It’s been a whirlwind eight weeks since the first four titles in the Your Next Read Silver series hit bookshops around the country and online and we have been thrilled with the outpouring of excitement and support they’ve received!
In an effort to try to corral some of that excitement and support (so we can savour it when we’re less busy… whenever that might be…), we’ve decided to collate a small sample of the Your Next Read celebrations in photos, reviews, articles and interviews.
YOUR NEXT READ LAUNCH EVENTS
Team YKNR was excited to send the first four titles in the Your Next Read series out into the world with three launch events:
A ‘live on Zoom’ event for our online community featuring launch author Katrina Nannestad
A Brisbane launch featuring Megan, Allison R and Katrina Nannestad
(Thanks to Bethany Loveridge for the pic!)
A cake-filled launch at Somerset Storyfest, featuring Megan, Allison R, Maddy Mara (both of them!), and Katrina Nannestad
And some incredible bookshop windows and displays, like this one, illustrated by Laura Stitzel, at Readings Books, Carlton
(Thanks to Karen Comer for the pic!)
We’ve also been out and about presenting at conferences and summits, spreading the Your Next Read joy far and wide and sharing a lot of tips and insights along the way!
Thank you to everyone who has invited us to speak and everyone who has turned out to listen – we have loved meeting you all and are looking forward to more presentations and events as the year rolls along.
INTERVIEWS
A small selection of recent interviews featuring Team YKNR and the authors and illustrators of the Your Next Read series. Click each link to listen!
784. Dani Vee, A.L. Tait and Tash Besliev – Engaging readers in a YKNR / Affirm collaboration
Episode 237: 10 minutes with Maddy Mara
Episode 239: 10 mins with Tom Jellett
And, of course, we’ve also been writing articles, sharing our professional and personal expertise in many different publications, including those below in QSLA and Magpies magazines.
REVIEWS OF THE FIRST Your Next Read TITLES
We’ve been thrilled by the response by reviewers to both individual titles and to the series. Here’s a small selection of reviews! (Click the credit to read the full review.)
Paul MacDonald, Paul’s Book Trail
‘Here’s a chapter book series to look out for – ideal for kids, and great for parents and teachers. The first four in the series are out and the authors and illustrators for this series are all absolutely top-notch Australian creators. You are in hands of experts with this series. Promoting reading for pleasure is what drives this series – which is brilliant. 👏👏👏👏👏’
‘‘The Missing Pencil Case‘ features a diverse cast – Lea’s family and friends – who help her search and share their own past (and present!) struggles with misplacing important things. Whether read together or solo, chapter by chapter or all in one go, this fantastic new series is all about building great habits and a love of reading, while enjoying a sweet story from prolific duo Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin.’
Sarah Roberts, Books and Publishing
‘The series, developed by the creators of Your Kid’s Next Read, features short, approachable stories to build reading confidence. Judging by The Lonely Lunch Club, it’s off to a strong start and will be a welcome addition for parents, teachers and librarians who want to support children on their reading journeys.’
Dimity Powell, Dim’s Write Stuff
‘When an adult picks up a junior fiction chapter book and is transported back to a time when nothing else mattered but page turning until the end, you know you’re on a winner. Why? Because for me, that time, when I was so utterly absorbed by books my surroundings, time and even food failed to penetrate my intense committment to story, was one of the most joyous in my life.
‘The Silver Series of chapter books aimed at youngsters between the ages of five to nine not only fuelled that transportation, it actually made me feel like one of those book-loving kids again; like I was nine. This cleverly curated ensemble of engaging stories for kids however is first and foremost that; for kids not a wannabe kid again! And it does so with carefully considered intelligence. So far, I’ve enjoyed the first three. All sport bright inviting covers, clear theme descriptions and … joy of joys … rounded edges!‘
Romi Sharp, Just Write For Kids
‘Jane’s language [in Will Fin Win?] is carefully centred with a delightful child-speak tone combined with plenty of emotive and sensory visuals for young readers to feel a part of. She beautifully taps into common childhood worries and desires, like the pressures of ‘being the best’ and ‘making friends’, and at the same time has created a story with an element of danger to give a sense of agency.
‘In Tom’s characteristically animated style, the illustrations joyfully and dramatically hop, skip and jump off the pages, while expressing the passion, and compassion, of the text. Will Fin Win? is the kind of book that will have newly independent readers racing back and forth to be a part of Fin’s win over and over again. Look forward to more of Your Next Read books later in the year! 🙂’
‘This charming story about a group of children who connect at a bench in the school yard that unites them as ‘The Lonely Lunch Club’ is a simple friendship tale for young readers who have progressed to chapter books. There is a simplicity and charm to the story that incorporates ideas about friendship and struggles that are school-based. As part of the ‘Your Next Read’ series of chapter books it includes a quiz at the end of this story to highlight possible reading preferences for a ‘next read’. For readers aged 5-6 who are exploring independent reading. Recommended.’
‘Pitched perfectly at emergent readers, [The Lonely Lunch Club] has short chapters, very accessible text and illustrations that support visualisation of the story. As a teacher, I am so excited about this new addition to the Aussie literary scene!’
Barbara Swartz, CBCA Reading Time
”Bea, Bart and the Birds’ is a lively addition to the new Your Next Read Silver series. With its humorous, fast‑paced storytelling and engaging illustrations, this short novel perfectly fulfils the series’ aim of enticing newly independent readers to sustain their leisure reading habits.’
INSIDE THE YOUR NEXT READ BOOKS
Want to see inside a book? Here, reviewer Kid Lit Joy gives a great look inside ‘The Lonely Lunch Club’
And you can hear Jane Godwin read the first chapter of WILL FIN WIN? here.
You’ll find all of the Your Next Read titles listed here with links to buy.
We’ll be adding new titles as they appear – stay tuned for two new titles arriving on 30 June!
Thank you to everyone who has supported the Your Next Read series! We’ve been so uplifted by the excitement and open-armed enthusiasm with which the first four Silver titles have been received and we cannot wait to share the rest of the series as it unfolds.
Keep an eye out on this blog for interviews with the next bunch of creators very soon!
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