Improve Your Communication Skills
My Favourite (Favorite) Book
Writer Susannah Leigh was born in Canada and moved to UK when she was eight years old. Jump! asked her about her favourite children’s book.
One of the nicest things about being an author (apart from being able to go to work in your pyjamas) is being invited to talk about books in schools. I love chatting to enthusiastic pupils about all things bookish. Usually the questions I am asked are ones I can answer easily.
‘How long does it take you write a book?’
‘Where do you get your ideas from?’
‘When did you write your first book?’
But at a school last week a student asked: ‘What is your favourite book?’
Now that’s a tough one.
I’ve read so many good books, how could I possibly choose my favourite?
And what if I haven’t read my favourite book yet? Indeed, what if it hasn’t even been written?
My Various Monster Pets
Did you have an imaginary friend when you were growing up? If you did (or perhaps still do), you are not alone. Previously thought to be unusual, it is now known to be quite common.
Kait is 15 years old. Her childhood was shared with Various Monster Pets.
I can honestly say that when I was little, I had a very creative mind. I would make up stories for my Barbie dolls and cat toys. Later I would explain the plot to my mother and then retell my grandmother everything. But my favourite imagination memories were my Various Monster Pets.
Winter Wonderings – Can It Really Be Too Cold for Snow?
Have you ever heard someone say that it is ‘too cold for snow?’, and wondered if this was true. Our Science Correspondent Samantha looks at the science behind this claim.
Who On Earth Invented … The Pedal Bin?!
Continuing our series on enterprising inventors of everyday things we take for granted, Sally Anne asks …
Who on Earth invented…the Pedal Bin?!
You’re carrying something to the bin, your hands are full and you don’t want to spill it. Thank goodness for the pedal bin! Read on to find out about the inventor who tried to make life easier.
Ergonomics is the science of making equipment which fits and works with the human body. This basically means making things work as easily and as conveniently as possible. Dr Lillian Gilbreth was a keen inventor who believed in finding the easiest way of getting things done. As such, she invented a range of gadgets to make jobs easier, including the pedal bin in the 1920s. Now we have to admit, pedal bins aren’t very exciting, but Lillian’s life definitely was.
CURIOUS CREATURES 2 – The Stag Beetle
The strangest creatures are, to me,
The ones I love the best.
The creepy, crawly and the odd
Are cooler than the rest…
These magnificent beasties are the armoured vehicles of the insect population and the largest terrestrial-dwelling beetles in the UK. Their common name is a reference – unsurprisingly – to their antler-shaped “mandibles” or jaws, which they use to fight over territory, but not, perhaps surprisingly, to win the respect of female Stag Beetles..!
These Curious Creatures have intrigued me ever since I found an expired female stag beetle (see below ) in a south-west France many years ago. I drew it next to a blackbird’s feather, captivated by the different tones of black, the textural contrasts and inky depths of colour. I found it – and still find them all as a species – fascinating and beautiful, particularly the males, with their extraordinary maroon-red mandibles.
