Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 1h

📣 SCHOOLS!

💷 A virtual author visit can be a very cost effective way to encourage children's #ReadingForPleasure.

📚 Check out virtualauthors.co.uk and give them‬ a follow to find out which authors are available.

#EduSky #KidLitUK #Primary #Secondary #Education #VirtualAuthorVisits #KidLit

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 2h

I hope this doesn't get in the way of the aerial potholing.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 2h

Underground zip wire plan for Lake District approved by judge

Campaigners say go-ahead for tourist attraction could imperil area’s Unesco world heritage status Controversial plans to create an underground zip wire experience in a 19th-century Lake District slate quarry have been given the go-ahead by a high court judge. On Wednesday, Mr Justice Mould delivered a ruling that could bring to an end a long-running battle that has sparked debates about how people can and should experience national parks. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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No Airport Expansion @noairportexp.bsky.social · 5h

It really cannot be emphasised enough that facing devastating global climate tipping points we need to be reducing our emissions, NOT increasing them by, for example, massive airport expansion.

Do we need to say it louder for those at the back?

Record leap in CO2 fuels fears of accelerating global heating

CO2 in air hit new high last year, with scientists concerned natural land and ocean carbon sinks are weakening

www.theguardian.com

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School Reading List @schoolreadinglist.bsky.social · 7h

Lots of up to date writing competitions open to children and teens in the UK. Great ideas for in school & at home. schoolreadinglist.co.uk/competitions... #ukedchat #amwriting

Children's Writing Competitions

A list of creative & non-fiction writing competitions for children in the UK, including contests for poetry, stories, handwriting & essays.

schoolreadinglist.co.uk

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Stieven @stievenvdp.bsky.social · 1d

Oh hey, it’s #PortfolioDay … again.

The less typical diorama stuff this time, annotated... and the thumbnails are going to suck.

Diorama featuring a bunch of wildlife that lived there, daytime scene

Diorama featuring a bunch of wildlife that lived there, nighttime scene.

Skorpiovenator diorama detailing nesting behaviour and some ontogony

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 1d

🤣 Bum-tish!

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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 1d

Climate breakdown is all-pervasive and will affect every single one of us

Yet the government expands airports, plans more roads, and considers the opening of new oil and gas fields

Pure, unadulterated, insanity

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Towns may have to be abandoned due to floods with millions more homes in Great Britain at risk

Every constituency projected to be at greater risk, with many areas likely to be uninsurable, Guardian investigation finds

www.theguardian.com

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 2d

🎃 Just 18 sleeps left to #Halloween.

🧛🏻‍♂️ Find out where witches, monsters, ghosts and ghouls go to look their very worst for their big night in #MonsterMakeovers, a new picture book by me, Rae Minos and Boxer Books.

More info at jonathanemmett.com/monster-makeovers

#KidLitUK #HalloweenPictureBooks

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 2d

Unlike museums, arts, cultural and heritage organisations, science and discovery centres are unable to access gov't and National Lottery funding for their infrastructure needs.

If you recognise the huge cultural and economic benefits of fostering an interest in science, sign this open letter.

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) @sciencecentres.bsky.social · 2d

Don't have time to read the newsletter? Here's what our open letter is about-

We're calling on the Government to ensure the UK’s network of science and discovery centres are recognised, valued and funded for the future.

Sign below 🔽 Every signature counts!
www.sciencecentres.org.uk/openletter20...

Association for science and discovery centres open letter 2025

This open letter is part of the campaign 'Science Centres for our Future: Supporting engagement, education and diversity in STEM for the next 25 years' calling on the Department for Science, Innovatio...

www.sciencecentres.org.uk

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Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 2d

Only in Britain could the monarch effectively own the sea-bed, and milk it for profit

So much for King Charles' 'green credentials'

This is absolutely outrageous and has to stop

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Greenpeace threatens to sue crown estate for driving up cost of offshore wind

Environmental group accuses king’s property management company of ‘milking for profit’ its monopoly ownership of seabed

www.theguardian.com

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 2d

🎃 Just 18 sleeps left to #Halloween.

🧛🏻‍♂️ Find out where witches, monsters, ghosts and ghouls go to look their very worst for their big night in #MonsterMakeovers, a new picture book by me, Rae Minos and Boxer Books.

More info at jonathanemmett.com/monster-makeovers

#KidLitUK #HalloweenPictureBooks

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 2d

Unlike museums, arts, cultural and heritage organisations, science and discovery centres are unable to access gov't and National Lottery funding for their infrastructure needs.

If you recognise the huge cultural and economic benefits of fostering an interest in science, sign this open letter.

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) @sciencecentres.bsky.social · 2d

Don't have time to read the newsletter? Here's what our open letter is about-

We're calling on the Government to ensure the UK’s network of science and discovery centres are recognised, valued and funded for the future.

Sign below 🔽 Every signature counts!
www.sciencecentres.org.uk/openletter20...

Association for science and discovery centres open letter 2025

This open letter is part of the campaign 'Science Centres for our Future: Supporting engagement, education and diversity in STEM for the next 25 years' calling on the Department for Science, Innovatio...

www.sciencecentres.org.uk

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 4d

… and copies of WENN DIE ERSTEN FLOCKEN FALLEN, the new German board book edition of FOXES IN THE SNOW.

I'm particularly pleased that, unlike most board books that have been adapted from picture books, it includes the endpapers, featuring beautiful before and after illustrations by Rebecca Harry.

The cover of the German board book edition of WENN DIE ERSTEN FLOCKEN FALLEN, a translation of FOXES IN THE SNOW.

The front endpaper of the German board book edition of WENN DIE ERSTEN FLOCKEN FALLEN, showing a mother fox and two cubs in their underground den.

