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Who wins the prize? Book Awards and Children as Choosers

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  I recently watched the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s 2025 Book of the Year Awards as a professional development activity (Children’s Book Council of Australia, 2025) .  I had a minimal understanding of the influence of literary prizes in libraries, but viewing the awards ceremony, alongside broader research, revealed a tension between literary experts' determination of merit and the inclusion of children in determining what makes a book prize-worthy. One surprise was the role of children as shadow judges : reading and evaluating shortlisted titles through reviews, book trailers, and tactile projects, promoting literacy and lifelong learning through inclusion and agency. I applaud the inclusion of children as contributors to the event and the support provided to help them critically judge the books and voice their opinions (Erskine & Nicoll-Hatton, 2023). Willeton SHS Shadow Judges meet with CBCA Older Readers judge Maria Alessandrino ( CBCA, 2024) Beyond this...
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I Read a Banned Book: Challenging Censorship and Championing Choice

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     Children's and young adult literature is at the heart of the censorship debate in Australia. To engage with this debate and to understand what might constitute controversial content, I undertook a professional development activity: reading a banned book.  Graceling  by Kristin Cashore is a novel included in the 2025 Banned Books Index by PEN America (2025). I extended this by reading the sequels,  Fire  and  Bitterblue , and by researching current professional and media discussions for alternatives to censorship (Cashore, 2026). Cashore, 2026 I found Graceling to be an engaging text that addressed challenging themes without explicit description. Although banned for content such “sexual assault, trauma, dark comedy, a villain who tortures and attempts to molest his stepdaughter, and feminist themes,” I found the content in the given context given appropriate for a young adult (YA) audience ( BostonPL_JordanD,   2025). In contrast, Bitter...
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No Drama Llamas: Accessibility Supports Diversity

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        The presence of animals in public libraries is far from unusual. For over two decades,                therapy dogs  have become regular additions to storytimes, serving as non-judgmental  listeners and breaking down literacy barriers for children (Kozikowski, 2018).  Animal programming in libraries have since expanded to include a veritable menagerie a nd even robotic animals such as the State Library of Queensland’s therapeutic seal  Paro (2017). As a professional development activity, I visited the Deception Bay  Library’s ‘Llamapalooza’ to observe the ways animal programming engages and  benefits young people (City of Moreton Bay, 2025).                                  One striking aspect of the event was its low barrier to entry. Unlike...
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There's a Llama at the Library

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The Potential of Picture Book Programming for Children and Youth in Libraries

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This week, I took on a new challenge: writing my first picture book!   I explored the writing and design process for its use in library programming for children and youth.   Writing and designing picture books is an opportunity for young people to meaningfully tell their stories (Mehta, 2018).  Creating the book was surprisingly straightforward, today’s digital resources make it so accessible (Albanese & Milliot, 2024).  My  story follows children on a playful journey through a library, discovering friendly animals  engaging in a range of library activities and introducing young readers to diverse public library services and spaces.    I used the Canva program, customising a template using the click-and-drag method to add shapes, images, and text elements. Professionally illustrating a picture book is expensive and time-consuming (Australian Society of Authors, n.d.) but Canva has many clipart options, so I used these to create illus...
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