Just So Stories

There have been some interesting aspects to my review hobby in recent weeks, all but one or two, supremely satisfying, and the isolated couple that were not, were not actually negative towards my reviewing, merely annoying in a general sense. In particular, over the last couple of days I’ve enjoyed some wonderful and lively conversation with the amazing Tania Ingram and the library goddess, Michelle Nye (such a splendid weekend!!), and the topic arose.

Anyway, I thought some people might be interested in a little more background and insight into this busy little recreational pursuit of mine, and as the tenth year of the blog is drawing to a close, seems a good time to do so. I’ve been a teacher-librarian for over 25 years, and in saying that: I have been a t-l in smaller primary libraries, in secondary libraries, Head of Library in several large P-12 colleges, worked in public library, and even dabbled in the corporate side of library, so I guess it’s fair to say I have a breadth and depth of library knowledge that is not the general rule.

I’m also still working – at present enjoying what might be a sabbatical, or might be semi-retirement doing relief teaching, which does include library gigs, which means not only am I still actively involved with kiddos of all sorts, but sharing books with them, book talking and gauging their responses.

I think that both these are aspects that set me apart from quite a number of reviewers that I know of, as many don’t even have grandchildren to use as sounding boards. [It kind of leans to the whole book awards judges argument, but that’s a discussion for another time]

I sort of fell into reviewing about 11 years ago. At a conference, in my corporate role, I was chatting with Pat Pledger [Readplus] casually during a break, but then later at dinner with Pat & Paul, Gwyneth Jones and Joyce Valenza [library heroes!] , Pat mentioned how difficult it was to find people to review YA, that most people just wanted to tackle PBs or MG so I said I’d have a crack.

Somehow that grew quite quickly and after almost a year, I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to collate my reviews somewhere – pretty much just for my own storage space really. Thus, this blog was born and now, in the blink of an eye (or turn of a page?) it is the 10th anniversary year (I’m thinking I’ll buy me an anniversary gift – but not tin or aluminium!). I also review ad hoc for Kids Book Review, so all in all, I’m pretty busy with it at most times (unless, for example, I’m moving house 😬 or something else equally all-consuming).

This year, so far, is my best yet with more than double the visitors of the previous best (which was Covid when people were really bored!! LOL) and that’s rather a nice warm fuzzy.

Unlike other reviewers, I cover age groups from baby to adult – I don’t have a target audience. Actually, to be quite truthful I review to please myself. I do request some titles specifically, most of those are from creators with whom I have formed solid friendships, but I also get sent many more. I don’t review (or rarely) graphics, romances and very little sci-fi or horror, because it’s not what I enjoy myself, and I would find it hard to be enthusiastic.

I won’t review a book I dislike intensely – fortunately that has rarely happened. I tell the children life is too short to read a book you don’t like (thank you to Nancy Pearl, America’s Librarian – another of my librarian heroes, whom I’ve had the pleasure to meet and talk with) and I abide by that rule – especially when I have (as at this moment in time) around 70 books to potentially review [Ooops – add another two to that tally as the postie just brought another parcel!]

[EDIT: arrive home after weekend and find four more parcels!!]

Unlike some reviewers, I do read every book I review. And by that I mean I read every page, cover to cover – not browse, or dip in and out. I’m not a speed reader, but I do read quickly. After all, I’ve been doing it since I was about 3 – and at that age I could read the newspaper so I was off to a fairly literate standard. My family has always said ‘and she’s never stopped…’. So I can get through books quite quickly, depending on content.

That’s a question I’m often asked – when do I find time? I don’t watch a lot of TV and I do read every night, usually for at least half an hour. So an average MG novel would take two nights of reading. The actual writing of the reviews, on average, takes me probably about fifteen minutes (never really clocked it) because in general terms, the review is writing itself in my brain as I’m reading, and immediately I’m finished. Some books e.g. recently Foxlight – Katya Balen, I read quite quickly but because that book was, to my mind, so extraordinary it was two weeks of the review swirling around in my head, then about that fifteen minute mark to actually type it out. My school and uni assigments were done in much the same way!

At the moment I’m book cheating on Bee Miles’ biography. It is fascinating but it is also intense, and requires more of my attention and processing of information than, say an easy junior or middle grade novel of 200 pages or so. During the few weeks I’ve been reading the biography I’ve probably read about 15 others I’d guess interspersed.

It just would not be my style to just skim a book and then review it. I can easily tell when that’s happened. For example, recently I was writing some teaching notes for a MG novel I reviewed quite a few months ago. As well as my own review, I went to see what other people had thought of it just as, sort of a vibe to get me back into its rhythm. I read 5 reviews from individuals, some of them published on either professional type platforms or personal blogs, and realistically, I could have just read one because they were all so similar and, in reality, varied so little from the publisher’s blurb/summary.

It was quite revelationary as normally, I don’t read other people’s reviews. I know, because they have told me, that some folks read mine if they are yet to write their own on a particular book, and I don’t really understand that. I much prefer to write my own thoughts, and not be influenced by others.

