Hello!
After several years sharing my bookish thoughts and love here,  I have made the move to my own domain. You can now find my blog at https://bookishbron.com/



All of my posts have been moved over, and I hope you'll join us too!

xo Bron

This book was such a delight. I enjoyed it much more than I expected. I loved spending 'time' with Harris - her voice sounds natural and friendly - perfect for the intended tween/teen audience.
The reason I shared the bio above is because I really feel like through this book - and other work she has done - Harris is doing exactly what it says she is proud to be doing - using her platform to speak out, raise awareness around trolls and online bullying, call out unacceptable behaviour and inspire young women - and I feel kind of proud of her for doing it too.

Harris is clearly an incredible athlete and was already known for her amazing kicking style, and the photo that Michael Willson captured was absolutely perfect. The comments that were made about the photo ranged from annoying to gross to absolutely vile and disgusting. Through out the book we get to know Harris a bit as she shares her story about how she fell in love with footy, the support she has from her family, and how she ended up playing in the AFLW, including what it was like to move from Brisbane to Carlton. Then she steps us through the day that the iconic photo of her was taken, how if felt to start seeing the reactions to it, and why it was important to her to take a stand against it rather than just letting it blow over. I was so impressed with both the openness with which she discusses her feelings now, as well as how she actually dealt with it at the time. I loved that she talks about how important it was for her to stand up to the issue, and why it was important to  her, but at the same time she acknowledges that it would have been ok not to. There is a really strong message throughout the book about how hard it is to be in a situation where you are being harassed or bullied, and how important it is to have support and talk to someone about it, and that no one should ever feel pressured to take on trolls the way she did.

On a more personal note, as a parent I really loved seeing the way Harris talked about her family - the way they have supported her from when she was the only girl on the footy team all the way up to now, and how much that has meant to her not only as she has dealt with this particular incident, but ingrowing up and finding her place in the world in general.

I just found it all so thoughtful and clever and compassionate - I would definitely pick this up for kids in the 12 to 15 age range, and I think it will be an excellent resource to have available at schools too.

xo Bron

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More than a Kick by Tayla Harris
Source: I received a free copy from Allen & Unwin (Thank you!)
Category: Children's/YA non fiction (age 12+)
Themes:  Social media, trolling, online harassment, feminism, women in sport 
Format: Paperback (192 pages)
RRP: $19.99

I'm so delighted to be part of the Books on Tour Blog Tour for Ashling Kwok's brand new picture book The Battle. This is a gorgeous book - both the story and those illustrations (by Cara King)! - about facing fears that are holding you back. Ashling was kind enough to answer some questions about the book and the inspiration behind it, so I'll let her tell you more!

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish, and it is the kind of book to keep on your shelf to reread the next time you need a heart-hugging comfort read.

I really got along well with the writing style - I often find there is something about 1st person POV (especially in YA) that grates at me a bit, but I didn't even think about that as I was reading this one, I thought the Lottie's voice was humourous and intimate and charming. The characters felt really relatable - both in terms of the issues/self doubt/coming of age kinds of things that Lottie and here friends are facing, but also (now that I'm old) the parents in the book. There is a scene between Lottie and her stepmum that is just so perfect and moving and genuine that I still think about it all the time. The family dynamics felt authentic, and the theme of the way families change and grow was brought out really well.

Speaking of perfect - the development of relationships in this is also spot on, and Poppy absolutely nails the chemistry between Lottie and one of the guys in another perfect scene. I can't say much more without spoiling anything, but picture me doing Kermit arms and heart eyes while I tell you that this is a scene that could teach adult romance writers a thing or two, but without it moving beyond PG level action. The way the writing captures the tension and the feeling to make them feel real and so relatable is stunning and did I mention the perfection?

I loved seeing Lottie grow throughout the story - there were some passages where she has realisations about the world and her relationships with others that I just thought were so wonderfully worded - like this one, about her music teacher:
"No teacher has offered to spend more time on me before, or believed in me enough to offer me anything except detention slips and complaints.... And I think that maybe, just maybe, I never gave any of my teachers a real chance to offer me anything before."

I really enjoyed the way Lottie and Grace were interested in words, and this is another quote I loved, which I felt spoke volumes about Lottie and her growth was this one:
"Sonder. It means to understand that everyone around you is living a life as complex and vivid as your own."
Isn't that beautiful?

In case the above isn't clear, or you need a TL;DR, I loved this book - definitely one to pick up if you are looking for some contemporary #loveozya to fall into (and in love with). This is Poppy's second novel - I have her first one, Making Friends with Alison Dyson, on my shelf and I'm looking forward to reading it soon.

xo Bron

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Source: I received a free copy from Wakefield Press (Thank you!)
Category: Contemporary Australian YA
Themes:  family, friends, LGBTQ rep, coming of age
Format: Paperback (264 pages)
RRP: $24.95
 


On Goodreads
Find Poppy online at her website here.

I think NSS is such a wonderful event - here's some information from the Australian Library and Information Association NSS website, because they can explain it much better than I can!

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 20th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6.

By facilitating NSS we aim to:

• promote the value of reading and literacy,
• promote the value and fun of books,
• promote an Australian writer and publisher,
• promote storytime activities in public libraries and communities around the country,
• and provide opportunities to involve parents, grandparents, the media and others to participate in and enjoy the occasion.

Like many events over the past few months, NSS had to be done a bit differently this year thanks to COVID-19. I think my daughter had just returned to school that week or maybe the week before, and in her school all the students watched a video of their wonderful school librarian reading to them. There was also a special episode of Play School's story time on the ABC, and many local libraries streamed events.

The website also explains how the books are chosen, which I thought was interesting - publishers send in possible titles which the ALIA then choose from, considering factors like: a positive storyline; appeal to a modern and diverse audience; suitability for read-aloud (language and length); how well the book lends itself to craft and other activities.

I thought Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas was a fun choice - the text is an absolute delight to read aloud, the illustrations are beautiful and bright, and the story is silly in the best way.
Big thanks to publishers Scholastic Australia for sending us our own copy of Whitney and Britney to enjoy at home!

xo Bron

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Format: Hardback
RRP: $17.99 

Find Lucinda Gifford online at her website here