Is there some room to update your Non-Fiction collections.  Whether you want Non-Fiction books for topics or to offer as Reading for Pleasure there can be an abundance to choose between.

Noodle Juice, a small publisher who recently took home an The Week Junior Book Award – has loads of Non-Fiction on the go!  Included on their list is a fantastic series called Express Yourself which takes a look at the creative side of life which sadly can sometimes be overshadowed by other learning areas.

Many thanks to Sarah from Noodle Juice who has very kindly taken us behind the curtain of putting the series together, the enormous value creative pursuits offer and some practical suggestions for readers who’d like to engage even more…

The kernel of the idea for our Express Yourself series came as a response to a government campaign promoting job opportunities in the STEM sector. The image of a ballet dancer tying her shoes while over the top in bold letters the campaign proudly stated “YOUR NEXT JOB IS IN CYBER” not only incensed me, but made me incredibly sad.

As a nation, the UK massively over indexes in the creative industries – whether it’s performance – theatre, film or TV – music of all genres or art. Our soft influence is huge for a country of our size and the Labour party estimate the economic contribution of the creative industries, including publishing, as £125 billion per year.

So, for the government of the time to casually dismiss the hard work, training and dedication a ballet dancer needs to be good in their field and suggest that “it’s alright, you’ll be able to get a job on a helpdesk” was infuriating.

Having been involved, in an amateur way, in both drama and music while growing up, I was also aware of how positive an experience participating in both can be. You learn so much about yourself and how to work with others when putting on a performance or playing in an orchestra. The ability to stand on stage and entertain others is hugely useful in later life, for public speaking or even just having confidence in a job interview.

I decided to approach the three key creative areas in a slightly different way to other books on the subjects – to make practical guides to the variety of different roles that can be found in each industry, as well as giving a whistle-stop tour of the origins of theatre, film and TV and genres of music. I wanted the books to have a global feel and be packed full of interesting snippets to engage the reader with Hannah Li’s illustrations to bring it all to life.

Each book, and there’s a third on its way, Art For Art’s Sake, has 13 different careers that relate to the subject – and not always the obvious ones either. I was keen to ensure that these were books for everyone interested in performance and music – not just those who wanted to perform. I wanted to stress that it takes a village to raise a child – that in order for those performers to perform, there were a host of others supporting in costume, make-up, set design, lighting and technical design. It’s easier to be a successful musician if you have a concert promoter or a music journalist on your side. And you won’t have a great performance on stage without your stage manager or costume designer.

I also wanted to make it possible for the reader to do something practical immediately rather than as a career option, so each book includes step by step instructions on how to put on a production and make a film. Or how to write a song, record it and perform it in a band. I hope that we’ve created a series that inspires children aged 8-12 to consider the creative route in life with practical suggestions on how to do so.

We love Non Fiction November and are really pleased to highlight some favourite titles and series this month – but do remember Non-Fiction is for all year round and for some children is what they are drawn to for Reading for Pleasure!

You can read more about the Express Yourself series by clicking on the tiles below or if you would like to see some other Noodle Juice Non-Fiction try Little Book Big Ideas here or When I Grow Up I Want to here.