Join The Chorus - The Importance of Libraries
Victoria Williamson • Sep 11, 2019
I am over the moon to welcome author Victoria Williamson to the site today. Victoria is author of The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, one of my favourite books of 2019, and her new book, The Boy With the Butterfly Mind launches this week and is my Book of the Month. You can find both Victoria's books on The Bookshelf
and you can hear me talking about The Boy With The Butterfly Mind on BBC Berkshire.
Victoria has taken time out of what will doubtless be a very busy launch week, to talk to us about a subject very close to my heart: The Importance of Libraries.
Over to you Victoria ...
When I was ten years old, I didn’t receive an admission letter to Hogwarts.
That wouldn’t be much of a story, except for the fact that what I got instead for my tenth birthday was a passport to an equally magical place.
My parents had been bringing me to libraries and sharing books with me for as long as I can remember. Back in the 1980s – long before the global phenomena of the internet, digital downloads and Harry Potter – our local library, the William Patrick Memorial Library, was located in Camphill House in Kirkintilloch. Purchased in 1929 by David Patrick and donated to the Town Council as a library to be named after his brother, the original building was an old Victorian house which had the adult library and reference section in its converted first floor rooms. The junior section was upstairs – reached by climbing the winding staircase up to a wonderland full of doorways to secret worlds and exciting adventures in the pages of its children’s books. The key to unlocking those worlds came in the form of a stiff paper library card – as precious to me back then as a ticket from King’s Cross platform 9 ¾.
However, there were only so many shelves that the old house’s converted bedroom space could hold, and with my family visiting nearly every weekend, it wasn’t too long before I began to run out of books that caught my interest. But when I turned ten, although I didn’t get a letter to Hogwarts, a Golden Ticket, or a passport out of the Shire, I received a consolation prize in the form of my father offering to let me use his adult library card whenever I wanted. At first I didn’t think too much of the offer. After all, the large adult section downstairs was full of uninviting-looking, brick-like tomes with dull covers and even duller-sounding titles, and I was pretty sure there was no fantasy, magic or creative fireworks to be found anywhere in the boring old world of adult books.
I was wrong.
But it took me a good few years of occasional browsing and sampling for my forays into the grown-up world to bear fruit. As my vocabulary expanded and my confidence in exploring on my own grew, I began to understand just how far the horizons of this new world extended. I blasted off into space with Douglas Adams and Isaac Asimov, walked strange lands with Ursula K. LeGuin and Frank Herbert, and discovered the adult magic of Terry Pratchett and Terry Brooks.
During my teenage years I graduated from Watership Down to The Plague Dogs, from Goosebumps to The Rats trilogy, and from Children of the Dust to Farenheit 451. In my late teens I discovered the Classics, and Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters became my constant companions. After university, I set off on my own real-life adventures teaching abroad, but no matter where I went, I always made sure I had a library card in my pocket.
How important is the role of a library in inspiring the authors of the future? Given that Carnegie medal-winning author Theresa Breslin, the recipient of the Scottish Book Trust’s 2019 Outstanding Achievement Award, also has fond memories of joining the William Patrick as a child, then our town’s local library has played no small part in incubating East Dunbartonshire’s writing talent.
That’s why the number of library closures across Britain in recent years has become such a worrying trend. Between 2010 and the end of 2018, over seven hundred libraries have closed across the UK, leaving a generation of children without passports to the magical worlds of books and enhanced literary skills, and several more generations of adults without access to the life-enhancing leisure activities, community networks, and local services that libraries provide.
‘Use it or lose it’ used to be the slogan for public services, but these days, simply carrying a library card in your pocket and popping in to browse the shelves and borrow a book at the weekend is no guarantee that your local library won’t close its doors due to budget cuts. In July 2019 Essex county council was forced to drop its plans to close 25 of the county’s 74 branches, after hundreds of residents joined in protests marches, and thousands of people signed over 50 petitions against the closures
Libraries were once places where silence was considered the only acceptable behaviour. Now the only way for us to save them is to shout at the top of our voices.
