NEWS & KIDS’ BOOK REVIEWS

Launch month finished on 9th March for my new edition of Black Beauty, and he's galloping off to a great start!

If you already got our copy - thanks a million!

If not, there's still time to help Beauty jump those starter hurdles on his race to reach a new generation of young readers. You can get your copy on Amazon now.

If you haven't seen our fun unboxing videos of my and the kids' first ever look at the paperback and hardback of Black Beauty, you can check them out on Facebook and Instagram. We got really excited 🤩

Plus, you get to see which are some of the kids' favourite illustrations from the beautiful color hardback.

The next challenge for Black Beauty is to gather as many reader reviews on Amazon as possible.

If you have already bought your copy of the book, (by the way, did I mention you are AWESOME and thanks so, so much!!), would you take a minute to leave a quick review on Amazon?

It only takes a moment, you don't have to have finished reading the book, and you can even leave a review on your Amazon account if you received the book as a gift, or someone else bought it for you.

I created a webpage with links to make it easier for you to go straight to the 'create a review' page, in your local Amazon store:

I have some great news to share on the book launch for my new edition of Black Beauty. The book launched on Thursday 16th February on Amazon 🎉

I am thrilled to share that within just a few days of launch, we got the fabulous orange tag for No. 1 New Release in two book categories - Children's Modern History and Children's Literary Biographies!! I'm so happy to be making a splash in these categories with my new introduction to the classic novel 🥳

If you've bought the book, or helped me to build the buzz around the launch with your friends and family, or on social media, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU 🙏

We're still in launch month until 9th March, so it's still a great time to help Beauty gallop into the lives of a new generation of young readers by buying the book now, and sharing with your friends and online about the book launch.

You can take a look at the book in black and white paperback, and colour hardback and eBook, and get your copy on Amazon now. Just visit:

https://geni.us/blackbeauty

Here is the first little reader to get her hands on Black Beauty!

Her mummy, Laura, in the UK was the first to buy a copy on launch day. They are reading it as a family, together with her older brother.

After all the hard work over the last 18 months to bring this book to new life, it makes me a little emotional to see a child excited to read it 🥰

I can't wait for even more new young readers to learn the inspirational story of Black Beauty, and its author Anna Sewell, and hear about the work of charity World Horse Welfare, as featured in the profile in my new introduction to the book.

I have created a Book Launch page on my website where you can find all the info, links and images to copy and share about the book launch with your friends, and on social media:

www.leonorateale.com/launch-team

I really appreciate every single purchase of the book, and every share and like online. They really add up, and all mean a lot to me.

I am hosting a fantastic new kids’ book giveaway for February 2023 - the Big Kids' Book Giveaway!

Check out the fantastic selection of free books, sample chapters and colouring pages!

You can get your copy of my Black Beauty Colouring Pages - ten beautiful illustrations for you to print and colour at home.

Plus, a treasure-trove of kids' books and colouring pages for 7-14-year-olds by other kids' authors all on offer this month, for free!

Simply visit the giveaway page with the link or the button below, then choose the books you want, sign up for the authors' email newsletters, and hey presto – you can download your free kids’ books!

Big Kids' Book Giveaway Page Link

Get ahead of the game and your kick-start your kids’ reading this year!

Here are just some of the books on offer, including my very own Black Beauty Colouring Pages:

Happy reading!

Here are two new January and February 2023 free kids’ books giveaways!

You can get a great range of eBooks and kids' activity pages for free just by visiting the giveaway pages before the giveaways close:

• Children's books giveaway January 2023 – end date: 31st January 2023

• Winter Children's Book Giveaway – end date: 16th February 2023

There are some great-looking books in the giveaways this month. Get ahead of the game and your kick-start your kids’ reading this year!

Here are just some of the books on offer, including my very own Black Beauty Colouring Pages:

All you have to do is visit the giveaway pages with the links above, select the books you would like to download, sign up with your email to the authors’ newsletters, and then download your free books.

Happy reading!

Win one of 24 copies of the audio-book of kids' outdoor adventure story Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park!

My friend and fellow children's author Aaron Johnson released the first book in his kids' outdoor mystery and adventure book series, National Park Mysteries, Mystery In Rocky Mountain National Park, last year.

Aaron would love to share the audio-book with children in the UK, so we've teamed up to offer 24 free copies of the audio-book on the Amazon Audible platform for UK winners of my January 5th to 11th 2023 contest.

Aaron narrates the audio-book himself, and really brings the exciting story to life. In the story, Jake and his two teen friends face all the challenges that nature and some mysterious bad guys can throw at them, as they strive to solve a historical scavenger hunt set by Jake's grandfather, in the stunning surroundings of Rocky Mountain National Park in the USA.

Why not spend a few hours listening with your young readers and get immersed in the mystery, adventure, and beautiful natural setting of the Rocky Mountains?

The audio-book is perfect for children, 8 to 12-years-old.

The audio-book retails for £12.07, so this is a great prize, and there are 24 chances to win for UK entrants!

