What makes a novel “great”? At OCLC, they believe literary greatness can be measured by how many libraries have a copy on their shelves.
The OCLC has compiled a list of the 100 most commonly held novels in Libraries using data from WorldCat.
Follow this link to find out more:https://www.oclc.org/en/worldcat/library100.html
The Little Rebels awards shortlist was released whilst I was away, and it is a fantastic bunch of titles for children (aged 0-12) which “promotes social justice or social equality, challenges stereotypes or is informed by anti-discriminatory concerns.”
Government propaganda, militarization, misjudged Western ‘aid’ and the UK’s participation in the slave trade are just some of the themes highlighted by this year’s shortlist for the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction.
Small, independent publishers figure strongly on the shortlist, including titles from HopeRoad and Lantana Publishing. Anne Booth makes her second Little Rebels Award appearance (Girl With A White Dog was shortlisted in 2015) and former Little Rebels Award judge, Catherine Johnson, is shortlisted for her historical fiction novel, Freedom, an account of the UK’s role in the slave trade which takes the 1781 Zong Massacre as its cue.
From the press release
The full Little Rebels Award 2019 shortlist (for books published in 2018) is:
Across the Divide by Anne Booth – Catnip Publishing
Freedom by Catherine Johnson – Scholastic
The Ghost and Jamal by Bridget Blankley – Hope Road Publishing
The King Who Banned the Dark by Emily Haworth-Booth – Pavilion Children’s Books
The New Neighbours by Sarah McIntyre – David Fickling Books
Running on Empty by S E Durrant – Nosy Crow
Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadaan – Lantana Publishing
War and conflict are recurrent themes while receiving very different treatments: Across the Divide explores the pacifist movement and the militarization of local communities; picture book, Tomorrow (by Nadine Kaadan who moved to London following the onset of the Syrian conflict), portrays civil war through the eyes of a family forced to stay indoors; The Ghost and Jamal exposes young people as the real casualties of wars and critiques Western charitable ‘interventions’ in conflict zones. Two of the shortlisted titles foreground disabled characters as significant voices and agents: The Ghost and Jamal’s protagonist has epilepsy and AJ’s parents in Running on Empty have learning disabilities. Durrant’s novel, set in Stratford (London), stars a working-class family struggling under the pressure of financial hardship and a welfare system ill-equipped to support them. Picture book, The New Neighbours, hints at themes very familiar to previous Little Rebels Award shortlists -the treatment of refugees and pre-conceptions about new arrivals- while the protagonist of the third picture book on the list, The King Who Banned the Dark, is an autocrat who instills obedience in his citizens through imagined fears.
Fen Coles, Co-Director of Letterbox Library, said of the shortlist: “From a king who bans the dark to a tower block community fearful of the ratty (!) newcomers, the Little Rebels Award shortlist demonstrates again that weighty topical themes can be brought to the youngest minds in ways which are playful, provocative, thoughtful and fun. Social divisions, conflict, the rise in far right parties and ideologies, threats to democratic rule as well as very home-grown human rights abuses such as the Windrush scandal are all ‘live’ topics which children are hearing about through ubiquitous social medias. The Little Rebels titles continue to offer young people and children texts to help them navigate, question and make sense of the fractured world which surrounds them”.
I’ve seen all except 2 of these so will have to seek them out, what I’ve seen/read though is fantastic. Do have a browse of the award’s site for the history, past winners, and current judges! The winner will be announced on 10th July.
Hi Sharna, thank you for agreeing to undergo the Third Degree!
What or who were your influences when writing? How did Nik and Norva come into your head?
I loved the idea of transposing classic mystery genre conventions and seeing what happened to them when placed in a contemporary, city setting. I was thinking about Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, The Thin Man, books by Kathrine Woodfine and my lovely editor Robin Stevens, but also TV programmes like Luther, films like Attack the Block and the Nothing Beats a Londoner Nike ad.
Nik and Norva are both a bit like me. I love shaving my hair off and being practical like Nik, but I can also be dramatic and excitable like Norva. Norva is actually named after a ceramist I met in The Hague in the Netherlands at her exhibition one day. She was very cool.
What made you decide to pitch a murder mystery to a young audience? Was there anything you consciously toned down because of it?
Alongside the thought of murder mystery in the city being interesting, I was also keen to see young black characters being sleuths – being clever and cunning.