Will you join in the chorus before it’s too late?
From the author of October, October , winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal, comes a heartbreaking and heart-warming story about sisterhood, found family and accepting love in the most unusual and unknown places. Fen and Rey were found curled up small and tight in the fiery fur of the foxes at the very edge of the wildlands. Fen is loud and fierce and free. She feels a connection to foxes and a calling from the wild that she's desperate to return to. Rey is quiet and shy and an expert on nature. She reads about the birds, feeds the lands and nurtures the world around her. They are twin sisters. Different and the same. Separate and connected. They will always have each other, even if they don't have a mother and don't know their beginning. But they do want answers. Answers to who their mother is and where she might be. What their story is and how it began. So when a fox appears late one night at the house, Fen and Rey see it as a sign - it's here to lead them to their truth, find their real family and fill the missing piece they have felt since they were born. But the wildlands are exactly wild. They are wicked and cruel and brutal and this journey will be harder and more life changing than either Fen or Rey ever imagined ... My Thoughts Reading this book is like disappearing into a wonderful dream. Beautifully written in a mesmerising voice, the setting feels so real you can feel the leaves brush by you and the chill wind down your spine. The characters are skilfully drawn with both sisters telling us their story and sharing their emotional arc from the beginning to the end of their adventure with the author seamlessly and very effectively flitting between the two girl's inner life. The story itself is full of hope, and keeps the reader turning the pages to find out what happens to these two fascinating girls. A roller coaster of a tale with heart warming and heart stopping moments, much intrigue and joy and a hugely satisfying ending. I strongly recommend this book to readers of all ages, particularly middle grade readers with an interest in natural settings.
From the Costa Award winning author of Voyage of the Sparrowhawk comes an epic adventure with a call to arms: we must fight to save the most treasured things on our planet. On the top of the hill, overlooking the sea, that's where you'll find a magical place . . . To Bea and Raffy, Ravenwood is home. In its own way, the house rescued them, even if it did have a fallen-down tree taking up most of the kitchen. So the idea that it could be sold. Demolished even. Well, that's unthinkable. Then again, it's not like the children get a choice. But the truth is, we can all make our own choices, especially if we care enough . . . My Thoughts To me, this is a perfect book. A thrilling story, beautifully written, all about having the courage to hold onto what's precious, and fiercely guard the extraordinary natural world we are privileged to share. Everything about this story will delight young readers who look for adventure and escape in their books. The author effortlessly carries us into a beautiful and eccentric world where relationships between people and nature are complicated, and very precious. With themes of grief, friendship and courage, and an ending that literally had me punching the air with delight, The Rescue of Ravenwood is simply not one to be missed.
Explore the incredible place we call home! Marvel at the physical planet, learn how the weather works, meet some of the most influential people from the past and present, and much more. Examine every corner of the Earth, from outer space to underground and from the Maasai steppe to Manhattan. My Thoughts This gorgeous book is divided into four large sections, Physical Earth, Life on Earth, Earth Regions, and Human Planet. There are lots of colourful maps and fascinating facts about various places, species, and behaviour, showing the wonderful diversity of life on this planet and hopefully helping readers understand the need to protect it.
