Linda Sacco's Blog
September 10, 2020
The Case Against Publishing Too Much
Writing is a lifelong vocation. I have seen many writers give up after a couple years or so because the big publishing house didn’t roll out the red carpet. If you love writing – you will be writing for life. With such an investment, you will quietly build a vast amount of work. Then you can be picky about what you want the public to see (and not see). Don’t send out or publish the drafts you’re tired of. That’s an amateur move.
Quality Counts
Getting to write THE END in caps is a huge achievement! You have reached the goal of finishing your manuscript. (Notice I said manuscript, not book).
After the euphoria wears off, you must edit. Take it page by page, chapter by chapter, and if the work is short enough, give it a complete read through. There’s editing for punctuation and grammar. There’s style editing – are you consistently using “these quotation marks” or ‘these?’ There’s story editing – do the characters and plot ring true? (Example: I had to change the age of one of my characters). Is there a cut scene needed? Or do you need to beef up a sub plot, so it adds meaning to the overall theme?
Warning: editing takes time. What you don’t catch on your second edit, you might catch on your tenth, and it’s likely by your twentieth you’ll start to feel the manuscript is ready.
Quality Pyramid
Think of the Quality Pyramid as the medieval feudal system, with the royalty at the top, taking up the least amount of room, and the peasants at the bottom, taking up the most amount of room.
Now think of your numerous writing projects you have had over the years. Your best projects that made its way into publication, with some fanfare, can be considered your royals. Those unfinished drafts that went nowhere – those would be your peasants.
Before you think about publishing consider this. Most of what you write is writing practise. Drafts start at the bottom of the Quality Pyramid. They don’t all advance. You must learn to reject some of your own work. I had a novel I spent years on. It wasn’t working. I tried writing it as a novelette. It wasn’t working. I tried writing it as a poem. It worked.
To become a well-rounded, seasoned writer you will need to know the difference between great work and not so great. Literary journals always say in their submission guidelines – send your best work only. They may read six poems, but if you only have four great ones, don’t bother sending more.
2 Traps
Trap 1: Get famous and publishers will publish anything because you’re a name that sells.
Take any commercial writer. You read one or two books and they’re great. So you read 10 more. The quality is often uneven. A new book (or 2?) every year? Where’s the time for reflection? Heck, where’s the time to edit? An unfortunate typo made it into Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic, the highly anticipated sequel to Practical Magic. “Muslim” was used instead of “muslin”, the fabric. So the sentence read that a character is wrapped in “muslim”, a person of Islamic faith. Whoops.
Trap 1 sounds like champagne problems, and it probably is but Trap 2 has more serious consequences.
Trap 2: No one knows you, so you self-publish (or fall prey to a vanity publisher) everything hoping to make a name for yourself.
Vanity publishing vampires are a waste your money and time, and worst of all, you do not need them. They are getting good at disguising themselves as legitimate traditional publishers. They will tell you “we were just wanting a title on that topic” BUT they will need thousands of dollars up front, to get your book into bookstores. You got into writing to make money, not spend it. Save your money.
The problem with self-publishing everything you write is the implication you could not get anyone to publish any of your work because it is bad. (In reality, this may NOT be the case at all). The other problem is you are publishing in a void. Self-publishing should be considered alongside a marketing plan. Part of this plan should be aiming to get your byline in relevant publications. Most literary publications will publish a short bio where you could advertise your self-published work.
Don’t publish everything you write. Send out your best work only.
Quality Counts
Getting to write THE END in caps is a huge achievement! You have reached the goal of finishing your manuscript. (Notice I said manuscript, not book).
After the euphoria wears off, you must edit. Take it page by page, chapter by chapter, and if the work is short enough, give it a complete read through. There’s editing for punctuation and grammar. There’s style editing – are you consistently using “these quotation marks” or ‘these?’ There’s story editing – do the characters and plot ring true? (Example: I had to change the age of one of my characters). Is there a cut scene needed? Or do you need to beef up a sub plot, so it adds meaning to the overall theme?
Warning: editing takes time. What you don’t catch on your second edit, you might catch on your tenth, and it’s likely by your twentieth you’ll start to feel the manuscript is ready.
Quality Pyramid
Think of the Quality Pyramid as the medieval feudal system, with the royalty at the top, taking up the least amount of room, and the peasants at the bottom, taking up the most amount of room.
Now think of your numerous writing projects you have had over the years. Your best projects that made its way into publication, with some fanfare, can be considered your royals. Those unfinished drafts that went nowhere – those would be your peasants.
