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Eileen Armstrong

@earmstronglib.bsky.social
624 followers 326 following 451 posts

Chartered School Librarian, SLE Literacy, former School Library Association Chair, previous Carnegie Greenaway judge, North East Book Awards organiser

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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/blog/the-win...
lovereading4kids.co.uk
The Winners of The Week Junior Book Awards 2026 Revealed
Read The Winners of The Week Junior Book Awards 2026 Revealed on LoveReading4Kids
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Why bookshops are booming in the TikTok age
Proprietors explain why more independent bookshops are springing up in our towns and cities.
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
British Library @britishlibrary.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
It's European Day of Languages, so here are some of our favourite untranslatable and wonderfully-specific words from across Europe that we wish we had in English ✨
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Lovely day for a #parkrun -by-the-sea #grimupnorth
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Singapore is paying people to read books – can it fix the reading crisis? www.theguardian.com/books/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Singapore is paying people to read books – can it fix the reading crisis?
A government scheme is giving citizens cash for spending time with a good book. We ask behavioural scientists, along with The Anxious Generation author and psychologist Jonathan Haidt, whether it’ll h...
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels www.theguardian.com/books/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A tiger’s tale; the young Henry VIII; a fantasy follow‑up from Katherine Rundell; small-town secrets; ghosts galore and more
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.independent.co.uk/asia/southea...
independent.co.uk
The country that is paying its people to take up reading
National Library Board chief says ‘we want to see a nation of readers who are curious, thoughtful, discerning and equipped to navigate an increasingly complex world’
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Amazing event. I’d never have managed it without #parkrun
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
www.theguardian.com/books/ng-int...
theguardian.com
‘Bold, brilliant, thrilling’: leading authors on the novels every school should teach
A new term, a new PM … time for a new English curriculum? We ask writers from Ben Okri to Samantha Harvey to pick books that will inspire a lifelong love of reading
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Lovely day for a #parkrun
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Children’s books roundup – the best new picture books and novels
Poetry with wonder and wit; a heartwarming tale for horse lovers; a portal to the future; a brilliant YA wartime romance and more
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Bank Hol #parkrun with bonus vintage steam rally!
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
How 'Book Queen' Dolly Parton inspired millions of children with gift of reading www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
How 'Book Queen' Dolly Parton inspired millions of children with gift of reading
Families across the globe share how free books from Parton's Imagination Library helped their children.
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
My latest books cartoon for @theguardian.com
Title: On holiday with the compulsive browsers 

Panel 1: Browsing in the airport bookstore despite already having bags filled with books 

Panel 2: Browsing in a charming local bookshop despite not speaking a word of the language 