The back endpaper of the German board book edition of WENN DIE ERSTEN FLOCKEN FALLEN, showing a mother fox and two cubs in their underground den. The woodland above them is now covered in snow.

Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 4d

Two lovely suprises in today's post:

A pair of cat-patterned socks from Nosy Crow to celebrate ONE CAT,TWO CAT, by me and Rob Hodgson, winning gold in this year's JUNIOR DESIGN AWARDS …

🐈🐈‍⬛🧦🧦 #OneCatTwoCats #JuniorDesignAwards @nosycrow.bsky.social

A copy of the novelty book ONE CAT, TWO CATS with a Nosy Crow greetings cars and a pair of socks covered in cats.

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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 4d

Happy Bookshop Day! There are over 200 independent children's bookshops on my map so do pay your local one a visit. It's regularly updated but please let me know of any more I could add. padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 5d

This is great news if museums follow through with it. 👏👏👏👏
Now we need arts and sports bodies to make a similar commitment. 🫰

Badvertising @badvertising.bsky.social · 5d

🚨 BREAKING: UK museums have voted to adopt a new Code of Ethics calling for a 'transition away' from fossil fuel and rights-abusing sponsors.

This marks a huge moment for the culture sector challenging harmful sponsorship.

Here's the story. 🧵 1/8

Museums ratify new ethics code requiring ‘transition away’ from fossil fuel and rights abusing sponsors

In a significant shift for the culture sector, museums and galleries in the UK this evening voted to adopt ambitious new ethics rules that call for the sector to ‘transition away’ from sponsorship …

cultureunstained.org

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Darren Simpson @darrensimpson44.bsky.social · 5d

#Take10ToRead, peeps! It'll do you wonders in so many ways.

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 5d

"Sometimes when a book says it can provide hours of fun it’s stretching the truth a little. This book doesn’t make that claim, but I think it could do so with impunity."

I've only just spotted @fuse8.bsky.social's Dec 2024 review of #NumberTrainBook, by me & Ingela P Arrhenius, but it's a doozy! 😊

31 Days, 31 Lists: Best Board Books of 2024

Board books for the youngest of young. We've the greatest 2024 titles for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers on display. Be the star of the next baby shower you attend and give some of THESE!

afuse8production.slj.com

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 5d

My paleo picture book co-author Adam Smith has posted some photos of our trip to a local dinosaur-themed adventure golf course on the Dino Toy Blog (which Adam runs).
dinotoyblog.com/forum/index....

If you know any young dino fans in the Nottingham area, it's worth a visit.

⛳️🦖⛳️🦕⛳️

Jurassic Cove Adventure Golf, Nottingham

dinotoyblog.com

Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 6d

About 20 years ago, I was on a train that stopped in Loughborough with an American couple sitting behind me.

The woman asked, "is that pronounced loo-bur-roo?" and her partner gave an authoritative, "Yep!"

I think of it every time I'm there.

I wonder if they were going to Lie-cess-ter.

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 6d

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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Nicola Schofield @nicolaschofield.com · 6d

I love the variety of seed delivery / dispersement systems trees have come up with!

These four can all be seen 20 seconds walk from my house this month!

Some hurt more than others if they land on your head 🙃

#kidlitart #illustration #autumn

Illustration titled Autumn Tree Seed Friends by Nicola Schofield. It shows a sycamore seed helicopter, a pinecone, a horse chestnut conker, partially in it's shell, and an oak acorn. They all have little cute faces and are happy to see you.

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 7d

One of the practical tips for schools in this excellent briefing is, "Keep up a varied and up-to-date book collection'.

THE most cost effective way to do this in the long term is to subscribe to a local school library service.

Find your local SLS here: sls-uk.org/enquire-now/

Practical tips to support children’s book choices

Here are some evidence-informed methods for bringing more choice and agency into the classroom:

2: Keep up a varied and up-to-date book collection
The more access children have, the more personally meaningful choices they can make. Including a variety – as Prof. Teresa Cremin (Open University) suggests – of ‘old but gold’ and ‘new and bold’ books can best engage students [16].

Keeping abreast of the ever-expanding range of children’s books helps to keep your collection ‘fresh’. BookTrust’s booklists, including our Great Books Guide, can support and inspire you.

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 7d

It’s great to hear Lauren Laverne acknowledging the role children’s books have played in her and her family’s lives.
As acknowledged in this episode, the format is very similar to DESERT ISLAND DISKS, and it would be good to hear something like this reaching a wider audience on Radio 4.

Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 7d

The 1st THE POWER OF A BOOK podcast, in which @rachelparris.bsky.social chats to
@laurenlaverne.bsky.social about 3 favourite children's books is now online.

If the first ep is anything to go by, the podcast is well worth a follow if you're interested in #KidLitUK.

shows.acast.com/the-power-of...

Lauren Laverne | The Power of a Book

From The Children's Book Project

shows.acast.com

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Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social · 7d

The reason the Right are so invested in the myth that the arts have no value isn’t because the arts don’t generate wealth (they do); it’s that studying the arts teaches people to imagine better ways of judging the value of an idea than by counting how much money it makes…

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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 7d

"Until now, pastoral care in the Armed Forces was provided only by religious chaplains, leaving the growing number of non-religious personnel (41%) without like-minded support."

There are plenty of atheists (and agnostics) in foxholes. It's good to see them finally being recognised and supported.👏🏼

Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 8d

Groundbreaking! The UK Armed Forces has sworn in its first-ever humanist pastoral carer – Dr Neil Weddell. This means thousands of non-religious service personnel will have access to like-minded pastoral support that genuinely reflects their values and worldview. 🧵

First-ever humanist pastoral carer in UK Armed Forces