World Book Day 2014 - David Melling at Mostly Books

It's World Book Day this Thursday (March 6) and we will be joining in the celebrations about books and reading for children that are taking place across the country.

Publishers produce special books that sell for just £1. Many children get a World Book Day voucher for £1. And booksellers give everyone £1 off a children's book if they have a voucher.

Result - happy children and the opportunity to get a free book. What could be better?

Well, how about meeting the author of one of the books on World Book Day itself?

This Thursday, our very exciting news is that author David Melling will be in the shop for anyone wanting to meet the creator of 'Hugless Douglas'.

David Melling and Hugless Douglas is a firm Mostly Books favourite, and this year he is one of the World Book Day authors. Loveable Hugless Douglas features in his own £1 adventure, 'Hello Hugless Douglas'.

We're delighted that David will be calling into Mostly Books from 2.45pm - and that if you use your voucher at Mostly Books on Thursday, we'll let you 'double-up' - use your voucher to get a copy of 'Hello Hugless Douglas' and still get another WBD title, or £1 off as well.

At 2pm, we are also inviting pre-schoolers to join us in Mostly Books at a special World Book Day storytime. No need to book - just turn up.

From 2.45pm, children can meet David, and get any books signed.

We love Hugless Douglas. They are great stories to share and read aloud about slightly clumsy Douglas, whose friendliness and enthusiasm sometimes get him into scrapes - but his friends are always around to help him out.

And...win an exclusive piece of David Melling artwork!

What book will you buy with your voucher? Will you try a new author? Or have you been saving up for a favourite book?

Until the end of March, if you tell us you what you think about a children's book you have bought at Mostly Books (it can be a couple of lines, or a full review) you will be in with a chance of winning an exclusive piece of David Melling artwork drawn specially for us on World Book Day.

Sound exciting? Then we hope to see you here on Thursday for what we hope will be a smashing, hug-filled day!

Want to know more about World Book Day? Mark talked about World Book Day on the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub this week. He also discusses books by Tracey Corderoy, Jo Cotterill and Christiane Dorion. Fast forward to 1 hour and 6 minutes...

3 4 Friday - A Bear, A Chicken and the Teaspoon Lady

Next Tuesday (Jan 22) we are launching a special, regular storytime for under-5s until Easter. It takes place at 2pm each Tuesday afternoon on the storymat in the front of the shop. No need to book, just turn up and sit down...

So to celebrate, we've picked three picture books for today's 3 4 Friday #fridayreads:

'We Love You Hugless Douglas' is the latest picture book from Abingdon's own David Melling. The loveable bear has become a firm pre-school favourite, as he tries to work out some of life's trickier questions and challenges (such as "where to get the perfect hug?"). In his latest adventure, Douglas helps a pal find a missing friend, and after sadly pondering why he doesn't have a 'best friend', events conspire to give him a big - and lovely - surprise.

We shall be reading 'We Love You Hugless Douglas' at storytime on Tuesday...and there will be some Hugless activities and goodies to be won all day!

At the moment we have a buy one get one free on a lovely range of Walker classic picture book - but amongst the more well-known titles (such as 'Dogger' and 'Where The Wild Things Are') there are a few gems that we feel deserve to be rediscovered. Our pick is 'Mrs Pepperpot Learns to Swim' - the stories of Mrs Pepperpot by Norwegian author Alf Proysen were first published in 1956 ('The Teaspoon Lady' in Norwegian apparently!) and the translations by Hilda Offen have been discovered by generations of children in this country since then.

Finally, a brand new picture book that we feel will become a classic.

In Kristyna Litten's 'Chickens Can't See In The Dark'., Little Pippa is told something she thinks is an old hen's tale, and - with the aid of a library and a whole load of carrots - she sets out to dispel the myth about chickens eyesight when the sun goes down.

A lovely, funny tale with a gentle moral at the end of thinking for yourself (and lots of ways to cook carrots!)

3 4 Friday: Join us for storytime, bookgroups...or a journey to the stars

If you have little ones (or know anyone who does!) we will be launching a brand new, weekly Storytime for Under 5s starting on Tuesday 22nd January at 2pm. Lasting for about half an hour, we’ll be picking a mix of classic and brand new picture books to read on the big story mat in the front of the shop.

Storytime will be free – simply drop in and take a seat! More details can be found if you take a look at a rather special bear sitting in our window at the moment. There's a clue here to one of the books we'll be reading from during the first storytime...

If ‘joining a bookgroup’ made it onto your new year resolutions list, we have a few places free for our Wednesday evening bookgroup which takes place at St Ethelwold’s House on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm. There is an annual fee of £25 which covers room-hire costs.

Email us if you are interested and come along to a ‘taster’ on Wednesday, February 6 at 7.30pm – we shall be discussing 'Land of Decoration' by Grace McCleen, and copies are available at Mostly Books (ask for a bookgroup discount if you want to read along).

Finally: did you watch the BBC’s Stargazing Live this week? Have Professor Brian Cox and Dara O’Briain got you yearning to point a telescope at the planets? As some of you will know, Mark is a tiny bit obsessed with space (that's an understatement) but we've put together a selection of astronomy titles (for all ages), for beginner to seasoned telescope-wielding pro.

DK's excellent 'The Practical Astronomer' is a good place to start for the beginner - but come in and have a look at our ‘stellar’ display...

Sun, storytime...and Robert Muchamore

Ah, wot a lovely day. Sun was out, we had people in the garden enjoying cake, children in the shop enjoying storytime (although not so much raucous laughter this week as we didn't do Peek-A-Poo...). I was rushing around like a mad buffoon getting stuff done off my to-do list, trying not to injure any small children. We really need a bigger shop... It's been half-term this week, so we've been busy doing lots of planning for the various events we have coming up in the next six weeks. I think it's fair to say that we're very excited about Robert Muchamore coming to Abingdon on June 20th as part of the Amazing Books for Boys event. I've just posted a piece over on the 'Amazing' blog about the CHERUB author, so click here to find out much more about Mr Muchamore (sorry, that's bad copy...but it's late).