Sareen McLay
LightNews LightNews
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Sareen McLay
@sareenmclay.bsky.social
36 followers 25 following 34 posts
Happy to be in the garden or out for a walk. Blog at switchthekettleonlove.com.
Director of www.mybookcorner.co.uk
Find fabulous book recommendations for PBs, Young Fiction, MG and YA books on our review site.

@mybookcorner.bsky.social
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Sareen McLay
mybookcorner.bsky.social
The Busiest Beaver by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley

Guest post by author Lu Fraser today! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social

🦫🦫🦫

An absolute treat!

📚📚📚

#pb#childrensbooks#illustration#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren #TheBusiestBeaver
Picture shows the front cover of the book The Busiest Beaver by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley with six beavers sitting together.
September 9, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
mybookcorner.bsky.social
Owning It: Our Disabled Childhoods In Our Own Words
Ed by Jen Campbell, James & Lucy Catchpole.

📚📚📚

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social
@jenvcampbell.bsky.social
@faberchildrens.bsky.social
#mg#childrensbooks#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren

Illustrations by Sophie Kamlish.
Picture shows the front cover of the book Owning It: Our Disabled Childhoods In Our Own Words Edited by Jen Campbell, James and Lucy Catchpole.
September 30, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
mybookcorner.bsky.social
The Girl with Gills by Becca Rogers

A wonderful world mixed with folklore, facts and fantasy!

📚📚📚

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social
@headofzeus.bsky.social
#mg#childrensbooks#illustration#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren#youngreaders#readingforpleasure#mudlarking
Picture shows the front cover of the book The Girl with Girls by Becca Rogers
October 4, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
mybookcorner.bsky.social
Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia Edited by Christopher Lloyd

A veritable smorgasbord of facts.
What a joy!

📚📚📚

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social

#childrensbooks#illustration#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren
Picture shows the front cover of the book Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia Edited by Christopher Lloyd
October 5, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
mybookcorner.bsky.social
Eva Wong Nava’s

The Moon Rabbit, illustrated by Jason Chuang

Wednesday is for Wiggling, Illustrated by Holly Sterling

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social
@walkerbooksuk.bsky.social
@evawongnava.bsky.social
@jasonchuangart.bsky.social
#hollysterling#pb#childrensbooks#childrensbooksillustration
Picture shows the front cover of the book The Moon Rabbit by Eva Wong Nava, illustrated by Jason Chuang and Wednesday is for Wiggling by Eva Wong Nava, Illustrated by Holly Sterling.
October 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
All about pink today! 🌸🌸🌸

Loving these Autumn colours and flowers.

#garden #flowers #gardening #autumngardendays #autumngardendays
October 8, 2025 at 12:35 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Delighted to be featured in the latest SCBWI Words and Pictures Writer’s Minds by @sarahbroadley.bsky.social

Discussing everything to do with the fabulous My Book Corner review site in my role as Director.

www.wordsandpics.org/2025/05/writ...

@mybookcorner.reviews

📚📚📚

#childrensbooks#pb#mg#ya
WRITERS' MINDS Sareen McLay
Words and Pictures is the online magazine of SCBWI British Isles.
www.wordsandpics.org
June 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
mybookcorner.bsky.social
🐞🐝🪾
The Secret Life of Bugs, Bees & Trees by Moira Butterfield, Illustrated by Vivian Mineker

One of my favourite books of the year!

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social
@moirabutterfield.bsky.social
@quartokids.bsky.social‬
#vivianmineker#nonfiction#childrensbooks#childrensbooksillustration
Picture shows the front cover of the book The Secret Life of Bugs, Bees & Trees by Moira Butterfield, Illustrated by Vivian Mineker
June 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
sarahbroadley.bsky.social
Delighted to interview @mybookcorner.bsky.social 's Director, @sareenmclay.bsky.social on her role, processes and vision for the well-known children's book review website.

Find out more on my @scbwi-bi.bsky.social Writers' Minds feature...

www.wordsandpics.org/2025/05/writ...
WRITERS' MINDS Sareen McLay
Words and Pictures is the online magazine of SCBWI British Isles.
www.wordsandpics.org
June 2, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
cbcreative.bsky.social
#WriteCBC task from @abigailj.bsky.social: Secrets are a great way to add intrigue and drama to your story. Write a mini-scene in which a character discovers that someone they know well has been keeping a secret from them. How do they deal with this discovery?
May 8, 2025 at 10:00 AM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Loved reviewing this stunning graphic novel!

Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto

Review on MBC by @sareenmclay.bsky.social

@kengokurimoto.bsky.social
@pushkinchildrens.bsky.social

#mg#childrensbooks#illustration#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren#grief#nature#graphicnovel
Picture shows the front cover of the book Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto, a girl with her dog in the middle of a wood with creatures all around them.
May 8, 2025 at 11:08 AM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Here at MBC we are loving The Worry Bee by Nicola Kinnear!
Look out for our review coming soon!

@scholastic.bsky.social

#nicolakinnear
#pb#childrensbooks#illustration#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren
Picture shows the front cover of the book The Worry Bee by Nicola Kinnear a bee sitting on top of a toadstool.
April 30, 2025 at 5:55 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Puloma and the Bear by Jasbinder Bilan Illustrated by Skylar White

Superb adventure! 🐻🐻🐻
📚📚📚

@jasbinderbilan.bsky.social
@skyillustrates.bsky.social
@barringtonstoke.bsky.social

#mg#childrensbooks#illustration#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren
Picture shows the front cover of the book Puloma and the Bear by Jasbinder Bilan Illustrated by Skylar White with a bear following a girl along a river path.
April 29, 2025 at 5:30 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Day out at Dr Neil’s Garden.

And launch of @edbookfest.bsky.social Schools Programme at Holyrood High School. Thanks to Jenny, Rachel, Jodie, librarians; Rachel and Hannah and pupils & Joseph Coehlo!
@sarahbroadley.bsky.social #bookofinstagram#kidlit#poetrycommunity#flowers#childrensbooks #garden
April 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
biggreenbooks.bsky.social
A vacancy has recently opened up at the Big Green Bookshop for a new customer.

The ideal candidate will have a regular urge to buy lots of amazing books.

Please email biggreenbooks@gmail.com with a list of books you'd like to buy.

The position is available straight away.
February 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
New review over on @mybookcorner.bsky.social
Picture shows the front cover of the book Bree Boyd is (Trouble) a Legend by Leah Johnson showing a girl levitating amongst a pile of books.
April 24, 2025 at 4:50 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Another book recommendation!
Fascinating.

#dictionary#bookrecommendation#amreading#books#pipwilliams
April 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
cbcreative.bsky.social
'You should know and love the people you’re writing about as deeply as you possibly can' 💓

Bestselling romance novelist & tutor of our six-week Writing a Romance course, @jennycolgan.bsky.social talks about her approach to writing & what makes a page-turning love story.

Read the full advice blog:
Jenny Colgan: 'If you love a character you’ll follow them anywhere'
Interview with bestselling romance author Jenny Colgan. Find out what makes a page-turning love story with romantic leads you root for.
www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk
April 23, 2025 at 12:07 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
New blog post!
Fascinating Icons and Patterns.

Fancy a few minutes of calm? Switch the kettle on and head over to my blog!

switchthekettleonlove.com

#flowers#garden #zandrarhodes #textile #fashion #pattern
Switch the Kettle on, Love
Five Minutes to Yourself
switchthekettleonlove.com
April 23, 2025 at 12:56 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Loved this book! So interesting and confidence boosting too!

So interesting to read about Georgia O’Keefe,Frieda Lawrence, Daphne Du Maurier and more.

#annabelabbs
#tworoadspublishing#nature#walking#women
April 8, 2025 at 10:53 AM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
Beautiful blossom in our garden today and I had a wee visitor pop in to see me as I was working on the words!
I’m sure, and hope, this ladybird was a bit happier when I returned it the garden.

Definitely a spring day! 🌸🌸🌸🐞🐞🐞

#gardens#flowers#cherryblossom#cherryblossoms #ladybird
April 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
A new post on my blog! Meanderings on spring, books and more.
🌸🌻🌼
switchthekettleonlove.com

#nature#flowers#readmorebooks
March 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
sareenmclay.bsky.social
My new review on @mybookcorner.bsky.social is the excellent School of Doom by @sarahharrison.bsky.social
March 19, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
ioneblue.bsky.social
hellebore 14
#photography
#macrophotography
#abstractphotography
#art
#flowers

super, super, extra, way, way, way close up
look at the center of a hellebore flower.

abstraction to the point of wondering what you're looking at—
besides shades of chartreuse.

photograph.
macro photograph. a very, very, nearly microscopic view of the center of a yellow green hellebore flower. petals. pistils and stamens. filling the frame. intense in the sunlight.
March 11, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Reposted by Sareen McLay
gretaknits.bsky.social
Today's daily dose of daffodils 🌱
A clump of February Gold daffodils in full bloom on a lovely sunny day.
March 11, 2025 at 6:40 PM