If you know anything about me, you probably know that I love poetry, and that I super really especially love verse novels. SO it was really lovely yesterday to attend the launch of a wonderful new resource focussed on Australian verse novels.
The Australian Verse Novel Resource was put together by staff and volunteers of the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature – and I was one of the volunteers, as was my friend and fellow verse novelist Kat Apel. Over the past two years our small group of four read every Australian verse novel ever published for children or young adults (including many which were published during the project – they just kept coming!) and we created a resource which doesn’t just list these books but offers a deep dive into them – including a brief summary of each, listing of awards, links to teacher’s notes, reviews and other resources, curriculum links and key topics covered.
Who is the resource for? YOU! It’s for:
- readers
- teachers
- librarians
- researchers
- children’s literature lovers
- poetry fans
- and people who have no idea what a verse novel is but want to find out.
Broken into two sections – one for novels for younger readers and one for older, you will find the resource here at this link.
Back to the launch – it was amazing to gather (albeit virtually) with other verse novelists, including Kat, Steven Herrick and Lorraine Marwood, and children’s literature enthusiasts, to hear Jackie French OAM speak so passionately about poetry and verse novels, and the difference they can make.
Jackie read from some of my favourite verse novels, including work by Steven Herrick, Pip Harry and Charmaine Papertalk Green. This to me is one my favourite things about verse novels – they are really are designed to be read aloud because, as Jackie says, one thing verse novels have in common is the way the voice speaks directly to the reader.
So, for my own little celebration of the launch, here is a video of me reading from Pearl Verses the World
Happy Poetry Friday! I’m off to check out the other poetry goodness around the blogosphere. Ruth will be hosting the roundup, so you can come along for the ride.