Something's Coming From the Edge...

Over the last year the Edge authors have been working on a very exciting idea! 

It was an idea that grabbed us all. It made us think about writing in a different form, a form that might be interesting and exciting for us as well as teen readers, young adult readers, schools, libraries, and pretty much anyone who loves to read teen or young adult fiction.

We've almost reached the final stages of taking the original idea and developing it into something new and different.

Things we can tell you now:
There will be books!
There will be events!
There will be EIGHT stories!

But keep it under your hat for now.

Much more will be revealed later, so stay tuned...

And the Costa Book of the Year is - a Children's Book! Savita Kalhan

Hooray! Frances Hardinge has not only won the Costa Children's Book award but also the Costa Book of the Year award for her novel The Lie Tree!

The last time a children's book won the Costa Book of the Year was fifteen years ago in 2001 when Philip Pullman won with his novel, The Amber Spyglass, which is part of His Dark Materials series.

Hardinge describes her novel as a "Victorian Gothic mystery with added palaeontology, blasting powder, post-mortem photography and feminism".  At its heart, The Lie Tree is a children's book, and as Frances Hardinge says - most of her books are written for herself as a 12 year old.

Her win is important for so many reasons, not least because when she was interviewed on Radio 4, she was asked by the interviewer what winning the 'proper' prize meant to her. I'm not sure whether the interviewer meant that the Children's Prize was improper in some way, or just not as important or meaningful...

So why is it an important win, apart from the fact that the book explores issues that a scientifically-minded, very intelligent 14 year old girl in a Victorian age faces at a time when girls had little or no say in the world, much less in the scientific community?

Over the years, teen and young adult fiction has been seen as unliterary and lightweight, and because it caters for children, it therefore cannot be deemed worthy of winning a 'proper' prize. Writers of teen fiction are often asked whether they think they might be the next JK Rowling, or whether they might eventually write a 'proper grown up' book, so for a book like The Lie Tree to become part of mainstream literary fiction will open hearts and minds to the fact that children's fiction is eminently readable, as enjoyable, and as good as other 'grown up' books is great.

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Diverse December

#diversedecember was launched on Twitter on the 1st of December to celebrate BAME, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, authors, and to highlight the continuing lack of diversity in publishing.

I have blogged about the lack of diversity in children's literature here many times over the past few years. I've also blogged about Malorie Blackman and Bali Rai's call for more diversity in children's literature, and about how the lack of diversity in children's literature affected me when I was growing up.

Now, Nikesh Shukla has joined Jon McGregor in an attack slamming the elitism of an industry which “work[s] to perpetuate an environment in which their own sort feel at home."

The article was published in the Guardian: 'Where are the Brown People?: Authors slam lack of diversity in UK publishing'.

On Twitter people have been sharing what they want to read this month and recommending books. It's easier to do this with contemporary fiction because there seem to be far fewer published books by BAME teen writers.

I'll be reading these two great new books published this year by BAME teen/YA authors:

The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo by Catherine Johnson

13 Hours by Narinder Dhami

I'll also be reading these adult fiction books:

A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

The Private Life of Mrs Sharma by Ratika Kapur

A Restless Wind by Sharukh Husain

Nosy Crow has announced that they would like to support #diversedecember. So if there are any BAME authors out there, now is your chance to submit. Check out the submission guidelines first here - Nosy Crow

Tom from Nosy Crow said, "Today we’re announcing an open call for children’s fiction submissions from debut BAME writers. I think that it’s incredibly important that our industry represents a wide range of voices, not only so that children from every background can recognise their own lives and experiences in the books that they read, but also simply to enrich the body of children’s literature that we publish, by moving out of a monoculture and embracing a wider world of ideas."

Nikesh Shukla is also compiling an anthology of essays by BAME authors, The Good Immigrant, fifteen writers who will be exploring what it means to be Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic in the UK today. He is looking for funding - here's the link if you'd like to pledge - UNBOUND

J K Rowling has just pledged £5K.

You can follow #diversedecember on Twitter for more book recommendations and news.

Please leave your book recommendations in the comments.

Harper Lee by Savita Kalhan

On Tuesday 14th July I was fortunate enough to be invited to a party to celebrate the publication of Go Set a Watchman - the second book by Harper Lee, her first book being of course the iconic Pulitzer prize winning To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960.