Before you think about publishing consider this. Most of what you write is writing practise. Drafts start at the bottom of the Quality Pyramid. They don’t all advance. You must learn to reject some of your own work. I had a novel I spent years on. It wasn’t working. I tried writing it as a novelette. It wasn’t working. I tried writing it as a poem. It worked.
To become a well-rounded, seasoned writer you will need to know the difference between great work and not so great. Literary journals always say in their submission guidelines – send your best work only. They may read six poems, but if you only have four great ones, don’t bother sending more.
2 Traps
Trap 1: Get famous and publishers will publish anything because you’re a name that sells.
Take any commercial writer. You read one or two books and they’re great. So you read 10 more. The quality is often uneven. A new book (or 2?) every year? Where’s the time for reflection? Heck, where’s the time to edit? An unfortunate typo made it into Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic, the highly anticipated sequel to Practical Magic. “Muslim” was used instead of “muslin”, the fabric. So the sentence read that a character is wrapped in “muslim”, a person of Islamic faith. Whoops.
Trap 1 sounds like champagne problems, and it probably is but Trap 2 has more serious consequences.
Trap 2: No one knows you, so you self-publish (or fall prey to a vanity publisher) everything hoping to make a name for yourself.
Vanity publishing vampires are a waste your money and time, and worst of all, you do not need them. They are getting good at disguising themselves as legitimate traditional publishers. They will tell you “we were just wanting a title on that topic” BUT they will need thousands of dollars up front, to get your book into bookstores. You got into writing to make money, not spend it. Save your money.
The problem with self-publishing everything you write is the implication you could not get anyone to publish any of your work because it is bad. (In reality, this may NOT be the case at all). The other problem is you are publishing in a void. Self-publishing should be considered alongside a marketing plan. Part of this plan should be aiming to get your byline in relevant publications. Most literary publications will publish a short bio where you could advertise your self-published work.
Don’t publish everything you write. Send out your best work only.
September 7, 2020
Writers to Avoid
A lot is said about finding a writing community. To share your ideas, feel like you belong, get some much needed “workshopping”. You’ll meet writers in courses, at events and online.
The first time I ever did workshopping in a course, a classmate said of my Young Adult fantasy chapter “no comment.” The first time I ever read a poem in a competition, the woman I had sat next to (the original organiser of the event) lamented I could have a real future formatting other writers’ ebooks. The first time I befriended a writer online, he introduced himself as “the editor of an international news magazine”. He happily sent me a few self-published issues (ebook format), light on fact but heavy on opinion (his own). I sent a link to my award-winning poem but heard nothing. His last tweet I read went something like this “I have nearly finished a draft of chapter 1 of my new book and it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen.” If he means it isn’t plagiarised, that’s great. The first friend I made in a writing course later admitted all her work was a creative collection of plagiarism.
You’ll also meet hobby writers throughout life. These are the ones that will flood your email with their short story draft, links to the little pieces they get published, their picture book draft, their proposal letter to the publishing house. They will also call to make sure you got it. They will invite you to writer events and bitch “they already knew all that” as the veteran author speaks. They will pay for an overpriced “You Can Write a Picture Book!” six-hour seminar but they will not consider studying writing at university because writing “isn’t a career”. The last I’ve read of her work, let’s just say I use the term “her work” very loosely, and her published works (payment of 1 cent per click) came to a holt.
These are the sort of people that, when you get something published, they will say, “how did you manage that?” If only they knew… So, writers to avoid? All of the above! Writing is a solitary activity and it’s natural for some to be a lone wolf writer.
Consider Lucy Maud Montgomery, famous for her Anne of Green Gables series. In Anne’s House of Dreams, page 133 she has Anne ponder why writers should be expected to get along. Anne argues no one expects two blacksmiths, for example, to form a great co-operative bond, merely on the basis they have the same occupation. It’s more than likely Anne is speaking for author Montgomery’s experience as a writer.
Writers to Gravitate Toward
The most helpful writers are the ones being paid to help. Course instructors, seminar leaders, author talks. Keep your pen and paper ready for another piece of advice that speaks to you. I’ve also found Twitter to be a haven for writers. I’ve seen plenty of encouragement go back and forth on this platform. Check out #amwriting and #writingcommunity for inspiration.
