Match Wits with the Kids

From the Children of the Middle Ages to the Private Lives of Medieval Kings

2012-01-11T23:51:00.004Z

There have been some great history programmes on the BBC lately. First up there's Dr Stephen Baxter's Too Much, Too Young: Children of the Middle Ages.

And then there's Dr Janina Ramirez's Illuminations: The Private Lives of Medieval Kings.

If you have any interest in medieval history, or British history in general, you should check them both out.

And starting next Wednesday at 9.30pm on BBC2 are The Crusades, this time with Dr Thomas Asbridge.

Six small Maths errors that caused HUGE disasters

2012-01-10T13:16:00.002Z

If there are any children are reading this, there's one thing you need to know about Maths in the real world.

If you make one tiny mistake, people will die.

Don't believe me? Then check out these six examples of apparently completely forgivable design calculation errors that cost lives.

The A to Z of Christmas

2011-12-04T21:32:00.001Z

The A to Z of Christmas is now well underway over at TheChrismologist.com. Don't forget to check it out every day (of the working week) for the next update.

In the meantime, if you've not checked it out already, here's what you've missed so far.

A is for Angels

B is for Baubles

C is for Cards, Cake and Candy Canes

D is for Dom and Danny Do Christmas and Doctor Who

E is for Elf

F is for Figgy Pudding

What's the story, Morning Glory?

2011-11-25T22:25:00.003Z

Morning Glory got a mention on QI tonight. No, not that sort of morning glory! This particular case of morning glory...

I wrote about the Morning Glory in Match Wits with the Kids three years ago.

Did you know...?
Some clouds form due to interactions with particular geographical features. One of the strangest of these is the geographically-specific cloud Morning Glory (I kid you not!). It is a rolling, cylindrical cloud which appears unpredictably over the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Australia. Due to a powerful ‘ripple’ in the atmosphere, it is possible to ‘surf’ the cloud in an unpowered glider.

Oh, and it's as long as the UK!

The Educational Benefits of Role-Playing Games

2011-11-15T19:50:00.000Z

'English kids 18 months behind China’s.' Apparently.

2011-10-12T10:48:00.002+01:00

According to the latest educational scare-mongering piece in the Current Bun, English teenagers are 18 months behind Chinese pupils when it comes to reading, while our 15-year-olds also trail behind those in countries such as Korea, Finland and Japan.

I could sit here and debate this point for hours. But instead, I'll just say that if you're worried about your teenager's (or your own) abilities in English then you could do a lot worse than order a copy of Match Wits With the Kids today.

If you'd like to read the rest of the doom-mongering article in The Sun, click here.

Cliff Collapse caught on Camera

2011-10-11T09:33:00.000+01:00

That's Geography in action for you right there, kids!

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow - Red-Handed is here!

2011-10-08T10:18:00.001+01:00

Ulysses Quicksilver: agent of the throne, dandy and hero. Heart-broken, battered, mutilated and shot, he’s been driven backwards and forwards in time... but appearing in the middle of a crime scene is never the best way to start your visit to Paris...

Time’s Arrow offers the reader a unique opportunity – to decide the course of this latest Pax Britannia adventure!

In the tradition of Charles Dickens himself, Abaddon Books will be publishing Time’s Arrow in three ebook instalments. At the end of parts one (‘Red-Handed’) and two (‘Black Swan’) readers will be able to vote on how the adventure progresses via the Abaddon Books website at www.abaddonbooks.com. The entire text will then be published in a paperback edition in 2012.

Don’t miss out on the chance to become a part of publishing history. Pre-order Pax Britannia: Time’s Arrow today!

Win a walk-on part in Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow and help the people of Japan

2011-03-23T15:03:00.001Z

That's right - YOU could win a walk-on part in the eighth Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia adventure Time's Arrow, due to be published in 2012 by Abaddon Books.

All you need to do is visit the Genre for Japan blog and follow the instructions there to bid for Item 56 in their forthcoming auction that's being held to raise money for the work being carried out by the Red Cross in Japan at this time.

Find out more by following this link.

Genre for Japan

2011-03-22T11:05:00.000Z

We’ve all heard the news and seen the horrific pictures coming from Japan in the aftermath of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami – and no doubt we’ve all wondered how to help.

Well the guys and gals* behind Genre for Japan have come up with a way, uniting the comics, science fiction, fantasy and horror communities, to show their generosity to those who need it right now.

They're going to run auctions for genre-themed prizes donated by those in the industry. Some of the prizes already donated include a year’s supply of books from Tor, signed artwork from Solaris Books and editing/critiques from professional authors and editors. And I've made my own small contribution too.

Deadline for prize donations is 25th March with the auction set to begin on 28th March. I'll post more on this in the lead up to the auction but for now, check out Genre for Japan's blog and if you're in a position to donate a prize email them at genreforjapan@gmail.com.

* Including Amanda Rutter of Floor to Ceiling Books and Jenni Hill, ace Abaddon Books editor.

Forum giveaway

2011-02-19T11:34:00.001Z

How would you like to own these four books, all signed by the author - for nothing?

Well, it's easy. All you have to do is register as a member of my new forum here and when we hit 50 members, I'll put everyone's names into a hat and pull out one winner.

That winner will then receive a copy of Howl of the Werewolf, the new edition of Curse of the Mummy, Pax Britannia: Dark Side and the Warhammer 40K short story anthology Victories of the Space Marines, which contains my Imperial Fists' story But Dust in the Wind. And I'll sign them all too.

So what are you waiting for? Don't delay, sign up today!

Ask me anything*

2011-02-17T22:38:00.000Z

Following in the footsteps of some of my other writer acquaintances, I'm going to record a Vlog in which I answer all** your questions about my books and my experiences of writing them.

Got a question about the world of Pax Britannia? Curious as to how to go about writing a gamebook? Wondering what it takes to write a Doctor Who tie-in? Then ask away.

You can post your questions at the end of this post or email me at info@jonathangreenauthor.com. Alternatively you can contact me via Facebook or Twitter @jonathangreen.

So, ask away, and when I've collated enough questions I'll answer them in my next Vlog.

* Well, almost anything.

** Okay, maybe not all, but most.

New Forum Added

2011-01-10T09:07:00.001Z

If you're a regular follower of this blog, or new to the site today, I know what you're probably thinking right about now, and that is, "Where can I chat with other like-minded individuals about the works of author Jonathan Green?"

Well, have no fear, for you can now visit the official Jonathan Green, Author forum by clicking on this link (or the one in the sidebar to the right).

As well as discussing everything from Match Wits with the Kids to the latest non-fiction release, over on the forum you'll also find news on event appearances and book signings. There will also be exclusive competitions for forum members from time to time, so why not register today? It only takes a minute and doesn't cost a thing.

Maybe I'll see you over there some time soon.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:01:00.000Z

I Used to Know That

2010-12-13T16:22:00.003Z

Now available from Michael O’Mara Books are the I Used to Know That series, as well as other reference books, which are in a similar vein to my own Match Wits with the Kids.

Christmas shopping sorted

2010-12-13T10:54:00.001Z

If you're still finalising Christmas presents, remember it's not too late to buy your loved ones (or yourself!) something from my book store.

If it's steampunk action and adventure that they're into, try my Pax Britannia books.

If they love gamebooks and fantasy adventures, try my Fighting Fantasy gamebooks.

If it's Doctor Who or Star Wars, try these, and remember that you can have a Clone Wars story, written by me, personalised.

If it's non-fiction they enjoy, try Match Wits with the Kids, or one of my Miscellanies.

And if its the grim darkness of the far future where there is only war, or the grim darkness of a quasi-Medieval world that gets them buzzing, then try one of my Black Library novels.

Literary Heroines - literally!

2010-12-10T14:51:00.002Z

Could this be the way forward when it comes to teaching the classics of English literature?