I'm represented by Andrew Nurnberg Agency, who are Harper Lee's UK agents, and fellow Edge author, Sara Grant, and I were very lucky to be shown copies of the original correspondence between Harper Lee and her eventual publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird reached publication.

I will be reading Go Set a Watchman. The reviews have been mixed, but I know that it has been published in its original form, much as it was written in the mid-1950s. The manuscript was assumed lost and only discovered in 2014. The world has moved on since the days of black segregation in the south. Nelle Harper Lee, her given name, is now 89 years old. The book features characters from To Kill a Mockingbird twenty years on.

I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was a teenager. It was my first introduction to the segregated American south. The book deals with racism in the small town of Monroeville where Harper Lee grew up. I have watched the film many times too and both book and film have had a profound effect on me. I wanted to be Scout when I was growing up. Atticus Finch gave his daughter lessons to live by, lessons in fairness and justice and tolerance, lessons to live by in any age.

To Kill a Mockingbird has been part of the curriculum in many schools over the years, and what Go Set a Watchman might do is to introduce a whole new generation to the book.

WRITING TIPS – PART 7 FROM EDGE WRITER SAVITA KALHAN

For the past six weeks the Edge Writers have been sharing their writing tips. Here’s a brief run-down, but to get the full benefit of their wisdom, check out their blogs here on The Edge:



Bryony Pearce – Go be a DORK – as in Day-dream, Observe, Read, and Query, and most importantly to then Write.

Dave Cousins – Amongst his fifteen amazing writing tips, one of the most important is to ENJOY what you’re writing.

Katie Dale – People watch, listen, carry a notebook, enter writing competitions, and READ, READ, READ.




Miriam Halahmy – When you’re drained, take a complete break and do no writing at all until you’ve recharged your batteries. It’s a risk well worth taking.






Paula Rawsthorne - My tip would be to gather tips and ‘rules’ from the various writers that you admire (and some you don’t) and then see what works for you.




Sara Grant - My top writing tip – Buy LOTS AND LOTS of great books – and study them! The only creative writing teachers you will ever need are on bookstore and library shelves.






And now it’s my turn to share mine. Last year I blogged about Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley. “Nobody asked you to write that novel.” These words were said to her by a friend and they resonated with her in a way that they resonate with many writers, and have done so for me.



Writing is such a close and personal encounter with your imagination that to lay it out in the open for others to read, criticise, and, hopefully, enjoy is a major deal. But that’s what writers do. So bearing that in mind, I have only two writing tips to add to all the other great tips from the Edge authors.


Enjoy the process of writing regardless of the rewards. Don’t think about whether those rewards might involve getting a publishing contract, winning awards, receiving accolades, getting big advances, because you may be in for troubling times. The writing process itself can be hard work, all the more harder if you’re not enjoying what you’re writing, trying to write or rewriting for the seventh time!

Be patient and persevere. Being a writer also means being in for the long haul. The publishing industry is nothing if not slow and long-winded. Nothing happens today or tomorrow; nothing happens without several people in a publishing department being totally committed to your book, and then they have to get it past several other people in other departments such as Sales and Marketing. So bide your time and don't ever give up.

We hope you’ve all enjoyed our WRITING TIPS series. Please do come back to us if you have any questions or leave us your thoughts in the comments section below. 

HAPPY WRITING FROM THE EDGE!

 

 

A New Library Teen Reading Group by Savita Kalhan

I’ve been a member of the library since I was about five years old. Wycombe library had an amazing children’s library and I made use of it every Saturday morning throughout my childhood. Then, when I was twelve,  I joined the adult library where bookshelves went right up to the ceiling. The reference library, upstairs, was well stocked and quiet, with lots of rows of tables and desks, and that’s where I ended up doing a lot of homework. Being the eldest of seven kids, our house was noisy and chaotic, so the library was the perfect refuge and I really don’t know what I would have done without it.