The first time I ever did workshopping in a course, a classmate said of my Young Adult fantasy chapter “no comment.” The first time I ever read a poem in a competition, the woman I had sat next to (the original organiser of the event) lamented I could have a real future formatting other writers’ ebooks. The first time I befriended a writer online, he introduced himself as “the editor of an international news magazine”. He happily sent me a few self-published issues (ebook format), light on fact but heavy on opinion (his own). I sent a link to my award-winning poem but heard nothing. His last tweet I read went something like this “I have nearly finished a draft of chapter 1 of my new book and it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen.” If he means it isn’t plagiarised, that’s great. The first friend I made in a writing course later admitted all her work was a creative collection of plagiarism.
You’ll also meet hobby writers throughout life. These are the ones that will flood your email with their short story draft, links to the little pieces they get published, their picture book draft, their proposal letter to the publishing house. They will also call to make sure you got it. They will invite you to writer events and bitch “they already knew all that” as the veteran author speaks. They will pay for an overpriced “You Can Write a Picture Book!” six-hour seminar but they will not consider studying writing at university because writing “isn’t a career”. The last I’ve read of her work, let’s just say I use the term “her work” very loosely, and her published works (payment of 1 cent per click) came to a holt.
These are the sort of people that, when you get something published, they will say, “how did you manage that?” If only they knew… So, writers to avoid? All of the above! Writing is a solitary activity and it’s natural for some to be a lone wolf writer.
Consider Lucy Maud Montgomery, famous for her Anne of Green Gables series. In Anne’s House of Dreams, page 133 she has Anne ponder why writers should be expected to get along. Anne argues no one expects two blacksmiths, for example, to form a great co-operative bond, merely on the basis they have the same occupation. It’s more than likely Anne is speaking for author Montgomery’s experience as a writer.
Writers to Gravitate Toward
The most helpful writers are the ones being paid to help. Course instructors, seminar leaders, author talks. Keep your pen and paper ready for another piece of advice that speaks to you. I’ve also found Twitter to be a haven for writers. I’ve seen plenty of encouragement go back and forth on this platform. Check out #amwriting and #writingcommunity for inspiration.
September 3, 2020
Rejections and Acceptances: My Journey as a Writer
When I was a studying Professional Writing and Editing, I was told to volunteer at publications as a way of getting your work published. I did this at a local volunteer-run newspaper and wrote mostly what I was told to write about. For no money, just the sheer joy of starting a portfolio.
Fast forward to another year and a bit, and I had a better sense of what I wanted to write about. With the help of the writing course, I crafted a review of an unusual bookshop in Melbourne and it was accepted into a national magazine. For money!
Later, as a university graduate, I sought out an advertised editor position. I called for more information and the man seemed keener to talk about an upcoming non-fiction book series they wanted writers for. That’s how I ended up writing a manuscript about dog breeds with all the information a dog seeker needed to match their lifestyle to a breed. When I had finished the manuscript, I attempted to contact this man, to no avail. Unbeknown to me, it was simply a vanity press, and that great non-fiction series didn’t produce more than one title. I was left with a manuscript that had no publisher.
Undaunted, I contacted 15 publishers. I had a full manuscript and even photographs from dog breeders, many of whom I had interviewed about their chosen breed. It was rejected by every publisher. Some rejected it because it didn’t fit into their line, or they had a similar title being published soon. Some gave a form receipt or did not reply.
I left the project and continued on with my freelance work for magazines. But magazine editors often change hands. And when they do, freelancers, (or at least this one), weren’t really needed anymore.
By then, I had become aware of Smashwords, an ebook distributer and online bookstore. The free ebook, Smashwords Style Guide is an easy how to guide on turning a Microsoft Word document into an ebook. I tried this avenue. It worked. I started a whole series called Which Is Your Perfect Pet? with titles on Dog Breeds, Cat Breeds, Birds and Designer Dogs, with more to come. So far, the books have sold in 32 countries worldwide.
Where would I be if I had given up on my manuscript? The work was rejected, not the writer. Just because someone else rejected the work, doesn’t mean I stopped believing in it.
I kept this mantra alive when it came to my creative work, namely my poems. I have had around 30 poems published, but two of my favourite poems, Camouflage and Tangled Web, were collectively rejected over 60 times. Due to this burn, I decided to self-publish a collection of poetry, just so these could somehow see the light of day. At the tail end of organising the publication, I decided to send them out to literary publications just one more time. And yes, they were finally accepted. I had found the right publications at the right time.
Rejection isn’t the end of the world for a writer. For me, and so many others, it can be a catalyst for a career moving forward, on our own terms.
