Archive of ‘ETL402’ category

27
Jan
2022

Censorship and Children’s Literature

categories: ETL402

Growing up my parents allowed me to explore, read and watch most things I wanted to. There was a degree of care and they would say no to some things if they knew it was above my age but on the whole there was not a lot I shied away from. I believe that in library collections all books should be included. Obviously things with content that may not be appropriate like swearing, drugs or sex should not be included in junior collections but I believe each book has a place somewhere. I understand that parents and carers will have a different view on these things than I did so it is important to make sure that the librarian knows and understands the collection they are managing. 

I think the world has changed so much that children need to be able to access books of all shapes, sizes and content because books are a reflection of the current world. Books sometimes help people understand who they are or tough topics in life are explained in a way that is more manageable. Being able to provide these works is a responsibility of the library and I believe there is a place for them being within the collection

22
Nov
2021

Personal Knowledge of Children’s Lit

categories: ETL402

Working within a K-12 school since 2014 it has allowed me to be exposed to nearly all levels of children and YA literature. I was able to be a part of the purchasing decisions made in the K-6 library as that’s where I worked and I was an avid reader of the Young Adult fiction in the senior school. These experiences allowed me to have a broad idea on what different reading levels, reluctant readers, advanced readers and all the ones in between were wanting to read. I was a leader of the book club in the senior schools and that gave me a space to also speak about the books I was reading but what they were reading also. 

What I found worked for me was that I use the social platform of Goodreads to both track my reading but then look at the different lists of related titles that others have read. Also looking at reviews to see what others thought gave me a rounded view of the books. Selecting the books for the junior school collection also allowed me to search on Booktopia for the new and upcoming releases and then apply my knowledge of the kids’ reading tastes and select accordingly. 

It was also important that when I was unsure about the books that I consulted professional websites like Kirkus, Common Sense Media, School Library Journal for comics, Readings Australia and checked what they had written about them. Finally just going to the local book store and looking at what was on the shelves and chatting to the employees was a great way to see what they had noticed was popular at the moment. The biggest thing that gave me experience was just working with the collection and chatting to the kids about what they were reading and noticing the trends in borrowing week by week.

22
Nov
2021

The Future of Children’s Lit

categories: ETL402

It’s hard to think about what the future might hold for children’s literature when the scope for what it could become is monumental. I personally think it will keep evolving and adapting and could potentially become a bigger market than it already is. Every year there appears to be new trends emerging and the range of popular genres grows to include more than it did the previous year. With my experience of working with children at times it was so hard to keep up with the demand of what they wanted. Children are oddly specific about what they like and don’t and this translates over to what is being published. When I started in 2014 it was difficult to find good mystery novels, but cut to today and there’s so many I don’t know where to start! Humorous stories will always have a place within any library as well as the sad stories that early teens gravitate towards. But what it comes down to is that the future of children’s literature will be shaped by the children themselves…all we need to do is listen. 

As the world becomes more open to discussing issues and things that may have been more taboo in the past it is natural that kids want to understand and learn about these topics. Gender diversity and cultural diversity is an area of life that is no longer hidden and interweaving these stories into accessible literature is on the rise. Not just having these characters as the friend or the side act to the main protagonist and giving them a platform to shine allows kids to understand more perspectives in the world. Books like Alex Gino’s Melissa and Scott Stuart’s My Shadow is Pink allows the reader to step into these characters and understand that we are all different.

Another trend that I believe will only grow is the publication of more graphic novels and comic books. These have been on the rise since Raina Telgemeier Smile and the new adaptations of the classic Babysitter Club stories. Graphic novels and illustrated novels like David Walliams allow them to be accessed by all levels of reader. Australia is still a little behind on the publication of graphic novels but this will only grow over the coming years. 

What it comes down to is that the future of children’s literature will be drivers of what they wish to read and that in turn will be reflected by what is being put out there. Kids are quick to adapt and quick to change, their tastes develop as they grow older but really all they want are good stories that they can connect to on a personal level. 

 

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