I’ve been reading a lot of Enid Blyton recently. From her gloriously mad autobiography through to the Famous Five, her mark on children’s literature remains arguably unsurpassed. And when I was on holiday in France recently, I was startled and then greatly pleased to see rows and rows of freshly issued Blyton books in theContinue reading “The Secret Life Of Anne”
Tag Archives: Children’s Literature
Sunday Catch Up
Hello! It’s been a while hasn’t it? I’ve been in France (pain! boursin! beaucoup de bandes dessinees!) and so this is a slightly bigger catch up than usual for it covers two whole weeks. Two weeks! Anything could happen in two weeks! Kirrin Island could get over-run by pirates! Julian could stop being a knowContinue reading “Sunday Catch Up”
Flying, flying away (or, how amazing airport bookshops are)
I’m on holiday! Hurrah! One of the great joys of my life when I’m travelling (and when you’re travelling there are very few joys unless you’re travelling first class and have your every whim catered for) is airport bookshops. I LOVE AIRPORT BOOKSHOPS. I love the way that everybody is so rampantly desperate for thingsContinue reading “Flying, flying away (or, how amazing airport bookshops are)”
Classics and Children’s Literature #kidbkgrp
Last night at 9pm, the very new and very amazing #kidbkgrp over on Twitter got going. It’s an online chat group for people who love children’s literature – and I’d love to see you there next time (end of August ish). Keep an eye on the hashtag! (And feel free to suggest topics – IContinue reading “Classics and Children’s Literature #kidbkgrp”
Sunday catch up
Hello! Here’s some of the news and articles I came across this week from the world of children’s literature. 1. After reading the excellent and poetic Red Ink (which I then added to my books about bereavement reading list), this article in the Guardian had a lot of relevance for me. In it, the authorContinue reading “Sunday catch up”
Sunday round up and reflections
Happy Sunday! I hope you’ve managed to have an ice-cream this lovely sunny weekend and have had chance to put your feet up and enjoy things 🙂 Here’s the round up of things that caught my eye this week. 1. Zoe from @playbythebook pointed me in the direction of this excellent and powerful piece: “HowContinue reading “Sunday round up and reflections”
Superman, heroes and heroines (or: how literature lets us make heroes)
I saw Man Of Steel earlier (don’t worry, no massive plot spoilers.) Suffice to say I didn’t really like Russell Crowe as Jor-El but I adored Henry Cavill as Superman. I felt he really got the farmboy wholehearted goodness of Superman and made it big. Man Of Steel has left me thinking about the nature ofContinue reading “Superman, heroes and heroines (or: how literature lets us make heroes)”
Reflections
As you may know, I’m a one for taking a moment out every now and then to reflect on things. I think sometimes, especially in this golden age of children’s literature, it’s possible to become lost in the ever wondrous newness of things, and so this post is an attempt to redress that. And alsoContinue reading “Reflections”
Children’s Literature Studies : (eds) M. O. Grenby & Kimberley Reynolds
Children’s Literature Studies: A Research Handbook by M.O. Grenby My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the book I’d have wanted before I did my MA in Children’s Literature. That’s not to cast aspersions on my MA (which was, to be brief, one of the best accidents that ever happened to me), but ratherContinue reading “Children’s Literature Studies : (eds) M. O. Grenby & Kimberley Reynolds”
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
I think about things, probably much more than I should, and sometimes the expressing of things is difficult. That’s life, I suppose, that tongue-knot that comes when you least expect it. But it’s how you deal with it, that’s what matters. It’s how you learn to speak, to write to express yourself even through allContinue reading “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
Discovering your story
I am very stubborn. (Hi Mum. Don’t laugh). I am very stubborn and quite contrary and distinctly independent. I have a few things I believe in, very very much. One of those things is that books – literacy – libraries – all these things fall under one of our greatest achievements as humanity. We shareContinue reading “Discovering your story”
Fear
There are not many places in this world that make me afraid, but hospitals do. For reasons. Fear is a curious, tight thing. That panic that burns and grows in your throat, that pressure behind your eyes, that inability to form the words that you know you have to say. The way that it seemsContinue reading “Fear”
Period.
I read a lot of children’s literature but I don’t read that many that feature periods. Menstruation. That time of the month. Call it what you will, but it’s not an unusual phenomenon. I was reminded of the scarcity of periods in children’s literature after reading this blog post from 2010. The thing that struckContinue reading “Period.”