Fast forward to another year and a bit, and I had a better sense of what I wanted to write about. With the help of the writing course, I crafted a review of an unusual bookshop in Melbourne and it was accepted into a national magazine. For money!
Later, as a university graduate, I sought out an advertised editor position. I called for more information and the man seemed keener to talk about an upcoming non-fiction book series they wanted writers for. That’s how I ended up writing a manuscript about dog breeds with all the information a dog seeker needed to match their lifestyle to a breed. When I had finished the manuscript, I attempted to contact this man, to no avail. Unbeknown to me, it was simply a vanity press, and that great non-fiction series didn’t produce more than one title. I was left with a manuscript that had no publisher.
Undaunted, I contacted 15 publishers. I had a full manuscript and even photographs from dog breeders, many of whom I had interviewed about their chosen breed. It was rejected by every publisher. Some rejected it because it didn’t fit into their line, or they had a similar title being published soon. Some gave a form receipt or did not reply.
I left the project and continued on with my freelance work for magazines. But magazine editors often change hands. And when they do, freelancers, (or at least this one), weren’t really needed anymore.
By then, I had become aware of Smashwords, an ebook distributer and online bookstore. The free ebook, Smashwords Style Guide is an easy how to guide on turning a Microsoft Word document into an ebook. I tried this avenue. It worked. I started a whole series called Which Is Your Perfect Pet? with titles on Dog Breeds, Cat Breeds, Birds and Designer Dogs, with more to come. So far, the books have sold in 32 countries worldwide.
Where would I be if I had given up on my manuscript? The work was rejected, not the writer. Just because someone else rejected the work, doesn’t mean I stopped believing in it.
I kept this mantra alive when it came to my creative work, namely my poems. I have had around 30 poems published, but two of my favourite poems, Camouflage and Tangled Web, were collectively rejected over 60 times. Due to this burn, I decided to self-publish a collection of poetry, just so these could somehow see the light of day. At the tail end of organising the publication, I decided to send them out to literary publications just one more time. And yes, they were finally accepted. I had found the right publications at the right time.
Rejection isn’t the end of the world for a writer. For me, and so many others, it can be a catalyst for a career moving forward, on our own terms.
August 27, 2020
So You Want to Be a Writer
What Does a Writer Look Like?
I once read a creative person should wear a signature necklace. Does the necklace contain a magical pendent to help creativity? No. Well you probably don’t need it. A writer lives in a cave. Long, stringy hair optional.
Creative Cave
Books: Creative people rarely throw a book away. The more the merrier. And then there are all those how-to books that are cross-referenced.
Computer/iPad/Tech: With many tabs open at once…
A4 Folders of Work: Binders for published, for developing works, finances, reviews (oh the glory!)
Notepads, Exercise Books: obviously…
Inspiring Works of Art: Their own and their favourite artists.
Collections: You will see a theme here: could be favourite animals, travel trinkets (tacky and untacky), inspiring animated characters (for me it’s Betty Boop)!
Too many clothes and shoes: Creative people are juggling a few sides to themselves, a few jobs, so a lot of clothes and shoes are needed to fit the various personas.
Clutter: A healthy amount of clutter. Creative people are busy people. They only succeed because they are always working, often on more than one project.
Creative Hangouts – The Obvious and Not So Obvious
Library – a well worn library card(s) always on hand.
Inspiring Places: For me, it’s the zoo, but it’s anywhere where anything is going on. The city is crawling with interesting characters. The art gallery will challenge you to think “what is the message?” “who is the communicator? “whose voice are we not hearing?”
Creative Thoughts
A writer is not very good at following. They desire more from life than idolising the Kardashians. They may be considered “odd”, “unusual”, “edgy” and have views and thoughts that are passionately their own. They feel things very deeply and their sensitivity is their strength. They are inspired by other artists but put their own spin on it. It’s their version of an artwork, coloured by their influences and informed by their life experiences, values and beliefs. A writer or artist is a communicator. If you have something to say and can do it in an interesting way that hasn’t been done before then you are a writer or artist. If you haven’t got something to say, listen to your own thoughts, it’s all there.
I once read a creative person should wear a signature necklace. Does the necklace contain a magical pendent to help creativity? No. Well you probably don’t need it. A writer lives in a cave. Long, stringy hair optional.
Creative Cave
Books: Creative people rarely throw a book away. The more the merrier. And then there are all those how-to books that are cross-referenced.
Computer/iPad/Tech: With many tabs open at once…
A4 Folders of Work: Binders for published, for developing works, finances, reviews (oh the glory!)