Match Wits with the Kids - feeling the love

2010-12-10T10:32:00.004Z

Match Wits with the Kids has been out for two and a half years now (can it really be that long?), but it's nice to know that it's still feeling the love. Here are just some of the reviews the book has received since publication:

Though based on the yawn-making "Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum", this jolly compendium will enlighten all who dip in. It defines the terms used by fancy-pants reviewers (denouement, oxymoron, Zeitgeist), encourages glee at algebraic equations ("Amazing, isn't it?"), explains why snot is green (the digestive enzymes that attack bacteria contain ferrous compounds), chants the list-of-monarchs rhyme quoted by Alan Bennett in Forty Years On: "Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee...", tells us what the Spanish is for "Where is the toilet?" and translates mea culpa: "'My fault' or 'Whoops!'" Green deserves 10/10. - The Independent

We don’t usually use Lovereading4kids to tell parents about a book that is perfect for you the parent this summer, but with this one we couldn’t resist. However, we also feel that kids who want to stay one step ahead of their parents will love this as well!! A fun and enjoyable way to catch up on your learning, relive your schooldays and gen up on the topics kids are learning. Packed full of fun facts and tests for all the family, it’s a great way to hone your general knowledge and keep one step ahead of those smart-alec children or those know-it-all grown-ups. - Lovereading4kids.co.uk

Match Wits with the Kids is a book that’s as engaging as it is fun as it is imperative throughout those aforementioned weekends and really long, giddy car journeys. To be sure, it would even work a treat amid yer (not spelt correctly) average pub quiz. - David Marx

And of course the information contained within Match Wits with the Kids is still as relevant as it was when it was published, so if you need the Key Stage 3 curriculum explained - or just want to brush up on your general knowledge - then pick up a copy for you or a loved one today!

At the back of the book you'll find a number of tests to help you revise the information contained within. And you can download some additional tests, for free, from here.

Educationalists and politicians and anyone who has ever enjoyed a book, a play, a gallery exhibition or anything of any artistic value whatsoever...

2010-12-10T10:05:00.001Z

.... take note!

Let's make Ebenezer's Carol No.1 this Christmas!

2010-12-08T11:48:00.001Z

The plan:

To get Ebenezer's Carol, by The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, to No. 1 in time for Christmas. A proper steampunk Christmas song for Christmas No. 1!

What we need to do to achieve this:

1) For Ebenezer's Carol to chart it needs to sell roughly 8,000 copies. The single needs be downloaded as a single, and not as part of the A Very Steampunk Christmas EP. It's available now from iTunes, eMusic and Amazon.

2) So, forward this message to all your friends (be they steampunks or otherwise) but remind them that they must buy the song by itself for it to get into the singles chart.

3) Blog about this, post a link on your Facebook page, Tweet about it, but most importantly - buy the single Ebenezer's Carol!

4) Arrange events themed around this, call the local press, use your contacts - whatever you've got - and we could really make this happen!

This is a chance for steampunk fans to really make themselves heard and make a difference for the future of Christmas. The fate of Ebenezer's Carol and Christmas music itself is in your hands! Let's make Christmas 2010 a Very Merry Steampunk Christmas!

Match Wits with the Kids - new review

2010-11-29T14:49:00.002Z

I was delighted to stumble across this review of Match Wits with the Kids on the Internet the other day. It's written by a Maths specialist and, as a result, I found what the reviewer had to say especially pleasing.

This book is subtitled “a little learning for all the family” which is an incredible understatement. This book is just packed with interesting information about a variety of subjects - not just Mathematics but also English, Science, History, Geography, MFL, Classics - and even some tests to keep the reader on their toes.

In just 50 pages of mathematics the reader is transported along a journey from numbers through tables, negatives, indices, fractions, decimals, percentages, Fibonacci, algebra, angles, symmetry, triangles, pythagoras, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, 3D shapes, co-ordinates, statistics and finally probability. The style is gripping, fun and very informative. It is hard to put down - but also manages to be a book that a minutes reading leaves the reader bursting with new facts and information.

This is a wonderful reference book for all the family - perhaps especially useful for parents worried their children know more than they do! I can’t judge the other subjects (though I’m hooked and mesmerised by the other chapters) but mathematically I can find no fault - the material would cover most of the content of the Key Stage Three syllabus. This is an excellent book - one that no family should be without.

To read the review at the Association of Teachers of Mathematics website, click here.

And while we're at it there's also this one at Suite101.com.

Experienced teacher and author Jonathon Green has written the perfect companion for parents who wish to brush up on their general knowledge. Match Wits with the Kids (Icon, 2008) contains 392 pages of charts, maps, formulae, diagrams, tables, information and practice tests to revise the important facts across nine subject areas...

In the years between attending school and parenting a school-aged child many facts and details well-known during school years go astray. Now is the perfect time to brush up on some basic general knowledge, if for no other reason than to assist children with their homework and improve results at the next trivia night or general knowledge quiz show.

Get in touch!

2010-11-10T10:03:00.001Z

You can now email me direct with any queries or comments about my books or my blogs at

info@jonathangreenauthor.com

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Everything you learned at school was wrong

2010-11-10T09:41:00.000Z

School, eh? In between all the smoking behind bike sheds, giving little Tommy a wedgie and kicking a football onto the roof, occasionally you had to learn a few things.

And some of these things even stay with you after you leave school and go out into the wider world. Trouble is, it turns out they were filling your head with some right old nonsense.

Here ten such myths - broken down into subject area - that have been drilled into generations of wide-eyed boys and girls are well and truly busted!

Of course, Match Wits with the Kids has already busted many of these myths. You can pick up your copy of this WHSmith bestseller here.

TheChrismologist.com

2010-11-10T09:27:00.001Z

As long time followers of this blog (and my many others) will already know, I currently juggle about eight blogs, updating people on various aspects of my writing, and - to be honest - it was all getting a bit much, especially when there are effectively two blogs for the same book, only one of them for the American market and one for the UK.
.
So, I've decided to merge the two blogs for Christmas Miscellany and What is Myrrh Anyway? in one, easy to manage, dot com, called...
.

Click this link and check it out for yourself. In fact, why not bookmark the site and add it to your favourites today?

It's still a work in progress at the moment, but over the coming weeks I'll be adding more features and content all the time. And you can already email me all your Christmas questions direct at info@thechrismologist.com.

I look forward to seeing you there.

www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com

2010-09-24T11:01:00.001+01:00

I have a new website! Well, it's actually my other author's blog, but you can now access it by entering the much more straightforward:

www.JonathanGreenAuthor.com

So, set it as one of your favourites, along with the new www.PaxBritannia.com which is the new official way to reach the PB blog.

See you round!

One to watch... The Normans

2010-08-05T01:14:00.000+01:00

The BBC's 'The Normans' series of programmes may have already begun, but it's worth playing catch up if you haven't been with the series since the start, if only because the wonderful Professor Robert Bartlett is back on our screens, with this.

Signed by the author

2010-08-04T23:10:00.001+01:00

Family Green are on the move. As of a week on Friday, we're moving out of the house that we have lived in for the last half a decade - which means packing. And it's amazing how much stuff you can accumulate in five years.

So it's goodbye to all this...

And this - my writing shelf...

And I find myself needing to off load myself of a large number of books. And this is where you come in.

You can own an original, first edition copy of the Jonathan Green book of your choice (pretty much) and it will, of course, be signed by the author.

So, follow this link to my Ebay page - but don't hang around, the items are only up for 5 days!

Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave

2010-07-10T17:04:00.001+01:00

Watch the new promotional video for Scottish Miscellany - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave, here at the dedicated Scottish Miscellany blog.

Escape in Time

2010-07-05T09:34:00.000+01:00

A new show for all you History buffs out there starts today on BBC2. It might be one to catch on iPlayer later or to set the Sky+ box to record as it's on at 4.30pm, but it looks intriguing.

Series presented by Ben Fogle in which families take up the challenge of becoming Victorian farmers on the Acton Scott Estate in Shropshire. For one week they step back in time to learn the traditional skills of our farming ancestors, competing against each other in daily and weekly challenges: from mucking out the pigs to making a perfect cottage loaf. A host of experts are on hand to judge their handiwork, and the family that wins the most challenges wins that day's prize.

Taking up the challenge are the Doige family from Essex - property developer Christian, office administrator Katherine, 15-year-old Olivia and 12-year-old Chloe - and the Mills family from Twickenham - catering consultant David, full-time mum Jo, 13-year-old Tilly and 10-year-old Jemima.

The children learn a vital part of Victorian farm life, keeping the pigs clean. The mums learn a Victorian bread recipe off by heart and the dads compete to see who can make the most clay bricks in 15 minutes.

You can find out more about the show here.

The Story of Science

2010-06-02T09:12:00.000+01:00

Did you catch Michael Mosley's recent BBC 2 series The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion? In it, Mosley took an informative and ambitious televisual journey, exploring how the evolution of scientific understanding is intimately interwoven with society's historical path.