It's February 1974 and working class families have been hit hard by the three-day week. The reduced power usage means less hours for people to work, and less money to get by on. Thirteen-year-old Jason feels the struggle keenly. Ever since his parents died, it's just been him and his older brother Richie. Richie is doing his best, but since he can't make ends meet he's been doing favours for the wrong people. Every day they fear they won't have enough and will have to be separated. One thing that helps distract Jason is the urban legend about a beast in the valleys. A wildcat that roams the forest three villages up the river from their bridge. When Jason's friends learn of a reward for proof of The Beast's existence, they convince Jason this is the answer to his and Richie's money problems. Richie can get himself out of trouble before it's too late and the brothers can stay together. And so a quest begins ... Starting at the bridge of their village and following the river north, the four friends soon find themselves on a journey that will change each of them ... forever. My Thoughts Lesley Parr has the wonderful, rare, and hard-earned skill of writing sublime stories that, on the face of it, seem sensationally simple but, like an onion, reveal later after layer after layer to the reader long after the book has been put down. Like The Valley of Lost Secrets, Where The River Takes Us is primarily about brotherhood and friendship, and beneath that there is grief, loyalty, fear, and - most importantly for young readers - a lot of food and a fabulous adventure. The setting, Wales 1974, is sublimely drawn and the issues - poverty, strikes, social care, bullying - are as relevant today as they were fifty years ago. The characters feel alive and individual, each one representative of people we have all met along the way, and the author illustrates the deep love between them without once - as far as I can remember - actually using the L word. Where the River Takes Us is a thought-provoking, exciting, tear-jerker of an adventure To be enjoyed by free readers aged 8-11 and a great one to read together at bedtime.
R un away from what they see. Discover who you are. Maudie and Jake's family is falling to pieces - their mum's been struggling with her grief since they lost Dad and one night she vanishes. When Jake is put into care, Maudie can't take it any more. She comes up with a wild plan to pull their family back together - by kidnapping Jake. On the run in Cornwall, Jake and Maudie each find something they hadn't expected - freedom and love. But can they find Mum and a way to heal together?A powerful and insightful novel about grief, disability and first love; a story about getting lost and finding yourself. My Thoughts A wonderful, heartbreaking, tender, hopeful story of grief, love, and acceptance. What the World Doesn't see is a is all-consuming, with distinct voices that suck the reader into its vortex of emotion, grief, fear, and joy. Mel Darbon's characters are multi-dimensional and technicolor, so vivid they stay with you long, long after you finish reading the book. The story is gripping - I had to make myself slow down so that it lasted longer - and the emotional intelligence behind it all is extraordinary. If you read just one book this year, make it this one.
Lily and Tom travel the county with Ma Hawker, enthralling crowds with their amazing collection of curios. Always on the lookout for new wonders, Lily is tricked into buying a worthless bag of rubbish. But hidden within is a special piece of scrimshaw. A young woman called Flora Meriweather is desperate to buy the scrimshaw, hoping it can help her solve a mystery surrounding her late mother. But someone else also wants to get his hands on the scrimshaw and ensure that secrets stay hidden in the past. Can the Curio Collectors help the truth come to light? My Thoughts This book is sublime! From the gorgeous title, cover illustrations and production quality to the absolutely delightful story, The Curio Collectors is a joy to behold. I always enjoy Eloise Williams' novels; she is a master storyteller w ith a delightful lexicon that enriches the story and the reader, with not a word wasted. In The Curio Collectors Eloise has pulled off a blinder, creating a seemingly simple tale that is rich with history, multi dimensional characters, complex relationships (I love the dynamic between Lily and Tom), and conflict. And y ou only have to hea r the fabulous name ' Horatio Pinch ' , and g lance at Anna Shepeta's brilliant illustration, to know all you need to know about the badd y who instantly put me in mind of Ian Fleming's terrifying Child Catcher. Barrington Stoke (the publishers) list this title as having a reading age of 8, and with a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock so that even more readers can enjoy it. Certainly I can imagine it appealing to younger readers as a challenge, and older readers as a relaxing, easy read. I am 203, absolutely loved it and can vividly see nine-year-old me carrying it around, stroking the cover, copying the pictures and reading and reading it again. Fantastic stuff!
