Archive for Educational Books

DAVID THE PIZZY BEAR AWARDED RED RIBBON!

 

One of our Jelly Bean books David the Pizzly Bear has been awarded a red ribbon in the Wishing Shelf awards. Well done, Molly Arbuthnott and Camilla Seddon.

OLD CLOTHES AND PORRIDGE

Jelly Bean is pleased to announce  Old Clothes and Porridge by author Maureen Mullally-Clarke. This wonderful memoir looks back at a bygone age, particularly focusing on the 1930s and ‘40s.

Brought up by her grandmother in Glasgow, Maureen and her little sister Oonagh only saw their parents at eighteen month intervals. Old Clothes and Porridge tells the story of a childhood spent against the backdrop of the Depression, the launch of the Queen Mary, the Jarrow march, the abdication of King Edward VIII, the coronation of George VI, WW2 and the VE Day celebrations. Maureen says: “I wrote this book for my grandchildren. I’ve always told them about my childhood, and they have often said, “Why don’t you write it all down?”, so that’s exactly what I did.”

Candy Jar Publishing Co-ordinator, Keren Williams, says: “It is important to document our lives and the lives of our families, otherwise this information becomes lost. Old Clothes and Porridge is a personal memoir that the world will enjoy, and I’m certain Maureen’s family will treasure. More people should be encouraged to write about their lives, even if it is just for their family.”

Maureen agrees and would encourage others to write down their life stories. She continues: “Yes, I would and in fact I do. I know one woman who used to be a war correspondent and one man who had a brilliant military career. People have fascinating lives and they should be documented.”

One of Candy Jar’s most popular titles is Eileen Younghusband’s One Woman’s War, which offers a vivid insight into the life of a young woman facing the grim reality of war. Shaun Russell, Head of Publishing, says: “Old Clothes and Porridge reminds me so much of One Woman’s War. As soon as I read it, I knew Maureen’s story would touch hearts across the generations. This book is attention grabbing, well-written and also extremely funny. At this time of uncertainty this book is a joyous reminder how wonderful it is to be human. ”

After being advised by her best friend’s granddaughter of the benefits of being in control of the publishing process, Maureen decided to go with Jelly Bean. Maureen says: “It was great to receive an email from Shaun on 19th January and the books arrived on 19th March! And when you hold that book in your hands it’s like having a new baby.”

Overwhelmed by the support of her family and friends, Maureen is really delighted with the end product. She concludes: “I would like to send my gratitude to everyone who has read my book and for the lovely things they have been saying about it. I am so pleased that it now available on Amazon.”

Old Clothes and Porridge is now available worldwide through Amazon. To order the book visit: https://tinyurl.com/ycybtlg3

JELLY BEAN SELF-PUBLISHING RECOGNISED AS LEADING WELSH SELF-PUBLISHER

Jelly Bean Self-Publishing is delighted to have been awarded Self-Publishing Company of the Year at the 2020 Welsh Enterprise awards.

The Welsh Enterprise awards recognise the contribution of small to medium sized businesses to the Welsh economy.

Since its inception in 2013, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing has provided a range of publishing services to independent authors all around the world. Head of Publishing Shaun Russell is delighted to have received the commendation:

“Self-publishing has grown enormously as an industry over recent years. Thanks to the Internet, the rise of eBooks, and the refinement of Print on Demand technology, it is now viable both economically and practically for independent authors to find engaged readerships in an incredible variety of ways.”

“It’s this flexibility that is at the heart of self-publishing’s ever-increasing success, and it is something that we have always put at the heart of what we do. We never try to pigeonhole our authors or force them into a one-size fits arrangements. We tailor our work to an author’s needs, budgets and ambitions.”

“And whatever the services they require, we provide them to the same standards as we do for our award-winning traditional imprint Candy Jar Books. Not only is this, of course, only fair to the author, it’s an investment in the long-term viability of self-publishing as an industry.”

“We are delighted SME News has recognised our efforts to provide a quality self-publishing service. We see it not only as recognition for ourselves, but a testament to the many companies around the country that are working so hard to establish self-publishing as a viable route to readership for independent authors, as part of the wider publishing environment.”

“Mark my words, thanks to these efforts, in the coming years you will read more and more about authors finding success through self-publishing.”