If you missed it you can catch it again here, on BBC iPlayer. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in science, history, the world around us... basically anyone! There are six programmes in the series:

1) What is Out There?
2) What is the World Made of?
3) How Did We Get here?
4) Can We Have Unlimited Power?
5) What is the Secret of Life?
6) Who Are We?

Win! Win! Win!

2010-04-18T09:18:00.001+01:00

Just another reminder that I'm currently running a competition to Win a walk on part in Dark Side the next Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel. It's in support of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust and you've got until next Sunday to enter.

So far, those people who have already entered have raised a fantastic £77. But wouldn't it be great if we could make the Pax Britannia contributions top £100?

Come on, you know you want to have your name immortalised in print! I mean, who wouldn't?

If you haven't entered the competition yet, don't be put off - any donation will do, no matter how small. After all, it is for charity. Just remember to tag your donation with the comment 'Jon Green sent me' to qualify.

To find out how to enter, click here.

Good luck and (if you've already entered) thank you.

Win a walk on part in Dark Side

2010-04-14T09:02:00.000+01:00

It's great to see so many people getting behind the current Win a walk on part in Dark Side competition I'm running in support of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. Abaddon Books have been bigging it up as have the guys over at Pornokitsch. And there's been a fair bit of banter on Twitter and Facebook.

Even better than that is the fact that a number of people have already entered (and been very generous into the bargain). But if you haven't entered yet, don't be put off - any donation will do, no matter how small. After all, it is for charity. Just remember to tag your donation with the comment 'Jon Green sent me' to qualify.

Good luck and (if you've already entered) thank you.

Match Wits with the Kids

2010-03-22T22:08:00.000Z

It's not that long until fifteen and sixteen year-olds up and down the country we be embarking upon their GCSE examinations. And if you're a parent of such a prospective examinee, what can you do to help?

Well you could do a lot worse than pick up a copy of Match Wits with the Kids to refresh your own knowledge of subjects such as English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Modern Languages and even the Classics. But don't just take my word for it, check out David Marx's review over at his blog.

Here's a highlight:

If, as parents, you sometimes find yourselves climbing the collective walls of turmoil in search of something to entertain and calm the kids – especially during those elongated weekends that are filled with rain, tedium and nothing particularly groovy on telly – then this could well be the perfect book for you.

Match Wit with the Kids is, as it says on the front cover: ‘’a little learning for all the family.’’ Indeed, it’s one of those books that immediately grabs the attention of even the most innocent and innocuous by bystanders. It’s akin to a pub quiz, only more geared towards that which we all learnt at school...

Jonathan Green has compiled a more than compelling and magnetic wealth of interesting facts, figures and knowledge.

As such, Match Wits with the Kids is a book that’s as engaging as it is fun as it is imperative throughout those aforementioned weekends and really long, giddy car journeys.

One to watch...

2010-03-18T20:09:00.002Z

In Museum of Life, celebrity farmer Jimmy Doherty goes behind the scenes at the Natural History Museum to join the people who are uncovering secrets, solving mysteries and making discoveries among the historic collections.

Night of the Necromancer and Bloodbones redux

2010-03-18T20:09:00.001Z

Look what arrived in the post this morning!

There are the same number of books in each pile, but Night of the Necromancer is substantially longer than Bloodbones

Those kind people at Fighting Fantasy Towers (a.k.a. Icon Books' Wizard imprint) sent them to me. Night of the Necromancer is the newest of the new Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and is released on 1 April, alongside the brand-spanking-and-really-quite-shiny-new FF format edition of Bloodbones (first published four years ago - can you believe it?).

In case you're not salivating at the prospect enough already, here are two teaser trailers I put together for the books.

Not long to wait now...

Night of the Necromancer

2010-03-07T08:07:00.001Z

The following was intercepted by Brician spies operating in northern Ruddlestone. Make of it what you will...

Buried by books

2010-02-26T13:22:00.000Z

So, this was my desk this morning...

What's on show here is just some of the books I've been using to research Scottish Miscellany. There's a whole pile not on display here because they've already gone back to the local library. (The eagle-eyed among you will noticed that I've even been using another book I wrote, Match Wits with the Kids, to help me write this one!)

Anyway, the book's coming on apace now, but before I can carry on this afternoon I think I'm going to have to tidy some of this lot up, if only so I can find my mouse again.

Onwards...

To Infinity... and Beyond!

2010-02-11T20:49:00.000Z

Do you know what this is?

No, it's not a drunken number 8, it is, in fact, the symbol for infinity.

Last night's Horizon (BBC 2, 9.00pm) dealt with the concept of infinity - and what a concept it is!

Infinity (symbolically represented by ∞) is a concept in mathematics and philosophy that refers to a quantity without bound or end. (The word comes from the Latin infinitas, meaning 'unboundedness'.) People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity. In mathematics, infinity is defined in the context of set theory.

In mathematics, 'infinity' is often used in contexts where it is treated as if it were a number (i.e., it counts or measures things: 'an infinite number of terms'), even though it is not really a number. Oh and there's more than one kind of infinity.

Confused yet? Me too.

So you might want to sit back and watch Horizon's attempt to unravel the mysteries of the infinite. It's is older than time, bigger than the universe and stranger than fiction, and it's on BBC iPlayer here.

How the Earth Made Us

2010-02-09T10:18:00.000Z

If you have an interest in Geography, or Geology for that matter, and how our planet formed, then you should watch How the Earth Made Us.

In it Professor Iain Stewart tells the epic story of how the planet has shaped our history. With spectacular images, surprising stories and a compelling narrative, the series discovers the central role played in human history by four different planetary forces.

Part 4 (which focuses on Fire) is on BBC 2 tonight, at 9.00pm.

Chemistry - A Volatile History

2010-02-05T19:50:00.000Z

If you have an interest in science, or chemistry, or simply very well produced factual TV, then you should watch Chemistry: A Volatile History, that's been on BBC 4 recently.

In this three-part series, professor of theoretical physics Jim Al-Khalili traces the extraordinary story of how the elements were discovered and mapped. He follows in the footsteps of the pioneers who cracked their secrets and created a new science, propelling us into the modern age.

Chemistry: A Volatile History is available through BBC iPlayer here.

Seven Ages of Britain - Age of Conquest

2010-01-31T18:29:00.000Z

Starting tonight on BBC 1...

David Dimbleby tells the story of Britain through its art and treasure. The first part of the chronicle begins with the Roman invasion and ends with the Norman Conquest.

This may sound strangely familiar to readers of Match Wits with the Kids, as in the chapter on History I pick up from where David Dimbley will finish off tonight with '1066 And All That - From Conquest to Constitution (1066-1500)'.

It will be interesting to see what the second Age of Britain will be referred to as.

Anyway, if Seven Ages of Britain sounds like your kind of thing, it's on BBC 1 at 9.00pm tonight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-25T09:51:00.000Z

Here's hoping that Father Christmas brought you everything you hoped for and that you and yours have a happy and memorable Christmas.

Wishing you a
MERRY CHRISTMAS
and a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Best wishes

Jonathan Green

And, in case you missed the post earlier in the week, here's a present from me.

How long is a piece of string?

2009-11-16T10:51:00.000Z

You'd think it was a straightforward enough question, but as Alan Davies discovers in tonight's Horizon (BBC 2, 9pm), things are never that straightforward. The programme is full of the sort of fascinating facts we love here at Match Wits.

For example, did you know that if all the space around the molecules in the human body was removed the whole human population on Earth would be reduced to the size of a sugar cube? Also, if you hit a sugar cube in a cupboard (or anywhere dark) you can sometimes see little blue sparks.

What is Myrrh Anyway? The Ultimate Christmas Quiz

2009-11-09T19:32:00.001Z

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday 10 November, I shall be appearing at the Beyond Words Festival, at University College School from 2.30-3.45pm. I shall be talking briefly about the how I came to write What is Myrrh Anyway? and will then be hosting a fun - but challenging - Christmas quiz, as well as signing copies of my books. It's not too late to reserve your ticket for this event, just ring the UCS Box Office on 020 7433 2219, or you could try turning up on the day.

Might see you there.

