I have a new podcast! The Your Kid's Next Read podcast, co-hosted with Megan Daley of Children's Books Daily, launched this week and, as with so many things I do, has quickly fallen into the 'why didn't I do this sooner?' category. Regular readers will know that Megan...
![[News] So You Want To Be A Writer podcast hits 400 episodes!](jpg/episode-400-400x250.jpg)
This week, Valerie Khoo and I recorded the 400th episode of the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast and sent it out into the ether. It's a big milestone for a project that began a few years ago with the following exchange*: Val: 'Maybe we should make a podcast...
As the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast approaches its 400th episode, I've been thinking about all the golden writing tips I've heard over the years. I've shared many of them here on this blog (most recently here), but it seems that every episode throws up a new...
In case you missed it, verse novels for children are having a real moment in the sun. Last year's CBCA Book of the Year for younger readers was a verse novel by Pip Harry called The Little Wave. This year's shortlist contains two verse novels: Bindi by Kirli Saunders...
*CLOSED: Alice Sadler chosen as the winner Monday 29 March.* Oh but we love a good book giveaway in the Your Kid's Next Read Facebook community! This week, we're celebrating Easter with a big basket of books, thanks to Puffin. See all the details below – and...
So excited to reveal the cover of my next novel THE WOLF'S HOWL (A Maven & Reeve Mystery) by A. L. Tait! Isn't it fabulous! Here's the blurb: Bestselling author A. L. Tait is back with the next Maven and Reeve Mystery. A secret mission. A missing cook. A...
"My child hates writing – what can I do?" "How do I get my kid to love writing?" Getting kids to write – and to love writing – can be a battle for parents. We know this because these questions (and many more just like them) are posed to authors over and over again. So...
One of the surprising side-effects of becoming a published author is that you find yourself being interviewed. In fact, sometimes you find yourself being interviewed a lot. And yes, it's a surprise, even for someone who is used to being on the other side of questions...
In exciting news, last night the Children's Book Council of Australia announced its 2021 CBCA Notables list and The Fire Star (A Maven & Reeve Mystery) was named in the Younger Readers category! The Notables list serves as the longlist for the CBCA's Children's...
"I'm looking for books for an advanced reader aged 9 – please help!" "I'm trying to help my 10 year old move on from books with pictures – please help!" When it comes to regular queries in the Your Kid's Next Read Facebook group, these two (or variations of them), are...
As this blog approaches its 11th birthday, I can see a certain pattern in my posts. Each year at around this time, in response to reader enquiries, I write a 'how to achieve your writing goals this year'. I particularly liked this one, which is now five years old but...
If you follow this blog regularly, you'll know that one of my favourite things about doing the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast, beyond getting to chat to my co-host Valerie Khoo every week, is the author interviews that we feature each week. There's a lot to be...
Children's book author and illustrator Peter Carnavas puts big issues into books for little people. The four titles in his Little Treasures collection cover love, family, the environment and self-worth. Sarah must carry her heavy heart around with her. Jessica tries...
It comes as no surprise to me that book lists make up the top 10 of my top blog posts for readers for 2020. And even less of a surprise that books for the tricky 13/14-year-old age group dominates the search terms that bring people to my blog over and over again. It's...
Each year I create a round-up of my most popular writing posts, and it's always fascinating to see what's resonated with readers of this blog. My top writing posts 2020 (stay tuned for a readers' post later this week) features a couple of evergreen favourites that...
There are a lot of writing tips washing about on the internet, in books, at conferences, in bars. Some of them are helpful writing tips, some not so much. In my role as co-host of the So You Want To Be A Writer podcast, I not only give out helpful writing tips, I also...
A couple of online A. L. Tait events for your calendar! Fantasy, Adventure and Mystery in Children's Literature Firstly, join me on THURSDAY 29th October 2020 at 6.30pm (AEDST) for a terrific Zoom panel event for Where The Wild Things Are Bookshop in Brisbane. ...
As part of the launch of The Fire Star last month, I've been very busy putting together booklists for readers of all ages. But, mostly, books for tweens. Mystery books for tweens. Adventure books for tweens. Fantasy books for tweens. You name it, I've rounded them up....
Starting a podcast takes time, devotion and, yes, sometimes a few tears. if you're going to start a podcast, it helps to begin with a subject you love, AND with people you really like. One More Page is a podcast for lovers of kids' books, featuring children's authors...
Now that THE FIRE STAR (A Maven & Reeve Mystery) has been out in the world for a month or so, I thought I'd best do a round-up here of just what I've been up to. As discussed before, this blog is my home on the internet and I do like to make sure I bring...