I’ve been going to a few Save Barnet Libraries, where there are threatened closures and down-scaling have put the libraries in jeopardy. We all know how important libraries are, how invaluable they are to local communities, and how one central library serving a huge area cannot serve the needs of library users. Local library branches are essential.
Save Barnet Libraries Facebook page

With the booming teen/YA market, there is obviously a demand for new books. The teen sections of many libraries vary greatly in size and content. Some councils and boroughs have been forced to reduce their spending on books, which generally means less books and therefore less choice. I think it’s important for kids to have choice when it comes to books. In my local library, the teen section is a very small area, although it’s still used by teens to borrow books. They often study in the library too. More books and more choice would be good though. So I thought why not volunteer to start a Teen Reading Group? It would be no more than an hour of my time once or twice a month, and if it promotes reading amongst teens and introduces them to a wider variety and more diverse books, then I’ll be a very happy person.

After a meeting with the manager of the library, the project was given the green light, and we will, hopefully, have our first meeting in a couple of week’s time. I hope the word will spread and more teens join. I hope the library can buy more books, offer more choice, and continue to inspire kids to read.

I'm starting with the CILIP Carnegie shortlist, and from there to a world of books!

And I hope the council sees how important libraries are and the part they play in peoples’ lives.


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Book Titles and Songs by Savita Kalhan

 When I begin a new project I have to have a working title for the first draft. That title may change a few times, or remain the same, but I find it very difficult to work without one. Some writers are inspired by songs, their titles and lyrics, mood and feel. I listen to lots of music, but only rarely when I’m writing.

I’m just at the beginning of a new project and I’m looking for a title. I have one in mind that might work. While I was thinking about a title, I discovered that there are so many books that share their title with a song, and even quite a few Teen/YA titles. The Beatles seemed to have inspired more book titles than anyone else.

More Than This – Roxy Music, and Peter Gabriel. The title of Patrick Ness’s YA novel, More than This, may possibly Have had something to do with Peter Gabriel’s version of the song.

 

Buffalo Soldier – Bob Marley. The song title is also the title of a book by Tanya Landman, recently shortlisted for the Carnegie, and one of my favourite teen/YA reads of 2014.

Less than Zero – Elvis Costello. The title was used by Brett Easton Ellis for his debut novel

Night Shift – Commodores. Book by Stephen King

Nowhere Man – The Beatles. This title has been used over and over again.

Norwegian Wood – The Beatles. Book by Haruki Murakami. I won’t mention any more Beatles songs that are also book titles because there are simply too many!

The Day the Music Died, lyric from American Pie by Don McLean, also a book title by Ed Gorman (Sam Mcain #1)

Long Time Coming – Sam Cooke. Book by Sandra Brown

Here are 8 songs that I think would make a great book title

I've added a few links to some of the songs, so just click on LISTEN if you'd like to hear the song.

The Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads

LISTEN

Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan
LISTEN

Welcome to the Jungle – Guns and Roses

 My Name Is – Eminem

Straight to Hell – the Clash

 Blue Monday – New Order

 

Bright Side of the Road – Van Morrison

LISTEN

Song of the Black Swan – Pink Martini

What song titles do you think would make good book titles?


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Fifty-Five Books by Savita Kalhan

 

I gave myself a challenge in January 2014 – to read 55 books in a year. I read a lot, and I read a huge variety, but until a couple of years ago, I have never bothered to count how many books I read in a year. I’ve used Goodreads to track what I’ve read and when I’ve read it. Some of the books I’ve read have been for ‘work’, some for research and others for sheer pleasure.

Well, by the end of December 2014, I made it to the magic 55 books read mark. Amongst the huge variety of books I read there are some books that have really stayed with me. I wanted to share some of my favourite teen/YA reads amongst them.

Buffalo Soldier by Tanya Landman 

 Set at the end of the American Civil War, a desperate time of lawlessness and violence , a girl named Charley, a young African-American slave, is forced to steal the clothes off a dead man’s back and join the army. Another brilliant story of survival in a brutal time from Tanya Landman.

The Hob and the Deerman by Pat Walsh

Fans of the Crowfield Curse, like me, will love the Hob and the Deerman. Pat Walsh’s story-telling is beautiful, magical and dark all at the same time. I’m eagerly awaiting the next Hob Tale.

 

 

Lockwood and Co – The Case of the Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

It’s the first in a series of the adventures of the three agents of Lockwood & Co. Mysterious and enigmatic Anthony Lockwood, fearless Lucy Carlyle and geeky George Cubbins, the three teen ghost-busters tackle London’s epidemic of ghosts and ghouls. It’s funny, scary and completely entertaining.

