10 Must Reads - Posters

Last Term, while relieving for two teacher libarians at a Sutherland Shire High school (they share one full time position and took separate periods of leave ), I decided to create posters to promote literatuer featured in the different genres that comprise of the fiction collection, excluding the general fiction collection.

Normally, I would have created a "Recommended Reads" brochure to promote literature but decided to attempt a visual approach through the posters and identify ten items that would be suitable and enjoyable for the students. If there the item was part of a series, I would promote the first book and then list the series underneath to open up further reading options, should the student enjoy reading the first book.

Click here to access the Google Drive folder.  

The library assistant did a great job in creating a book display to promote the items featured. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Sydney, remote learning, but also the conclusion of my work at the school, I cannot provide any feedback on the success of it, but it is a step forward.

Sydney Writers Festival @ Cabramatta Library- October 19 2017

Yours truly with Jessica Townsend, Author of the recently released book - Nevermoor.

Fairfield City Council recently hosted a Sydney Writers Festival workshop for students attending schools within the Fairfield City Council Local Government Area.

I took a group of sixteen students from Mary Mackillop Catholic College, Wakeley to attend the sessions. Those attending were given some excellent writing tips from the following authors:

• J. C. Burke - What to consider when writing a short story e.g. Ensuring that you know your (main) character
• Marlee Jane Ward - To write, you need to constantly develop your writing skills.
• Evelyn Scott (Poet) - Poetry is feeling, not telling. Poetry must be able to evoke emotion.  

Jessica Townsend went on a different tangent focusing on she was motivated into writing and was a keen writer from a very young age. Like the other writers, it takes time to reach your ultimate goal. For the girls, this was their big highlight of the day

Her recently released book Nevermoor has already been signed up for a film adapation by 20th Century Fox, and is being released in 28 countries.  She is an author to watch. I am in the process of reading Nevermoor and hopefully will update you soon on what I think.    

Bestsellers for Christmas 2014

I came across an interesting article in The Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend relating to popular Young Adult Literature titles for Christmas this year. I’ve also included the top ten list provided by Dymocks of their best selling books showing the popularity of books for young people. 

Source: Morris, L. 2014. "Tween favourites vie for supremacy."  The Sydney Morning Herald, December 6, 18. 

Tween favourites vie for supremacy

Books Battle of Christmas

Linda Morris

  

In the battle for Christmas book sales, the competition has come down to two giants of tween fiction. On one side are the homegrown anarchists, Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, and on the other is the all-American Wimpy Kid.

 This year’s contest appears to be a rerun of last year’s dash to the finish, when Jeff Kinney’s eighth instalment of the Wimpy Kid Series, Hard Luck, ran down the 39-Storey Treehouse and John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.

 Only a late resurgence from the Man Booker Prize winner, Richard Flanagan, and Matthew Reilly’s latest blockbuster, The Great Zoo of China, might upset Kinney and Griffith’s quest for sales domination.

 Strong growth in children’s book sales has generally marked a year of consolidation for booksellers in Melbourne and Sydney – a year in which political biographies disappointed, the celebrity memoir proved a covert bestseller and online sales soared.

  ‘‘The fact that children are still coveting and choosing books over all the other enticements in TV, movies and the internet really speaks to the unique power of the written word,’’ Dymocks’ buying manager, Sophie Higgins, said. ‘‘Perhaps also the fact that parents know how important it is for children to have strong literacy skills.

  ‘‘Our growth, calendar year-to-date, is well into double digits and last year was also a growth year for children’s books; it really is such a good news story.’’

After initial fizz, interest in political biographies has fallen away, with the exception of Julia Gillard’s My Story.

Celebrity biographies from the likes of Lena Dunham, John Cleese, Amy Poehler and Cary Elwes have been racing out the door, according to Kinokuniya, while shortstory collections or novellas from Christos Tsiolkas, Michelle de Kretser, Patrick Rothfuss, Margaret Atwood and Hilary Mantel have been selling in place of novels.

Such is the interest in Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer and Poehler’s Yes Please, Mark Rubbo, managing director of Melbourne’s independent book chain Readings, suggested non-fiction titles by feisty women should become a sub-genre.

Online Australian bookstore Booktopia expects its biggest sales everbefore December 10, its Christmas order cut-off. Chief buyer John Purcell predicts Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty, The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion , and The Great Zoo of China to be popular holiday reads.

 Last year Dymocks recorded some of its biggest pre-Christmas sales days. This year, says Higgins, sales are largely positive but much more variable, week to week.

  

At Readings, overall sales are up slightly on last year, and online sales by a ‘‘huge amount’’.

It has been a strong year for Mosman’s Pages & Pages but the next three weeks make or break the year.

 '‘Let the madness begin,’’ general manager Jon Page said.