I did tone down some of gory aspects of finding Hugo’s body. I took it a bit too far.
How did it come to be published by KnightsOf?
I knew David Stevens from conferences – and Twitter – and was delighted that he and Aimée Felone – his business partner – had launched Knights Of. What a fantastic thing! I had been speaking to them about other matters and one day they said, why don’t you write? I thought about it for a hot second, said yes and pitched High Rise Mystery to them. I described it to them as “PIs in the Projects, they sent back two black girl detective emojis and that was that.
In your day job you’re concerned with social engagement in the arts. Is The Hub, or indeed any character, based on places or people you have worked with?
The Hub is based on community centres I’ve seen across the UK – flexible spaces used by people in the area to use. I’m the Artistic Director at Site Gallery in Sheffield, and have worked with museums and galleries across the world, and have met some interesting people. Hugo is definitely an amalgamation of some people I’ve met along the way!
What do you think is most important about community spaces such as The Hub, and how are they faring in the face of austerity?
Community Spaces are incredibly important as they allow people in the immediate areas access and spaces to use in ways that are directly relevant to their needs and wants. Unfortunately austerity has a knock-on effect on everything – especially the arts. There is less funding for artists, and less money for the public to spend on events.
What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?
I’m just about to start Ghost by Jason Reynolds – can’t wait!
Have you done any author visits to schools and/or libraries yet?
Not yet – my first visit is on Thursday 11th at the Basil Griffith Library in Sheffield and then Waterstones Durham on Saturday [13th April]. I’m excited – and nervous!
When can we hope to see more Nik and Norva?
Soon I hope!
Several months ago I started researching how to offer multi-sensory story-times in my library. Mid-way through my preparations I changed library services and now this work is on hold for a few months while I find my feet again in a new position. In the interim I am making the resources I have been collating available, on the off-chance that they will assist others with an interest in extending their library services and story-times.
I will add more links as I go.
The magic of sensory story-times:
https://www.demco.com/webprd_demco/html/landing_pages/vrrp_yourtime/TheMagicOfSensoryStorytimes_June15.pdf
Sensory Story-time 101: where to start and how to make it amazing:
https://floridalibrarywebinars.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2.1.18-Sensory-Storytime-101.pdf
Story-time for the Spectrum (American Libraries Magazine):
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/03/01/sensory-storytime-spectrum-libraries-add-services-for-children-with-autism/
Sensory Storytime: Roadmap, Tools & Ideas Summary & Bibliography | Laura Baldassari-Hackstaff & Laura Olson
https://infopeople.org/sites/default/files/webinar/2015/02-11-2015/SensoryStorytime_Handout.pdf
Begin your sensory story-time today:
https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2016/04/begin-your-sensory-storytime-today/
Programming for Children with Special Needs:
https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2009/06/programming-for-children-with-special-needs-part-one/
Sensory Story-time – a brief how-to guide:
https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2012/03/sensory-storytime-a-brief-how-to-guide/
SenseSational Storytime Manual:
https://www.eldoradolibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SenseSational-Storytime-Manual.pdf
Tips and tricks for a successful story-time:
https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2018/08/sensory-storytime-tips-and-tricks-for-a-successful-program/
Books to read during sensory story-time:
https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2013/09/too-many-choices-books-to-read-during-sensory-storytimes/
Advice and ideas for creating sensory story-times: http://systems.mykansaslibrary.org/disabilities-resource/sensory-storytime-information/
Transforming story-time:
https://www.paulsimeone.com/blog-articles/transforming-storytime-create-a-multi-sensory-story
Making Object Books: http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/sites/pathstoliteracy.perkinsdev1.org/files/uploaded-files/makingobjectbooks.pdf
How to Make Tactile Books: http://www.cultureforall.info/doc/guides/guide_about_how_to_make_tactile_books.pdf
Last year Scholastic announced the launch of their new series of books, Voices, a series bringing to life BAME figures from British history, who’s stories are rarely told. I have been lucky enough to be sent the first two, both of which are fantastically paced, evocative, believable, heartbreaking, exciting, thought provoking, rage-inducing, and full of historically accurate information ripe for discussion. They are both brilliant stories in their own right, I expect to see them on topic reading lists in primary and secondary schools and in every school library, and I am really looking forward to finding out what is next in the series!
