Rebecca Rouillard
@rebeccarouillard.bsky.social
School librarian, neurodivergent writer, cold-water swimmer. Panel chair: @SparkBookAward.bsky.social ✨ www.swimminginbooks.blog
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
Our 11+ Panel members are excited by the fantastic range of books we've been sent this year for the teen category - longlisting is going to be a difficult job! @rebeccarouillard.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Our 11+ Panel members are excited by the fantastic range of books we've been sent this year for the teen category - longlisting is going to be a difficult job! @rebeccarouillard.bsky.social
Book review: 'The Scream of the Whistle' by Emily Randall-Jones - a spooky one for autumn! 🎃🚂👻 @chickenhousebooks.bsky.social
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/08/27/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/08/27/t...
‘The Scream of the Whistle’ by Emily Randall-Jones
When 12-year-old Ruby’s parents split up, she moves into her Grandma’s house in a creepy abandoned railway village called Melbridge with her mum and brother. Ruby is sure if she can jus…
swimminginbooks.blog
August 27, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Book review: 'The Scream of the Whistle' by Emily Randall-Jones - a spooky one for autumn! 🎃🚂👻 @chickenhousebooks.bsky.social
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/08/27/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/08/27/t...
Happy Caturday from Majestic Merlin & Maeby the Menace…
August 23, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Happy Caturday from Majestic Merlin & Maeby the Menace…
Just finished this wonderfully warm, inclusive and captivating story of friendship and reconciliation, exploring historical events not often covered in British children’s fiction - highly recommended! @janeenhayat.bsky.social @guppybooks.bsky.social
July 4, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Just finished this wonderfully warm, inclusive and captivating story of friendship and reconciliation, exploring historical events not often covered in British children’s fiction - highly recommended! @janeenhayat.bsky.social @guppybooks.bsky.social
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
Today we welcomed our new Year 7 pupils to school for Transition Day and transported the library to the Catacombs of Paris to introduce our Summer Reading Challenge... @piudg.bsky.social @nosycrow.bsky.social @thekingstonacademy.org
July 2, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Today we welcomed our new Year 7 pupils to school for Transition Day and transported the library to the Catacombs of Paris to introduce our Summer Reading Challenge... @piudg.bsky.social @nosycrow.bsky.social @thekingstonacademy.org
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
TKA Library played host to the @sparkbookaward.bsky.social Final Award Ceremony yesterday, which was broadcast live on YouTube to 170 schools. Some of our pupils attended as the live studio audience and supplied some excellent drum rolls and applause! @thekingstonacademy.org
June 27, 2025 at 9:23 AM
TKA Library played host to the @sparkbookaward.bsky.social Final Award Ceremony yesterday, which was broadcast live on YouTube to 170 schools. Some of our pupils attended as the live studio audience and supplied some excellent drum rolls and applause! @thekingstonacademy.org
It is such a huge privilege to chair the shortlisting panel for the teen category of the @sparkbookaward.bsky.social. I loved all of the books in our shortlist but so pleased that the pupils voted for Nate Lessore & his important message of kindness & combating toxic masculinity. 🙌👏🏆
Our 11+ Category winner was shortlisted last year in the same category, but came out with the crown this year for 'King of Nothing', published by @hotkeybooks.bsky.social Congratulations Nathanael Lessore! ✨📚🏆
June 27, 2025 at 10:24 AM
It is such a huge privilege to chair the shortlisting panel for the teen category of the @sparkbookaward.bsky.social. I loved all of the books in our shortlist but so pleased that the pupils voted for Nate Lessore & his important message of kindness & combating toxic masculinity. 🙌👏🏆
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
The Spark team are still recovering from the excitement of yesterday...here are some behind-the-scenes shots of our ceremony. (Yes, we ate the cupcakes as soon as the ceremony was finished!)
June 27, 2025 at 9:07 AM
The Spark team are still recovering from the excitement of yesterday...here are some behind-the-scenes shots of our ceremony. (Yes, we ate the cupcakes as soon as the ceremony was finished!)
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
Here they are in all their glory! Congratulations to all the 2025 Spark! Book Award Winners and a huge thank you to all the children and young people who read the books, entered the competitions, came to the author visits and voted for our winners! ✨📚🏆
June 26, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Here they are in all their glory! Congratulations to all the 2025 Spark! Book Award Winners and a huge thank you to all the children and young people who read the books, entered the competitions, came to the author visits and voted for our winners! ✨📚🏆
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
Year 7 & 8 enjoyed a brilliant author visit from @ravenaguron.bsky.social on Monday. She spoke about her journey to becoming a writer via law school, her obsession with Agatha Christie, and she gave us some practical insight into the publishing industry. Thanks for a fascinating talk!
