From: Judith Ridge <judith.ridge_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:13:11 +1100

This is a timely discussion for me, as I am about to set up a reading group of young people under the auspices of the project I head up. I receieve most of the new releases of children's and YA books from Australian publishers (which incldues international titles) and I simply cannot read them all! So what I am in the process of doing is setting up a system whereby I send out packages of books to young people, some in schools and others who have privately expressed an interest in being involved. The young people will read the books, then send in to me a review and some bibliographical information to assist me in setting up thematic reading lists and so on. We're shortly hoping to have a website for the project, where the reviews will be published. And from next year, I'll organise a get together with the young readers and include some authors. (And pizza.)

So this is a different way of organising a reading group than most of you have described here. I wonder if any of you also have the members of your group write reviews, and if so, what guidance do you give them about writing those reviews? Does anyone have a checklist or other document they give to young people to assist them in writing reviews that they would be willing to share?

This new "reading circle" as I cam calling it (in my head if not yet officially) is a new venture and I'm still not exactly sure how it will work in all its detail.

Cheers,

Judith

-- Judith Ridge Western Sydney Young People's Literature Officer

Arts and Cultural Development Blacktown City Council PO Box 63 (62 Flushcombe Road) Blacktown NSW 2148 AUSTRALIA

-- My work blog: http://westword.wordpress.com/ My personal blog: http://www.misrule.com.au/s9y/ My personal website: http://www.misrule.com.au
Received on Tue 20 Oct 2009 02:13:11 PM CDT