Happy Wednesday!

The original plan was to post on Fridays… but as with most things in parent life, flexibility is key.

Alongside all the reading content, I want this blog to include bits and bobs about the reality of parenting too. The blog is here to make at least one thing (books and reading with kids) a bit easier to navigate, but let’s be honest, if I’m not talking about the everyday chaos along the way, it wouldn’t feel very real or helpful. And somewhere in the middle of the usual juggle, getting the blog out on Fridays started to feel like just one thing too many to get ready for the weekend … though it seemed like a sensible plan at the time.

Full transparency: my executive function skills (or lack thereof!) are still very much a work in progress. Between parenthood, work, and running a household, sometimes a ball gets dropped…
Prime example… for the second time* this academic year, I’ve sent the kids in own clothes on a very much not own clothes day. Character building, right? And honestly, can Friday 26th Feb just count as a practice run for Friday 26th March? #WinningAtParenting 🤪😵‍💫

(*first time eldest headed to school in Roald Dahl RAF costume for trip to museum…a day early🤦‍♀️)

But enough about my parenting chaos. And let’s focus on one of the best month’s in the calendar (IMHO). Because World Book Day and International Women’s Day of course!
And what better way to celebrate than with an incredible Battle of the Books featuring double-award-winning author and West End actress Emma Swan.

Emma has portrayed influential pioneering women on stage, including Elizabeth I and Anne Boleyn, in Birmingham Stage Company’s Horrible Histories theatre shows. Her latest book Cruise Ship Kid: Kidnap At Sea is fresh out this month (published 12th March) and is the 2nd in Emma’s diary style comedy-crime adventures.
If that’s not a fantastic way to celebrate both WBD and IWD, then I don’t know what is!

I have two sons, and we often have open discussions about “then vs now.” Even compared with when I was in primary school, they can’t believe that girls didn’t play football and boys didn’t play netball!

Recently we were looking through a list of the “World’s Best Footballers” and my youngest innocently asked, “Where are the girl footballer’s on this list?”

There’s still a long way to go, but in children’s literature it’s wonderful to see more female authors and representation.

Women have been writing for over 4,000 years, yet in the UK women have only been widely recognised as authors for under 200 years.

That said, I firmly believe that until ALL women are equal, no woman is equal. But it’s a start.

And now for the epic book battle…with the twist!
This week, to celebrate World Book Day, the Harley Family face award winning author Emma Swan.

Team Harley Family
Chosen Book: Horrible Histories: Cruel Kings and Mean Queens by Terry Deary Publisher: Scholastic
Contenders:
Mum: Victoria Age: ANCIENT (according to the kids!)
Most memorable recent read: Circe by Madeline Miller

(Editor: on a personal note, THANK YOU Victoria for this suggestion. I’ve picked it up and CAN’T PUT IT DOWN – very addictive reading!!)
Hobbies: Walking in Nature, Travelling (when Victoria gets the chance!)

Kids:
Annabel: 12yo
Hobbies: Collecting signed books, digital animation, music, Lego and world flags.
Annabel’s current personal record is identifying all 195 in 3 min and 15 seconds!

Edward: 9yo
Hobbies: Reading The Phoenix Comics, performing arts -LAMDA, music, collecting Legami eraseable pens (he currently has 24 unique character pens!), playing Roblox

Clement: 7yo
Hobbies: playing football, watching football (Editor: ARSENAL?!…..as a Bees supporter trying to stay neutral…in the words of TikTok….”we listen but we don’t judge”), creating Lego models, gaming

Harley Family interests: Reading
Fun facts: They also have an older brother Tom, 24 and a 1 year old tuxedo cat called Quincy (the 5th child!) both of whom they love very much. (Editor: thank you for the gorgeous photo of Quincy. One look at Quincy’s gorgeous little face and your football team choice has been mitigated and forgiven.)

TEAM AUTHOR : Emma Swan
Chosen book: Dragonflare by Jamie Hammond published by Usborne
Age: Younger than all the oceans
Fun Fact: Emma grew up on cruise ships, which was the inspiration behind her books! er parents worked onboard and like her protagonist, Silver, she spent a lot of her childhood being ‘ship-schooled,’ while travelling the globe. Read more HERE!

LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!

In one sentence what is the book about?
Annabel: Horrible Histories, Cruel Kings and Mean Queens is about the lives of all the English monarchs, and world events during their reigns.
Edward: All the kings and the queens up to Queen Elizabeth II and the facts about what happened during their reigns of England and Scotland.
Clement: It tells you how long their reigns were and what they did to become famous during their reign. 

Emma Swan: Dragonflare is the exciting new adventure from Jamie Hammond (author of Grumpfort.) It comes out in May this year but I was very lucky to receive a proof copy in the post. In this hilarious quest, the main character Flynn, gets kidnapped by a dragon to compete in the Wingrider Trials. This story is interactive and the reader has to help Flynn with his mission. Solve the puzzles to save dragonkind… what could be better?

Harley family, choose three feelings to describe HH Cruel Kings and Mean Queens: 
Annabel: fascinating!
Edward: interesting!
Clement: amusing (Editor: I can agree with totally agree with this! Our house has been known to laugh our heads off…no no NOT in an Anne Boleyn way!)

Emma, What’s the best thing about Dragonflare?
Dragonflare is full of heroes and heart, Jamie Hammond packs adventure into every sentence. In the labyrinth of the Wingrider trials we also meet some extremely memorable monsters. From Granshees to Grizzlifawns this book is GRROAR-some!

Back over to the Harley Family! What makes makes HH Kings and Queens the perfect read?
Annabel: As well as being funny, it’s filled with lots of interesting facts about history- not only in Britain, but outside too.
Edward: It had lots of facts about the kings and queens of England that I wanted to know because I’m very interested in history.
Clement: It’s a topic I like and it has funny illustrations!

Mum, Victoria… what would you say to a grown up thinking about getting this book for their child?Victoria: As per all the Horrible Histories, it engages children in history by presenting it in an accessible and VERY amusing way!

And Emma, if you were the movie director who would you cast as the main role for Dragonflare and why? 
Emma: Ooh I don’t know! Maybe Tom Holland or Ncuti Gatwa. It has to be someone who would be good at dragonriding and solving puzzles! 
(Editor: Great choices!!! This could be a question for all readers… Grown ups & Kids ask each other… who would you choose for your current reads or favourite stories?)

Harley Family...What is your favourite scene in HH Kings & Queens?

Annabel: Learning that Queen Victoria, during her life of 81 years, never learned to speak English perfectly. Like her ancestors she learnt German as her first language. 
Edward: Elizabeth I and the Spanish armadas that happened under her reign- I didn’t know there was more than one (there were 2!). And there was also an English armada in revenge!
Clement: Henry VIII…he’s interesting because he had 6 wives and they met some quite gory ends!

Emma, Dragonflare isn’t out until May, so many people haven’t had the chance to read it (yet!!). But here’s your chance to convince voters why they should absolutely vote for your chosen book… using ice cream as an analogy!
Emma: Dragonflare would be a tower of ice creams on a crunchy wafer cone. I would pile chocolate, strawberry and mint on top of each other. This is because this book offers a little bit of everything, a great adventure, a lot of laughs and a brilliant message about friendship. Make sure you pick up your copy of Dragonflare when it comes out in May! (Editor: Sounds like a delicious read!)

The Harley family finds themselves stranded on a desert island… and they’re stuck with one of the characters from the book. Who is it, and how do you all pass the time?
Annabel: George VI… because he enjoyed hunting and could kill a hare running at full speed so that would be helpful for survival! (Editor: A Royal version Bear Grylls? GENIUS!)
Edward: Elizabeth II and we would play with her corgis!
Clement: Mary Queen of Scots, I would talk to her about her relatives, as I’m from England it would be fascinating to know about people from another country. 

Well that concludes March’s ⚔️Battle of The Books!
Dear readers…consider your vote carefully.
Based on the answers of our valiant contenders, do you vote for the very popular much loved Horrible Histories Cruel Kings and Mean Queens by Terry Deary?
OR do you take a step into the unknown with a new flame… Jamie Hammond’s soaring new adventure Dragonflare?
Only YOU can decide! Votes close Tuesday 24th March 2026 5pm