NEW children’s adventure finale: The Oak Lord by Catherine Cooper
29 November 2013 by Admin in Book publishing
On 2nd December Infinite Ideas will publish The Oak Lord by Catherine Cooper. This fifth Jack Brenin book – a children’s adventure finale – belongs to a series of books that would be completely at home on a shelf next to C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkien’s The Hobbit, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. Hailed by the Observer as a potential successor to Rowling, Catherine is already planning for the myriad opportunities that this new release – the conclusion to her bestselling series – will bring.
Opportunities for authors reach far beyond author events and book signings – a significant proportion of a book’s marketing activities is now done online, through social networking sites and reading communities such as Goodreads, Readmill, and Wattpad (all of which integrate the latest digital technology into their functionality). And with the growth of the ebook market, it is now easier than ever for readers to discover and instantly access the newest releases from their favourite authors. Although a recent survey showed that 62% of young adults favoured printed books over ebooks, a book can no longer be solely a printed book and survive in today’s overcrowded market. It must have a digital presence (ebook or even app) and, ideally, accompanying online resources in order to reach its full potential. With this in mind, Catherine has been busier than ever, running competitions and posting news updates and features on her popular website and Facebook pages. She does all this alongside her regular activities, which recently included an interview with BBC Radio Shropshire, various ‘meet the author’ sessions, speaking to groups and at conferences, book signings and school visits. ‘It’s a 24/7 job being an author but I love every minute of it’, says Catherine.
As a retired schoolteacher, Catherine believes strongly in the opportunities that magical books can provide for children, and she works tirelessly to encourage a joy in reading among children. She was delighted when, this year, The Golden Acorn was recommended by The National Literacy Trust for Key Stage 2: ‘shared and guided reading’, and she works closely with schools and reading schemes such as KidsReadWriteReview, and the Beanstalk charity that brings the gift of reading to thousands of children each week. She is also currently developing a reading resource for teachers, which will enhance the reading experience for children and teachers alike. Packed with cross-curricular links, it will include suggested questions to answer, themes for discussion, skills-based homework, word games and other fun activities as well as interactive links to websites where related information can be found.
The Oak Lord won’t be the end for Jack Brenin and his friends: Catherine’s plans include several standalone books and a series of short stories for younger readers, each of which will focus on one of her best-loved characters. Finally, don’t forget to look out for our forthcoming ebook The Legend of Howling Hill, the story of how a very large fire-breathing Dragonair became the last of its kind.