In this very special episode, current Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho talks to Helen about his hopes and ambitions for his time as Laureate - and especially, his flagship project: 'Poetry Prompts', which invites everyone in the nation to become a poet, through weekly videos exploring different aspects of the craft.

A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/JCoelhopack.

This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Joseph reading his poem This Bear.

• Section 1 starts at 00:00
• Section 2 starts at 07:48
• Section 3 starts at 21.23

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Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good is a fantastically funny book, written and illustrated by Louie Stowell. In this episode of AIYC, Louie joins Helen to talk about the Norse mythology on which the novel is based, what happens when you poo in a space rocket, how to kickstart your writing when you're just not in the mood – and much more besides! A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/LStowellpack.

This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Louie reading from Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good.

• Section 1 starts at 00:00
• Section 2 starts at 14:27
• Section 3 starts at 29:25

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An action-packed adventure with amazing characters and a gripping storyline is tricky to write, but this is precisely what Jason Rohan manages to do with the first book in his new high-octane series - S.T.E.A.L.T.H: Access Denied. And in this thrilling episode of AIYC, he explains exactly how... A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/JRohanpack. This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Jason reading from S.T.E.A.L.T.H: Access Denied. Section 1 starts at 00:00 Section 2 starts at 16:15 Section 3 starts at 31:47 Join the Plazoom community by signing up to our newsletter for free resources and special offers at plazoom.com!

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Coming up with new ideas for characters is one of the most enjoyable - and challenging - tasks facing established authors and young writers alike. In this episode of AIYC, Lisa Thompson talks to Helen about her latest novel, The Graveyard Riddle, which features some familiar faces alongside a new creation or two, and explains how she 'magpies' ideas all the time, in case they might one day end up in a story. A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/LThompsonpack. This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Lisa reading from The Graveyard Riddle. Section 1 starts at 00:00 Section 2 starts at 10.32 Section 3 starts at 22.49

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It's so important that children are able to see themselves in books - which is why Konnie Huq's Fearless Fairy Tales is an important, as well as a wildly funny and enjoyable, read; and her chat with Helen in this episode is a riot of joyful positivity from start to finish! A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/KHuqpack. This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Konnie reading from Fearless Fairy Tales. Section 1 starts at 00:00 Section 2 starts at 11.28 Section 3 starts at 24.16

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Justin Somper drops into AIYC to explain how he got the idea to blend myth and history in his fantastic Vampirates series - and issues a musical challenge to listeners!

A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/JSomperpack.

This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Justin reading from the first Vampirates book: Demons of the Ocean.

Section 1 starts at 00:00 Section 2 starts at 14:13 Section 3 starts at 28:57

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Liz Pichon - creator of the wildly popular Tom Gates series - puts down her pens for long enough to chat with Helen about her latest book, Shoe Wars... and just how much fun it is to write a real villain! A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/AIYCLPichonpack. This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Liz reading an extract from Shoe Wars. Section 1 starts at 00:00 Section 2 starts at 10:04 Section 3 starts at 21:52 Join the Plazoom community by signing up to our newsletter for free resources and special offers at plazoom.com!

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Best-selling (although she REALLY doesn't like to talk about it...) author Maz Evans joins Helen for a joyful, inspiring and wonderfully daft discussion about all things writing-related; and why there's no such thing as a child who 'can't write a story'. A resources pack, including teaching notes, planning sheets, working wall elements and more is available to support this episode at bit.ly/AIYCMEvanspack. This episode is divided into three sections, which can be listened to in one go, as a sequence spread over several days, or in isolation. If you only have time to listen to one, we recommend section 2, which includes Maz reading an extract from Vi Spy. Section 1 starts at 00:00 Section 2 starts at 12:53 Section 3 starts at 25:25 Join the Plazoom community by signing up to our newsletter for free resources and special offers at plazoom.com!

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