Raising Wild Readers
Join us for a special event with Australian Children's Laureate Sally Rippin
If there’s one thing that we’re all about at Your Kid’s Next Read it’s raising readers.
We started our community to bring adults together for one reason – to help every child find the perfect ‘next book’. We’ve always believed that it takes a village to raise a reader and that readers come in many different types.
Which is why we’re SO VERY EXCITED to be holding a FREE special event, live on Zoom on Tuesday 23rd July at 7.30pm, featuring an in-depth discussion between our very own Megan Daley – award-winning teacher librarian, advocate and author (including Raising Readers: How to Nurture a Child’s Love of Books) – and Sally Rippin, current Australian Children’s Laureate, international bestselling children’s author, as well as author of Wild Things: How We Learn to Read And Write.
“Sally Rippin’s Wild Things is part memoir and part non-fiction and like every book Rippin has written, I fell into Wild Things and emerged better for the reading experience,” says Megan. “As someone who has many close family members who have battled with the ‘learn to read’ experience, Wild Things reduced me to tears at several points, for things that ‘could have been’.
“I have a deep conviction that ‘being a reader’ is for the Wild Ones as much as it is for the Ones who effortlessly fall into reading.”
During the event, Megan and Sally will discuss:
•the role of the Australian Children’s Laureate,
•improving literacy outcomes in Australia,
•the so-called ‘Reading Wars’ and
•how to foster a love of literature in young readers of all types
AND you’ll have a chance to ask your own questions.
The event is FREE but you need to register to receive the Zoom link on the day. Hit the button to find out more and secure your ticket.
UPDATES FROM TEAM YKNR
July is shaping up to be BUSY, with our Raising Wild Readers event, other literary events and, joy of joys, a meeting of the Your Kid’s Next Read team in Brisbane all on the cards. We do love getting together to plan what’s ahead!
HELLO FROM MEGAN DALEY
Megan is an award-winning teacher-librarian working in Brisbane, the author of Raising Readers: How to nurture a child’s love of books, and co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. Her debut picture book THE BEEHIVE is out now! More about Megan here.
It's winter and, even in Brisbane, it's suddenly rather chilly! The Beekeeper decided that this particular wintry week would be the perfect time for a spot of winter camping at one of his bee sites in a forestry west of Toowoomba.
So the car is packed with the esky, tents, sleeping bags, many layers of clothing and a shovel. The shovel is for toileting purposes as there are no, zero, zip amenities where we are headed, a detail that was left out of initial conversations.
The paper map is also packed as there will be no wifi and therefore no Google Maps. The aforementioned map was dropped off by Lenny the Legend (father of The Beekeeper) along with some advice about creek crossings and sinking sand. His precious map is from 1962 and is suitably dog eared and pencilled all over.
The Teen has backed away quietly from the camping trip stating that she needs to study and work and The Beekeeper has been telling her all the things she is going to miss out on – she is still not coming and is happily prepping her playlist and figuring out what meals she and grandma will be having…
MEGAN’S BOOKMARK REVIEWS
Each month, I share full reviews of two outstanding books that have crossed my desk. Bookmark these for your young readers.
In his picture-book debut, contemporary artist Datsun Tran tells his family’s story of making a new home after journeying by boat from Vietnam as refugees. In vivid ink paintings and spare, resonant text, Then and Now explores the powerful associations a sound, smell or sensation can carry. Young readers are warmly welcomed into two strikingly different worlds: then and now.
Datsun Tran’s artwork in this remarkable book has been created with alcohol ink, pigmented ink and gouache on mulberry paper and it invites the viewer to really lean in and explore it closely, it’s multiple layers, pops of colours and focal points are so carefully considered and worthy of deep study for art lovers of all ages. The book and Datsun Tran’s artwork in general explores themes of conflict and utopia, childhood and the relationship between different cultures.
The artwork and the meaning of the light and dark of Then and Now is just breathtaking. It is a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming and while this is the story of one family it’s also the story of so many families.
‘Hooray, Hooray It’s Library Day’ by Julie Anne Grasso. Illustrated by Heath McKenzie
The sun is up, today's the day. The little ones come, with smiles so wide and silky bags as big as them ... A lonely library book sits on the shelf, hoping for small hands to choose them ... Will today be the day they're whisked away for a reading adventure?
I really loved that this story was told from the perspective of a library book, who desperately wanted to be taken home, read and treasured by a young reader. It's a beautiful celebration of libraries, 'library day' and books with great illustrations by Heath McKenzie – the endpapers are particularly fab.
