Jon Agee Authorgraph Interview Libraries in Lockdown How to Encourage Children’S Writing Plus Elle Mcnicoll, Em Norry and George Butler
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No.247 March 2021 Jon Agee Authorgraph interview Libraries in Lockdown How to encourage children’s writing Plus Elle McNicoll, Em Norry and George Butler www.booksforkeeps.co.uk the children’s book magazine online CONTENTS March 2021 Guest Editorial: 2 Guest Editorial Let Them Play Piers Torday Let them Play says Piers Torday _________________________________________ I write this the day before the schools are due tool to assess grammar attainment. I set various 3 Inclusive Storytelling: to reopen after what is hopefully be our final creative writing challenges and competitions last author Elle McNicholl introduces the Own Voice movement. lockdown, and the talk from government is summer, and both the volume and quality of the _________________________________________ already - sadly and predictably - full of longer response was inspirational. 4 Unlock a Love of Creative Writing There’s school days, shorter holidays and intensive What struck me most from the National Literacy never been a better time to academic catch up classes for children. Trust research conducted in the first lockdown encourage children’s writing, Of course, even with the phenomenal efforts of (mentioned in the last issue), is how often says Joanne Owen _________________________________________ so many teaching staff and parents at home, some children who did read and write more during 6 Authorgraph: Jon Agee children will need to catch up on some missed lockdown, mentioned time as a key factor. And interviewed by Jake Hope _________________________________________ academic learning. Reports of online fatigue, that when they did, it made ‘them feel better’, 8 Ten of the Best: books fading morale and low engagement as we near offering a ‘valuable source of calm, escapism and that connect children with the end of lockdown are widespread. There is relaxation.’ In other words, they did it for fun. nature, selected by Ann Lazim _________________________________________ also another cohort of children, who have not But they learned at the same time. 10 Beyond the Secret been able to benefit from home learning because In an anxious, data driven world, reeling from Garden: East Asian of lack of access to reading materials, screens and a pandemic, we must resist the temptation to Characters in British Children’s wi-fi, amidst other deprivations. These children Fiction by Darren Chetty and timetable, coach and measure children into some Karen Sands-O’Connor will need all the extra support they can get, both perfectible version of themselves that can never _________________________________________ now and in the future. 12 Drawn Across Borders exist. We should give them as much time and space introduced by George Butler But for many, learning has not ‘stopped’, and to reconnect with each other as they need, alongside _________________________________________ the gaps in attainment will be assessed and dealt opportunities to express themselves through 14 I Wish: Em Norry chooses _________________________________________ with accordingly over the coming year. What is writing, performance, music and art, and chances 14 Good Reads chosen far more serious, and affects every single child, to excel physically on the games pitch as well as by young people at Toot Hill has been the pause in emotional and creative mentally in the classroom. The intuition, confidence School, Nottingham _________________________________________ development, through the absence of play. and creative skills gained from these activities is the 15 Telling the Story of They face a looming mental health crisis, after catch up these play deprived children need. by Helen Bate _________________________________________Chernobyl months isolated from friends, deprived of crucial Talking down a ‘doomed generation’ because of 16 Libraries in Lockdown: social engagement at a critical point in their a year of home-schooling and missed exams will secondary school librarian emotional lives, not to mention physical exercise, help no-one. But there is no doubt that the school Kristabelle Williams describes and participation in group activities such as drama children of today face considerable challenges how she’s kept her library open _________________________________________ and music. Referrals to mental health services for – the climate crisis, an increasingly complex, 17 Obituary: Victor Ambrus young people have skyrocketed, and research interdependent and turbulent geopolitical remembered by Nicholas Tucker _________________________________________ from Great Ormond St Hospital suggests record landscape and entrenched social, racial and 18 Reviews levels of ‘play deprivation.’ gender divides. Under 5s (Pre-School/Nursery/ As many school leaderships recognise, what They can be met and overcome. But to do so, Infant) + Ed’s Choice children most urgently need now is not academic the adults of tomorrow will need every ounce of 5-8 (Infant/Junior) 8-10 (Junior/Middle) + New Talent catch up, but a chance to play with each other creativity, imagination, emotional intelligence and 10-14 (Middle/Secondary) and learn how to be children again. resilience they can lay 14+ (Secondary/Adult) _________________________________________ The irony is that when home schooling was in their hands on. It can 30 Classics in Short No. 146 its pandemic infancy, as teachers and parents never have been less Nonsense Songs and Amblongus scrambled to rearrange their lives, a lot of children frivolous to say, above Pie Brian Alderson reflects on in this country found time to read and write. They all else, ‘let them play.’ one of the most original and accomplished children’s books of chose books, from comics to classics, that they Piers Torday’s latest the 19th century. wanted to read. They were allowed to read at their book is The Wild _________________________________________ own pace, and weren’t tested for comprehension Before, published COVER STORY every five minutes. They wrote for pleasure, This issue’s cover illustration is from in August by Quercus The Weather Weaver by Tamsin enjoying storytelling for its own reward, not as a Children’s Books. Mori, illustration by David Dean. Thanks to Uclan Publishing for their help with this March cover. Books for Keeps is available online at Books for Keeps www.booksforkeeps.co.uk March 2021 No.247 A regular BfK Newsletter can also be sent by email. ISSN 0143-909X To sign up for the Newsletter, go to © Books for Keeps CIC 2016 www.booksforkeeps.co.uk and follow the Newsletter link. Managing Editor: Andrea Reece If any difficulty is experienced, email addresses can also be Editorial advisor: Ferelith Hordon sent to [email protected]* Assistant Editor: Eloise Delamere Email: [email protected] Editorial assistant: Alexia Counsell Design: Louise Millar Website: www.booksforkeeps.co.uk Editorial correspondence should *Email addresses will be used by Books for Keeps only for be sent to Books for Keeps, the purpose of emailing the Newsletter and will not be 30 Winton Avenue London N11 2AT. disclosed to third parties. 2 Books for Keeps No.247 March 2021 Inclusive Storytelling Elle McNicoll introduces the Own Voices movement and explains why it’s so important. There are so many wonderful things about learns to drown out the hatred and prejudice of others. She taught being an author. Most of them are to do me a great deal while I was writing. with the incredible people who become Then there are the bad faith actors. The ones who pretend that your readers. It is the privilege of my life by uplifting underrepresented writers and calling out harmful that people share their stories with me, stereotypes, you’re being censorious. And look, if I say ‘ableism is after reading my debut. A Kind of Spark bad’ and you feel attacked? That may just be a problem you should has become this bridge between me and handle and not me. Envy, bitterness and good old-fashioned ‘we so many people like me. don’t want people like you in our club’. I’ve had it thrown my way. I’m neurodivergent. I have a brain that I’ve been called a token by someone who has never read my work. is wired differently. It made school and If I cared about all of this, I would never write. And I write childhood challenging and difficult for me every single day. I ask that the industry do better. Selecting one a lot of the time, especially as I was bullied a lot for being different. marginalised author a year is not good enough. The Now, I use my personal lens and my experience to write Own Voices movement requires publishers to not only the books that I so desperately needed as a lonely kid seek out diverse writers, but also hire more inclusively. in the library who was hiding from sneers and jeers and Make those rooms full of people who are all different bullying. I tell my truth and I write ND heroines with and can all bring their own unique perspective to the tons of heart, brains, guts and spine. table. And the response has been life-changing. People reaching I really don’t think ‘hire more inclusively and support out with their own stories, kids sleeping with the book diverse authors’ is that controversial, but my mentions because they love it so much. Students writing me long prove me wrong. letters. Teachers who say they finally feel able to have Here are the usual boring gripes people like to send my conversations about neurodiversity. It has been intense. way, unasked for may I say: The book has been nominated for a bunch of awards, ‘You can’t speak for everyone’. and won Blackwell’s Book of the Year and the 2021 Never claimed to. No Own Voices author has. If you Blue Peter Best Story Book Award, but the real prize knew the movement, you would know that. is undoubtedly the connection I now have with readers. ‘Why can’t I write what I want?’ This is the positive side of being an Own Voices author.