Wish Me Dead by Helen Grant

Set in the little German town of Bad Munstereifel, Steffi and her friends visit the old witches house in the dead of night. This is a creepy, thrilling story with the message: be careful what you wish for...

 

 

Between Two Seas by Marie Louise Jensen

Marianne has promised her dying mother that she will search for her father on her death. But her father is in Denmark. Set in the late 19^th century, Between Two Seas is the story of Marianne’s brave journey from Grimsby to an inhospitable and strange land in search of the truth about who she is.

The Unicorn Hunter by Che Golden

Set in Blarney, on the doorstep of the faerie world of Tir na nOg, orphan Maddy comes to live with her grandparents and tries to come to terms with the loss of her parents. As in The Feral Child, she once again becomes embroiled with the dangerous games and treachery of the faerie world – but this time they threaten the balance of the world. A great read!

Apache by Tanya Landman

Apache is the story of orphan Siki of the Black Moutain Apache tribe and her quest to become a warrior. It’s also a story of death and of revenge, set in a time when the settlers arrived and fenced off huge areas of Indian land. Brilliant!

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

I’ve just finished this YA read and really enjoyed it. It’s pacy, it’s very evocative of a different time and place, and there is a wonderful cast of real characters. Set in 1950’s New Orleans, Out of the Easy is the story of Josie, the daughter of a prostitute, struggling to find a way out of the poverty of the Quarter to follow her dream.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Quite simply a beautiful read.

 

I’ll be attempting the same target of 55 books again this year. Although with so many books on my to-be-read pile I fear I’ll always be playing catch-up!

I really hope you’ll share some of your stand-out teen/YA reads of the year in the comments – the more book recommendations the better!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us here at the Edge!

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"Nobody asked you to write that novel," by Savita Kalhan

“Nobody asked you to write that novel.”

Those were the words of one of Jane Smiley’s friends. These words resonated with her the way, I think, they resonate with many writers.

When I read these words in an interview with Jane Smiley, I thought: I must pin these up on the wall where I can see them every day when I’m working, especially when I’m stuck, frustrated, or blocked in the current WIP. Because they are so true – nobody has asked me to write this current book. Nobody. I made that choice all by myself. I signed up for it without any prodding or persuading on anyone else’s parts but my own. But those words are a good reminder when the book isn’t going exactly the way you want or expect it to, and when it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere at all!



Moo, The Greenlanders and A Thousand Acres, for which she won the Pulitzer prize, are just a small selection of books by Jane Smiley. She’s been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, written short stories, written for young adults, written crime, historical, epics, as well as essays and non-fiction. In her interview, she offered five tips to writers, which are not dissimilar to the tips I would offer. Every so often it’s good to step back from the writing process to not only remind yourself of why you’re writing but also to remind yourself of the world beyond your manuscript.




So, be a tortoise not a hare, Smiley says. Let the story evolve rather than rushing through the first draft. It’s not a competition as to how fast you can write. This one is easily forgotten in the rush to get the story down as fast as possible. For some writers it works, but for many it doesn’t.





Read a lot. We all know that this is so important, and for many writers it’s what led us to trying our hand at writing in the first place. Reading is important not just for the sheer pleasure of it, but it also makes us aware of the way different writers have crafted their novels, of what’s possible and works.

Look and listen. I’ve often been accused by my family of ‘zoning out’ when we’re out, but they all know that what I’m doing is eavesdropping! Characters in a book are built on the people we know and read about, but also on the people we see and hear, or overhear.

Exhaust your own curiosity about your project before showing it to someone else. I have in the past rushed to show someone a first draft, but over the years I’ve realised that it’s a mistake for me to do that. I need some space and distance between each draft so that I can get some perspective on the manuscript. When I do have the manuscript read by someone else, I’m usually ready, albeit somewhat anxiously, for an honest critique and constructive criticism.

Focus on enjoying the process. This is so important, and, most of the time, I love the writing process – why else would I do it? The rewards? Well, I’ve come to realise that if I thought only about any rewards, then I may well be in danger of living a life of permanent disappointment.  But then how does one persevere? It’s hard to continue writing day in day out without sight of some reward at the end of it. Which is why, I suppose, if I didn’t love the process of writing, I would eventually stop writing altogether.

Jane Smiley's book, Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel, promises to be an interesting read. She wrote the book to help her overcome her block. She set out to read and review a 100 books. With each book she talks about why it succeeds as a novel, or doesn't, and discusses her own work, offering tips and advice.