THE GREAT WORLD BOOK GIVEAWAY!

 


This time last year children were celebrating World Book Day in schools, but one year on, things look very different. To mark a World Book Day like no other, Cardiff-based publisher Candy Jar Books is making a swathe of its children’s books available for free.

World Book Day 2021 will take place on the 4th of March, and with children across the country beginning to return to school, Candy Jar thought it was fitting to mark this dual occasion with a giveaway.

Head of Publishing at Candy Jar, Shaun Russell, says: “As a whole, publishers have been relatively lucky throughout the pandemic. While like everyone we have faced exceptional pressures, lockdown has reintroduced many to the escapism that only reading can offer. We have heard from many of our customers, faced with keeping their kids occupied over lockdown, what a boon this has been.”

“It is well-established that reading leads to higher educational achievement in children, so perhaps in the long run this newfound enthusiasm might prove a silver lining to all of the disruption young people have faced when it comes to their education.”

“As hopefully some semblance of normality begins to return to our lives, we thought it would be in the spirit of things to furnish young readers with something to keep their reading habits going for the months and years to come.”

Included within Candy Jar’s giveaway are The Norris Girls by Nigel Hinton, an author that has been a fixture of English curriculums for decades, Something I Should Know, a debut young adult novel by Siobhan Kalli, Tommy Parker: Destiny Will Find You by Cardiff-based Anthony Ormond, The Lucy Wilson Mysteries: Avatars of the Intelligence and The Bandril Invasion, a Doctor Who spin-off featuring a lead female character of mixed heritage who lives in Ogmore-by-Sea, and Keeping Clear of Paradise Street, the memoir of beloved children’s poet Brian Moses.

Candy Jar will also be including titles from Jelly Bean Self-Publishing in including Messy Dad Goes to the Beach by Gemma Greening and Timesplit by Paul Robinson. Jelly Bean Self-Publishing was awarded Self-Publishing Company of the Year at the 2020 Welsh Enterprise awards. The Welsh Enterprise awards recognise the contribution of small to medium-sized businesses to the Welsh economy.

Since its inception in 2013, Jelly Bean Self-Publishing has provided a range of publishing services to independent authors all around the world. Shaun continues: “Self-publishing has grown enormously as an industry over recent years. Thanks to lockdown, the Internet, the rise of eBooks, and the refinement of Print on Demand technology, it is now viable both economically and practically for independent authors to find engaged readerships in an incredible variety of ways.”

Jelly Bean author Molly Arbuthnott has kindly offered her picture book Oscar the Ferry Cat. She hopes it gives stretched parents a helping hand. She says: “As we can’t be together in person this year, it is a great treat to be able to share stories through a giveaway. Oscar has at its heart a message about never giving up – very apt, I think – and I hope it proves a tonic to readers young and old!”

Former teacher, Phillip Davies, has also given Candy Jar permission to giveaway his sci-fi adventure book Borc Attack. He says: “Having spent over thirty years teaching children and encouraging a love of reading, I feel it is a story most children will thoroughly enjoy. However, I realise that buying new reading material for children can be an expensive business. This giveaway will be great for children and parents alike.”

The giveaway will run for five days, starting on World Book Day (4 th
 March), and the full list of titles is available below. There’s no catch: no sign ups required, no add ons – just free books for all.

Shaun concludes: “There hasn’t been much to celebrate this past year, but there has at least been a recognition that we’re all in this together. It’s a spirit we will hopefully take with us as we return to the patterns of our previous lives. With so many parents feeling the pinch, with so much uncertainty as to what the future holds, we thought making our titles available for free was only one way to truly embrace the spirit of the times.”

So come one, come all, the Candy Jar Great world Book Day Giveaway goes live on March 4th!

Below are the covers of all the books available…

 

 

THE ADVENTURES OF BOBO

Jelly Bean is pleased to announce its twelfth ‘Book of the Month’, The Adventures of Bobo by Graham and Andrea Webster. This child-friendly book explores loneliness.

The Adventures of Bobo was a lockdown project for grandparents Graham and Andrea Webster.  With not much to do, and plenty of time to do it in, they decided to finish off a story they’d created months earlier. The text was originally penned by Graham and takes the reader on an exciting journey, exploring abandonment, solitude, and ultimately friendship. Much like Black Beauty or Disney’s Incredible Journey, animals feature heavily in this story. Evoking the qualities of traditional picture books such as The Tiger that Came to Tea or the Beatrix Potter stories, the book also fits nicely within a child’s current lockdown mentality.

