Guest Post: Dr. Stephanie Gutnik on What Readers (of All Ages) Can Learn From Children's Books

The story goes that from the time I could carry a book, I would arrange a stack next to my mom or dad and read for hours. I enjoyed everything from the glimmering illustrations in The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister to the silly and soothing sounds of rhythm and rhymes by Robert Munsch.

My parents’ consistent efforts of reading to me led to a pastime of reading on my own. The return on their investment was never having to hear 'I’m bored' from their oldest child, whose nose was always in a book.

Guest Post: Heather Preusser on Using Cartoons As Mentor Texts

How did my predilection for highlighters and praying to 'the salty snack gods' lead to selling my debut chapter book series? 

In 2018, I participated in Marcie Colleen’s Crafting the Chapter Book Class through The Writing Barn. Four years later, Erinn Pascal at Andrews McMeel acquired HEDGEHOG WHODUNIT, my chapter book series about a sleepy hedgehog and tireless rat solving animal antics in City Zoo.

As part of Marcie’s class, she encouraged us to think like cartoonists. (Finally, watching television counted as productivity!) 

Because I was drafting a story set in the zoo, I dove into re-watching one of my all-time favorite cartoons, The Penguins of Madagascar, a spin-off of the Madagascar movies that aired on TV between 2008-2014.

Guest Post: Aaron Uscilla on Equipping Kids with Critical Lenses: A Look at the Sayings We Use

We all do it. We pepper our conversations with little nuggets of wisdom, those common sayings passed down through generations. 

Curiosity killed the cat, we might warn a too inquisitive child. Or, Blood is thicker than water, we say to emphasize family loyalty. 

These phrases are catchy, memorable, and roll off the tongue so easily. They seem to wrap up big ideas in neat little packages.

But what if these familiar lines are only part of the story? What if the wisdom we think we are sharing is, well, a bit incomplete? 

Guest Posts: Rebecca Fung on Creating A New Children's Press

After I'd written two children's chapter books, I wanted to publish a middle grade novel. 

Everyone talks about how wearying pitching is so I thought - how about publishing it myself? And how about starting our very own new children's press?

I've worked in publishing before so this didn't seem too far-fetched. My last foray in the publishing world though was very different - I worked in legal publishing. There, books often have pages more dedicated to footnotes than the main text! As an editor, you fuss about, ensuring all those Latin legal terms are spelled correctly.

Guest Post: Shelly Higgs on Her Inspo Behind Poppy's Monster

The idea for Poppy’s Monster hit me as a response to watching my daughter struggle with going to school due to high anxiety. 

She was in year one during Covid times, which was difficult because doing things like holding hands (which was the only thing that made her feel safe) was discouraged. Despite this, teachers were putting themselves at risk to care for our kids, and in Evie’s case, they took her by her little hand anyway. 

Guest Post: Romi Sharp on Getting Lost In The Pages

When it comes to kids and reading, it’s natural that we’d love for them to get lost in a good book on a regular basis. To get lost in the pages. To get lost in the words. To get lost in the moment and of course, in imagination. 

Children’s books allow us to get lost in different worlds, in alternate realities, or even just a thought about a notion that hadn’t been considered before. 

They are the pinnacle of where wonder, dreams, truths and make-believes can take us. 

And picture books? They add that extra cherry on top with their ability to invite viewers to get lost in the art. But why is this important?

Guest Post: Ellie Royce on Making Memories

A story is often inspired by memories. The older we get, the more we have to inspire us!

I have many fond recollections of time spent with my grandparents, the smell of bacon frying on a Sunday morning as my Poppa made breakfast, walking with him to the shop at the end of the street on a Friday afternoon to spend about 2 dollars on a huge, newspaper wrapped parcel of fish and chips that fed the whole family (there were usually about eight of us, according to my memory!)

Guest Post: Eileen O'Hely on Science By Osmosis

The greatest scientist of the twentieth century is, without a doubt, Albert Einstein. 

Einstein’s amazing reasoning and powers of observation brought us the photoelectric effect (key to solar panels), special relativity (E=mc²) and general relativity which describes our current understanding of gravity. 

However, my favourite observation of Einstein’s – which is pertinent to teachers not just in science, but in all fields – is his assertion that 'If you can’t explain it to a 6-year-old, then you don’t truly understand it.'

This has huge relevance to me in my line of work as a children’s writer and also in my day job as a science communicator. 