Bali Rai’s Now or Never
The world is at war and standing on the shores of Dunkirk, a young Indian soldier fights in defence of a Kingdom that does not see him as equal.
“My trust in the kindness and decency of others ended. It seemed I had reached a point of no return...”
Bali Rai wrote the first, Now or Never: A Dunkirk Story, about a period of time that every British school child has to learn about, but an aspect of that historical event that has been brushed under the carpet by the history books. Faz is one of hundreds of Indians that volunteered to join the British army during WW2 and who were then so badly treated. Scholastic interviewed him about it here. It has been out since January.
When Eve and her mother hear that one of the African divers sent to salvage the Mary Rose is still alive, and that another wreck rich with treasures lies nearby, they set out to find him.
“The water was my destiny. I knew it…I breathed in slowly and slipped over the edge of the boat into the water.”
Patrice Lawrence’s Diver’s Daughter
The second book is Diver’s Daughter: A Tudor Story, from Patrice Lawrence, makes it clear that black people have been in Britain for a lot longer than the Windrush generation, and focussing on another oft-taught about feature of English history: Henry VIII’s flagship, Mary Rose. Her author’s note says she didn’t want to focus on slavery, but it is definitely clear that people of African descent were not safe despite it being illegal on English soil at that time. It is being published in May, look out for it.
Diver’s Daughter brought to mind Catherine Johnson’s many (and brilliant) historical novels…maybe she’ll do one of the future books in the series (fingers crossed)?
A passive programme that I have found to be very successful is setting out a mug containing jokes on the service desk.
It has been attracting library patrons of all ages and has a dedicated band of followers who now come in on a regular basis just to pick up a joke.
If you are interested in testing it out, all you need is a mug/cup and a discrete sign advertising hat is on offer. You can collect a range of jokes and reuse them as statistically people would grab a different joke each time.
For those of you who may not have the time to hunt down jokes suitable for all ages I have a selection available to download below.
From debut author Justin A. Reynolds comes Opposite of Always, a razor-sharp, hilarious and heartfelt novel about the choices we make, the people we choose and the moments that make life worth reliving.
When Jack and Kate meet at a party, he knows he’s falling – hard. Soon she’s meeting his best friends and Kate wins them over as easily as she did Jack.
But then Kate dies. And their story should end there.
Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning, the moment they first meet, and Kate’s there again. Healthy, happy, and charming as ever. Jack isn’t sure if he’s losing his mind. Still, if he has a chance to prevent Kate’s death, he’ll take it. Even if that means believing in time travel. However, Jack will learn that his actions are not without consequences. And when one choice turns deadly for someone else close to him, he has to figure out what he’s willing to do to save the people he loves.
I was given a copy of OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS at the CILIP YLG London Macmillan event in January, it was one of the books they told us about that I loved the sound of, so when I was given the opportunity to ask Justin some questions for the blog I rushed it to the top of my TBR pile, and boy am I glad I did! It isn’t your classic YA love story, it isn’t your classic teen angst story, but it is your classic teenager trying to deal with what life throws at him. Jack is a great protagonist, making terrible decisions and bad jokes while his family and friends stick by his side through thick and thin (so refreshing). It is funny and moving and totally engrossing, and I finished it in a day.
Hi Justin, welcome to TeenLibrarian and thank you for giving up your time to undergo the third degree!
‘Opposite of Always’ is your debut novel, was it a long journey to publication or was it snapped up?
Great question. The answer is actually a combination of both. Opposite of Always is my third or fourth completed manuscript, after drafting my first back at university; so, yes, it’s been a long journey in that sense. In fact, at one point, right before beginning this draft, I’d considered giving up writing altogether. Of course, now I’m glad I kept going. Once my agent took the story out on submission with publishers, we had immediate interest the very next day, and it was a whirlwind from there. I was very fortunate.
Do you still have a day job? How have you managed writing time?
Currently, writing is my day job, which is something I’d always dreamed of—writing full time. I do often think of my former occupation, though, with a special fondness; I was a registered nurse and had the privilege of assisting so many awesome patients get back on their feet. It was a very different job than writing, but both revolve around stories, on shaping a narrative. And both require a great deal of humility and empathy.
What has been the best thing so far about being published?
The best thing has been the opportunity to meet so many fantastic people! The young adult book community, as it turns out, is smaller than I thought; which has been nice because it’s afforded me the chance to get to know other writers. They’ve shared their personal stories of perseverance with me and they’ve given me great advice throughout this entire journey; it’s been a tremendous (and unexpected) help!