“With love, me”
The letter. It’s a funny, glorious thing. The most vivid example I can think of in literature, straight away, is the letters Celie sends in the Colour Purple. Vivd, poignant, and heart-searingly true, her letters scar and heal – often both in the same paragraph. Children’s literature, and I apologise for the sweeping generalisation, reliesContinue reading ““With love, me””
Identifying geniuses in children’s literature
Genius is one of those almost unidentifiable things. You either have it, or you don’t, and until you become able to manifest it in ways we understand and can legitimise (ie: through a Mensa Test) , it may remain a relatively hidden talent. It’s a difficulty faced by geniuses in children’s literature and one that I’m goingContinue reading “Identifying geniuses in children’s literature”
Gendered books in children’s literature
There’s been an interesting debate on Twitter over the last couple of days about book design, marketing, and packaging in relation to issues of gender. Princess books versus Digger books. Construction of identity. Audiences. It’s been an interesting debate and it’s one that I’ve found particularly thought-provoking and incredibly complex. One comment on a postContinue reading “Gendered books in children’s literature”
How not to write about children’s literature
Inspired by this, and also this, here’s four things to avoid when you write about children’s literature. Thanks! Don’t be a snob, yeah? Children’s Literature is awesome. Children’s books are those for a very brilliant, very specific tribe. This tribe knows exactly what it wants, and what it wants is to be inspired, to beContinue reading “How not to write about children’s literature”
Digital children’s literature – values and validation
The presence of the adult mediator / facilitator in children’s literature is without question. Children, whether they’re in the emergent literacy, pre-literate, or literate stages of their development, have one constant in their reading experience – that of the adult. The child does not come across texts which have not been tacitly approved or purchasedContinue reading “Digital children’s literature – values and validation”
On critiquing, reviewing and writing about children’s literature
“At a time when unpaid bloggers online are gaining influence at the expense of professionals, we need to convince the public that good reviewers exist, and are still worth listening to. Otherwise, our readers will continue to look to the internet for news, and the art of the book review will join the typewriter inContinue reading “On critiquing, reviewing and writing about children’s literature”
Lights, camera, action : The role of the Book Trailer
I first discovered video-editing when at university. I loved it. There’s something arcane and primally satisfying about creating a coherent whole from a bunch of disjointed clips. Film has such a potential. Every moment of an image of screen says something, good or bad. When you’re working with film (particularly in the post-production stage), you’reContinue reading “Lights, camera, action : The role of the Book Trailer”
You’re a Brick, Angela! : Cadogan and Craig
You’re a Brick, Angela!: The Girls’ Story 1839-1985 by Mary Cadogan My rating: 4 of 5 stars You’re a Brick, Angela! is an encyclopedic review of girls’ books between 1839 and 1985 and is practically essential for anybody interested in the study of children’s literature. Cadogan and Craig provide a sweepingly brisk overview of theContinue reading “You’re a Brick, Angela! : Cadogan and Craig”
Children’s Literature : why?
The official news of my MA came through last week so I can now put the letters behind my name. I am now officially MA, BA (hons). In all honesty it it was an odd moment. All I could think was ‘thank god’ and ‘No seriously, thank god’ and ‘right, so I don’t have anotherContinue reading “Children’s Literature : why?”
Emergent literacy, graphic novels and picture books (oh my!)
I’m planning to do a series of posts in the near future on Graphic Novels. This will include a couple of reviews and also some more theoretical posts such as the following on Emergent Literacy. I first fell into graphic novels after the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I longed for a way toContinue reading “Emergent literacy, graphic novels and picture books (oh my!)”
Series’ly appealing
I’m reading a lot of series fiction at the moment and it’s taken me a little by surprise. The thing of it is that I don’t expect it when I read what looks like a one-off, but then, when I reach the inevitable cliff-hanger of an ending, I know that some how I’ve stumbled ontoContinue reading “Series’ly appealing”
Post MA thoughts
I’ve finished my MA in Children’s Literature. And now, a few days after passing my dissertation to the lady in the post office (MAKE THEM SIGN FOR IT WHEN THEY GET IT PLEASE IT’S VERY PRECIOUS ER YES IT IS JUST PAPER BUT PRECIOUS PAPER), I feel able to look back on the degree thatContinue reading “Post MA thoughts”
If you love them, let them go
Books are full of magic and pain. Of heartache and sorrow and (in the case of certain novels featuring the manliest of men making their manly way across Middle Earth – ILOVEYOUFARAMIRDON’TEVERGOCHANGING) unbridled wonder/lust. But sometimes you have to let them go. Space, place, shelf; all of these get too tight, too full, too crammedContinue reading “If you love them, let them go”
Chin up, chest out – hold on a minute
I’m a little peeved. There’s a line which I’ve just read in Mary Cadogan’s Chin up chest out Jemima which is rankling with me. I’ll quote it here: “Of course I moved on from DFB, through Elsie Jeanette Oxenham and Elinor Brent-Dyer and others, eventually to adult literature.” (2004:15). Now I’m genuinely a fan of Cadogan’s work.Continue reading “Chin up, chest out – hold on a minute”
Children’s Literature and War
It’s the 11th November. On this day at 11am in 1918, the armistice was signed between Germany and the Allied forces and hostilities were ceased. Following a few signatures between a few men the war, which had changed lives and the world irrevocably, officially came to an end. So why am I writing about thisContinue reading “Children’s Literature and War”
Daisy May Johnson 