Guest Post: Maura Pierlot on The Problem of Plenty with Maura Pierlot

International award-winning children's book author, playwright and filmmaker, Maura Pierlot visits us today on the eve of her latest picture book release, Clutterbugs; a book that creates a nuanced look at creating vs consuming. Here's why she pursued this concept.

We live in an age where our self-worth is often built on what we have rather than who we are. The problem of plenty. 

Buried in our ‘stuff’ is the notion that property and possessions will improve our lives, but the converse is usually true. 

Abundance diminishes value. The more we have, the less content we seem to be. From every vantage point, fulfilment appears out of reach.

Guest Post: Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern on Writing Stories From Treasured Moments

When I was around five years old, my mum volunteered at a local charity shop/thrift shop. I remember unpacking boxes of donations with her and a team of other volunteers. 

We used to play games, guessing where items may have come from and who may have owned them before. I would get excited to see where the donation may end up, who would take it home next. 

I loved the idea that an item could be treasured by one person and then treasured again by another.

Memories of these special moments with my mum were the inspiration behind my new junior fiction series, Ariana Treasure.

I like to write from experience and fortunately I loved keeping diaries growing up. To this day, I still journal. Reading records of my younger days (messy handwriting and all) always brings so much joy. It sparks ideas and ignites my imagination. I adore the curiosity and wonder we all innately have within us in those early years of life – something I hope we never lose but at times we waver from. My diaries help bring me back to those precious treasured moments.

Guest Post: Claire Thompson On Inspiring Young Readers With Real-Life Kid Stars

As soon as I dived into the world of picture books, I knew I wanted to write true stories. And not just any true stories—stories starring amazing real-life kid heroes changing the world.

Kids who stood up, shook things up, and never gave up. Young activists, artists, eco-warriors, entrepreneurs, inventors, rock stars, and scientists.

Guest Post: An Interview with Allayne Webster

Allayne Webster's latest novel, Selfie, is highly appropriate and current. At a time when Social Media Influencers control and break apart many people’s lives, comes the brilliant, riveting Selfie.

Allayne speaks with Anastasia Gonis about her novel.

You have two leading characters, Tully and Dene, total opposites. Their friendship, initiated too fast by Dene, is cryptic, therefore suspect. An Insta famous influencer and a lonely girl. Is this unusual friendship the central theme of the story? 

One hundred and ten percent. This story is about relationship power dynamics—who holds power and who relinquishes it, and the interchangeable nature of that. It’s about the desperate need for connection and friendship in the face of living up to other’s expectations and keeping everyone happy (and failing dismally in the process.) Selfie is about how individuals may employ manipulative tactics to achieve desired relationship outcomes, but how they often fall victim to their own guilt/moral compass and regret certain decisions. Ultimately this novel is about settling into the idea of letting go, of ceasing to attempt to control everything and everyone, and to simply trust in another person. It is also about dodging grief—as we soon learn both girls are grieving the loss of loved ones who are not yet in fact dead.

Can Selfie be described as an exploration or an uncovering of the roles played by Social Media Influencers, to manipulate and gain power and control over their followers?

Definitely. There’s a blatant portrayal of this in Selfie when it comes to Dene’s engagement and likes on posts. Influencers do their best to harness social media algorithms and make them work in their favour, and so invariably, their decisions are strategic and not necessarily from the heart.

Too soon, Tully is emotionally controlled by Dene, and the relationship totally consumes her. How difficult was it to write the powerful scenes surrounding Tully’s conflict?

I think Tully presents herself as relatively confident, but internally she struggles with self-belief and confidence like anyone else. The opening scenes of Selfie highlight the things she values; signposts or markers, if you will, are provided to the reader with what Tully thinks makes a person valuable. As the novel progresses, these values come into question. In a way, Tully is the victim of capitalism and the messages she’s internalized about money, status and value.

When writing any emotionally powerful scenes, I need to tap into my own fears and misgivings and harness them for the story. Writing is like acting on paper. I think I very much feel/react emotionally when writing and this helps to make my characters believable. You must be honest with yourself. You can’t ‘put on a show or a brave face’ when writing. You effectively have to let it all hang out—as soul-cringingly embarrassing as that can be. No shame here!

You have perfectly captured the gap between adolescents and adults, and the attitude and behaviors of teenagers. Please comment.

I often give myself pause for thought about what makes me an adult. I mean, quite often I just feel like a big kid. At what point did I grow up? Perhaps we’re the same person, just a little wiser with every passing year? When writing for young adults, I speak to them, not down to them.