The prize is a promo code for you to use to download a free copy of the audio-book on the Amazon Audible app or online. You can listen to the book on the app, or on a web browser; on your phone or tablet, or on a computer.

The contest runs from 5th to 11th January 2023, so make sure to get your entries in before the deadline!

Plus, if you share with your friends and family, and 'like' my Leonora Teale Author page on Facebook or follow me on Instagram from the contest page at the link below, you can earn yourself extra entries into the competition!

Enter your name and email on the contest page at the link below to be in with a chance to win your free copy of the audio-book.

UK entrants only.

When you enter the contest, if you're not already a subscriber, you'll join my Children's Reading Newsletter email, where I send out fun kids' book reviews and recommendations monthly, plus more children's book giveaways, and freebies!

Plus, even if you don't win the audio-book prize, as a subscriber to my newsletter, I will send you a gift of ten beautiful colouring pages from my new illustrated edition of classic children's novel Black Beauty.

Here are my and the kids’ three favourite middle grade reads from this year: The Last Firefox, The Inflatables and Werewolf Max.

The Last Firefox

By Lee Newbery

Exciting adventure for 7-11s about finding your inner fire and standing up for yourself and those you love. Plus, there’s a super cute fox who can set himself on fire! Check out Eloise and Rafa’s The Last Firefox video review on my Facebook page.

The Inflatables: Bad Air Day and Mission Unpoppable

By Beth Garrod and Jess Hitcham, illustrated by Chris Danger

The most fun you can have with pool inflatables in winter! This hilarious graphic novel will take you right back to summer at the water park. Laugh out loud funny and clever, these tales of unlikely friendships will give you that warm beach feeling. Great for kids of all ages, and their grown-ups! Check out Eloise and Rafa’s The Inflatables video review on my Facebook page.

Werewolf Max And The Midnight Zombies

By N.A. Davenport

A fast-paced, exciting story for lovers of creepy tales, with lots of gory details and fight scenes. Great for reluctant readers 7-11—the writing style is simple and punchy. Plus, hidden amongst all the zombie brains and bone-crunching are great messages about learning to control your anger and to accept yourself. Watch Eloise and Rafa's fun Werewolf Max video book review on my Facebook page.

Here is the November 2022 free kids’ books giveaway!

You can get a great range of eBooks and kids' activity pages for free just by visiting the giveaway page before 30^th November 2022:

There are some great-looking books in the giveaway this month, and even two with a Christmas theme, so you can get ahead of the game with your kids’ festive reading this year!

Here are just some of the books on offer, including my very own Black Beauty Colouring Pages:

All you have to do is visit the giveaway page, select the books you would like to download, sign up with your email to the authors’ newsletters, and then download your free books.

Happy reading!

Win this bundle of beautiful classic children's books with an animal theme!

I’m a children’s author, writing stories about kids and animals for nine to twelve-year-olds. I am publishing a new beautifully illustrated edition of classic children's novel Black Beauty later in November.

I would love to share news about my new edition of Black Beauty, and my writing with you, and I hope this prize selection of bestselling children’s animal stories will get you in the mood!

Enter your email to be in with a chance to win my selection of six hardback and paperback kids' books about animals:

• The Jungle Book
  • by Rudyard Kipling (MinaLima Edition illustrated hardback with interactive elements)
• War Horse
  • by Michael Morpurgo (40th anniversary illustrated collector's edition hardback)
• Heroes: Incredible True Stories of Courageous Animals
  • by David Long (illustrated hardback)
• The Hundred and One Dalmatians and sequel The Starlight Barking
  • by Dodie Smith (illustrated paperback)
• National Velvet
  • by Enid Bagnold (paperback)
• The Incredible Journey
  • by Sheila Burnford (paperback)

All the books are suitable for middle grade children, 9 to 12 years old.

I will ship the six-book prize to the winner's door, including international shipping!

They make a great animal classics book collection for the home or classroom. Or why not give them as gifts this holiday season?

Even if you don't win the book prize, I will send you a gift of ten beautiful colouring pages from my new illustrated edition of classic children's novel Black Beauty.

Plus, you'll join my Children's Reading Newsletter email, where I send out fun kids' book reviews and recommendations, more children's book giveaways, and freebies!

Enter the contest by 15th November to be in with your chance to win these beautiful children's books!

We will contact the winner of the book prize by email only.

Please be aware of scammers trying to get your details. We will not contact you by direct message on Facebook or Instagram, including Messenger.

Halloween is my kids’ absolute favourite non-holiday of the year! So we’re reluctant to let it go so quickly.

We’re reading the new Wimpy Kid book, Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, so I figured what better timing to share a fun video review with you? Click the image for Eloise and Rafa's book review:

Perfect for 7-11 year-olds, these short stories have plenty of Wimpy Kid-style pictures, even featuring Greg Heffley as a ghost! They are super funny and a little bit creepy!

The stories also really made me and my kids think and talk about some of the crazy situations in the book.

For more fun kids' book reviews, and free kids' colouring pages:

Now it's getting colder - at least here in London, snuggling up with a great story, or keeping busy colouring on a rainy day is just what we need to keep those little minds entertained!

