For someone who LOVES books, and has over 1500 childrens books (fiction and non) in boxes in her shed, I know very little at the moment about what’s hot, what’s not and whats actually quality.
I have started using audiobooks on my commute to “read” books I have ordered for the library based on recommendations and now at least I can give a genuine review when asked.
This year I subscribed to Literature base and Magpie but I haven’t given the time they need to impart their knowledge to me. I have read bits and pieces of the magazine booktopia sends after you put in a big order and was relieved to see reviews from kids talking about the quality of books I knew were in the collection.
I have to admit that at the moment my book knowledge is coming from the students. We just bought the first 5 books of wings of fire because stage 2 kept asking for them. We buy anything minecraft because it won’t stay on the shelves. Series books are kept up to date because we know they will be borrowed.
I noticed we had no LGBTQ collection so I went to another HS library photographed there collection and then ordered it. We had no recent aboriginal perspectives texts so I hit the net and found list of quality and popular texts including the Australian Speech Pathologist Book of the Year awards short list and past winners (which I highly recommend.)
Its a cop out but this is my last subject and that means the hours I have spent studying will become hours I have to read and research and enjoy books again then pass that on to my students.