Some adults infantilize young people, which helps no one, and certainly doesn’t foster strong open communication. Stop. Listen. Learn. Don’t discount young people’s experiences as being somehow world’s away from your own. They’re not. We exist in the same space. Our feelings and our reactions are valid, no matter what our age. If anything, young people are learning to access their internal toolbox for dealing with complex social situations; they’re learning self-reflection, endurance, self-confidence, empathy… Allow them the space to do that and to f*ck it up.

Your leading character Dene is complex, Insta famous; a pyramid character created by her exploitative mother. How difficult/easy was it bringing her to life?

I will confess Dene took a little more work than Tully. Dene is more often than not the antagonist in the story, and I think I struggle to inhabit that as a writer. When I removed blame from Dene, she became easier to write. In order to write about her successfully and three-dimensionally, I had to consider her actions with a level of empathy; I had to think about the drivers making her behave in the manner she does. Are they really her fault? That said, Tully is by no means a saintly character either. They’re both flawed, which is what makes them interesting, and is what makes the reader invested and (hopefully!) question whose side they’re on.

 

There are several sub stories that enrich the storyline, such as Tully’s family upheaval, the ending of Kira and Tully’s friendship, and crushing outcome of Dene and Tully’s relationship. How important are these stories to the novel?

The sub stories of any novel should always enrich the overall narrative. All killers, no fillers—as they say. In the case of Dene and Tully, what goes on for them in private at home, or when separated from each other, has a compounding impact on the overall story. How they perform in other relationships says something about their character and their nature. Humans are multi-faceted. We all know that in the company of some people we present a different face or a different version of ourselves. The same thing goes on in the story. That said, I think the most powerful and telling part of any story is what is revealed via the character’s internal monologue versus their action/what they actually do and say. That’s why I love writing in first person—because our actions don’t always marry our words, nor our thoughts. I love the interplay between these. 

Full of tension and at times painful to read, how important was writing about this theme for you?

In all honesty? It was cathartic. Authors have a responsibility to assist publishers to promote their work, and this means regularly and actively being online. Adults are just as suspectable to subliminal messaging, just as vulnerable to images of perfection, etc. For me to write Selfie, I had to be in touch with those positive and negative emotions produced by social media.  If I, as a rapidly ageing adult, sometimes struggle with the messaging of the online world, what on earth is going on for our young people? I am always thinking: Thank God I didn’t have social media as a teenager, I would’ve embarrassed myself no end. I would have over-shared, overthought, potentially shared dangerous images of myself for attention and validation, and I would have written/said things that two seconds later I would have evolved from, yet would be recorded for years to come and for history to judge. The idea frightens the hell out of me. In a way, writing this novel was protecting younger me from the things I could have done had I grown up in the era of the online world.

What do you hope readers will come away with from Selfie?

As a writer, I hope to hold up a mirror and reflect society back at the reader. I would hope Selfie provides Aha! moments, or vigorous head-nodding, or exasperated sighs of OMG, that’s me! I’ve felt like that! Or I’ve been guilty of that. I don’t ever hope to deliver moral judgements or to lay foundations for what might make things better.

What I hope to do is A) create empathy, B) incite questions; make readers interrogate their own viewpoint and consider other angles. Ultimately, at the core, I want young readers to know their self-worth is not defined by the adulation or condemnation they receive from friends or strangers online.

Selfie is about empowering young readers to see through the glossy veneer of the online world. In moments of vulnerability, I would hope they remember Selfie and question any unhealthy thoughts induced by online interactions. I would hope it’s a tool in their toolbox for thinking beyond surface level.

 

Guest Post: Lucy Hawkins on Her New Life In Spain!

I recently moved my young family from Australia to Spain. We had a wonderful life in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, one of my daughters had just started school and had made best friends and the other was happy at kindergarten. 

But my husband’s job selling software to wineries was remote and we could relocate if we wanted to, and while the kids were little we thought it was probably now or never. So, we sold the house, the car, all our furniture, started the visa application and booked our flights to Palma, Mallorca.

I had been thinking of Mallorca since I lived there 15 years ago. It’s the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, it has a mountain range, picturesque historic villages and is surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean. It’s beautiful and feels safe along with being full of life.

Guest Post: Jodie Benveniste on Mental Health Healing In Teen Fiction

Do you remember being a teen? Or are you a teen now? The potency. The potential. The first times. The relationships. The self-doubt. The adventure. The freedom. 