I think my reviews often don’t read like the reviews you would see in a library journal and that’s not exactly intentional but… I don’t want them to sound like anything else except my own voice with my own reactions and emotions.

Sure I’m going to mention literary quality, language, potential teaching opportunities and classroom tie-ins if I feel that is particularly pertinent, but that’s not my primary objective. I think (maybe I’m wrong but the stats are telling me differently) that people want to hear an authentic voice, and a heartfelt response. I also fervently believe, and adhere to the principles espoused by folks like Donalyn Miller and Steven Layne (another two idols I’ve had the good fortune to hang with), in that when it comes to kids lit, what I want most is for my readers to embrace reading, to love it with a passion.

I don’t want to ‘teach’ a book when I review especially. I don’t want to expect kids to come up with something everytime they read a book. I don’t want to attach a ‘chore’ as a condition of them reading. Of course, I do activities associated with books, but often they are just bloody good fun and nothing at all to do with being literary (oh dear, does that make me a bad librarian?***). Example: I took a library gig that timed with Bastille Day. With the littlies I shared Nanette’s Baguette (always a riot!) and we made Nanette and baguette popstick puppets- FUN! In the past week, I’ve shared Grandma’s First Tattoo (thanks again Tony and Phillip!! mwuahhhh!) and invited the kids to design tattoos – FUN!. I read aloud to every class I take, whether for a session or a day. Last week I was giving some NCT to a Year 4 teacher, who were (of course) reading Rowan of Rin. My arduous task was to read aloud the next chapter. At the end of the session, the teacher was thanking me in the class’ hearing and was ‘like wow, you do that so much better than me’ and all the kids were madly nodding and agreeing with gusto. That was nicely satisfying. I did say I’ve had plenty of practice but that’s not all it takes, I know, because I’ve seen and heard some who have had just as much practice, and it’s agony on the ears.

So quite often therefore, if I can find or think of a fun activity to go with a book, I’ll add that to my review. And it probably explains why when I’m writing a set of teaching notes, the ideas just keep adding on. And yes, I get that most of our curriculum demands want a ‘novel study’ and I can easily support that at need, and have done so over and over again, but often – don’t we just want to read for the sheer escapism and joy of it? But this is one of the reasons I add ideas to the Freebies page, because things just pop into my head (also I’d love it if schools would stop using the same books over and over ad nauseum!).

People wonder why I do this if I don’t get paid for it. Why would I not?

Firstly, of course, there are the books which mostly went into my own libraries but were also used as prizes and for a few years, every new Preppie got a brand-new PB to keep at a couple of my schools – as their ‘welcome to your reading journey’. I also held a book lottery timed with Book Week [ping me if you would like to know more] Now I support 3 different school libraries (with very small budgets), and my Indigenous Education Officer daughter gets any First Nations titles for her mob kids [her collection is getting quite impressive!], I donate substantially to our local public library’s Xmas book drive for under-privileged kids, and, of course, keep just a few for myself (especially all the wonderful HP items I am sent regularly).

Secondly, it has afforded me the opportunity to become part of a warm and welcoming community of creators, inspires my own creative efforts, and helps me become a more passionate book advocate. Over the past decade I’ve been blessed so much to make such a wonderful circle of creator friends. People to have lunches and dinners with, to hang out with for a few bevvies, people who take a genuine interest in The Kid and have helped her growth as a reader and more. What a reward for a little of my time!

Thirdly, it has gained me so much cred when I was least expecting it, and often, hilariously, when people say ‘Oh I know who you are!’ and that in turn, has lead to actual paid work with writing teaching notes, which is just a privilege in itself.

Given I love language, and always have done so – NOT as an English teacher or curriculum writer does – but for the sheer beauty of the words, this is pretty much like playtime for me.

Finally, I think it makes me a ‘better’ reader and book talker, and a better human. As I hope for my kiddos, I believe reading makes me -and them- more compassionate and kind. [Yep, I’m still impatient and often intolerant, but that’s pretty much confined to either people who can’t/don’t do their jobs properly, or set themselves up as superior and/or relevant when in actual fact they are not – but really that’s nothing to do with reading or reviews!!]

If you are a regular reader of this blog, I thank you for your continued support and, of course, would love you to bring along a friend who also loves reading especially Kids Lit (with an emphasis on Australian creators). I also have a FB group where we share our best reads (it’s not demanding – we can go months with offering anything up LOL because we are all busy people) – [ping me if you’d like the link]. I especially thank all the publishers who not only feed my addiction but are always so very kind about my reviews and my support. And of course, my wide circle of author, illustrator, artist, and publisher friends – you ARE the best!

Coming up on the blog – Picture Book Month – and boy, do I have plenty to get through! I’m aiming for one a day – so hopefully, will complete my challenge. Hope you’ll stick around for it 😍,

[***plenty of time for serious teaching in the library but so many people forget that learning should also be fun, with no strings attached, sometimes!]