HELLO FROM ALLISON RUSHBY
The award-winning, bestselling author of many, many books for children and adults, Allison Rushby’s novels are firm favourites in the Your Kid’s Next Read community. Her latest illustrated junior fiction series, The Wish Sisters, is fast gaining fans. More about Allison R here.
I would love to tell you I have lots of exciting news for you, but I do not (well, I do, but I can’t speak of it yet. Hopefully next time…). I believe my last update was mostly moaning about the structural edit I was attempting to conquer and I’m back today to moan again, for I’m still in the weeds (so many weeds, so many, many weeds…) of said structural edit. Yes, it is the structural edit that will not end.
To make things worse, it is, of course, school holidays. So my social media is full of people doing very lovely things! I am hopeful that one day I will be finished the structural edit and will be allowed out of the study to do very lovely things also! Until then, back to the manuscript…
THREAD OF THE MONTH
This was such a fun post from the Your Kid’s Next Read community…. Who else had a magazine subscription as a young reader? I had one to Twinkle magazine and I loved it SO MUCH. When this post popped up, I went and searched for Twinkle and some of the covers and illustrations that popped up were so familiar to me. It was a lovely trip down memory lane!
HELLO FROM ALLISON TAIT
Writing as A. L. Tait, Allison is the internationally published, bestselling author of three middle-grade series: The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. She is an in-demand speaker, a writing teacher for kids and adults, and co-host of the YKNR podcast. Her latest novel THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE is out now. More about Allison here.
I’ve got a lot of exciting things on this month, with a visit to Mackay next week for the Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, a host of school visits and a trip to Brisbane later in the month to hang out with the rest of Team YKNR. It feels as though CBCA Book Week has come early to my corner of the world!
But I’ve got exciting news as well! The First Summer of Callie McGee has been longlisted for the Sisters In Crime Australia 2024 Davitt Awards – and she’s in excellent company, including our own Allison Rushby, as you can see from this image that shows the combined children’s and YA longlists (thank you Emily Gale).
The awards recognise the best crime and mystery books published by women in 2023, and I’m thrilled to see my book in contention.
Speaking of which, voting has opened for this year’s Better Reading Top 50 Kid’s Books and we’d love it if you’d consider voting for a Team YKNR book this year!
Click the link below and fill out the form to vote for either:
• The First Summer of Callie McGee by A. L. Tait
• The Beehive by Megan Daley
• The Wish Sisters by Allison Rushby
Voting puts you in the draw to win ALL 50 of the books chosen for this year’s top list.
AMAZING AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
One of the joys of creating the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast each month is the opportunity to talk to some of Australia’s best and most interesting authors!
In case you missed them, here’s a wrap up of our five most recent author interviews! (Click the name to go to the episode and show notes)
Yuot A. Alaak: discussing the young readers’ edition of his extraordinary memoir Father of the Lost Boys, about how his father saved 20,000 boys from becoming child soldiers in the second Sudanese Civil War. A fantastic and accessible true story.
Catherine Doyle: on her latest international bestselling middle-grade fantasy novel Pirates of Darksea, and the sibling relationship.
Anna Battese: chatting about her chapter book series PD McPem’s Agency for Mysterious Mysteries – perfect for very young mystery fans.
Deborah Abela: on writing her very first verse novel for middle-grade readers, The Kindness Project.
Joel McKerrow: discussing his debut graphic novel series Urban Legend Hunters, and how to help kids get in touch with their creativity.
JULY BOOKMAIL WINNER
Each month, we give away a prize pack consisting of some of the brilliant bookmail sent to us for the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. One winner* is chosen from our full subscriber list by random draw and announced here!
There are FIVE books in the JULY prize pack.
The JULY bookmail giveaway winner is … Ellie Marks.
Congrats! We’ll be in touch by email.
Want a chance to win next month? All you have to do is subscribe.
Here’s to reading!
We’ll see you in August with more bookish goodness. Our paid subscribers have a treat in store later this month with some amazing research tips for kids.
Allison T, Allison R and Megan
*Australian mailing addresses only. Prize consists of one copy of each book pictured, sent as a pack to the winner by Australia Post. Winner will be contacted by email and prize must be claimed within 14 days or a redraw will take place. You must be subscribed to the YKNR newsletter by midnight (AEDST) the night before publication each month to be eligible to win. No correspondence will be entered into.