The excitement of anything’s possible crashing into the I don’t know if I’m good enough or worthy enough questioning.

It’s a lot! And it’s meant to be. Because the only way to get from childhood to adulthood is through. Living it all. Experiencing it all. Feeling it all. 

That’s why teen fiction is fertile ground for exploring big issues and an avenue for navigating common challenges. 

Guest Post: Diana Mercedes Howell on There Is No Wrong Way To Write Fiction

As long as you sit down, put one word in front of the other, never give up, and find a way to navigate the barren days or weeks (Hopefully not that long) between 'I am out of ideas' or 'I don’t want to think about this book anymore!' and the dawn of renewed faith in yourself and your vision…there is no wrong way to do it.

My writing style is willy nilly. I write children’s novels and poetry. Children’s novels demand imagination, well-crafted sentences, suspense, humor, intrigue, and a satisfying resolution that ties all the ends together.

Guest Post: Q & A with Meredith Rusu on The Creative Process by Nia Shetty

There’s a Robot in My Socks by Meredith Rusu is a light-hearted story that skillfully captures the wonders of childhood while addressing the complexities of emotions in a fun, engaging way. 

The book follows Jamie and her trusty robot companion through a delightful adventure that showcases how even ordinary items, like socks, can spark extraordinary moments. 

Rusu’s book is filled with playful humor, vivid imagery, and a creative blend of the real and the imaginary, making it a perfect read for young children and their parents who are navigating their own big feelings.

One of the standout features of this graphic novel  is how themes of comfort, emotion, and the occasional chaos of childhood are wonderfully mixed. 

Through the imaginative lens of a child’s world, Rusu touches on separation anxiety, the need for routine, and the importance of emotional expression, all with a charming robot by Jamie’s side. The vibrant illustrations by Martín Morón bring Jamie’s world to life with bright colors and whimsical designs, perfectly complementing the story.

Now, let’s hear from the author herself, Meredith Rusu, as she shares insights into the inspiration, characters, and creative process behind There’s a Robot in My Socks in our exclusive KBR interview:

Guest Post: Alexa Moses on Creating The Twinning Series

Today we invite the uber-talented, Alexa Moses to share the process of creating a popular series for primary aged readers.

After my Michaela Mason series for tweens came out, Scholastic Australia asked me to pitch them a commercial, illustrated series for 7-11 year old girls, and I ran around the house squealing for a bit, before settling down and mulling over ideas. 

One of those was a diary series with alternating points of view, between two 10-year-old girls. 

Of course, there are plenty of diary series for kids on bookstore shelves, but the shifting point-of-view would afford me gags and dramatic irony. Were these characters best friends? Sisters?

Guest Post: Shaye Wardrop on the Pull of Dystopian Stories

Across books, movies and art, the dystopian story holds a strange grip on our imaginations.

The Hunger Games, The City of Ember, The Obernewtyn Chronicles. They all paint a rather gloomy vision of the future, but they draw us in. They are thrilling, fascinating and addictive.

But why?

I believe one strong pull is curiosity about the unknown and the uncertain. The dystopian tale transports us to worlds very different from our own. It gives us a glimpse into possible futures shaped by environmental disaster, technology gone wrong and leaders who seek control. It invites us to explore our own values and fears, and to think deeply about the consequences of the actions we (and others) take.

Guest Post: Q & A With Dr Kylie Soanes Nature Book Week Judge

Today we are mega excited to welcome Dr Kylie Soans - one of the judges for this year's 2024 Environment Award for Children's Literature judges. 

These awards coincide with Nature Book Week, an incentive facilitated by The Wilderness Society to celebrate the best in nature-themed children's books. 

Enjoy this exclusive Q & A with Kylie and don't forget to enter our Nature Book Week Giveaway running this week until Saturday!

What is your favourite book about nature? And what’s your favourite nature book to read or share with your kids?
I really enjoyed Marty Crump's Headless males make great lovers: and other unusual natural histories. It's such a fun insight into the fact that the living world is, well, kind of bizarre, and that's a good thing.

Guest Post: An Interview With Catherine Norton

Writer Catherine Norton’s interesting children's novels are full of magical adventures and characters that are bright stars on the page. 

Catherine's novel,  TheFortune Maker, is long-listed for the ARA Historical Fiction Prize 2024. 

Catherine generously shares information on what brought her to writing and when her writing journey started in this exclusive interview with KBR's, Anastasia Gonis.