FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, London, January 31, 2012: Independent children’s publisher Nosy Crow is pleased to announce that Olivia’s First Term by Lyn Gardner has been chosen as a Richard and Judy Kids’ Book Club selection for Spring 2012.
Olivia’s First Term is the first installment in the highly acclaimed series by The Guardian theatre critic Lyn Gardner. The novel – all about the trials and tribulations of attending stage school – was originally published in June 2011 and has been succeeded by Olivia Flies High (September 2011), Olivia and the Movie Stars (February 2012) and Olivia’s Enchanted Summer (forthcoming, June 2012).
The Stage called Olivia’s First Term “hugely enjoyable. The Telegraph wrote that, “with its stage-school setting it is strongly reminiscent of Noel Streatfeild […] It has all the classic ingredients for nine year-olds – bitchy rich girl jealous of talented poor girl, parental abandonment, star potential realised.” The Guardian called it “a gripping story with a sharp eye for the power struggles within the classroom.”
Olivia’s First Term is Gardner’s first book for Nosy Crow. She has previously published two other books for children, Into the Woods and Out of the Woods, and writes full-time for The Guardian.
“Set in the world of theatre that I know so well from my daily life as a professional theatre critic, the Olivia books are not just about the excitement and glamour of red carpet first nights, the knuckle-biting experience of auditions, or the backstage rivalries. They are also about family, friendship and that crucial part of growing up where you try on different roles for yourself as you attempt to work out exactly who you are and what really matters to you,” says Lyn Gardner, author of the Olivia series. “I’m delighted that the Richard and Judy Kid’s Book Club means that Olivia will enjoy a wider audience for her feats on the high wire, on stage and in the class room.”
Kirsty Stansfield, who edits the books for Nosy Crow, says: “The Olivia books are fantastic reads for girls who love to lose themselves in great stories beautifully written. Olivia is a girl after everyone’s heart – you’ll laugh with her, cry with her, and always come back to find out what happens to her next! This is such great news – it’s lovely to see Olivia in the Richard and Judy Book Club, and in such good company!”
Full list of Kids’ Book Club selections:
Olivia’s First Term by Lyn Gardner (Nosy Crow)
The Peppers and the International Magic Guys by Sian Pattenden (HarperCollins)
Pegasus and the New Olympians by Kate O’Hearn (Hachette)
Young Sherlock Holmes: Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (Pan Macmillan)
The Poodle Problem by Anna Wilson (Pan Macmillan)
Stitch Head by Guy Bass and Pete Williamson (Magi)
The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders (Scholastic)
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (Scholastic)
Frogspell by C.J. Busby and David Wyatt (Templar)
Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever and the Crazy Classroom Cascade by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver (Walker)
About Nosy Crow
Nosy Crow is a London-based children’s book and app publisher founded in 2010 by veterans of the children’s publishing industry. Its first books and apps were published in 2011. In 2012, Nosy Crow will publish 45 new books for children and young adults, and 8 interactive book apps for children. In the U.S. and Canada, the Nosy Crow imprint is published under the umbrella of Candlewick Press. In Australia and New Zealand, Nosy Crow partners with Allen and Unwin.
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Media Contact
In the UK: Dom Kingston
dom@nosycrow.com