Do you have a vision for the future of children’s literature? Who will be the driver’s of change?

Given that Short (2018) informs us that print books are very much still alive and are not a dying breed thanks to their digital counterparts, I am comforted by the fact that students read both print and digital narratives, and that these two mediums don’t actually compete against each other. What is I think is incredibly important is that we are cognisant of providing our readers differing experiences of how to engage with texts (Short, 2018). My vision is that children’s literature will continue to evolve to meet the leisure, cultural and reading preferences of readers. I think what we must remember is that marketing and publishers don’t drive the future of children’s literature, but children do. They tell us what they want to read, they show us what is of interest to them and we need to listen to them. Quality literature needs to be made available in a range of formats that incorporates visual culture, racial diversity, gender diversity and ways for readers to engage with authors that provide authentic learning experiences (Short, 2018).

The emergence of digital literacies has changed how students access books, and it has been interesting to witness students who prefer a physical text to their digital counterparts. Some students certainly prefer digital access, and we have to take this into consideration when developing our own collections, ensuring we provide a balance of formats to suit our students’ needs.

According to Harvey, print texts still play a large role in children’s reading preferences, but what is fascinating is how the media also play a large role in influencing reading preference titles. The influence of games, movies, merchandise and licensed brands certainly promote their text counterparts in ways that it has been necessary for me to follow media trends and stay connected to these platforms (Harvey, 2015).

Literature works continue to evolve to meet the demands of how readers read and engage with texts. Research conducted by Wolf (2014) suggests that the developing engagement in literature with an adult, ie a parent or teacher, enhances and heightens the engagement for a child. We all have a part to play, and our vision for children’s literature needs to be collective.

References

Harvey, E. (2015, December 8). Five trends affecting children’s literature https://www.bookbusinessmag.com/article/what-we-learned-from-the-top-trends-in-childrens-literature-webinar/). In Book Business.

Short, K. (2018). What’s trending in children’s literature and why it matters? Language Arts, 95(5), 287 – 298. Retrieved from http://www2.ncte.org/

Wolfe, S. (2014). Children’s literature on the digital move (https://ila-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/full/10.1002/trtr.1235). Reading Teacher, 67(6), 413-417. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/trtr.1235