Looking back at Refugee Week: books for children

Lajee Dancers in Glasgow

Last week was Refugee Week. In Scotland, it kicked of with a photo-call of a few of the acts performing throughout the week, including these talented young dancers who live in a refugee camp in Palestine. Aida Camp is crowded and insecure - how do you explain to children the sorts of lives these young people are living?

Step forward the amazing Zoe Toft who writes the award-winning blog Playing by the Book. All through Refugee Week she featured children's books about refugees. For example she both reviewed Azzi in between, about a young girl arriving in this country, and interviewed its author, Sarah Garland. She wrote about fiction for kids to make them think about life as a refugee and listed over 75 books about the refugee experience. Finally, she posted about 17 authors and illustrators who were themselves refugees, including famous names such as Judith Kerr and Eva Ibbotson.

Zoe's posts are often accompanied by suggestions for activities, written for her own children but adaptable for the classroom. Books about refugees are not just for Refugee Week - use them at any time to encourage children to empathise and learn to combat negative attitudes in society.

Sue Ellis stars in Michael Rosen's blog (and other news)

Our very own Sue Ellis, Reader in Education, spoke at the recent CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) Conference on Reading for Pleasure. Michael Rosen was also there, and his blog about the event features Sue's talk heavily, for example "Sue Ellis is precisely the sort of person this government and the last want to keep at arms length because she presents her arguments backed entirely by research" and "At the heart of her talk was a humanistic defence of reading, which can't come about simply or only through reading schemes, can't come about by simply working through set texts." He obviously approves heartily, as do we - Jordanhill is proud of you Sue!*

In other news, Jordanhill Campus had its closing ceremony on Friday. You can read more about the event in my Storify. I was pleased that the Library was mentioned several times in favourable terms, once by David Bell, Vice Chancellor at Reading, who graduated from here in Primary Education in the early 80s. He talked about Gene Kemp's 1977 book The turbulent term of Tyke Tiler which we still have in stock (well, it's in its new home in the Andersonian Library now). This was famous for the twist at the end, which was a surprise at the time, but really shouldn't be now. That's all I'm going to say - read the book to find out more!

Finally, Judith Kerr, author of the Mog books, The tiger who came to tea and When Hitler stole pink rabbit received an OBE in the recent honours list. Borrow all her books from Strathclyde.

*PS 22/6/12 Michael Rosen even dedicated a second blogpost to Sue!  He used some of her ideas as a basis for one of his workshops for teachers on writing with young people. Go Sue!

Judith Kerr

There's an interview in today's Guardian with Judith Kerr: Judith Kerr, talking tigers and tea. The much loved author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and the Mog books is still going strong at 86 and tells Alison Flood about her new book, due out in 2011. I especially love the Mog books - as a cat lover I can see that they are so true to life! Borrow them from us - here's our catalogue list.

Coming soon...

Some events coming up:

Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle, has a Judith Kerr retrospective starting this month. In 2008, Kerr deposited an extensive collection of work with the centre, including finished artwork for The tiger who came to tea, all the Mog books and the line drawings for When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit.

Nearer to home, the Scottish Storytelling Centre is organising Tell-a-Story Day on 30th October. To take part in your school or other organisation, contact them for advice, inspiration and resources. See also our own page on storytelling.