‘I wanted to be No 1. But a certain JK Rowling came along’: Jacqueline Wilson on rivalry, censorship – and love

Raised by a ‘scary’ father and a ‘terrible snob’ of a mother, the Tracy Beaker author has always understood the loneliness that marks so many young lives. But at 77, she’s never been happier

‘Mozart didn’t have explosions’: Simon Mayo on how his book Itch became an opera

With an aria to the periodic table and a hero dying of radiation sickness, the broadcaster’s YA novel has been transformed into an exposive operatic thriller

Christine Baker obituary

Editor with the Paris-based publisher Gallimard Jeunesse who was determined to give British children’s books a presence in France

Beth Mead: ‘I told Saka just to curtsy when he sees me!’

The Arsenal and England footballer on her MBE, her terrible singing voice – and the best and worst year of her life

Dogger to the rescue: how my mother’s books brought joy to the children of Ukraine

After the death last year of children’s author Shirley Hughes, her son took hundreds of her books, including the award-winning Dogger, to libraries in Ukraine

Michael Roberts obituary

Fashion journalist and illustrator who helped transform Tatler magazine into a leading glossy

Judy Blume: book banning now much worse in US than in 1980s

Children’s and young adult author of 1970 book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret says growing intolerance must be challenged

Mary Rayner obituary

Children’s author who devised the adventures of the Pig family and illustrated stories including Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep-Pig

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books

A pair of historical novels focus on different aspects of the 70s, while gender identity is a theme in an array of strong new adventures

The Detention Detectives by Lis Jardine review – top-grade misbehaviour

Pupils investigate a murder at school in this entertaining noir lite for young readers

Steer clear of ‘mediocre writing’ by celebrities for Christmas, authors plead

Books by TV personalities and other high-profile figures will top bestseller lists, but critics say professionals lose out

The best children’s books of 2022

From a four-legged celebration of the seasons to a fiery tale of women who turn into dragons, our critics look back over the year and pick their favourite titles for children and young adults

Best children’s and YA books of 2022

Journeys through music, history, magic and more, plus the standout books for young adults

‘At first she didn’t like my drawings’: Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson on three decades of collaboration

In a rare joint interview, the creators of The Gruffalo talk about baddies, Brexit – and the bumpy beginning to their partnership

Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books

Estranged friends navigate a sleeping world, a boy discovers he is part-alien, and the hunt for a missing mother touches lightly on mental health issues