We’ve introduced an exciting new feature on the FE website. We know that, in a lot of schools, pupils and teachers sit down in front of the whiteboard and/or computer screens on a Friday afternoon and watch the countdown clock running all the way down to zero –

TEN… NINE… EIGHT… SEVEN… SIX… FIVE… FOUR… THREE… TWO… ONE… … … … and then nothing happens!

One of the teachers that we met at the Bett exhibition in January pointed this out to us. So… now something happens! When the countdown clock gets to zero, the numbers will flash and you’ll hear a little ‘hooray’ fanfare – something like this:

Click here to watch a video of the new countdown clock fanfare

Check it out at 3 pm today! We hope you like it.

The FE Team

We are really sad that our current e-books are almost over *sniffle*. We’ve really enjoyed working on them and hope you have enjoyed reading them, too. But of course, to cheer you up we have two exciting new e-books launching next half term for you to read. Here are the details:

Roll up, roll up, the circus is coming to Fiction Express!

Rémy Brunel and the Circus Horse
by Sharon Gosling (author of FE e-books Shadow People and The Ghosts of Eden Valley)

Rémy Brunel loves her life in the circus – riding elephants, practising tightrope tricks and dazzling audiences. But when two new magicians arrive at the circus, everyone is wary of them. What exactly are they up to? What secrets are they trying to hide? Should Rémy and her new friend Matthias trust them? You decide…

The Mysterious Indian Vanishing Trick
by award-winning author Ann Evans

Rahul has vanished into thin air, leaving only his mysterious book behind. Strangely, his best friend Valinda is the only person who seems to be concerned about his disappearance. Having enlisted the help of her neighbour, Jamie Jordan, the pair set out on an unusual journey to try and find out exactly what has happened to Rahul. Will they ever see him again? You decide!

We are really excited about these new e-books *squee* and hope that you are, too. The first chapters will go live on Friday 14th June at 3 pm!

The FE Team

Voting has now closed and you – the readers – have decided how these stories should end. I’m about to deliver the results to Marie-Louise and Tommy right now! Both votes were very, very close… find out the results for yourself when the new chapters are released on Friday at 3 pm.

The FE Team

There have been countless versions of Beauty and the Beast. The tale was first published in 1741, in French (La Belle et la Bête). Since then, it’s been translated, told, retold and performed too.

You might know the Disney film or stage version:

My favourite is the adaptation by Lawrence Boswell, perfomed at the Old Vic and later by the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford.

Very briefly, this is the story: Beauty grows up in a wealthy family. All three sisters are beautiful, but only Beauty is pure of heart. Her father loses his fortune and they all have to get used to being poor. Beauty’s father goes on a journey and on the way home he gets lost in the forest. He finds a palace where he stays but sees no one. As he’s leaving, he takes a rose for Beauty. Beauty had asked him for a rose thinking it would be a modest gift. However, this palace belongs to Beast and he is furious at this theft and is going to kill the father. But when he explains that he took the rose for his daughter, the Beast grows thoughtful. He says he will spare the man’s life if he will bring his daughter to live with Beast. So he gives Beauty to the Beast to save his own skin.

The Beast falls in love with Beauty, but for a long time, Beauty can’t love him back. He’s ugly and very frightening! Eventually, however, she loves him for his kindness and his devotion to her. At the moment that she finally agrees to marry him, the spell he was under is broken, and he is transformed back into his true self; a handsome prince. So both he and Beauty can live happily ever after.

This is the show that Lauren, Zoe, Indira, Luchi and the other children are working so hard on in Drama Club. I wonder how it will turn out?

You decide!

The penultimate chapters are now live… meaning that YOU can decide how the stories end! *exciting*

We’ve really enjoyed working on The Sand Witch and Drama Club, and hope you’ve enjoyed reading them, too. We can’t believe that they’ve almost come to an end – time definitely flies when you’re having fun

We really can’t wait to see where you take the plotlines next!

The FE Team

We hope that those of you in the UK had a great bank holiday weekend! Don’t forget that voting closes at 3 pm today, so get your votes in now to decide where the plotlines go next!

The FE Team

What did Zoe, Luchi and Indira decide at the end of Chapter 2? And was it a good decision? You voted – I wrote!

It’s been great fun writing this week’s installment after the vote on Tuesday and the story has changed quite a bit as a result. There’s lots of drama of all kinds coming up later today and I hope you enjoy reading it!

There’s a great drama game called “I can’t remember what happens next”. Someone starts making up and telling a story and then when they get to an exciting bit they say ‘I can’t remember what happens next’ and tap someone on the shoulder – that person has to continue the story and make it as exciting as possible – and so on around the group.

Writing this story is a little bit like that – you tell me how to continue and then I make up the next section. It’s a great adventure to be on.

Voting closes at 3 pm today to decide where the plotlines go next – don’t miss the chance to have your say!

We can’t wait to see where you take the plotlines next. The authors – Tommy and Marie-Louise – are eagerly awaiting the vote results!

The FE Team

Well, the new chapter of Drama Club has gone live – I hope you enjoy it!

Thinking about the performing arts has reminded me of two books I loved as a child. Both were about dance, the theatre and film. The first was Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield. I read it so many times it nearly fell apart. I loved it. This is what my copy looked like:

I still have my copy!

A few Christmases ago they made a TV film of it starring Emma Watson. It was GREAT!

Noel Streatfield wrote lots of books about the performing arts. I liked this one too:

Are there any YOU love reading?