Reset on reading
Yes, it's term four but a 'book plan' can power reading momentum
Whether you’re slap bang in the middle of the school holidays or already back making school lunches, term four looms large. Somehow this ten-week chunk of time manages to feel as though it goes for ten months and ten minutes at the same time.
But there are three certainties:
• it’s busy
• everyone is tired
• reading can go by the wayside.
To help, we asked Megan Daley for her best tips to help keep up the reading momentum in the face of chaotic family calendars, fatigue and waning interest.
Set your expectations for your kids and their reading.
Sign them up to a reading challenge or create one. (Start by downloading our printable reading bookshelf, which you can adjust to suit your young readers.)
Curate their reading for the term. Having books on hand is half the battle with reading, so head to the bookshop or library and help your young reader select option for the months ahead. Rotate your bookshelves and change the books you have at home in various nooks and crannies
Change out the books you have in the car for your car library. Term four tends to involve a lot of rehearsals and practices for various ‘end of term’ concerts, games and other activities. This can mean a lot of waiting around time for siblings, and a mobile library in your car can be a terrific way to fill that time.
“Term four passes in the blink of an eye,” says Megan, “but reading makes it that little bit softer and gentler. If you have it all prepped, you’re ahead of the game. It’s like a meal plan for the term, but a ‘book plan’ instead.”
On holidays? Read about the power of Holiday Reading here. Looking for inspiration? Hit the red button to discover our curated book lists.
UPDATES FROM TEAM YKNR
We’re all about beginnings and endings this month, with a whole lot of chaos in between. Situation normal, then.
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.
I'm writing this from a beach shack in Rainbow Beach, having been left alone for TWO FULL DAYS to work on some editing projects and keynote presentations I have scheduled for Term Four. Spring is a busy time for bees so The Beekeeper has been away quite a bit. His solution to keep me buzzing along with my own writing work has been to banish me for two days and I am on board! Thus far I have arranged pens, Post-It notes, had a massage and a beach walk. Writing and editing to come.
The pace of our life means that sometimes I have to step out of the busy (or be pushed out as per this weekend) and remove all distractions. It turns out I am not one of those people who can ignore the washing, cooking and kids and concentrate on a project. I want to be but I am not wired that way.
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.
‘The Skin I’m In’ by Steph Tisdell
Layla is in her final year of school. It's the last year to make sure that the next major phase of her life begins correctly because she's got big plans. She just wants to be a normal teenager and to fit in but when her troubled cousin Marley comes to stay, he challenges everything she thought she was.
This debut novel has such an authentic feel to it and this is no surprise coming from Steph Tisdell, a writer, actor and an award-winning comedian. The story is told in first person and covers Year 12 issues, career choices, microaggressions that build up, identity, culture and heritage, racism, kinship adoption. Steph's words sparkle with humour, depth and authenticity – one of my favourite YA novels of the year.
‘Bamboozled’ by David Legge (30th anniversary edition)
When Alice follows a white rabbit in a smart waistcoat into a large hold, she tumbles into a world turned topsy turvy: but that’s another story. This is Bamboozled. CBCA Honour Book and winner of seven children’s choice awards, this special 30th Anniversary Edition includes bonus behind-the-scenes pages from David Legge.
I admit I became a little teary and nostalgic over this one! First published in 1994, just as I began my early childhood degree, my TL mother gifted me this one and it became my example for many, many years of all that was clever and brilliant about picture books. I used it for years, and still pull it out as an example of ‘reading the images’ and text and images working together. Absolute must-have Australian classic.
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.
Yay! Spooky season is coming! It’s no big secret that I love all reads spooky, so Halloween is the perfect opportunity for me to lean into some seriously spooky reading. It has, however, also got me thinking and today I find myself knee deep in writing a piece about why children should read scary books (okay, not too scary!). Why? Because books are the perfect safe space in which to explore our fears.
This piece will be published in YKNR’s paid newsletter on 15 October. Find out more about our paid newsletter subscriptions here.
On the hunt for a lovely spooky read for the young reader in your life (or maybe even for yourself!)? Take a look at the ‘spooky not scary’ reads list we have for you here.
THREAD OF THE MONTH
I just love it when you see a book or series begin to be recommended over and over again in the group and there’s no doubt about it – the Lottie Brooks series is gaining ground at YKNR. I’m hearing all over the place that the series is laugh out loud funny and so when another Lottie Brooks thread popped up this month, I went and placed an order – because who doesn’t need a good old book chuckle now and again?
Some recent Lottie Brooks fans:
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.
After 15 years, I’ve finished school. Again. Book Boy Jr is (allegedly) studying for his HSC as we speak, and we’ve attended various graduation events. In the same way as term four, this period of our lives has lasted both 100 years and the blink of an eye.
And, as with all things parenting, it feels like an ending and a beginning all at once. How is it that being a parent so often combines celebration and melancholy? We are forever cheering on the milestones even as we know that each one takes our kids another step closer to leaving us behind. As they should. As they must.
One thing I am wholeheartedly celebrating this month is the 10th anniversary of the publication date of Race To The End Of The World, the first book in The Mapmaker Chronicles series, and the book that made me a children’s author.
I wrote this epic fantasy adventure story when my boys were nine and six years old, dedicating the book to them, and writing the kind of story we loved reading together.
I am immensely proud of the series, published in Australia, the US, the UK, Lithuania and Turkey, and the fact that it remains in print today. I am also very thankful to every reader who has loved it (and written to tell me so!) and everyone who has reviewed, recommended and advocated for it.
And thank you to Australia’s wonderful community of children’s authors for their unending generosity in showing me the ropes. Here’s to many more adventures!
DISCOVER THE #QUALITYWAFFLE
While each of our podcast episodes is themed, every single one includes our brilliant bookmail segment – a round-up of the latest releases – as well as the #qualitywaffle between Allison and Megan that brings regular listeners back time and time again.
Immerse yourself in this weekly conversation about books, reading and writing, full of inspiration and information. With 177 eps and counting, there’s a lot to catch up on.
OCTOBER 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 SIX books in the OCTOBER prize pack.
The OCTOBER bookmail giveaway winner is … Fiona McConachy
Congrats! We’ll be in touch by email.
Want a chance to win next month? All you have to do is subscribe.
Best wishes to all the students tackling their end-of-school exams!
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.
Thanks for these. Yeas to Term 4 being 10 years and 10 minutes! 🤣😂