You say in your introduction that it is your “refusal to say goodbye” to lost loved ones. Did you find yourself using any real memories in the story or is it all fictional?
So, I actually struggled with the idea of writing a story that stemmed from those personal losses. I wasn’t sure that I had the right to include those personal memories because they were no longer around to share their opinions; because of that, I did not use any specific memories in OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS. But the characters are certainly composites of people that I love; people that have loved me.
Jack has extremely supportive parents, something often missing in YA and very much missing from his friends’ lives, was that the case from the very first draft?
I love this question! The answer is yes! It was absolutely the case from the very first draft. There were a couple of things about this story that I knew from the beginning beginning—one was that Jack’s voice would be the focal point, and another was that he would have a very loving and dynamic support network—the center of which would be his parents. Not only was it important to me that their love for Jack be front and center, but that their love for his friends would feel the same. I think much of the parents’ instincts to love and support Jack (and company) stems from their deep (and sometimes super affectionate haha) love for each other.
You reference ‘Groundhog Day’, were there any other time travel influences that you’d recommend?
I love the movie ‘About Time’! If you haven’t seen it yet, please do yourself a favor and correct that immediately!
What are you reading at the moment and who would you recommend it to?
I just finished a great book called ‘Let Me Hear a Rhyme’ by Tiffany D. Jackson; at first glance it may appear to be a departure from her previous work—stories intent on drawing attention to the disregarded and giving voice to the overlooked—but at her newest novel’s core is the same heart and urgency present in all of her stories. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves music, values friendship, and enjoys superb storytelling.
Any plans to come to the UK?
I definitely want to visit the UK! Is this an invitation? 😀
I’m afraid we can’t stretch the budget to airfares, but I know a lot of librarians that would definitely love to meet you if you do come over!
OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS is out in the UK on the 4th April 2019.
Joe Quinn tells everyone about the poltergeist in his house, but no one believes him. No one that is, except for Davie. He’s felt the inexplicable presence in the rooms, he’s seen random objects fly through the air. And there’s something else … a memory of his beloved sister, and a feeling deep down that somehow it might be possible for ghosts to exist.
David Almond is one of the most interesting writers for children in the UK, creating unique, thought provoking, and curious stories and characters (including the much loved ‘Skellig’). ‘Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist’ is one that is heavily influenced by his childhood near Newcastle, growing up in a Catholic family living in a council estate (until he was 13). The introduction tells us a bit about this background, his loss of a sister when he was aged 7, and his love of reading and libraries. The story itself is not so much a ghost story as a story of a boy hoping for something, coming to terms with grief, and realising that life goes on even while you work out what you believe.
I had already read ‘Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist’, as it is one of the short stories in his collection ‘Half a Creature from the Sea‘, published by Walker in 2014, but reading it again with Dave McKean‘s illustrations was a whole new experience. When judging the Kate Greenaway nominations, you need to consider how much the illustrations are an integral part of the story, whether it would be the same or lesser without them, and this is one where I would easily say that it leaves a lasting impression far enhancing that of the words on their own. The pacing of the text and placement in and around the illustrations flows beautifully, the pages are so evocative while the faces of the characters show so much emotion, and I fully expect to see this on the 2020 Greenaway longlist.
Thankyou so much to Walker books for sending me a copy of ‘Joe Quinn’s Poltergeist‘ to review. Their site suggests it is for readers aged 9+, I’d put a heavy emphasis on the ‘+’ because it is one of those that can be skimmed or read deeply and speaks on many levels.
This is the fourth of Almond’s books that McKean has illustrated, Slog’s Dad and The Savage are a similar format and of a similar brilliance, ‘Mouse Bird Snake Wolf’ is suitable from a slightly younger age. I suggest if you’ve not seen them already you seek them out too!
If you think finding a body is a fun adventure, you’re 33% right.
There has been a murder in THE TRI, the high-rise buildings where know-it-alls Nik and Norva live. Armed with curiosity, local knowledge and unlimited time – until the end of the summer holidays – the dogged and determined detective duo take it upon themselves to solve the complicated mystery.