What is Myrrh Anyway? at Ealing's leading Art and Craft fair

2009-11-06T22:54:00.000Z

Just a reminder that I will be at St James' Art and Craft Fair tomorrow - Saturday 7 November - between 10.00am and 4.00pm, selling - and of course signing! - copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

I also have a limited number of copies of the brand new American edition of the book Christmas Miscellany available, as well as some of my latest Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook Stormslayer.

Admission is free, so if you're in the area, why not pop along and say "Hello"?

The Periodic Table of Elements

2009-11-02T10:50:00.000Z

Back in 1869, Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist, came up with the idea of presenting all chemical elements as a table, to illustrate recurring trends in the properties of the different elements. As new elements have been discovered, the layout of the table has been refined and extended.

But I have never seen it represented like this before...

Forthcoming Events

2009-10-27T22:49:00.001Z

There are a couple of events in November at which I shall be making a personal appearance.

The first is the Ealing Arts and Crafts Fair, where I shall be selling (and signing) copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? The fair is being held at St James' Church on Saturday 7 November, and I'll be there between 10.00am and 4.00pm, apparently in a marquee outside - so pray for good weather for me!

And then on Tuesday 10 November I shall be appearing at the Beyond Words Festival, at University College School from 2.30-3.30pm. I shall be talking briefly about the how I came to write What is Myrrh Anyway? and will then be hosting a fun - but challenging - Christmas quiz, as well as signing copies of my books. To reserve your ticket for this event, ring the UCS Box Office on 020 7433 2219.

Maybe I'll see you at one or the other? If you do pop along, say "Hi!" and tell me the blog sent you!

Jonathan Green talking about writing Fighting Fantasy gamebooks

2009-09-18T16:12:00.001+01:00

I shall be at Ealing Central Library tomorrow, Saturday 19 September, from 2-4pm talking about writing adventure gamebooks.

Find out how I set about writing the brand new Fighting Fantasy adventure Stormslayer and get a special sneak preview of the forthcoming Night of the Necromancer. As well as the talk, there will be a range of activities for children of all ages to take part it and you can buy copies of Stormslayer on the day, and of course get them signed by me.

I've even had some new pencils made especially for the occasion, and the guys at Wizard Books have sent me a suitably ghoulish Creature of Havoc cut-out to set the tone for the afternoon.

And if you do happen to pop along, don't be afraid to say 'Hi!' and tell me The Blog sent you!

Free mince pie!

2009-09-09T10:26:00.001+01:00

Drop by my Christmas Miscellany blog now and receive a mince pie, absolutely free!

And keep an eye on the Christmas Miscellany blog over the coming weeks as people the world over start to prepare for the big day.

New Match Wits quizzes available for download!

2009-05-26T20:35:00.000+01:00

I am very pleased to announce that Icon Books have posted a series of brand new quizzes for Match Wits with the Kids on their website.

To access this entirely free, downloadable material, simply click on the appropriate link below.

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

And for the ANSWERS to all of the above, click here.

Meet your new teacher, Miss Anne Droid

2009-03-12T09:41:00.000Z

School pupils are to be taught by the world's first robot teacher in one of the most radical uses so far of android technology.

The device, created by scientists after 15 years of research, is being trialled at a primary school in Tokyo. Named Saya, she can speak different languages, carry out roll calls, set tasks and make facial expressions – including anger – thanks to 18 motors hidden behind her latex face.

The humanoid was originally developed to replace a variety of workers, including secretaries, in a bid to allow firms to cut costs while still retaining some kind of human interaction. Her creator, science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi at the University of Tokyo, had been working on a robot for 15 years. She is the latest example of robots spreading to every aspect of life in Japan. They already guide traffic, attempt to lure university graduates to sign up to courses and one is even being developed to provide company to Alzheimer's sufferers.

The Japanese government has said that by 2015 it wants a robot in every home and is pouring $35 million (£23 million) into robotic intelligence to make it happen. The push is because of Japan's ageing population – in seven years one in four Japanese will be over 65 – which means the workforce is declining, pushing up wage costs for businesses and making recruitment difficult.

Now surely it can't be only me who finds the idea of a robot teacher getting angry unnerving...

Breaking news!

2009-03-09T11:25:00.001Z

For some exciting news about an upcoming Jonathan Green publication, click here!

Prepare for the Key Stage 3 SATs with Match Wits

2009-03-07T08:09:00.000Z

If you are the parent of a Key Stage 3 secondary school pupil, or a Key Stage 3 student yourself, you are probably already well-aware of the fact that the government has decided that the SAT Tests will no longer be compulsory for schools from 2009.

However, many schools are still using the actual 2009 printed SAT Test papers because teachers still need a valid and rigorous measure of progress to make informed decisions about how best to help pupils as they prepare for Key Stage 4.

So chances are you/your child may well find themselves taking the Key Stage 3 SATs this May, and what better way to help you prepare is there than Match Wits with the Kids.

The book contains detailed chapters on English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Modern Languages and Latin, which cover the basic Key Stage 3 curriculum. Not only that, but it's also a fun read, with spot tests which you can use to test your own knowledge or to see how much your parents/children know.

This is what other people have had to say about Match Wits:

Though based on the yawn-making "Key Stage 3 of the National Curriculum", this jolly compendium will enlighten all who dip in... Green deserves 10/10. - The Independent

A fun and enjoyable way to catch up on your learning, relive your schooldays and gen up on the topics kids are learning. Packed full of fun facts and tests for all the family, it’s a great way to hone your general knowledge and keep one step ahead of those smart-alec children or those know-it-all grown-ups. - Lovereading.co.uk

This book was a surprise to me. It's basically is a compendium of useful (and some useless) facts, presented in a clear and easily digestible way. The fact that much of it is based on the national curriculum means that it is bloomin' useful for those of us with kids of a certain age, but I found it extremely interesting to have all this stuff at my fingertips.

Having spent the last twenty years as a teacher trying to match my wits with London's finest, it is now there in black and white. This is a great book.

This is the ideal book for stopping you looking stupid at dinner parties! It makes learning fun and is great for getting a 'fact of the day' to share with the family, they don't even notice they're learning.

Experienced teacher and author Jonathon Green has written the perfect companion for parents who wish to brush up on their general knowledge... With information presented in an enjoyable, easy-to-read... In the years between attending school and parenting a school-aged child many facts and details well-known during school years go astray. Now is the perfect time to brush up on some basic general knowledge. - Susan Whelan

To get hold of your own copy of Match Wits with the Kids, click here.

Happy World Book Day 2009!

2009-03-05T13:55:00.001Z

In case you didn't already know, today is World Book Day. So, seeing as how I now make a living from my books, I thought I would let everyone know about the different sorts of books I write and present something of a back catalogue for your perusal.

Pax Britannia

I am currently writing a series of steampunk science fiction action/adventure novels for Abaddon Books, featuring dandy hero of the British Empire, Ulysses Quicksilver. There are currently three books in the series - Unnatural History, Leviathan Rising, Human Nature - with a fourth, Evolution Expects, published in May, and with more to come after that. To find out more about the world of Pax Britannia click here.

Fighting Fantasy

To date I have had five Fighting Fantasy gamebooks published. They are Spellbreaker, Knights of Doom, Curse of the Mummy, Bloodbones and Howl of the Werewolf.

Doctor Who

So far I have written a Doctor Who: Decide Your Destiny interactive adventure gamebook entitled The Horror of Howling Hill and have contributed to the 2010 Official Doctor Who Annual (published this August).

Sonic the Hedgehog

I have also c0-written two Sonic the Hedgehog adventure gamebooks, Theme Park Panic and Stormin' Sonic.

Warhammer

I have written three fantasy novels set within Games Workshop's Warhammer world. They are The Dead and the Damned, Magestorm and Necromancer.

Warhammer 40,000

I have also written three science fiction novels set within Games Workshop's far future medieval universe of Warhammer 40,000. There are two books about the Black Templars and the Armageddon Campaign - Crusade for Armageddon and Conquest of Armageddon - and a stand-alone adventure entitled Iron Hands.

Non-fiction

I have written a number of non-fiction books as well. The most recent of these are Match Wits with the Kids, Go, Go Crazy for those Bones and What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

As well as books I have also had published various novellas, short stories, comic strips and magazine articles.

I also go school visits and library talks. If you would like me to come into your school or local library to talk about any of my books or the writing process in general, please email me at paxbritannia@hotmail.co.uk.