June 25, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Year 7 & 8 enjoyed a brilliant author visit from @ravenaguron.bsky.social on Monday. She spoke about her journey to becoming a writer via law school, her obsession with Agatha Christie, and she gave us some practical insight into the publishing industry. Thanks for a fascinating talk!
Book Review: Tidemagic: Ista Flit and the Impossible Key by @clareharlow.bsky.social Just as uncanny, atmospheric & captivating as the first one. Bravo! 🙌
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/20/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/20/t...
‘Tidemagic: Ista Flit and the Impossible Key’ by Clare Harlow
‘Ista Flit and the Impossible Key’ is the sequel to ‘The Many Faces of Ista Flit’. In the first book Ista used her tide-blessing, the ability to adopt other people’s appearances and gifts, to save …
swimminginbooks.blog
June 20, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Book Review: Tidemagic: Ista Flit and the Impossible Key by @clareharlow.bsky.social Just as uncanny, atmospheric & captivating as the first one. Bravo! 🙌
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/20/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/20/t...
And ‘Shongololo’ - a familiar sight to any South Africans out there!
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Shongol...
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Shongol...
Dirigible Balloon - Poetry for Children
Dirigible Balloon - Poetry for Children
dirigibleballoon.org
June 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM
And ‘Shongololo’ - a familiar sight to any South Africans out there!
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Shongol...
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/Shongol...
Thanks to @northernjim.bsky.social at The Dirigible Balloon for publishing two of my children’s poems:
‘My Velociraptor Thinks She’s a Cat’… 🎈
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/My-Velo...
‘My Velociraptor Thinks She’s a Cat’… 🎈
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/My-Velo...
Dirigible Balloon - Poetry for Children
Dirigible Balloon - Poetry for Children
dirigibleballoon.org
June 19, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Thanks to @northernjim.bsky.social at The Dirigible Balloon for publishing two of my children’s poems:
‘My Velociraptor Thinks She’s a Cat’… 🎈
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/My-Velo...
‘My Velociraptor Thinks She’s a Cat’… 🎈
dirigibleballoon.org/poem/My-Velo...
Book Review: ‘Circle of Liars’ by Kate Francis. And Then There Were None meets Five Survive…I really enjoyed this pacy thriller!
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/13/c...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/13/c...
‘Circle of Liars’ by Kate Francis
Seven teenagers are trapped in an isolated motel, with no WiFi and no transport, by an anonymous vigilante. A year ago three students at their school died in a tragic fire and their captor knows th…
swimminginbooks.blog
June 19, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Book Review: ‘Circle of Liars’ by Kate Francis. And Then There Were None meets Five Survive…I really enjoyed this pacy thriller!
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/13/c...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/06/13/c...
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
You've read the books. You've spoken to the authors. You've responded with incredible artwork, creative writing & multimedia projects. Now it's time to vote for the winners of the Spark! School Book Awards 2025! Find voting details on your latest email, deadline - 20 June.📚🏆✨
June 6, 2025 at 8:13 AM
You've read the books. You've spoken to the authors. You've responded with incredible artwork, creative writing & multimedia projects. Now it's time to vote for the winners of the Spark! School Book Awards 2025! Find voting details on your latest email, deadline - 20 June.📚🏆✨
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
Fern Hill Book of the Week: 'Why Did My Brain Make Me Say It?' by @bardymum.bsky.social. Brains are weird! But this poetry collection also demonstrates that brains are amazing in the way they can experiment with language. A playful, profound and authentic collection of poems - perfect for primary!
June 6, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Fern Hill Book of the Week: 'Why Did My Brain Make Me Say It?' by @bardymum.bsky.social. Brains are weird! But this poetry collection also demonstrates that brains are amazing in the way they can experiment with language. A playful, profound and authentic collection of poems - perfect for primary!
Merlin proves even less cooperative on camera than Magnus…😂
Introducing Merlin - the library apprentice… 📚🐈⬛ 🧙♂️
(He’s grown so much in the last few weeks he doesn’t even look like his cardboard cutout anymore!)
(He’s grown so much in the last few weeks he doesn’t even look like his cardboard cutout anymore!)
June 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Merlin proves even less cooperative on camera than Magnus…😂
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
Happy Pride Month! Here are just a few of the fantastic LGBTQ+ books available in our library… 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🌈 @thekingstonacademy.org
June 2, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Happy Pride Month! Here are just a few of the fantastic LGBTQ+ books available in our library… 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🌈 @thekingstonacademy.org
It was so lovely to meet @clairelinney.bsky.social today, thanks for a brilliant talk!