The book was originally written for Andrea and Graham’s granddaughter, Sophie, to highlight the importance of friendship. Graham says: “Lockdown has been a difficult for everyone, particularly children and the elderly. With the rule of six being implemented, the situation is only improving incrementally. Children, of course, have returned to school, but we believe that they are still feeling abandoned. For many of us and especially children, not being able to see our friends during lockdown has reinforced the importance of friendship. Friendship is a strong theme in our book.”

Lockdown offered Andrea a perfect opportunity to add beautiful illustrations to enhance Graham’s story. She says: “Thirty five years ago we took Elizabeth, our toddler daughter, to a local farm and she fell in love with a large brown horse. She called him Bobo in a pre-language sort of way. Later, at Christmas, when her grandparents gave her a beautiful brown rocking horse, finding a name was simple. We called it Bobo.”

Andrea and Graham have really enjoyed watching Sophie’s rapt response to the stories, and believe that the wider world should be able to enjoy them too. Graham continues: “It’s always been our ambition to get the book published. Lockdown has given us the chance to do this and the reception has been great. People can’t get enough of Bobo’s equine adventures. We hope that younger readers will enjoy them as much as Sophie did.”

Head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, Shaun Russell, feels The Adventures of Bobo is a sure fire winner. He says: “You can see the love and passion that has gone into each page. All children will fall in love with Bobo. Along the way they’ll learn about coping with the ups and downs of life, particularly when you are young. It inspires the reader to overcome setbacks, remain hopeful and try to do their best. Bobo did this, and eventually found his place in the world!”

The Adventures of Bobo
 is available to purchase from here.

THE HAUNTED STAIRCASE

Jelly Bean is pleased to announce its sixth ‘Book of the Month’, The Haunted Staircase by Devika Rosamund. This mind-bending time travel novel is reminiscent of classics such as Five Children and It and The Famous Five.

However, unlike the books of E Nesbit and Enid Blyton, The Haunted Staircase
 takes both the reader and the characters back to a realistic portrayal of Victorian servitude. Similar to Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs, this book is a fascinating depiction of a bygone world, but with an added twist! What if children from the twenty-first century ended up as servants in a Victorian house?

Devika wanted to combine today’s progressive storylines, with the kind of books she used to read as a child. She says: “I always intended to write a children’s novel for 9 to 12 year olds that involved ghosts, magic and adventure, but I wanted it to be educational and fair representation of life in service.”

The characters use a magic spell to travel back in time where they investigate the mysterious death of a Victorian servant girl. For authenticity, Devika undertook a great deal of research about Victorian service. In particular, how so-called employees were often treated as no better than slaves. She continues: “I was aware that the Victorian Age was covered by the National Curriculum, so my book seemed like a natural fit. I live now in Scotland where the story is set, but I was a primary school teacher for more than twenty-five years in London and Kent. I always found that children enjoyed ghost stories, and decided to write a spooky story with realistic overtones. Hopefully my book will entertain, inform and reward today’s modern youngsters.”

Devika is also a talented artist and was pleased when Candy Jar suggested including her artwork in The Haunted Staircase
. She concludes:  “I had a lot of fun illustrating the story myself and I hope that my writing and simple illustrations will inspire young readers to write and illustrate their own stories. I am grateful to my editor, Shaun Russell, for improving my ghost story by adding humour. I wanted the ghost to be a pleasant character, rather than an evil one, and I always make sure my stories have happy endings. I like to leave young readers with a sense of satisfaction that all the problems are solved in the end.”

The Haunted Staircase can be purchased from here.

I MISS BEING MRS

Jelly Bean is pleased to announce its fifth ‘Book of the Month’, I Miss Being Mrs by Abigail Hope. This thought provoking and shocking memoir will help victims of domestic abuse get through the lockdown and make plans for a better future.

The book is a journey of resilience and determination. It shows that hope can overcome insurmountable obstacles. Abigail says: “Nobody wants to leave everything behind. Often victims of abuse blame themselves for their partner’s cruelty, internalising emotions for sake of the children. I wanted to show that these feelings can be beaten. In particular, emphasize how my faith sustained me through the dark times.”

