Award-winning journalist John Dean has set up a new children’s books website.

It’s the latest twist in an eventful 20-year career in journalism which has seen John work for eight different regional titles before going it alone as a freelance writer, becoming a children’s author and embarking on contract publishing.

His latest venture is Kids’ Bookshelf. It includes extracts from his own book Haghir The Dragon Finder a madcap comic fantasy for children.

Also featured is Dinosaur Week, written by John’s mother Doreen – a writer in Darlington schools.

The website also includes details of two books which were published by schools in the region with which the two authors have worked: Thank You Prayers by Abbey Junior School, Darlington, and A Tricky Week, a picture book for nursery-age children by pupils of Blackfyne Comprehensive School, Consett.

John (39) said: “The use of websites to promote books is becoming increasingly popular and we hope that Kids’ Bookshelf will be able to take advantage of the trend. Although we are both committed to the idea of the traditional book, we cannot ignore the growth of the Internet and, by placing extracts of our work on the we, we hope potential readers will be able to assess whether or not the book is for them. Kids’ Bookshelf is also an excellent vehicle for schools which have published their own work and we hope that it will grow over the years to include many more titles.”

John and his wife, journalist Frances Griss, established their own freelance business in September 1996 and combine a wide range of work with caring for their two children, aged three and one.

John joined the Evening Despatch, Darlington, in June 1980. He went on to work for the Derby Evening Telegraph, Lincolnshire Echo, Hull Daily Mail, Sunderland Echo, Gloucester Citizen and Northern Echo. He was also a co-founder of the Hull and Beverley Independent.

In 1998, he was named North-East Freelance Journalist of the Year, and the following two years he won North-East Environmental Reporter of the Year.

Frances has worked for the Gateshead Post, Shields Gazette, Hull and Beverley Independent, Gloucester Citizen, Darlington Advertiser and Darlington & Stockton Times.