Notepads, Exercise Books: obviously…
Inspiring Works of Art: Their own and their favourite artists.
Collections: You will see a theme here: could be favourite animals, travel trinkets (tacky and untacky), inspiring animated characters (for me it’s Betty Boop)!
Too many clothes and shoes: Creative people are juggling a few sides to themselves, a few jobs, so a lot of clothes and shoes are needed to fit the various personas.
Clutter: A healthy amount of clutter. Creative people are busy people. They only succeed because they are always working, often on more than one project.
Creative Hangouts – The Obvious and Not So Obvious
Library – a well worn library card(s) always on hand.
Inspiring Places: For me, it’s the zoo, but it’s anywhere where anything is going on. The city is crawling with interesting characters. The art gallery will challenge you to think “what is the message?” “who is the communicator? “whose voice are we not hearing?”
Creative Thoughts
A writer is not very good at following. They desire more from life than idolising the Kardashians. They may be considered “odd”, “unusual”, “edgy” and have views and thoughts that are passionately their own. They feel things very deeply and their sensitivity is their strength. They are inspired by other artists but put their own spin on it. It’s their version of an artwork, coloured by their influences and informed by their life experiences, values and beliefs. A writer or artist is a communicator. If you have something to say and can do it in an interesting way that hasn’t been done before then you are a writer or artist. If you haven’t got something to say, listen to your own thoughts, it’s all there.
August 20, 2020
5 Levels of Writers
Level 1: We all start here. Writing in our journal. Hammering away a novel on Microsoft Word. Starts of short stories, outlines, character bios, poems (a stanza long) that lay hanging for years…This is when we call our writing a “hobby” to our friends and the obsession begins.
Level 2: Now you’ve had the confidence to send your work out and it gets you somewhere (example: publication, winning an award or acceptance into a competitive writing course).
Level 3: The money rolls in – in drips and drabs your byline appears in newspapers, magazines, online publications, literary journals, books, etc. The cheques might not cover the mortgage and you’re likely working another job, but you continue to write, send it out, get some acceptances and rejections.
Level 4: The big break: This is when the agent and traditional publishing house sign you, and the distribution deal gets your name in multiple countries. You are a commercial writer, with a fanbase in your genre. You may even be a self-published author doing the big numbers and giving traditional publishing the finger.
Level 5: Household name: Stephen King, JK Rowling, etc. Most authors never reach this level, but they all started at Level 1.
Level 2: Now you’ve had the confidence to send your work out and it gets you somewhere (example: publication, winning an award or acceptance into a competitive writing course).
Level 3: The money rolls in – in drips and drabs your byline appears in newspapers, magazines, online publications, literary journals, books, etc. The cheques might not cover the mortgage and you’re likely working another job, but you continue to write, send it out, get some acceptances and rejections.
Level 4: The big break: This is when the agent and traditional publishing house sign you, and the distribution deal gets your name in multiple countries. You are a commercial writer, with a fanbase in your genre. You may even be a self-published author doing the big numbers and giving traditional publishing the finger.
Level 5: Household name: Stephen King, JK Rowling, etc. Most authors never reach this level, but they all started at Level 1.
June 19, 2020
Budgerigar by Sarah Harris and Don Baker Book Review
One of Australia's greatest exports is a little green yellow-faced parrot, but it is so much more than its "budget pet" status would have you believe.
There is a multitude of entertaining factoids to learn about this feathered friend, with captivating stories about their wild counterparts swarming in their millions, to individual stories of cute budgies taught to say "down with Hitler!"
The history of the budgie is a colourful trip that takes place in many parts of the world, with plenty of interesting people playing a role in the development and popularity of this pet. As with any retrospective, there are moments of sadness and some grotesque images.
A few controversies are presented in the end, and are ripe for discussion and debate with your budgie-loving friends.
This is a fantastic book! The authors clearly had a wonderful time compiling all their research. I have come away with even greater respect for this strong bird.
4 stars
September 11, 2019
I Am Budgie
The elders called me “good eating,”
so I flew camouflaged between the waterhole and the scrublands.
The newcomers reduced me to ornamental status,
so I tried to soar behind bars.
The opportunists made me every colour.
Yellows, blues, whites, greys, purples, olive and multitudes of original green.
European bird breeders and Australian exporters got rich quick,
so I was called a good pet.
The humane owners I considered my flock.
So I ate when they ate,
listened when they spoke,
mimicked the same language and sounds.