Abigail admits that not all people have faith – especially given the painful circumstances – but feels that the story of her struggle can help someone else build a better life and break free from maltreatment.

She continues: “My trust in God helped guide my decisions and show me a better path. I now live in a wonderfully safe place with my happy children beside me. My faith was my coping mechanism. However, others may have their own ways to cope. I do believe that courage is important; the courage to face up to the truth; the courage to find your own way out. People are there to help you. There is a better way to live.’

Abigail wrote I Miss Being Mrs from the safety of South Wales where she lives with her five young children. Her heartbreaking story follows Abigail’s marriage from a fairytale wedding, to a deteriorating relationship full of bullying, lies and paranoia. Her story, however, is underscored with hope and optimism.

Abigail concludes: “It was very difficult leaving the father of my children. I loved him so much, and felt I could help him overcome his demons, but he is an alcoholic and needs the support that I cannot give him. Ultimately it was the children who were more important and I took the decision to start a new life elsewhere. Navigating my way through the family courts to protect my children was difficult, but it was worth it in the end.”

I Miss Being Mrs is Abigail’s first book. She works as a debt centre coach for the charity Christians Against Poverty, helping vulnerable people to become debt free.

I Miss Being Mrs, by Abigail Hope, is available now from: https://abigail-hope.onlineweb.shop/

RORY AND HARLOW’S TIME TRAVELLING TAXI

Jelly Bean is pleased to announce their new feature entitled ‘Book of the Month’, which aims to showcase new talent on a monthly basis. We will be publishing several categories. The first is children’s 7-12.

Kickstarting ‘Book of the Month’ is Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi by Rob Willsher. In his children’s book two dogs, Rory and Harlow, find a magical Taxi which transports them back in time and into a historical adventure of a lifetime.

In a recent interview, Rob explains how the idea for Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi was, in fact, more of a collaboration. He explained: “Many years ago I was a London cab driver. At the time we had some rescue dogs and on a few occasions I took one of the dogs, Toto, to work with me in the front of the taxi. That’s when my wife Fiona came up with the idea of us doing a book about a dog that travels to historical places in London, or even all around the world!”

The book’s target audience is four to eight and adheres to the National Curriculum for this age group. In the book, Rory and Harlow travel back in time and meet Alfred the Great, who defeated the Danes by sending messages to his officers, thus highlighting the importance of being able to read and write.

Rob states: “One of the greatest skills in life is the ability to read. Even if all you are reading is a tin of beans, it can take you so far in life. I hope I’m helping to encourage a new generation of readers.”

Rob is currently working on the second book in the series entitled The Woman with the Long Red Hair, which focuses on Boadicea, who was bullied by the Romans over how much land she was entitled to after her husband’s death, and is a topic that children can relate to.

Rob continues: “They are books that you can read to your child, or that your child can read to themselves. I gave Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi to a twelve to thirteen year old to read and he couldn’t put it down, saying it was nice and easy to read, especially with the pictures. Even adults have said they’ve learned something from the book!”

Head of Publishing at sister company Candy Jar Books, Shaun Russell, says: “This book has a lot of potential and I can see lots of children and parents really taking an interest. The text is a mixture of fact and fiction and, paired with beautiful illustrations by artist Patrick Coombes, it is perfect for those who are just getting into reading. Once the Candy Jar schedule has cleared up, we are hoping to bring this book out as one of our own.”

With the promise of becoming a Candy Jar publication in the near future Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi is sure to be a hit. Both entertaining and educational, the book will make a great addition to any bookshelf and is sure to give young eyes a workout!

For now Rory and Harlow’s Time Travelling Taxi can be bought and enjoyed straight from the author. To order the book visit https://roryandharlows.co.uk/

Songs Based on Books

  1. Write a lot… get into the habit of writing everyday.
  2. Self critique can become stressful, be sure to ask your friends and family for honest feedback.
  3. Take your time. The more time spent reading, writing and learning the better.
  4. Make sure to structure your work, unnecessary subplots can become too complicated and confuse the reader.
  5. Be sure to have a good writing playlist at hand. Why not check out our Spotify playlists for some inspiration.

