Liebster blog award

Thank you for author Katherine Langrish, whose Troll Blood I have just blogged about. She has given me a Liebster award, which is for blogs with fewer than 200 followers. Thank you Katherine! Her wonderful blog is Seven Miles of Steel Thistles, and do check out her Fairy Tale Reflections, which has made me think of myths and traditional tales again.


On receipt of the award, the recipient must:


1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you .
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog (tick).
4. Hope that the people you’ve sent the award to forward it to their five favourite bloggers.


So, without further ado, here are some of my favourite blogs:


Hef's kitchen. Delicious and easy to follow vegetarian and vegan recipes. I recommend the tikka paneer, even for the unreformed carnivores!


Ramblings of a Tactless Blonde Claire, the no longer blonde, writes funny, sweet and entertaining episodes from her shoe-loving, child-wrangling life. Lovely.


Did You Ever Stop To Think And Forget To Start Again? Wonderful, thoughtful posts on children's literature and a fellow Chalet School fan. The most recent post has introduced me to the crazy world of Chalet School fan fiction and fill in novels. Crikey!


Okey Dokey Pig in a Pokey, the amazing adventures of the wonderful Tracy who did what many of us dream of doing: put her every day life on hold (in her 40s) and went to Malta, trained as a scuba instructor and is now embarking on a new career! inspiring.


Treasury Islands, a fascinating blog on children's literature, nursery rhymes and other related topics.


Happy reading, and thanks again, Katherine!

Irresistably Sweet Blog Award

This week Barbara from March House Books Blog very kindly gave me this award. Thank got very much Barbara! Please check out her blog about classic illustrated children's books; if you're someone who can't pass a second hand booshop, like me, you'll be salivating at your keyboard.

There are a few rules for this award:

1. Send a thank you to the person who nominated you and include their link. 

2. Share seven random facts about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to at least 8 deserving bloggers.

4. Contact those bloggers to congratulate them.

My list:

Library Mice 

Pop Classics

Baking Teacher

Catherine Pope- Victorian Geek
Did You Ever Stop To Think And Forget To Start Again?
Okey Dokey, Pig in a Pokey
Ramblings of a Tactless Blonde
Open a Bookshop, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

There are so many fabulous bloggers out there!
Now, the random facts:
1. I qualified as a teacher in 1993. This is terrifying! Where have the 18 years gone?
2. I have a BA in English and Community Studies, a PGCE in Primary Education, a MA in Victorian Studies and am about to start a PhD in Children's Literature. I really love learning.
3. I love music almost as much as I love reading. I play the guitar very badly and have a Fender Telecaster electric guitar. I could blog about music as much as I blog about reading. I first got chatting to my boyfriend because we have the same favourite band- The Smiths.
4. I grew up just outside North West London in a suburban area. There were farms there, and we had a pet sheep at my Primary School. People think I'm pulling their legs when I tell them this.
5. I stopped growing when I was 13. One minute I was one of the tallest people in my class, the next I was one of the smallest. I'm just under 5 ft 4. Year 6 children (10 and 11 year olds) are often taller than me.
6. Alongside loving to learn, I love to teach. I teach English and Primary Education Studies to student teachers, and yesterday was my students' last day of school placements. One of them gave me a thank you card saying she hoped to be as good a teacher as me. I opened it on the bus home and burst into tears.
7. I love Twitter and Tumblr. I think social media is a fantastic way to meet like minded people from all over the world, share ideas and change your ideas. I have encountered people, books and music that I would never have done without Twitter.

Thank you again, Barbara!