From the Australian outback to the world,
I became the most popular feathered friend.
So whether you call me budgerigar or parakeet,
I am budgie… hear me chirp!
so I flew camouflaged between the waterhole and the scrublands.
The newcomers reduced me to ornamental status,
so I tried to soar behind bars.
The opportunists made me every colour.
Yellows, blues, whites, greys, purples, olive and multitudes of original green.
European bird breeders and Australian exporters got rich quick,
so I was called a good pet.
The humane owners I considered my flock.
So I ate when they ate,
listened when they spoke,
mimicked the same language and sounds.
From the Australian outback to the world,
I became the most popular feathered friend.
So whether you call me budgerigar or parakeet,
I am budgie… hear me chirp!
October 30, 2018
Teacher has more Questions than Answers
a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..." style="float: left; padding-right: 20px">
Teacher: One woman's struggle to keep the heart in teaching by Gabbie Stroud
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Teacher is a gripping account of working in the education system. Teachers are supposed to be leaders, however, they are simply dictated to at every opportunity and expected to blindly follow "policy" and "curriculum". More testing, less teaching. Education, the data-driven monster, eventually gives birth to NAPLAN. Standardised testing had offically snaked its way into Australia in 2008. (Although I believe there was a similar standardised test beforehand, Acer? It's before my time). We all know that standardised testing is the decay of modern teaching and learning, but none of the research is presented in this book. Michael Moore's film Where to Invade Next, has a great segment on this.
It is worth noting that Stroud admits she had no clue who the Minister for Education was (at least at one point early in her career) and mentioned nothing about the Australian Education Union. The union are against standardised testing. I would have liked to know if she ever was a part of the union, ever went on strike, ever asked for support from the wider teaching network, beyond her handful of teacher colleagues.
I was also curious about where she found the time to write her 2009 published novel, as this was not mentioned. She portrayed herself as a teacher that worked non-stop, apart from maternity leave. A simple paragraph on this would have sufficed. The writing itself annoyed me at times, for example she laughed and sighed words many times. "Yes," she laughed. And "No," he sighed. Wish it would have been more carefully edited.
Teacher is a brave effort in recounting the joy and pitfalls of the profession. The children she meets are familiar characters to any teacher. So glad this book was written - as a teacher I feel I have never read anything like this. Former, current and prospective teachers need to read this. Principals, parents and politicians too!
View all my reviews
Teacher: One woman's struggle to keep the heart in teaching by Gabbie StroudMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Teacher is a gripping account of working in the education system. Teachers are supposed to be leaders, however, they are simply dictated to at every opportunity and expected to blindly follow "policy" and "curriculum". More testing, less teaching. Education, the data-driven monster, eventually gives birth to NAPLAN. Standardised testing had offically snaked its way into Australia in 2008. (Although I believe there was a similar standardised test beforehand, Acer? It's before my time). We all know that standardised testing is the decay of modern teaching and learning, but none of the research is presented in this book. Michael Moore's film Where to Invade Next, has a great segment on this.
It is worth noting that Stroud admits she had no clue who the Minister for Education was (at least at one point early in her career) and mentioned nothing about the Australian Education Union. The union are against standardised testing. I would have liked to know if she ever was a part of the union, ever went on strike, ever asked for support from the wider teaching network, beyond her handful of teacher colleagues.
I was also curious about where she found the time to write her 2009 published novel, as this was not mentioned. She portrayed herself as a teacher that worked non-stop, apart from maternity leave. A simple paragraph on this would have sufficed. The writing itself annoyed me at times, for example she laughed and sighed words many times. "Yes," she laughed. And "No," he sighed. Wish it would have been more carefully edited.
Teacher is a brave effort in recounting the joy and pitfalls of the profession. The children she meets are familiar characters to any teacher. So glad this book was written - as a teacher I feel I have never read anything like this. Former, current and prospective teachers need to read this. Principals, parents and politicians too!
View all my reviews
July 29, 2018
Picture Book Adults Can Enjoy: A Child of Books
A Child of Books by Oliver JeffersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Yes I was definitely a "child of books" and I am still a fan of classical children's literature. I found this book to be a real treasure. This ode to reading feels personal and relatable at the same time. It's not often you can say a picture book can charm adults of all ages, but this one can. Many children will initially be drawn to the text-as-pictures illustrations but they will gain more from this book as they read it again and again throughout their lives. Recommended for anyone who wants an excuse to celebrate literature, the reading experience and imagination. A classic!
View all my reviews