Not as clever as they thought they were

2009-03-03T11:08:00.000Z

The winners of this year's University Challenge have been disqualified for fielding a 'ringer' contestant. The BBC confirmed Oxford University's Corpus Christi College had been stripped of the title after it emerged Sam Kay was no longer a student.

Sam Kay a.k.a The Ringer

Mr Kay, who told viewers he was studying chemistry, had already left to become an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

A BBC statement said: "The University Challenge rules on student eligibility are that students taking part must be registered at their university or college for the duration of the recording of the series. Whilst obviously not intending to, Corpus Christi broke this important rule where other universities and colleges taking part adhered to it. We therefore find ourselves in the regrettable position of having no choice but to disqualify Corpus Christi from the final."

Mr Kay said: "I hugely regret not confirming my change of status to the University Challenge programme makers before the final rounds. I had honestly believed I was eligible as I had indicated my course dates when I applied."

Oxford, led by Gail Trimble, romped to victory in the show last week. They came from behind to win the final by 275 points to 190. Gail has been dubbed the greatest University Challenge contestant ever, after she scored more points than her three-team mates combined in the run up to the final and appeared so untroubled by the questions that host Jeremy Paxman was prompted to exclaim: "My God, you're laughing because they are so easy!"

Gail Trimble a.k.a. the Human Google a.k.a. the Intellectual Blitzkrieg

This ruling means that the hard-fought title now goes to Manchester University.Manchester team captain, Matthew Yeo, said: "While we accept the decision of the judges, we are saddened to have been awarded the trophy under such circumstances."

In a statement, Corpus Christi College said its students had entered the programme in "good faith." "The team had a wonderful run and we are, of course, disappointed to be losing the title," the college added.

Signing this evening at Forbidden Planet, London

2009-01-09T15:00:00.001Z

Jonathan Green

Pax Britannia: Human Nature

Join Jonathan Green at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on Friday 9th January 6.00pm – 7.00pm.

Ulysses Quicksilver is chasing a mermaid – right up to the industrially polluted North of England and the fishing village where she was supposedly caught. What he finds are the horrors of man’s own selfishness; as he’s trapped within the very heart darkness, threatened in body and mind, he has to escape a fate that is literally worse than death.

This is a fantastical, steampunk science fiction novel from the co-creator of the Pax Britannia world!

Season's Greetings!

2008-12-25T08:57:00.000Z

Merry Christmas!

Yes, Christmas Day is here at last, and hopefully some of you are waking up this morning to find that Father Christmas has left you a copy of What is Myrrh Anyway? in your stocking!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and remember you can listen to me, Dom Joly and Danny Wallace deconstructing the midwinter feast on Radio 5 Live from 12 noon.

So we keep the olden greeting
With its meaning deep and true,
And wish a merrie Christmas
And a happy New Year to you.

(Old English saying)

If you liked Match Wits with the Kids...

2008-12-15T11:02:00.000Z

... then why not try these similarly-inspired titles?

Homework for Grown-ups

Don't know your isosceles from your equilateral? Forgotten what actually happened in 1066? Do you know when you've left a participle hanging? And are you left slack-jawed when your children ask you what 'quid pro quo' means? Bewildered already? Fret no longer. Homework for Grown-ups swots up on mathematics (covering algebra, Pythagoras' theorem, prime numbers and the Fibonacci sequence), English grammar and literature (do you know how to read a poem?), chemistry and the sciences (including the Big Bang theory), geography (can you name the planets in order?), history (how to remember the kings and queens of Britain, plus the Romans and the Magna Carta), art, Latin, modern languages, PE, home economics, and much more. Packed with essential facts, figures and theories, along with fun but challenging test papers to keep you on your toes and reignite those dormant brain-cells, Homework for Grown-ups is a practical and wonderfully nostalgic revision guide for adults.
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I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot from School

If you've forgotten the capital city of Chile; the basics of osmosis; how to solve a quadratic equation; the names of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice; who wrote the famous poem about daffodils; the use of a conjunction or the number of continents in the world, I Used to Know That will provide all the answers. A light-hearted and informative reminder of all the things that we learnt in school but have since become relegated to the backs of our minds, I Used to Know That features hundreds of important snippets of wisdom, facts, theories, equations, phrases, rules and sayings. It is a practical guide to turn to when an answer is eluding you, when helping a child with homework or preparing them for the new school year, or maybe just to brush up on trivia for the pub quiz. I Used to Know That covers English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Geography and General Studies, so never again will you find yourself stumped!
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My Grammar and I (Or Should That be 'Me'?): Old-School Ways to Sharpen Your English

For anyone who has ever had a problem with dangling modifiers and split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are, My Grammar and I provides all the answers. Taking you on a tour of the English language, through a veritable minefield of rules and conditions for the grammatically unaware, and highlighting the common pitfalls that every English language user faces on a day to day basis, My Grammar and I also offers amusing examples of awful grammar, while steering you in the direction of grammatical greatness. Factual and witty, My Grammar and I is the perfect gift for all English language sticklers for Christmas 2008.
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I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff

'My Very Elegant Mother Just Sat Upon Nine Porcupines' reminds us of the order of the planets in the Solar System. This is a compilation of memory aids guaranteed to simplify masses of confusing facts on numerous subjects, including rhymes, acronyms, rules, phrases and diagrams. It offers an eclectic mix of reference and nostalgia. It is the only book you'll ever need that features more mnemonics than you'll ever need to know. Something for everyone, the book covers a number of different subjects - history to mathematics, mythology to physics, music to the human body and many more. Ever find yourself struggling to remember simple facts and rules? Is the ever increasing pace of life and glut of information challenging your memory? I Before E (Except After C) is full of memory aids to help you out. From well-known rhymes such as the popular 'Thirty days hath September, April, June and November', memorable sayings including 'Spring forward, fall back', and mnemonics such as 'Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain', to a selection of more modern methods of boosting one's failing memory, I Before E is the definitive guide to help you to unjumble your mind and improve your ability to recall names, dates, facts, figures and events, and contains all the mnemonics you'll ever need to know.
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Remember, Remember (The Fifth of November): The History of Britain in Bite-Sized Chunks

Britain and its people have a long and noble history that is now over 2000 years old. Like all the best stories it is one of blood, death, love, sex and betrayal, yet also a tale of courage, honour, pride, skill, invention, endurance and, sometimes, just pure luck. Remember, Remember is a history of Britain in bitesize chunks, containing all of the important dates, people and events that we should know, reminding us of what we've forgotten from school and perhaps teaching us something new.Go back in time to: sneer at Bad King John as he is forced to sign the Magna Carta; suffer the agonies of the black death; charge with Henry V against the French at Agincourt; see the birth of the Industrial Revolution; watch the coronation of the nineteen-old-princess who gave us the term 'Victorian'; and take heart from the courage and endurance of the men who fought and endured the horrors of both world wars. Concise, authoritative yet wonderfully entertaining, Remember, Remember makes history interesting and accessible for everyone once again.
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Thirty Days Has September : Cool Ways to Remember Stuff

This book provides handy tips - literally. Discover how to use your knuckles to remember which months have 31 days, and your thumb and finger to tell right from left. Find out how to use your fingers to help you master the nine times table.Employ excellent spelling solutions for pesky words such as 'difficulty', 'because' and 'Mississippi'. Forgetting will become history as you learn when Christopher Columbus sailed to America: In fourteen hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found this land, land of the Free, beloved by you, beloved by me. And don't forget those helpful mnemonics: Vowels - Albert's Elbow Is Often Ugly; Planets - My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas; Music - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour; and, Spelling - I before E, except after C. Sometimes tried and tested ways really are the best.

And then of course there is...
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Match Wits with the Kids: A Little Learning for All the Family

How does photosynthesis work? Who was the first Tudor king? What is a preposition, or a conjunction? What causes a tsunami? If you're caught In flagrante delicto what has happened? And how do you calculate the area of a triangle? Answering all the questions you're afraid to admit you need to ask, Match Wits with the Kids covers all the key school subjects - Maths, English, Science, History, Geography and languages. Jonathan Green, a highly experienced teacher and popular author, provides in a nutshell everything you need to refresh your memory. Including tests to see if you've taken it all in, Match Wits with the Kids is a lot of fun - and the ideal read for anyone feeling threatened by know-it-all children.

Happy shopping.

Punished over push-ups

2008-12-05T09:05:00.000Z

I read today that a schoolteacher has been suspended after making his pupils do push-ups as a punishment for arriving late to class.