Panel 3: Browsing in the Airbnb despite there being only four novels, the oven manual and a pizza menu
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
The Bookseller @thebookseller.com · 27/08/2026
Josh Silver’s “gut-punchingly clever” novel exploring mental health and trauma, Traumaland (Rock the Boat), has won The YA Book Prize 2026. Read more 👇
ebx.sh
Josh Silver’s ‘adrenaline-inducing’ thriller Traumaland wins the YA Book Prize 2026
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
CILIP School Libraries Group @cilipslg.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
📚 Passionate about school libraries? Join the CILIP School Libraries Group (SLG) Committee! We’re looking for 3 volunteers from across the UK to help shape SLG. For more information go to: cilipslg.com/2026/08/23/s... @cilip.bsky.social
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Can’t beat a surprise sunflower field on a long run! 🌻
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
‘Our children are less cognitively capable,’ says neuroscientist who wants to cut screen use in schools www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
‘Our children are less cognitively capable,’ says neuroscientist who wants to cut screen use in schools
Jared Cooney Horvath argues that educational technology undermines how children learn and develop
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
North East romance bookshop The Sinful Spine opens
The North East's first romance-only bookshop shows the demand for the genre is surging. But why?
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Three times up the hill and twice out to Narnia #parkrun
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
We’re reading less. And it’s making us stupid www.theguardian.com/science/vide...
theguardian.com
We’re reading less. And it’s making us stupid
Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of c...
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Barack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’ www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Barack Obama launches podcast about books that ‘shaped his worldview’
The former US president will host six episodes of A Great Book for Audible, discussing work from Toni Morrison and John le Carré to James Baldwin
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Pretty perfect #parkrun
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroom www.theguardian.com/books/ng-int...
theguardian.com
‘I hate what AI is doing to the minds and happiness of the young’: Katherine Rundell on the view from the classroom
Education is at a crossroads, argues the author and academic. Should we embrace new technology in the name of efficiency, or is it time to fight back?
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
The School Library Association @sla.org.uk · 05/08/2026
"Parliamentary scrutiny followed by concrete clear recommendations cannot be ignored: we have a case for support for #schoollibraries that simply has not existed for far too long." CEO Victoria Dilly reflects on the Education Committee #ReadingForPleasure report: buff.ly/kr562Fg #EduSkyUK
sla.org.uk
An Essential Step Towards Change
CEO Victoria Dilly reflects on the content of the Education Committee's Reading for Pleasure report
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
All schools to get pupil attendance targets, government says
The BBC understands schools will not be penalised for missing targets, but they will be monitored.
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Walk-in mental health centres to open in banks and libraries across England www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
New walk-in mental health centres to open in banks and libraries across England
Government plans network of nearly 200 specialist services to help those facing mental health crises.
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Could a couch-to-5k for books get you back into reading?
With smartphones stealing our attention, we’re picking up fewer books than ever. A novelist shares her eight-week scheme to get you back into the habit
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
tes.com
What the bestselling books for teens tell secondary teachers
Secondary schools are being pushed to boost reading, but what is the best way to do that? Rufus Thomas looks for clues in the Waterstones’ bestseller list about what teens actually want to read
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Perfect day for a #parkrun
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
​What makes a good comic novel? Andrew Sean Greer on the joy of funny writing www.theguardian.com/culture/ng-i...
theguardian.com
​What makes a good comic novel? Andrew Sean Greer on the joy of funny writing
The Pulitzer-winning author of Less and Villa Coco explores the art of writing humour – plus 10 of the best novels to make you laugh
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
What your summer reading list says about you www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
What your summer reading list says about you
Just picked your holiday book? Our choices can subconsciously reveal important parts of our personality, studies show.
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Children and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
Dogs v bears from Max Porter; a baby adventure; an Irish boarding school murder mystery; and an unsettling YA folk horror
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The perfect books for the beach … picked by Freida McFadden, Mick Herron, Robert Harris and more www.theguardian.com/books/ng-int...
theguardian.com
The perfect books for the beach … picked by Freida McFadden, Mick Herron, Robert Harris and more
From a transporting historical saga to a tale of small-town betrayal, the authors of our favourite page-turners reveal the books they take on holiday – introduced by Jenny Colgan
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
www.tes.com/magazine/tea...
tes.com
What the bestselling books for children tell primary teachers
Research shows that pupils’ enjoyment of reading declines as they move through primary school. Do the bestselling books for this age group hold any clues about how schools can help reverse the trend?
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Summer reading pile
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Cold, wet and windy #parkrun made better with it being new trainer day!
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Lovely idea but needs an element of choice surely?
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Every year 6 student to be given Katherine Rundell book for Christmas
More than 800,000 copies of Impossible Creatures will be distributed to year 6 and P6 children through The Queen’s Christmas Present initiative
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
www.sla.org.uk/Services/Pub...
sla.org.uk
A library in every school – Education Committee recommends statutory school libraries
MPs call for urgent investment in school libraries in the Reading for Pleasure report, released today
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 11/07/2026
We unveiled our brand new Waterstones #ChildrensLaureate this week - the brilliant @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social! Your July book mission is to read one of Patrice's amazing books - which one will you choose? 📚 See our reviews: bit.ly/3QujoCB 📅 Get the full calendar: bit.ly/3QujoCB
The words "Book missions to try in 2026 - July - read a book by our new Waterstones Children's Laureate Patrice Lawrence!" Plus the BookTrust logo and a photo of Patrice smiling.
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Bit of a foggy one by the sea #parkrun
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Patrice Lawrence chosen as new children’s laureate www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
Patrice Lawrence chosen as new children’s laureate
Writer of YA novels Orangeboy and Needle takes over from Frank Cottrell-Boyce and plans to highlight how reading can foster connection in fragmented times
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 07/07/2026
"I want to champion the power of books to connect us and make us feel like we belong" @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social, our new Waterstones #ChildrensLaureate 2026-28, speaking powerfully about the role of stories to build connection and community - and how this will be the focus of her Laureateship.
Patrice Lawrence on stage as our new Waterstones Children's Laureate
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
My latest books cartoon for @theguardian.com #heatwave
Panel 1
A cartoon book with a face, legs and arms shouts out "Beware! Heatwave reading dangers!"

Panel 2
Caption "Binding glue softened by the sun"
Image: The book stands helplessly as its glue drips and pages fall to the floor.

Panel 3
Caption "Dropped while reading in a cooling bath" 
Image: The book splashes into the water

Panel 4
Caption "Mislaid by a heat-addled reader"
Image: The book gestures wildly as the reader stumbles away in a daze.

Panel 5
Caption "Spontaneous combustion"
Image: The book explodes in flame.

Panel 6
"Sweaty hands!" screams the book as it runs away from  a large pink hand, dripping with perspiration.
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
The school books podcast that beat the professionals to a top award www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
The school podcast that beat the professionals to a top award
The Reading Cafe features pupils from Holy Cross High School in Hamilton quizzing authors, musicians and other cultural figures about books.
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
theguardian.com
Third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school without being able to read properly
Exclusive: Analysis finds lower reading fluency than children from other ethnic backgrounds and richer peers
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Eileen Armstrong @earmstronglib.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
#parkrun round the lake
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Reposted by Eileen Armstrong
Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com
Title: "In shops now: Classic literature with added mathematics!"

Image: Four book covers.

The Prime Number of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark.
Empire of the Sum, by JG Ballard.
Wuthering Heights × lengths × widths, by Emily Bronte.
The Remains Of the Data by Kazuo Ishiguro.
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