Click on the link below to listen: https://open.spotify.com/user/candyjarbooks/playlist/3r4nUf0XLtPwjy4EsOxOHY?si=KgMjHRwNQ5q3VX297nFcGw

Bright Eyes – Art Garfunkel (inspired by Watership Down by Richard Adams)

Hurricane – Bob Dylan (inspired by The Sixteenth Round by Rubin Hurricane Carter)

Tom Joad – Woody Guthrie (inspired by The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck)

Atticus – The Noisettes (inspired by To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)

Song for Clay – Bloc Party (inspired by Less Than Zero by Easton Ellis)

The Dark is Rising – Mercury Rev (inspired by The Dark by Susan Cooper)

A Rose for Emily – The Zombies (inspired by A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner)

Bell Jar – The Bangles (inspired by The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath)

I am a Rock – Simon and Garfunkel (inspired by Meditation XVll by John Donne)

China In Your Hand – T’Pau (inspired by Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Firework – Katy Perry (inspired by On the Road by Jack Kerouac)

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John (inspired by The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum)

Off to the Races – Lana Del Ray (inspired by Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov)

Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac (inspired by Triad by Mary Leader)

The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins – Leonard Nimoy (inspired by The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien)

Tomorrow Never Knows – The Beatles (inspired by The Psychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary and Robert Alpert)

Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles (inspired by The Sound Sweep by J. G. Ballard)

Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush (inspired by Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte)

Across 110th Street – Bobby Womack (inspired by 110th Street by Wally Ferris)

Willie Burke Sherwood – Killer Mike (inspired by Lord of the Flies by William Golding)

Same Drugs – Chance the Rapper (inspired by Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie)

Thieves In the Night – Black Star (inspired by The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison)

For Whom the Bell Tolls – Metallica (inspired by For Whom the Bells Tolls by Ernest Hemingway)

Motorcycle Emptiness – Manic Street Preachers (inspired by Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton)

One Brown Mouse – Jethro Tull (inspired by To a Mouse by Robert Burns)

Paranoid Android – Radiohead (inspired by Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams)

Ramble On – Led Zeppelin (inspired by Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien)

Red Right Hand – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (inspired by Paradise Lost by Milton)

Soma – The Strokes (inspired by Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones (inspired by Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov)

The Invisible Man – Queen (inspired by The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells)

The Tomahawk Kid – The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (inspired by Treasure Island by Louis Stevenson)

Venus In Furs – The Velvet Underground

Inspired by Venus in Furs by Leopoid von Sachor-Masoch

Walk On The Wild Side – Lou Reed (inspired by Walk on the Wild Side by Nelson Algren)

Whip It – Devo (inspired by Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon)

White Rabbit – Jefferson Aeroplane (inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

Backyard Skull – Frightened Rabbit (inspired by Where the Bodies are Buried by Christopher Brookmyre)

I Fought in a War – Belle and Sebastian (inspired by For Esme with Squalor and Love by J. D. Salinger)

True Ways of Knowing – Blue Rose Code (inspired by True ways of Knowing by Norman MaCaig)

A Man for All seasons – Al Stuart (inspired by The Play by Robert Bolt)

Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell (inspired by Henderson and the rain by Saul Bellow)

1984 – Joni Mitchell (inspired by Henderson and the Rain by Saul Bellow)

1984 – David Bowie (inspired by 1984 by George Orwell)

Boot Stamping On a Human Face – Bad Religion (inspired by 1984 by George Orwell)

Welcome to 1984 – Anti-Flag (inspired by 1984 by George Orwell)

I am the Walrus – The Beatles (inspired by The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

Brave New World – Iron Maiden (inspired by Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

Soma – Smashing Pumpkins (inspired by Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)

Catcher in the Rye – Guns ‘n’ Roses (inspired by The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger)

Who Wrote Haulden Caulfield? – Green Day (inspired by Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger)

Lucy in the Sky With  Diamonds – The Beatles (inspired by The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland  by Lewis Carroll)

Frankenstein – Lenny Kravitz (inspired by Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Walk this Way – Aerosmith (inspired by Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Feed my Frankenstein – Alice Cooper (inspired by Frankenstein by Mary Shelley)

Lolita – Lana Del Ray (inspired by Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov)

Gothic Lolita – Emilie Autumn (inspired by Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov)