This, naturally, raises all sorts of issues and you can read more about them here. H0wever, two things interested me in particular about this story.

1) Different punishments for latecomers had been discussed by the whole class and that it was the pupils who had suggested push-ups.

2) This all happened at Derby Moor Community Sports College.

So kids who go to sports college are discouraged from taking part in extra physical activities are they? Have the people involved in this teacher's suspension forgotten the old adage, 'a healthy body, a healthy mind'?

Academy: A modern school where football is taught. - Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) - The Devil's Dictionary, 1911

Meet Radio 5 Live's Christmologist - at Acton Christmas Fair

2008-12-04T10:40:00.000Z

I will be at Acton Christmas Fair, this Saturday, 6 December, from 11.00am until 6.00pm, selling and signing copies of my book, What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.

I will also be happy to (try to) answer your Christmas questions. And you can hear me doing just that on Christmas Day, at midday, on Radio 5 Live's Dom and Danny Do Christmas.

So, maybe I'll see you there.

The ideal Christmas present for the intellectually minded

2008-11-21T10:03:00.001Z

Struggling to think of a suitable gift for the armchair genius in your home? Then why not have them testing the little grey cells on Christmas Day with a copy of the ever-popular Match Wits with the Kids?

And then, for the festively-minded there's What is Myrrh Anyway? which answers all the questions you've ever wanted to ask about the Christmas season, and some you haven't.

For the science fiction and fantasy fan in your family, why not try the Pax Britannia steampunk-action-adventure novels Unnatural History and Leviathan Rising?

And if you're looking for stocking fillers for the kids, you could do a lot worse than get them a few gamebooks - The Horror of Howling Hill, Howl of the Werewolf, Bloodbones, Curse of the Mummy, Spellbreaker - which will keep them occupied while you're getting Christmas dinner on the go. Or even Go, Go Crazy For Those Bones, for the younger GoGo's fan.

Doctor Who Day at Ealing Library

2008-11-21T10:01:00.001Z

Just to remind you... I will be at Ealing Central Library tomorrow, Saturday 22 November, taking part in their Doctor Who Day, selling and signing copies of my Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny book The Horror of Howling Hill.

(Did you know, over 100,000 Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny titles have been sold so far?)

I will also have copies of my new Christmas book What is Myrrh Anyway? available to buy.

You'll be able to meet a Dalek at 10.00am-12.00pm and 2.00pm-4.00pm, and also at 2.00pm author Nick Griffiths will be talking about his book Dalek I Loved You. There will be games, quizzes, and competitions to take part in as well.

So maybe I'll see you there...

Putting the bang back into Chemistry

2008-10-22T15:54:00.001+01:00

For many of a certain age, Chemistry at school conjures up images of flaring magnesium whizzing around a bowl of water, tests for hydrogen resulting in satisfying explosions and exciting reactions which result in a change of colour or, even better, an exothermic reaction!

But living in the decade of Health & Safety as we are, all that might be about to come to an end, as Mike Kent writes in the TES.

Platonic Solids rock!

2008-10-14T21:04:00.000+01:00

If you've not been following Marcus du Sautoy's The Story of Maths (on BBC 4), you've missed a treat. No, seriously!

Marcus du Sautoy's approach and delivery remind me of a rather less manic Adam Hart-Davis (who is himself a national treasure) and help to make the history of Mathematics not only interesting but informative as well.

And you can still watch the first episode here, and in the process find out more about Pythagoras' Theorem, Euclidean geometry and the Platonic solids. Or, alternatively, you could watch this clip here.

Of course, all of the mathematical advances mentioned above also get a mention in Match Wits with the Kids, along with a clear explanation. You can pick up your copy of the book here.

The Story of Maths

2008-10-13T09:14:00.000+01:00

Have you ever wondered how a subject that is vital to our every day lives - even our very existence - ever came about? Without it there would be no physics, no chemistry, no statistics, no geometry, no cosmology, no commerce, no accurate means of time-keeping, no aviation... Need I go on?

Mathematics is the Empress of the Sciences. In an age of uncertainty, mathematics is the only discipline that generates knowledge that’s immutably, incontestably, and eternally true. But how did this most important of all intellectual disciplines develop through the ages?

Well, wonder no more. Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, is here to help and he has all the answers. Simply tune into BBC 4's new series The Story of Maths and you will be both amazed, intrigued and educated. What more could you want?

How should British history be taught?

2008-10-04T20:00:00.000+01:00

The shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove has set the cat amongst the pigeons by attacking how history is taught. He believes that lessons should make pupils proud of our past, but the question is, is he right?

Well, in a multicultural society such as ours, this could be something of a challenge. There's plenty within the history of the British people that is horribly embarrassing or even downright shameful. However, equally, there have been some incredible moments and many glorious achievements.

This question has provoked the Independent newspaper to poll a number of well-known historians about what they consider to be the ten most important dates in British history. To see what the likes of Tristram Hunt, Dan Snow and Tracy Borman have to say on this matter, click here.

But what do you consider to be the 10 most important dates that children should know? Why not post your answer here, by replying to this post. And if you need reminding what sort of events could make your list, why not read the chapter on History in Match Wits with the Kids?

If you don’t use it, you lose it!

2008-10-03T16:57:00.000+01:00

Susan Whelan, a world literatures feature writer based in Canada (as far as I can tell), has written a very comprehensive - not to say glowing - review about Match Wits with the Kids over at Suite101.com.

Her review is from the point of view of an overseas reader and points at that in the current edition there is, naturally, a bias towards British History and Geography. However, she also points out that Match Wits gives readers an excellent General Knowledge overview. As she says, 'In the years between attending school and parenting a school-aged child many facts and details well-known during school years go astray' and that 'many adults have discovered the truth of the adage “If you don’t use it, you lose it”, struggling to recall information that was well known at the age of ten.'

If you would like to read more of Susan's review, particularly if you yourself at not based in the UK but have considered getting hold of a copy of Match Wits with the Kids, then click here.

What is Myrrh Anyway? Released today!

2008-10-02T14:03:00.001+01:00

Yes, it's like all your Christmases have come at once - What is Myrrh Anyway? is finally released today!

It should be in all good bookshops now or, failing that, you can buy it online.

And in case you're new to this blog and wondering where the title of the book comes from, click the video link below.

Dungeons and Dragons and Key Stage 3 Maths

2008-09-28T20:46:00.000+01:00

It sounds like the start of a bad joke doesn't it?

'I say, I say, I say. What do the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and Key Stage 3 Maths have in common?'

But it's not. It is, in fact, all to do with one teacher's attempts to involve his pupils in the demands of the modern Mathematics curriculum.

I immediately latched onto this article from the TES due to my long-held interest in fantasy gaming (in one of my many authorial guises I write Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and wargaming novels) and it makes for intriguing reading.

My one concern regarding such an approach is that having got hooked on role-playing games, how do you then get your mind out of the dungeon and back into the classroom. And that's just from the teacher's perspective!

What is Myrrh Anyway? Out this week!

2008-09-28T17:47:00.000+01:00

Hark, I am the bearer of glad tidings, to you and all your kin. For lo, What is Myrrh Anyway? is out this week!

So that's all your Christmas shopping needs sorted, in one easy to read, easy to wrap book, that's the ideal size to fit inside your Christmas stocking!

What is Myrrh Anyway? hits the shops this Thursday, but you can already order it online at Amazon.

Ho, ho, ho.

SATs - Stress About Tests

2008-09-16T22:18:00.000+01:00

A little controversy for a Tuesday night.

According to last week's TES, an online survey has revealed that many parents believe SATs cause too much stress in children and that they also have little or no confidence in the abilities of their children’s teachers.

Now - putting the SATs thing to one side for a moment - as a teacher and the parent of a child at school, I immediately feel very defensive about such a finding. But the fact remains that many parents do perceive teachers in this way, which is as much a damning comment about the image of education in this country as it is about any particular teacher's ability to do the job.

And certainly exams will always bring with them a certain amount of anxiety but the important thing is to learn to manage this stress. I suspect that some of those parents who think that SATs are too stressful for children are also the ones worrying about how their children will fair and so impose their own anxieties onto their children, making the whole thing a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To read more about this topic click here. To find a simple solution to exam stress, click here, and take with a warm drink at bedtime.

What is Myrrh Anyway?

