'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Tuesday 15 August 2023

Announcement: New Junior Reviewer - Meet Ayla!

Our reviewing team are passionate about sharing some of the best stories for children and teens with anyone who'll listen. 

It's one thing reviewing kids' books. It's another creating stimulating, entertaining and enthralling content for kids but it's something altogether special when kids share their true thoughts and feelings about a story with other kids. 

Which is why we are over-the-moon excited about the latest member to join our elite KBR team. Give it up for the delightful, book mad, soon-to-be-published-author, Ayla Wardrop everyone!

Ayla loves reading and writing, particularly stories with mythical creatures and cute characters. Picture books, junior fiction, middle grade and graphic novels — Ayla loves them all. She’s also a keen illustrator and takes pens everywhere to fit in five more minutes of drawing whenever she can. Poetry is on the list of things Ayla loves, and her poem Doggies Like will be published in the upcoming anthology Hot Diggety Dog: Tails from the Bark Side.  And if you think Ayla looks a little like one of our other revered reviewers, you'd be right! Welcome Ayla! We can't wait to read more about you ...

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
My favourite bands are Gorillaz and Hilltop Hoods.

2. What is your nickname?
Sometimes my friends call me Ay.
 
3. What is your greatest fear?
The dark.
 
4. Describe your writing style in ten words.
Magical adventures that take readers away on a long journey.
 
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Funny, risky, adventurous, silly, friendly.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Rosie from Beware the Deep Dark Forest by Sue Whiting. Rosie is brave, daring and cares so much about her dog Tinky. I love her.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?

I actually wouldn’t travel anywhere. I like to live in the now. Also, I don’t want to muck up time.
 
8. What would your ten-year-old self say to you now?
I’m ten so I’ll tell myself right now 'hi!'.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My parents.

10. What/who made you start writing?
Reading lots of books inspired me to start my own writing journey.
 
11. What is your favourite word and why?
Family, because I love my family.
 
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’m not sure, but it would definitely be an anthology because then I’d get to read more stories in one!