David Barker gets grilled by two Year 6 girls from Thomas A Becket Primary School about his first book for children, Pax and the Missing Head.

Does David's dystopia draw in young readers? Or should he have stuck to writing for adults? Find out Esme and Charlotte think Pax is a book you should pick.

Get your own copy of the book and support school libraries!

Buy it from lovereading4kids.co.uk, and 25% of your money will go to helping UK schools build up their library collections. Plus if you use any of the links in these show notes, 5% will come to us, so you'll also be supporting this podcast – as well as, of course, David!

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Debut author Antonia Maxwell gets grilled by 10-year-old Arrany (with additional questions supplied by Henry on her first ever published children's book, Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North.

Has Antonia got the amount of mask magic right for her first appearance in bookshops? Or should she have included more turkeys? Find out if Arrany thinks Terra Electrica is a book you should pick.

Get your own copy of the book and support school libraries!

Buy it from lovereading4kids.co.uk, and 25% of your money will go to helping UK schools build up their library collections. Plus if you use any of the links in these show notes, 5% will come to us, so you'll also be supporting this podcast – as well as, of course, Antonia!

Theme mastered by Finn Leckey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Claire Fayers gets grilled by 9-year-old Jan on her latest novel (but first sci-fi story), Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine.

Was Claire right to delve into sci-fi? Or should she have stuck with Welsh myths? Find out if Jan thinks Tapper Watson is a book you should pick.

Get your own copy of the book and support school libraries!

Buy it from lovereading4kids.co.uk, and 25% of your money will go to helping UK schools build up their library collections. Plus if you use any of the links in these show notes, 5% will come to us, so you'll be supporting this podcast – as well as, of course, Claire!

Theme mastered by Finn Leckey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Lit-Picking – a weekly podcast in which authors get grilled by the people who really matter: You, the reader.

Discover your next favourite Children's or Young Adult book by listening to young readers asking the trickiest questions to guests such as award-winning writer Camilla Chester, debut novelist Antonia Maxwell, or series author Tom Palmer.

Season 1 also features sci-fi/fantasy author Claire Fayers, fantasy author Alison Gardiner, and dystopian future author David Barker.

Drops every Thursday – and join us on social media using #LitPickLive every Thursday from 5pm for a live listen along, to add your questions into the mix!

Find us on Facebook, Threads, Instagram and X using @LitPickPod.

Hosted by Storyteller Chip Colquhoun and Young Adult Dark Fiction author Matt Killeen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.