2008-09-12T10:00:00.001+01:00

Much excitement in the Green househould this morning, as my author copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? have arrived. And for what started out as a relatively short stocking filler of a book, it's actually turned out to be quite a weighty little book on the subject of Christmas and its traditions.So if you've always wondered why Christmas Day falls on 25 December (and not the 15 Augcember, for anyone who's seen the new series of Harry and Paul on BBC1), or can't understand why Brussels sprouts are always on the menu for Christmas dinner, then this little Christmas cracker of a book is the one for you.

The book isn't officially published by Icon Books until 2 October, but it is available to pre-order over on Amazon. And you can discover more fun and fascinating facts about the festive season over on the dedicated What is Myrrh Anyway? blog.

Ho, ho, ho.

The Big Bang: Take 2

2008-09-10T07:44:00.000+01:00

This morning, scientists on the Franco-Swiss border will flip the switch on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - a.k.a. The Big Bang Machine - a 12 storey high, 17-mile long underground ring, built at a cost of £5b, buried more than 300ft under the Alpine foothills, where subatomic particles will be accelerated to astonishing speeds and then smashed into each other.

The LHC will blast protons - one of the building blocks of atoms - at a velocity close to the speed of light, generating temperatures of more than a trillion degrees centigrade. Each proton beam will pack as much energy as a Eurostar train travelling at 150 kilometres per hour. The resulting collisions will hopefully replicate conditions found in the moments following the Big Bang - or the beginning of the universe - and scientists will study the fallout. Let's just hope nothing goes wrong!

And if you're worried that man's meddling is going to create a black hole under the Alps which will suck the Earth into it, then have a look at this to help calm your nerves.

Match Wits at the Science Museum

2008-09-08T10:28:00.000+01:00

I was at London's Science Museum on Sunday and popped into the branch of Waterstone's that they have there - an occupational hazard when you're a writer. I was very pleased to see that they had The Horror of Howling Hill (my Doctor Who adventure) there among the other DW merchandise, but also Match Wits with the Kids.

There's plenty in the Science section of Match Wits that you can tie to exhibits at the Science Museum, which has many practical models to help demonstrate how things work. There are even links to the History section with the development of the Industrial Revolution.

From the shelves of the museum bookshop it was quite clear that there has been a recent explosion in books about school and schooling aimed at adults, everything from Homework for Grown-Ups to England: 1000 Things You Need to Know.

But if you want one all-encompassing book that takes the subject seriously (whilst presenting it in a light-hearted way), that keeps it up to date and relevant for the modern generation of school-goers as well, then you can't beat Match Wits with the Kids.

Match Wits with the Kids reviewed in Junior Magazine

2008-08-30T21:14:00.000+01:00

In readiness for the new school year, Match Wits with the Kids is reviewed in the October edition of Junior Magazine. And a very positive review it gets too (on page 129, if you happen to have a copy to hand).

In fact, if you haven't done so already, right about now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Match Wits. Not only are a number of booksellers running offers on the book at the moment, but by reading it now, you'll be pre-empting all those difficult questions that are likely to face you in the coming months - whether you're the one going to school, or you're the parent of one of those going to school.

A-levels: are they getting easier, or are students getting smarter?

2008-08-16T16:48:00.000+01:00

The A-level results for 2008 were published on Thursday and, once again, show that more exams were passed than ever before - with more students achieving grade As.

This seems to be a common occurrence in recent years and instantly provokes comments that exams are getting easier, whilst the poor A-level students are wanting to celebrate their fabulous achievements.

But the question remains: are exams getting easier, or is the teaching and learning that's taking place becoming more effective?

A top Welsh academic last night hit back at A-level critics by saying this year’s exam questions were as hard now as when he sat his exams in 1961. But at the same time it was reported that the Maths department at Warwick University are getting prospective students to sit an extra exam to rate their mathematical ability.

And so the debate rages on. To read what Mary Bousted has to say in the Independent, click here. To read about how the introduction of diplomas as an alternative to A-levels next year will help give students a broader range of skills, click here. And to read about how the A-level pass rate now tops 97%, click here.

What do you think? Are you the parent of an A-level student? Are you a celebrating examinee yourself? Or are you preparing to take A-levels in the next year or so? Whoever you are, why not have your say here?

But, for now, congratulations to everyone who's celebrating exam success this summer.

Match Wits gets 5 stars (again)!

2008-08-07T20:30:00.000+01:00

Match Wits with the Kids has been given a 5-star customer review on W H Smith's webstore (to go with the 5-star review on Amazon). To find out more (and buy your own copy) click here.

Match Wits at Number 5 in Smiths

2008-08-03T20:13:00.000+01:00

Having seen (or heard) of several different W H Smiths stores having Match Wits with the Kids at number 5 in their non-fiction books chart, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Match Wits is the 5th best-selling non-fiction book in W H Smiths nationwide - which is nice.

I'm very happy with that position seeing as how the book's only really beaten by a couple of autobiographies and something a lot more lurid than an adult revision guide.

While I'm here I would also like to thank the staff of the Ealing branch of Waterstone's. I was in there on Saturday and, seeing Match Wits on display at the till point, got chatting. The long and the short of it is that they asked me to sign on the copies they had on display - which they then stuck with the appropriate stickers - and also told me that the book was selling rather well - which was nice, as well.

If you haven't picked up a copy yet, what are you waiting for? The Independent said, 'This jolly compendium will enlighten all who dip in... Green deserves 10/10.'

You can purchase one right now by clicking on the appropriate box in the sidebar to the right. Which would be nice.

Match Wits with the Kids giveaway

2008-07-18T10:48:00.000+01:00

We gave away free copies of Match Wits with the Kids this morning outside the Department for Children, Schools and Families - see more here:

The Massive Match Wits Giveaway!

2008-07-13T22:23:00.000+01:00

How would you like to have a copy of Match Wits with the Kids, signed by the author... and for free?

Well, if you would, then make sure you're outside the Department for Children, Schools and Families (Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BT) between 8.00am and 10.00am this Friday 18 July 2008.

Icon Books are going to be giving away 500 free copies of Match Wits with the Kids and I'll be there to sign them as well. All those involved in the giveaway will be wearing Match Wits t-shirts and will be happy to explain why this is the most important book of the summer.

Match Wits with the Kids - a little learning for all the family!

Match Wits on the Sunday Schedule

2008-07-13T22:07:00.001+01:00

This morning I was fortunate enough to be interviewed on the Sunday Schedule, on BBC London, by Lesley Joseph and Roland Rivron, live in the studio. As well as talking about my latest publication Match Wits with the Kids, I also got to test the two presenters' knowledge with a genuine quiz from the book and make an exclusive announcement, live on air.

Roland Rivron, Jonathan Green and Lesley Joseph

Lesley and Roland were both delightful and really made me feel at ease, and I think that came through in the interview. If you missed it, you can listen to it again here - the interview is about 1hr 45mins into the show.

And as to the exclusive announcement I made for the first time on the Sunday Schedule, I'll be posting more details about it here soon. So, watch this space.

JG on BBC London 94.9

2008-07-12T22:28:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow morning, Sunday 13 July (in case you're reading this any time other than Saturday night) I am going to be on the Sunday Schedule, with Lesley Joseph and Roland Rivron, on BBC London radio 94.9FM.

If you're able to, why not tune in at around 10.30am to hear about, not only Match Wits with the Kids, but also an event linked to the book that will be taking place in central London this coming Tuesday. You really don't want to miss this!

The Brain Gym Controversy

2008-07-11T09:36:00.000+01:00

Working in schools (an occupational hazard of being a teacher) I have come across Brain Gym on a number of occasions. In case you don't know, Brain Gym is a system of kinesthetics that puts forward the idea that certain exercises and postures aid children's learning. It is widely used in British state schools.

However, despite its popularity, like anything that's successful, it comes with its very own controversial baggage. There are those who have disputed the validity of Brain Gym's theoretical foundation and its alleged results, citing it as an example of 'bad science'*.

You can find out more about the proposed benefits of Brain Gym as an aid to children's learning here, whereas you can read more about one sceptic's view here.

Personally, I don't feel well-informed (or practised enough in this area) to make a call one way or another. All that I would say is that even if the science behind Brain Gym wouldn't stand up to in-depth scientific scrutiny, if the simple action of carrying out the Brain Gym exercises before starting a lesson or a task helps a child focus on the work they have to do then is that really such a bad thing. After all, placebos have been proved to make a difference in certain medical trials.