Set in a world where plants talk, friendship is hard-won and adventure is around the bend of every river ... Orla has lived on her own since Ma died, with only her beloved garden for company. When sickness comes and nature is blamed, Orla knows she must find a cure. Armed with her mother's book of plants and remedies, she steals away on a river boat with two other stowaways, Idris and Ariana. Soon the trio must navigate the rapids of the Inkwater to a poisonous place from which they may never return ... My Thought s This is an absolute dream of a book. Yarrow Townsend is an astonishingly talented writer and in this - her first novel - she takes the reader on a twisty turney journey through the wonders of nature while cleverly weaving a complex and multi-layered story that comes to a fabulously satisfactory and unexpected conclusion. My favourite bit is the plants, who talk to Orla all along the way, begging, cajoling, berating her with their whispered words. This conceit works fantastically, and involves the reader in the very roots of the story. I also love the start of every chapter where the plants are categorised with Latin name and folklore or healing powers. This story really does have everything; nature, a good plot, diverse and interesting characters, twists and turns and a truly original premise. I thoroughly enjoyed it and urge all of you to read it.
Hazel’s new life in England should have been the stuff of fairy tales; after all her aunt’s cottage looked just like a gingerbread house, with a magical garden and whispering fireflies promising quests and adventures. But as Hazel struggles to deal with the challenges of the everyday world – making friends, missing her family – she also learns that every fairy tale has a dark side. And there are terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows . . . A middle grade book about family, friendship and finding your place, with a delicate touch of magic. Perfect for 9-12 year olds. My Thoughts This enchanting quest by Aisha Bushby whisks the reader into a fairytale world while cleverly addressing the subject of mental health struggles and battling inner demons with enormous sensitivity. Readers can take the story at face value, enjoying a page-turning fantasy with all the wolves and witches we would hope for in a fairy tale, or enjoy the author's powerful metaphor for mental illness and her sensitive exploration of the debilitating effects of OCD. Readers who enjoyed The Night Animals would enjoy this story, with both books delicately dealing with really important topics and sharing the important message that asking for help can make even the bleakest situations more manageable.
Nora's mum has good days and bad days, but the bad days are getting worse. It's been just the two of them for always, and they don't need anyone else. When the rainbow-shimmering ghost animals Nora used to see when she was small start to reappear, she's convinced that they hold all the answers. Along with new friend Kwame, Nora follows a glittering ghostly fox, hare, raven and otter on the adventure of a lifetime, helping her to find the strength she needs to help her family. My Thoughts This is a story of hope. A young girl, struggling to understand her Mum's PTSD diagnosis is guided through her journey to acceptance by a range of delightful rainbow ghost animals who only she can see. It is a wonderfully gentle introduction to discussing mental health issues, and shows the power of asking for help, and trusting others with our fragile feelings. I loved Kwame and his grandad who brought joy to what is at times a very sad story, and the animals, which were beautifully written. I feel like this would be a particularly lovely book to read together, if talking about stuff is difficult. It would probably bring tears, and much needed conversations and that would be all to the good. But as well as the deeper themes and meanings, this is also a sweet tale that any young reader would enjoy. Highly recommended.
A dark, gothic adventure set in the Bavarian forest, with angels and owls and magic and a boy who isn’t all that he seems to be… A cherub is blown into Cassie Engel’s bedroom during a thunderstorm, triggering a series of terrifying events. Cassie must discover if its arrival was an accident or part of something more sinister. With a self-obsessed opera singer for a mother, a strange taxidermist father, and a best friend who isn’t quite what he seems, Cassie is forced to unearth the secrets of her family’s past. As the dark forces gather around them, can Cassie protect all that she holds dear? My Thoughts I couldn't put this haunting book down. A fantastic blend of mythology, and mystery, the story carries you along in a trance, with no idea where you are going, but the knowledge that you must follow the fairytale type adventure through to the bitter end. I adored Cassie's house - a character in its own right - and loved the way it played into the denouement, bringing together all the story threads and demonstrating no part was eccentric for eccentric sake, rather more everything was ingeniously plotted to create tension, atmosphere and clues. The story is dark and mysterious, and it takes courage to go into the woods with Cassie. I would imagine readers of Skellig or The Lie Tree might enjoy this beautiful story which I urge you to read.