What keeps you going as a writer?

  
 

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Favourite Books by Savita Kalhan

Sara Grant’s blog last week was about her good reads and all-time favourites. Everyone who is passionate about reading has their list of good reads, their favourite books, and books that have stayed with them forever. But it’s not that easy to make a shortlist of them if you read a lot – even if you stick to looking at just teen or YA books! And sometimes it’s not that easy to say exactly why a certain book has stayed with you. But I am going to try...

All these books, for one reason or another, are my all-time favourite reads, ones that I would happily pick up and read again, and again, or are books that I feel are truly memorable.


The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein. I read The Hobbit when I was about 10 or 11, but The Lord of the Rings was in the adult library, so out of my reach until I was allowed to join the adult library at 12. Since then, I think I must have reread the series possibly at least 12 times – and it always delivers on all counts each time.




A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I could write an essay on this book, actually I have! Here’s the link if you want to read it. This is simply a stunning read.



A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly was on Sara’s list too. I have loved that book since I first read it several years ago. It’s beautifully written, multi-layered with a great central character and an absorbing story.



I’m Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti. Set in a small village in Italy, it’s a gripping portrait of a nine year old boy who uncovers a terrible secret, and with that knowledge his life begins to fall apart.

The Bartimeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. The characters are brilliant, the djinni is inspired, and the story hooks you instantly and you fly with it. I think it’s due a reread...

Narnia series by CS Lewis. I know another series! But an all-time favourite.


Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. The isolation and pain of the central character and her inability to deal with the crime that has been done to her is truly poignant. You really want her to speak.

Dr. Seuss books – yes, pretty much every Dr. Seuss book!





There are lots of other books that I have absolutely loved, but time and space restrict me to the above - for now. I think I may have to do a Part 2 post in this series though...

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Books on the Beach—The Edge Guide to Summer Reading! by Dave Cousins

I write this in haste. We go on holiday tomorrow, and I should be packing. Clothes aren’t a problem, but choosing which books to take requires time and some serious thought. No e-reader for me, so there are space and weight issues to consider.

Summer breaks have always been a great opportunity for reading. Memories of childhood holidays tend to blur into one compilation vacation, but I often remember places we visited because of the book I was reading at the time. I doubt Hound of the Baskervilles would have affected me quite so much had I not read it while staying in a remote cottage on a wind-blasted Cumbrian hillside. Each night I peered from my bedroom window convinced that the lights from the houses across the valley were signalling to me!

Here at the Edge, we like to spread the word about good books, so in honour of the season I asked a few friends for their favourite summer reads, and what they would be taking wrapped up in their beach towel this year.

Natasha Radford from the Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Brentwood 

So much to choose from! I took E. Lockhart's We Were Liars and loved it. It had a fantastic twist that I didn't work out and was, quite simply, an enchanting read. Set in a beautiful location, there are vivid descriptions which whisk you away. My 12 year old is working through the Death Note graphic novels by Tsugumi Ohba, at an alarming rate. Great illustrations and a gripping (very dark) plotline.

Fellow Edge writer and author of the superb Salvage, Keren David 

Helen Grant’s Silent Saturday and the Demons of Ghent, both atmospheric thrillers set in Flanders. Rae Earl's  My Mad Fat Diary—Funniest teenage diary ever. Better than Adrian Mole. Keris Stainton's Starring Kitty—A sweet romantic first love story, about a girl with a crush on another girl.

Librarian and CKG Judge Matt Imrie 

I recommend The Shining Girls and Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes—for people who would like a chill over the high summer. Serial killers, time travel and the monsters that humans can become! Grown up reading for anyone who wants to be drawn into a web of darkness. This One Summer is a graphic novel by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki—a coming of age story set over a summer “about the awkward transition from carefree childhood to jaded, self-conscious young adulthood” beautifully drawn and gripping.

Edge author Miriam Halahmy’s Hayling Cycle of young adult thrillers set on Hayling Island off the south coast of England, make perfect summer reading—sea, sun and lots of action! She would also recommend:

For children: Five Children and It by E. Nesbitt, about a grumpy sand fairy who offers them one wish each day which will turn to stone by sunset. This sets the children near impossible choices.