Maybe it's just a case of mind over matter, but if that is the case, then it doesn't matter and I don't mind. If it works for you...

* What's 'good science' then? The atom bomb?

Match Wits on REM.fm

2008-07-07T21:45:00.001+01:00

I was interviewed by Maurice Boland today on Radio Europe Mediterraneo talking about Match Wits with the Kids. Maurice was very complimentary about the book and didn't ask me too many tricky questions.

Hopefully there will be something up on REM.fm's website in due course about Match Wits and there may be the possibility to listen to the interview in the future as well.

But for now you'll just have to settle for reading the book itself. Enjoy!

Match Wits with the Kids up for grabs

2008-07-05T20:48:00.000+01:00

Totz2Teens have three copies of Match Wits with the Kids to give away. The closing date for the competition is 29 July, so get yourself over to their website and answer their deceptively simple question.

I say deceptively because the competition entry question is (and I quote), 'Jonathan Green has written another book - Please name it?'

Now those of you who've been paying attention will have worked out by now that I have written more than two books (I'm actually half-way through my twentieth at the moment) but don't worry - the answer to the question is really very straightforward.

Match Wits on Radio Europe Mediterraneo

2008-07-05T20:27:00.000+01:00

If you missed my last radio interview, then you have another chance to hear me talk about Match Wits With the Kids this Monday (7 July) at approximately 12.25pm on Radio Europe Mediterraneo, Spain's premier News/Talk radio station in English.

If you are able to pick up REM.fm and are free to listen at lunchtime, then tune in next week and learn a little more about the book that everyone's* talking about.

* Everyone in the Green household, that is.

Visit my new store

2008-07-02T13:27:00.001+01:00

I have recently created my own online store, with the aid of Amazon Associates, so if you would like to purchase any of the books written by myself simply follow the link at the top of the sidebar, or click here.

Match Wits with your 11 year-old self

2008-07-01T11:43:00.000+01:00

As has been reported elsewhere, Match Wits with the Kids is not the only book out at the moment that reminds parents of what they once knew. But now a new book of exam questions taken from the old-style 11-plus exam has begged the seemingly perennial question - are exams getting easier?

You can read more about The Eleven-Plus Book: Genuine Exam Questions From Yesteryear here, and try out a some of the questions from the test for yourself here. Do you think exams are getting easier? Do you think that teachers should make a return to the teaching methods they used when you were at school? Let us know how you get on and have your say on the matter here.

Subliminal education

2008-06-30T21:47:00.000+01:00

You've probably heard of subliminal advertising, but what about receiving a subliminal education? Well that seems to be the goal of video games developer Capcom and Nipan Maniar, a senior lecturer in creative technologies at the University of Portsmouth, who is described as a 'leading academic'.

The plan appears to be to embed subliminal lessons, which address subject areas that many students find hard to grasp such as maths and physics, into game play. According to Maniar, 'The power of games as a learning tool is the great untapped education resource of our time.'

But how do you feel about video games companies having the power to influence how children learn and what they learn? Do you agree with Maniar that this could be the next big thing in education, or do you have fears that this is just another example of technology being used irresponsibly, as was implied by this particular news item.

To read more about Capcom's plans, click here.

Match Wits is Book of the Month!

2008-06-30T20:18:00.000+01:00

At least it is in W H Smith in Hammersmith.

If Smiths think Match Wits with the Kids is good enough to be non-fiction book of the month, don't you think it must be good enough for you too?

(Thanks to Catherine for the heads up on this one.)

Fun Learning

2008-06-30T20:08:00.000+01:00

Part of the appeal of Match Wits with the Kids is that it promotes learning as a fun experience to be enjoyed by all.

Well how about this example of fun learning, as proposed by the rather appropriately named Mr Rolls, and witnessed recently on a school trip to Kew Gardens?

I don't know which part I found more amusing; the actual rolling down the hill or the laborious preparations beforehand.

But that's what I call fun learning!

Match Wits in Harrods

2008-06-30T19:55:00.000+01:00

I happened to find myself in Harrods the other day (as you do from time to time when you live in London and it's your wife's birthday) and I happened across Match Wits with the Kids in the Waterstones store there.

I also happened to happen across a number of my other recent publications including my science fiction steampunk novel Leviathan Rising, my Doctor Who book The Horror of Howling Hill and several Fighting Fantasy gamebooks I had written.

As they say, there's only one Harrods, and there's only one Match Wits with the Kids too!

It pays to know your spellings

2008-06-30T11:19:00.000+01:00

As reported in The Times newspaper, a GCSE student has gained marks in an exam for swearing on paper.

It just goes to show that a little accurate spelling can go a long way. It's just unfortunate for the expletive-expressing teenager that he didn't decide to write a little more on his exam paper or he might have earned himself more than just 2 marks out of 27.

Match Wits with the Kids has a whole section on spelling, including a number of useful spelling rules and a list of those words which are commonly misspelled.

So, if spelling isn't your strong suit you could do a lot worse than pick up a copy of the book here. We just wouldn't recommend resorting to the Anglo-Saxon vernacular when it comes to putting it into practice.

Win a copy of Match Wits With the Kids

2008-06-28T15:32:00.000+01:00

Over at Parenting Without Tears they are offering 20 people the chance to win a copy of Match Wits With the Kids.

To enter their competition, just follow this link.

Love Reading loves Match Wits

2008-06-28T15:27:00.000+01:00

I was very pleased to find Match Wits with the Kids at LoveReading4Kids.co.uk.

As they say on their site, 'We don’t usually use Lovereading4kids to tell parents about a book that is perfect for you the parent this summer, but with this one we couldn’t resist.'

Go over there and check it out.

Match Wits in The Independent

2008-06-28T15:05:00.000+01:00

So, you've read a few posts on the blog and you're intrigued by the idea of Match Wits with the Kids, but you're still not quite sure if it's the book for you.

Well, if that's the case, you could do a lot worse than read the review that appeared in The Independent's book section on Friday. If you missed it, you can read it online by following this link.

Go on, you know you want to!

Match Wits on the 'Net

2008-06-25T09:17:00.000+01:00

Match Wits with the Kids has now gained a fair Internet presence (just type the book title into Google to find out for yourself) but there are a couple of links that are worth following up in particular.

The first is at Just In Just Out, which has a very comprehensive review of the book.

And then over at the wonderfully named From Bump to Grump there is the opportunity to win a copy, courtesy of Icon Books.

So what are you waiting for?

Match Wits Google Search

2008-06-16T16:23:00.000+01:00

I'm told by those people whose business it is to know such things that companies put a lot of effort and money into having their names at the top of the list when anybody puts the relevant search into Google.

However, I have also been told that with a little canny use of the Internet yourself, a writer can achieve the same results without having the big budget to back them up.

So, you can see why I'm understandably very happy that when you type 'Match Wits with the Kids' into Google UK, that the first ten items on the search results page are all to do with my book! This is thanks in part to an Amazon listing, my publisher Icon Books arranging for me to be filmed by the people at Meet the Author, and my own blogging efforts.

It just goes to show, that a little effort in the right place at the right time can work wonders! A lesson for us all, I feel.

Match Wits with the Kids from Icon Books

2008-06-12T11:52:00.000+01:00

Match Wits with the Kids is now available to buy through the Icon Books website. And of course there are all sorts of other fascinating books that can be purchased from there. Why not check out Sean Connolly's Wholly Irresponsible Exploits! - 65 Ways to Muck About with Science, or 365: Great Stories from History for Every Day of the Year by W B Marsh and Bruce Carrick?

And then of course, there's Icon's children's imprint Wizard Books where you can find examples of the sort of books I wrote before Match Wits.

Match Wits on BBC London

2008-06-10T07:08:00.000+01:00

Last night I was interviewed live on air on BBC London's the Late Show, by host Tessa Dunlop. As well as talking about my book Match Wits with the Kids we also got round to discussing the recent Children's Commissioners report.

You can listen to Monday's show at BBC London's own website any time today. Simply click on the link underneath 'On this site' labelled 'Listen Again: The Late Show with Jumoké Fashola' (don't worry, it really is the right one). You need to go to about one and three quarter hours in to hear the bit about Match Wits (as I was interviewed at 11.45pm).

I hope you find it illuminating.