On Sunday 10th March I battled my way through gales, engineering works on Southwest Trains and fallen trees on Southern Rail to attend an event at the British Library. It was definitely worth it. The afternoon brought together three wonderful authors, Sir Philip Pullman, Salley Vickers and Dame Jacqueline Wilson in a thoughtful discussion about the effect libraries had on them as children, as readers and as writers and, of course, why they love libraries.
The discussion was chaired by Sue Wilkinson of the Reading Agency. She introduced the afternoon by explaining that as a body they work with many different partners but that one of the most important is libraries. She also went on to say that “personal choice creates readers.” Libraries help to provide that choice to everyone.
There were many important points raised and discussed during this event and I am still thinking about these several days later. There were some comments made that particularly resonated with me.
All three authors stressed how important it is that library usage and a love of reading starts in childhood. Philip Pullman said that if you develop a love of reading as a child you probably hang on to that love. Jacqueline Wilson told us that her mother obtained special permission for her to join the library as she was so young. Salley Vickers described the librarian after whom the lead character in her latest novel, The Librarian is named. The original Miss Blackwell displayed an impressive knowledge of children’s literature and an ability to know not just which book a child may want to read but also, perhaps more importantly, which book a child needed to read. This wonderful professional introduced Salley Vickers to The Moomins by Tove Jansson, a series also beloved by Philip Pullman.
Jacqueline Wilson had fond memories of graduating to the adult section of Kingston upon Thames library at a very young age and reading Jane Austen. Again there was a common thread as all three said that thanks to libraries and librarians they had been introduced to authors and books that otherwise they may never have known. This availability and range of choice is a key argument in the fight to maintain our public libraries. Without this access, this wonderful opportunity to happen upon literary gems almost by accident, reading could be a narrow and somewhat limited experience. Phillip Pullman said that the most popular area in a public library is the returns shelf. This comment was greeted by knowing smiles from the librarians in the audience! I think that his description of a library as “a treasure chest of serendipity” is just perfect. That feeling of wandering the shelves and discovering new worlds and new friends among the books is what I love most about libraries.
Salley Vickers movingly described how a children’s book, The Owl Service by Alan Garner, brought her back to reading during a dark and difficult time in her life. She highlighted the social role of libraries commenting that the government could be saving money on mental health if they invested in libraries. She also asked where better to find out about diversity than in a library? Libraries could be centres where literature and information are used for social benefit. Jacqueline Wilson summed this aspect up excellently with her description of a library as “a place of refuge and of inspiration.” The library became her place, her home and somewhere that she was able to lose herself completely.
The descriptions of the writing process and the authors’ relationship with their books and their readers were fascinating. Often the author may not consciously be trying to express a particular point and sometimes meaning only really exists once the book is read. We all read in a subtlety different way and a story may be multi layered with different readers taking differing experiences from the book. Salley Vickers expressesd the view that very good books can convey serious subjects through the imagination not through the mind. Philip Pullman voiced concern that in schools it is now harder for teachers to read aloud to children aloud simply for the joy of it and that often exercises or tests are linked to books read in the classroom. He said perhaps the best way to create a reader was to take a child into a library and allow them to choose. As a school librarian I agree that the freedom to choose reading material is key when encouraging reading for pleasure.
That public libraries are under threat has been well documented in recent years. Although Jacqueline Wilson has visited some wonderful examples of vibrant city centre libraries she also noted that the smaller library once found in every town is disappearing. As Philip Pullman so succinctly described it, “We must have libraries where people are.” If local town centre libraries shut then a mobile library service is even more vital. His own mobile library used by the elderly or young mums with toddlers in pushchairs who are unable to get to the city centre, has been removed. Sadly it appears to be that the places where libraries are needed the most are those where the service is cut.
Perhaps the final word should go to Dame Jacqueline Wilson, former Children’s Laureate, who said.
”We must put our shoulders behind the campaign to preserve our public libraries.”
The packed theatre audience of library lovers wholeheartedly agreed.
Which books do children read? The answer to this question varies according to which source of information you consult. A more pertinent question might be, which books do children choose to read? The announcement this week of the shortlisted books for the 
As a school librarian I felt sympathy for a child who brought a carefully selected book back to the library the following day saying “Mum says this is too easy for me.” or “ I’ve been told I need a more challenging book.” It is of course possible that the child in question is easily capable of a more challenging book but surely it is preferable to respect their original choice and then nudge them gently towards something considered more appropriate next time. Seventeen years as a primary school librarian have shown me that illustrated books of all types are very popular with children all the way through primary school and beyond. Any concentration on books being ‘too easy’ or ‘too young’ may be linked to the following of reading schemes and levels but once a child is able to read independently they often want to revisit old favourites and read them themselves or simply read for fun. If we persist in describing reading as something that children should do or as something that is good for them in the same way as eating vegetables then we should not be surprised if they do not then see it as fun. If they are allowed to become involved in their reading progress by choosing books they like they are much more likely to feel that they are participating in an active and enjoyable way. The Rights of The Reader poster by Daniel Pennac and illustrated by Sir Quentin Blake summarises excellently the varies ways in which reading can be encouraged.
Ellie has gone to stay with her grandma while her Dad travels abroad on business yet again. She makes it very clear that she does not want to be there at all and her bad behaviour is driving poor grandma mad. Ellie is quite possibly the rudest, most objectionable child Grandma has ever met and eventually Grandma reaches breaking point and decides that it is time that Ellie learned a lesson. It is a lesson that Ellie will never forget.
After a toad lands on his head as he leaves his house one morning, Leo is determined to find out where it has come from and why. When he discovers that his best friend Rosa has also seen a strange flying toad the two of them resolve to come up with some answers before the angry residents of Upper Dab take matters into their own hands and destroy the toads!
However as the year closes there are three books in particular that, although very different to each other, typify the remarkable range and quality of children’s literature available at present and are my own favourites of the year.
All three of these wonderful books contain characters that I grew to care about, felt that I knew and now remember and think of still, long after I have turned the final pages. That is the magic of children’s fiction, it can make you genuinely care. It also has a knack for conveying and highlighting simple truths and important values that can sometimes get lost in the business of adult lives. Kate DiCamillo, Piers Torday and Hilary McKay speak to children, and to the child within the adult reader, in a way that comforts and reassures as well as entertains. A rare gift indeed and one I greatly appreciate.
This stunning picture book has a very nostalgic feel to it, set in the US possibly in the 1940s with an absent father, shown in uniform in a photo, maybe away in the war. The illustrations with the old fashioned cars, the lights twinkling from shop windows, the fashions and the ankle deep snow take me back to old Hollywood films I watched in my childhood at Christmas time. There is a reassuring solidity about the scenes and the organ grinder’s sadness contrasts sharply with this. The lighting in the wonderful illustrations is stunning with Frances tiptoeing down stairs with her touch, the night time street scene and the opening of the door into the church all bathed in a golden glow.
Library Lady 