Don’t Stand Too Close to Me – The Police (inspired by Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov)

Lord of the Flies – Iron Maiden (inspired by Lord of the Flies by William Golding)

Shadows and Tall Trees – U2 (inspired by Lord of the Flies by William Golding)

Rivendell – Rush (inspired by Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien)

H.W.C –  Liz Phair (inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde)

The Ocean – U2 (inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde)

The Stranger Song – Leonard Cohen (inspired by The Man with the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren)

Angelene – PJ Harvey (inspired by Pretty Mouth and Green my Eyes by J. D. Salinger)

Been Down So Long – The Doors (inspired by Counterculture Classic by Richard Farina)

Scentless Apprentice – Nirvana (inspired by Perfume by Cobain)

My Blaeken Year – Patti Smith (inspired by Unknown by William Blake)

We are the Dead – David Bowie (inspired by 1984 by George Orwell)

Banana Co – Radiohead (inspired by One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

Hurricane – Thirty Seconds to Mars (inspired by The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)

Sympathy for the Devil – Rolling Stones (inspired by The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov)

Prince Caspian – Phish (inspired by Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis)

Narnia – Steve Hackett (inspired by Narnia Series by C. S. Lewis)

Mock Turtle Song – Steely Dan (inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

Alice – Tom Waits (inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

Barefoot Children – Jimmy Buffett (inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain)

Return to Pooh Corner – Kenny Logins (inspired by The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne)

Charlotte Sometimes – The Cure (inspired by Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer)

Tom Sawyer – Rush (inspired by The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain)

Bucking Bronco – Scarth Locke (inspired by Bucking Bronco by Shel Silverstein)

Dollars and Cents – Radiohead (inspired by No Logo by Naomi Kiens)

Atrocity Exhibition – Joy Division (inspired by Condensed Novels by JG Ballard)

Dead – Pixie (inspired by The Bible)

Jocasta – Noah and the Whale (inspired by Sophocles by Oedipus Rex)

Yertle the Turtle – Red Hot Chilli Peppers (inspired by Dr. Seuss’s Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss)

Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Rick Wakeman (inspired by Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne)

Are Friends Electric – Gary Numan (inspired by Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K Dick)

Friendly Fires – Pala (inspired by Island by Aldous Huxley)

Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) by Eurythmics (inspired by 1984 by George Orwell)

by Daria Morgan and Verity Russell

Health Benefits of Reading

Here at Jelly Bean Self-Publishing, we want to start a reading revolution. Here are just a few reasons to put down your phone, turn off the TV, and for a few hours an evening enjoy an actual book…

In the modern world, where much of our interaction with words takes place on screens (mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc.), it is certainly worth reiterating the health and lifestyle benefits of reading a good book.

Not that reading off a screen is so bad – after all, it’s led you here! But it is estimated we spend up to a whopping ten hours (!) staring at screens every day.

  • Reading brings to life neural pathways in the brain. This in turn leads to the creation of new memories, and as such creates new synapses that strengthen our brains. So basically, reading is like taking your brain to the gym!
  • Reading can reduce anxiety and alleviate stress. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, reading offers us the magic of escapism. It frees our minds, which in turn lightens the pressures of day-to-day life.
  • Reading asks you to consider abstract concepts, developing critical thinking skills.
  • Has a friend ever bolstered you to participate in an activity you were apprehensive about? It has been proven that readers who admire a fictional character’s courage to partake in physical challenges that scare them (g. riding a horse, climbing a mountain, sailing a boat, etc.), are themselves better able to muster the bravery to try new activities in their own life.
  • It goes without saying that reading improves your vocabulary and communicative ability. If anyone’s going to impress their peers with a quick-witted remark, it’s an avid reader.
  • Reading gives us a sense of self-accomplishment, boosting self-esteem.
  • If you’re the sort of person to fall for fictional characters (aren’t we all?), then studies show you are a more empathetic person for it. In imagining life from another’s perspective, you yourself become a more caring, understanding person (go you!).
  • Reading a book in bed helps you sleep better. Conversely, the glare of a TV screen or a smart-phone makes it more difficult to drop off.

Do you know of any positive impacts of reading we’ve missed? If so, please feel free to get in touch. Thanks for reading, and keep up the good work!