theguardian.com/books/2025/o...

‘Catastrophic decline’ in Black representation in children’s books

A report by charity Inclusive Books for Children found that of the 2,721 books surveyed, only 51 featured a Black main character, down by 21.5% since 2023

www.theguardian.com

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve lived in Roehampton, Putney, Clapham, Southfields and Earlsfield in my day. Lots of happy memories of youth!

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Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Claire Linney Author @clairelinney.bsky.social · 1d

My Black book for today is (and excuse the blowing of one’s own trumpet) my own. Because it won the Readers Choice Award at the Diverse Book Awards last night and I’m still feeling v emotional about it! This explores Black Tudor history through time travel and I’m so bloody proud of it!

Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief by Claire Linney

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Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Sinéad O'Hart @sineadohart.bsky.social · 1d

Delighted and honoured to announce that Ellora McGee, Trainee Banshee: The New School is one of several BRILLIANT books chosen by @childrensbooksireland.ie and Eason as their quarterly Recommended Irish Reads. Check them out in your local branch of Eason! And keep an eye out for signed copies...

Front cover of Ellora McGee, Trainee Banshee: The New School, written by Sinéad O'Hart and illustrated by Úna Woods. There's a graphic on the left which looks like a sticker announcing it as 'Recommended by Children's Books Ireland'.

Covers of all the books in the Eason/CBI quarterly book promotion. From left to right, top row: The Waters and the Wild by Eilish Fisher; The Museum of Lost Umbrellas by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick; The Moon Seeker by Dee Barragry; The Grand Central Comedy Club by Alan Nolan. Second row from top, left to right: Strange Nature, by Mary Watson; Dino Mode Activated, by Jen Wallace and illustrated by Alan O'Rourke; Any Way You Slice It by Méabh O'Donnell; Ellora McGee, Trainee Banshee: The New School, by Sinéad O'Hart, illustrated by Úna Woods. Third row, left to right: Puisín na mBróg by Fergus MacLochlainn, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly; The Cloud Kingdom by Máire Zepf, illustrated by Andrew Whitson; Milo and the Mountain, by Jamie Carroll; Nature at Night by Dara McAnulty. Fourth row, left to right: Oíche Mhaith, a Ghrá! by Sadhbh Devlin, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald; Lantern Smoke by Dagogo Hart and Anita Schmidt, and This That What by Katy Ashworth and Colleen Larmour.

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1d

I’m on holiday! 🎉 And we’re heading down to our old stomping grounds in Putney where we first met 20 years ago.

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1d

Folk just keep writing great books! It’s a hard job keeping up!

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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1d

#KidsBooksFriday

Gita Ralleigh @gitaralleigh.bsky.social · 1d

And there’s lots to celebrate-check out the wonderful #DiverseBookAward #DBAAward winners!

www.instagram.com/thediversebo...

Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 1d

With the IBC Excluded Voices report making for sober reading this week, let’s use #KidsBooksFriday to celebrate brilliant books from global majority writers.
#KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit

www.inclusivebooksforchildren.org/excluded-voi...

Reposted by Marianne Doherty

Jacqui Sydney 📚 @jacquisydney.bsky.social · 1d

Splendid choices there! I’m going to add the brilliant Rani Reports series by Gabrielle & Satish Shewhorak, illustrated by Navya Raju 😊 x

#KidsBooksFriday

Cover of Rani Reports on the Missing Millions, which shows Mauritian Rani running along the beach in shorts and t-shirt with a camera slung around her neck.

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