This month there are three kids’ book giveaways for you.

My Black Beauty Colouring Pages are included in all three!

I have not read most of the other books in these giveaways, but I’m sure you can find some fun and engaging reads for kids:

• Hello Autumn! Free Books for Kids – end date: 16^th October
• Middle Grade Giveaway – end date: 20th October
• Children’s Book Giveaways – end date: 31^st October

Check out my friend Becca Wierwille's short story 'Rellenitos with Rosa' for a sweet short story with a very tasty Central American recipe included!

You can choose which free books you want, and all you have to do is sign up for the authors' email newsletters to get your downloads.

I hope you find some treasures, and enjoy reading and colouring!

I want to share the beautiful colouring one little Black Beauty fan has sent me, from her Black Beauty Colouring Pages.

Tabitha, artist and horse-lover aged 10, from Harrogate, has coloured in the illustrations from Black Beauty, Chapter 1, My Early Home, and Chapter 3, My Breaking In.

Here are her masterpieces:

Aren't they gorgeous? I love her shading, and sense of light and dark.

I would love to see your colouring from your copy of the Black Beauty Colouring Pages. Why not send me some photos ? You can contact me on my Contact page, or find me on TikTok, Instagram or Facebook.

If you haven't got your own copy of the Black Beauty Colouring Pages yet, you can get your ten beautiful illustrations from the book, in black and white and colour, to print and colour at home here:

October's book recommendation form Eloise and Rafa is a throw-back to summer fun with The Inflatables, a collection of 2 graphic novels for kids age 7-11. In this book, you get two stories: Mission Un-Poppable, and Bad Air Day.

The Inflatables series is about a group of inflatable friends who have all been lost and abandoned in a forgotten-about pool by the ‘lost and found’ at the Have A Great Spray water park.

The gang includes food-obsessed Donut, Flamingo, who was born to be a star, or at least his butt says so, clever Cactus, mellow Watermelon and sarcastic Lilo Lynn.

The illustrations and their distinctive characters are hilarious. Kids and adults alike will love the constant puns and jokes, and of course friendship always wins out through all their air-filled adventures.

And great news, Book 3, The Inflatables, Do-Nut Panic came out 4^th October in the USA! Great timing to catch up on books 1 and 2 before the new book hits the shelves.

Check out Eloise and Rafa’s enthusiastic recommendation in a short YouTube video

I am hard at work finishing my fresh introduction for my new edition of classic children's novel Black Beauty.

That includes interesting facts about the author Anna Sewell, and how her only book Black Beauty made such an impact on horses’ lives after it was first published in 1877. Anna Sewell is officially now my hero!

You can see her portrait illustration here, which I especially commissioned for the book.

Did you know Black Beauty was not originally written as a children’s book?

Anna Sewell meant for it to be read by adults who owned and cared for horses, like grooms, stable workers and carriage drivers.

She wanted to change their perception of horses from mere beasts, like machines which could be used and abused, to view horses as feeling, sensitive creatures, to be treated with respect and kindness.

That’s why she wrote Black Beauty in the style of an autobiography, from the perspective of Beauty the horse, so that his emotions, his struggles, and his highs and lows would come across strongly in the novel.

I am also finalizing my text for the profile of UK charity World Horse Welfare, which will appear in the book. I know the stories of horses and their owners around the world who the charity has helped will make your heart melt.

This is Estrella (Star) from Costa Rica

She is an essential part of her owner Ofelina’s daily life.

Estrella helps Ofelina take her four children to school, get herself to work, and to travel into town to buy food and clothes.

How has World Horse Welfare’s project in Costa Rica helped?

Whilst Ofelina has always been emotionally attached to her horse and has done her very best to look after Estrella, she has never before had a hoof pick.

World Horse Welfare’s project provided Ofelina with a Care Pack containing the simple tools she needs to provide Estrella with essential daily care. By teaching her how to use her new hoof pick, she is now reducing the chance of Estrella becoming lame.

Ofelina values her horse enormously, understanding that she could not provide the quality of life she does for her children – including their education – without Estrella.

She embraced the simple tools she was given that supported her efforts to keep Estrella in good health.

Learn about other horses around the world, like Estrella, who World Horse Welfare is helping in my new introduction to Black Beauty, when it launches later in 2022.

Check back here on my website for updates on the book launch!

If you love stories about animals, then this giveaway is for you!

I’m taking part in this awesome animal book and activity pack giveaway.

You can get my Black Beauty colouring pages, as well as animal-themed books and activities for kids from other authors, all for free, by visiting the giveaway link below, before 14^th September, 2022.

You can browse all the books and activity pages available for free, and choose only the ones you like to download.

In return for signing up for the authors' email newsletters, you can download the books and activities for free!

There are books and activities about whales, elephants, foxes, mice, even a caterpillar, and of course, dogs! And a horse, naturally - Black Beauty!

I hope you will find some animal stories and activities you like.

Check it out at the link below before 14th September 2022, when the giveaway closes.