For teens: This year I loved Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, a thoughtful romance to get lost in on the beach.

For adults: The Lie by Helen Dunmore, set in Cornwall after WW1. Beautiful descriptions and a different take on life after that terrible war.

Beth Khalil, LRC Manager at Charles Thorp School in Ryton

The books I would recommend with summer themes are That Summer by Sarah Dessen, Jim Carrington's Drive By and Jackdaw Summer by David Almond. I love any books by Sarah Dessen, they are perfect for teen readers to relax with when away from school and this was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Drive By was excellent and the characters stayed with me for ages after I’d finished reading it, especially Summer whom I loved! It was the first book I’ve read by Jim Carrington and have now bought the others. Jackdaw Summer is a great read especially for lads who want something particularly engaging. I loved in particular the first line: "It starts and ends with the knife …" Highly recommended!

The books I have piled up to read this summer are: RIOT by Sarah Mussi (I read that. It was brilliant—Ed.); The Bubble Wrap Boy by Phil Earle; Haunt – Dead Scared by Curtis Jobling; Exposure by Kathy Reichs (Virals – 4); Rockaway by Charlie Fletcher; The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

My full summer reading list is here http://bethreads.wordpress.com/

Megan, who writes The Book Addicted Girl blog
My perfect summer read … if you're into contemporary, I think a great one would be We Were Liars: set at a beach, full of mystery. Don't read it on a beach though—unless you enjoy crying in public … Ooh, I'm also reading Simone Elkeles' new book Better Than Perfect—which is a brilliant beach-side read if ever there was one! But for me, a paranormal addict, my perfect summer read would be either the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo or Paula Weston's Rephaim series. The Grisha series has a Sun Summoner (suitably summery, right?) along with loads of action, romance and magic. The Rephaim series is set in Australia: insta-sun!! As for what I'll be taking on holiday …well, that'll probably be Jennifer L. Armentrout's Opposition and the second in the Game of Thrones series. What can I say? I'm just a fantasy girl! 

SCBWI Undiscovered Voices winner and author of the extremely funny Who Ate My Brain blog, Nick Cross 

I recommend Lousie Rennison's Georgia Nicolson books - they're perfect summer reading. Teenage Georgia is self-obsessed, but in no way self-aware, which makes her diary especially hilarious. As a forty-two-year-old man, I should probably be embarrassed at reading about fourteen-year-old girl stuff like boys, spots and unexpected leg hair, so I shall have to claim that I'm doing it all in the name of research. This is because I have my own fourteen-year-old daughter, although she reads the same books with a furrowed brow, as though it's all a true-life documentary about the misunderstood plight of modern teenagers!

The Edge’s own Savita Kalhan author of the chilling YA thriller, The Long Weekend

The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson: Light, funny and ridiculous in equal measure! Loved the main character - a young black orphaned girl from the slums in Soweto who's ever changing circumstances, and extremely high IQ, take her on a path that leads to hobnobbing with presidents and royalty. Thoroughly enjoyed it. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid: This comes highly recommended by a friend. It's received great reviews too, so really looking forward to reading this. And looking forward to a re-reading of The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin.

Edge author Sara Grant, whose Half Lives was one of my summer reads of last year, just returned from holiday with our third recommendation for E. Lockhart's We Were Liars.

My wife Jane, is my first reader, harshest editor and best critic! It takes a good book to win her praise so I’ll certainly be stealing this from her pile. 

My holiday reading this year has been Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book. Famous for her Moomins series of childrens’ tales, the author also wrote ten novels for adults. The lives of the inhabitants of a small Finnish island are documented through snapshots of odd days and events. It is ideal as a ‘dip-in’ book as each chapter can be read in isolation; but the parts add up to a fascinating portrait of the two main characters: a grandmother and her grandchild, Sophia. The book has a quietness to it that echoes the long summer days, but covers much more than relationships. Philosophy, religion and comments on the environment are touched upon through the conversations and actions of the characters. The wisdom, wit and imagination of the old woman and young girl appeals to all generations, and it reminds us not to dismiss those at either extremes of their lives. I can see why it is regarded as a classic in Scandinavia and look forward to reading the The Winter Book when the weather turns.