Sharna Jackson’s debut novel for children is set in a tower block (surprisingly enough) on a SE London estate. Our detective duo are sisters Nik and Norva, aged 11 and 13, living with their dad on the estate. He is the caretaker of the block and, also, becomes the main suspect when the sisters find the body of their art teacher. Luckily they’ve been honing their detecting skills and are ready for a bigger mystery to solve!
It isn’t only brilliant because it is the first Black British children’s detective series for 9-12s, it is brilliant because it is one of the best children’s detective mysteries I have ever read.
I enjoyed reading this *so* much. It is pretty long for a “middle grade” book (I say MG, but it could easily be enjoyed by older teens as well…and indeed adult readers), but the pages flew by as the investigation continued. Really pleased that it is the first in a series, I want as many of these as there are Poirot novels please!
HIGH RISE MYSTERY is beginning to appear in shops now!
(huge thanks to Colour PR for asking me if I’d like a copy to review)
Barrington Stoke (my old faves) very kindly sent me a copy of The Disconnect, Keren David’s next novella for them, to review.
How will a group of teenagers react when they are offered £1,000 to give up their mobile phone in Keren David’s thought-provoking story of perspective and influence.When an eccentric entrepreneur challenges a class to give up their phones, offering a prize of £1,000 to the one who lasts the longest, Esther is determined to win. But ignoring the draw of technology is difficult and it’s not as easy as she thought to resist that niggling urge. Can she hold out long enough to win the money and what else can Esther and her friends discover when they’re not glued to their screens? An astute and enthralling examination of the highs and lows of social-media life, from one of the most compelling voices in teenage fiction
As usual for a Barrington Stoke title, it says a lot with a few words. What I loved about this book, was that it wasn’t telling teenagers to get off their phones altogether but that perhaps it is worth looking up occasionally…and that parents and other adults are as guilty as teens about overusing their screens! In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I pestered Keren for the Third Degree…
Hi Keren, welcome to TeenLibrarian and thank you for giving up your time to undergo the third degree!
What prompted you to write about mobile phone use?
It’s such a huge thing in teenagers’ lives – all of our lives – and I thought it would be good to think about all the things, good and bad that we get from our phones. It’s something that I talk to my children about a lot. And I’d also been talking to a friend whose daughter was being bullied, and a lot of that was happening within Snapchat groups. I had a long talk with my son to work out what might actually tempt teenagers to put down their phones – money, we concluded.
Do you have any advice for teens that might be worried about social media ruling their lives?
Give yourself a break. Even switching off once a week for 24 hours can put things into proportion, and help you create a sense of yourself that is separate from social media.
The descriptions of food were wonderful, what inspired Basabousa?
On a very superficial level, I love Middle Eastern food and enjoy going to restaurants where it is served. On a deeper level, at a time of growing antisemitism, I wanted to create a benign character who is Israeli but whose family is originally from an Arab land – as they tend to get ignored in the overheated political narrative.
This isn’t your first title for Barrington Stoke, how did you first get involved with them?
I loved their mission and books, and wanted to write for them for a long time. Then I had a letter from a dyslexic boy who said he’d enjoyed my books. So my agent used it as a way to approach Barrington Stoke, and luckily they were keen for me to write for them.
Is writing a novella a very different process to writing a longer novel?
It’s similar but much more concise – no time to dwell on minor characters or sub-plots. I like it!
If you go into schools, do you prefer writing workshops or author talks?
I’m equally happy to do either. With writing workshops I try and do something that is fun, because I feel that often the enjoyment is sucked out of writing at school. I do one exercise where pupils create characters, then work in pairs to bring those characters together into a plot. Then – after a lot of laughing and excitement – I tell them that’s how my first book started, by doing that very exercise in a creative writing class.
What are you currently reading and who would you recommend it to?
I’ve just finished Tracey Thorn’s memoir Another Planet: A Teenager in Surburbia (Canongate) which was an extraordinary read for me, as Tracey and I were in the same class at school and did all the same A levels. A lot of it felt like reading my teenage diaries. I’d recommend it to anyone, but especially those of us who were teens in the late 70s. And I’ve just started reading Karen’s McCombie’s Little Bird Flies (Nosy Crow) which is an absolutely beautiful, emotionally gut-wrenching story, perfect for sensitive 10 to 14 year olds.
What are you hoping 2019 will bring?
I’ve just started work on a new book, so I hope that’ll be a good experience!
The Disconnect is out on 15th April 2019