Thanks to Claire Linney for a fascinating talk at Fern Hill about Black Tudors, as featured in her time-travel adventure 'Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief', to enhance our Year 5 Tudor topic. @clairelinney.bsky.social
May 20, 2025 at 3:22 PM
It was so lovely to meet @clairelinney.bsky.social today, thanks for a brilliant talk!
Book review: 'I Dare You' by @tamsinwinterauthor.bsky.social. A thought-provoking and frighteningly plausible read from the Queen of teen fiction.
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/07/i...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/07/i...
‘I Dare You’ by Tamsin Winter
Willow & Alma are thirteen-year-old best friends and joint owners of the ‘Wilma’ TikTok account where they video each other doing dares and challenges in the hopes of going viral an…
swimminginbooks.blog
May 8, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Book review: 'I Dare You' by @tamsinwinterauthor.bsky.social. A thought-provoking and frighteningly plausible read from the Queen of teen fiction.
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/07/i...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/07/i...
Reposted by Rebecca Rouillard
The final @sparkbookaward.bsky.social event took place last week with Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of the powerful verse novel 'Wild East'. Ashley spoke about how the book was based on his own experience & how we can use our lives to inspire our writing. Thank you for a fantastic event, Ashley!
May 7, 2025 at 9:23 AM
The final @sparkbookaward.bsky.social event took place last week with Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of the powerful verse novel 'Wild East'. Ashley spoke about how the book was based on his own experience & how we can use our lives to inspire our writing. Thank you for a fantastic event, Ashley!
Book Review: 'A Forgery of Fate' by Elizabeth Lim @hodderscape.bsky.social A charming, lyrical and romantic story, filled with strange creatures, vibrant landscapes and captivating characters...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/a...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/a...
‘A Forgery of Fate’ by Elizabeth Lim
I absolutely loved ‘Six Crimson Cranes’ and the ‘Spin the Dawn’ duology so I was looking forward to another one of Elizabeth Lim’s Far Eastern-inspired fairytale retel…
swimminginbooks.blog
May 5, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Book Review: 'A Forgery of Fate' by Elizabeth Lim @hodderscape.bsky.social A charming, lyrical and romantic story, filled with strange creatures, vibrant landscapes and captivating characters...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/a...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/a...
Book Review: 'Mission: Manta Ray' by Philip Kavvadias
@chickenhousebooks.bsky.social Another non-stop, madcap adventure featuring intrepid children, thrilling action, wildly imaginative technology, and witty banter...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/m...
@chickenhousebooks.bsky.social Another non-stop, madcap adventure featuring intrepid children, thrilling action, wildly imaginative technology, and witty banter...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/m...
‘Mission: Manta Ray’ by Philip Kavvadias
In Finn & Milo’s second adventure, they find themselves skydiving on to a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (along with Arti the microraptor) for a special mission to investigate st…
swimminginbooks.blog
May 5, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Book Review: 'Mission: Manta Ray' by Philip Kavvadias
@chickenhousebooks.bsky.social Another non-stop, madcap adventure featuring intrepid children, thrilling action, wildly imaginative technology, and witty banter...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/m...
@chickenhousebooks.bsky.social Another non-stop, madcap adventure featuring intrepid children, thrilling action, wildly imaginative technology, and witty banter...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/m...
Book review: 'The Notorious Virtues' by Alwyn Hamilton. A dazzlingly original fantasy thriller - loved it!
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
‘The Notorious Virtues’ by Alwyn Hamilton
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but the book cover design was particularly enticing and I loved the ‘Rebel of the Sands’ trilogy. Once again, Alwyn Hamilton has created…
swimminginbooks.blog
May 5, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Book review: 'The Notorious Virtues' by Alwyn Hamilton. A dazzlingly original fantasy thriller - loved it!
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
Book Review: 'The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy' by Brigitte Knightley (Dearly Beloathed #1) Loved this witty, enemies-to-lovers, fantasy romp...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
‘The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy’ by Brigitte Knightley (Dearly Beloathed #1)
Osric is an assassin and member of the Fyren order, but when he discovers that his magic is failing, the only person who might possibly be able to help him is Aurienne, member of an enemy order …
swimminginbooks.blog
May 5, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Book Review: 'The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy' by Brigitte Knightley (Dearly Beloathed #1) Loved this witty, enemies-to-lovers, fantasy romp...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...
swimminginbooks.blog/2025/05/05/t...