Finally my own book of the summer:
Butter by Erin Lange was one of those special stories that grabbed me on page one, and didn’t let go—or let me down. A potentially dark subject handled with subtlety, humour and heart. The voice and characters are particularly well crafted, in fact I can’t praise this highly enough—one of my reads of 2014 without a doubt. Great cover too!

Now all that's left is to choose which of my stack of "books to read" will make it into the suitcase. After much deliberation I've gone for: Tape by Steven Camden (I’ve heard good things about this, but Keri Smith’s cover alone would have made me read it!), The Bubble Wrap Boy by Phil Earle (I’m a big fan of Mr Earle, and this one sounds great), plus Dark Satanic Mills, written by Marcus and Julian Sedgwick, illustrated by John Higgins and Marc Olivent (I do like a good graphic novel, and I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this since I bought it back from Hay for my lad.)

So, that's it. If you wouldn't mind just sitting on this case while I try to close it … 

Huge thanks to everyone for taking the time to offer their recommendations. Have a good summer and happy reading.

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Waiting for Gonzo by Dave Cousins recently won the Grampian Children’s Book Award. It is out now in paperback and audiobook—read by the author!

#WeNeedDiverseBooks Savita Kalhan

Last week was the 8^th anniversary of Teen Librarian Monthly, run by the amazing Matt Imrie, @mattlibrarian. All the Edge authors were invited to write a piece on ‘Getting Kids Reading’, which is becoming more and more important in a world bursting with social media: You Tube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Instant Chat – the list is endless. Factor in all the other distractions of being a teenager, and it’s easy to see how reading a book begins to fall way down their list of priorities.

My piece for Teen Librarian Monthly was about diversity in children’s literature. I’m cross-posting it here because it’s important to highlight the problem as many times as possible.

I recently blogged the lack of diversity in children’s books - Black and White and Everything in Between: You can read it here.

It was one of very many blogs on the subject – on both sides of the Atlantic. The subject seems to be gathering momentum – particularly in the States.

Following BookExpo America’s (BEA) BookCon line up of an all-white-all-male panel of ‘luminaries from the world of children’s and TEEN/YA writers’, an online campaign was conducted with the hashtag #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

Here’s the link to their Facebook page.
And this link is to their Tumblr page

#WeNeedDiverseBooks ran a three day event. Most of it was online on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook, but from the photos on Tumblr you can see that librarians were very much involved – as were readers, who took photos of themselves saying why they felt the need for more diversity in books

The American Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) also initiated a programme to address the lack of diversity in libraries in the States. The letter, below, was posted by Alyson Felman-Piltch, a librarian at Indiana University:
Dear Colleagues:
Many of you have already read ALSC’s White Paper entitled “The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Materials for Children” (available here). If not, I highly urge you to read it, as well as participate in the “We Need Diverse Books” social media campaign.
In lieu of all the recent hubbub around these important measures, I wanted to re-advertise and advocate for participation in an important effort currently being undertaken by members of the EMIERT (Ethnic & Multicultural Exchange Round Table). I am currently the Chair for the Task Force on Establishing Guidelines for Selecting Multicultural Materials for School & Public Libraries, and we would love to have additional voices and advocates on our task force. This is a virtual committee, though we will be trying to get together at Conferences, such as ALA Annual, ALSC Institute, and the YALSA Lit Symposium. If you would like more information on the Task Force, or are interested in joining, please do not hesitate to contact me by replying to this email. Please feel free to proliferate and share this email amongst groups and listservs.All the best,AlysonAlyson Feldman-Piltch, MLS/MIS CandidateDepartment of Library and Infoalyf
In the UK, the Guardian also followed the debate as authors added their voices to the call for more diversity. You can read it here here. 

As a direct result of the campaign, BEA decided there was a need for a panel discussing diversity in children’s literature and consequently invited authors and librarians to a special event at the Convention.

What’s very clear is a call for more diversity in children’s literature, from picture books to books for young adults, diversity in not only colour and race but in everything. In  Malorie Blackman’s words, “diversity in literature fosters knowledge and understanding of others outside our own sphere of experience. It is only through knowledge and empathy of how others live that we can attempt to communicate and connect with each other.”

Setting aside the other factors that might contribute to teens generally reading less, are teens partly reading less because there isn’t enough diversity in the books available to them? And does it start when they are much younger, when they are frustrated by not finding a voice they can identify with or a character to relate to?


Savita Kalhan website

Twitter @savitakalhan