For children of all ages

[shewhomust]

I've written a short, professional post in our company web log about how durham_rambler and I came to build an instant web site for the campaign against branding children's books as suitable for children of specific ages. This is the unprofessional post, in which I get to squee about what fun it has been for us, watching the messages of support come flooding in - because it's durham_rambler's mailbox that they flood into. Check the list - it's constantly being updated.

So at intervals through the last week, I've been hearing squawks from downstairs, as some of the authors we most admire are writing to us - strictly, I suppose, since I'm the heavy reader of the two of us, some of the authors I most admire are writing to him, and there'll be an occasional query: "Nina Bawden?" The coolness of working for Anne Fine (as for many other clients) is a familiar feature of the job; the coolness of corresponding with Philip Pullman on this campaign could have been anticipated; but we're receiving messages from Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Peter Dickinson - not to mention that the campaign is now backed by all five Children's Laureates. This is not to underrate the value to the campaign of the support of such professionals as fjm and pnh (we're a Sidelight in Making Light!), it's pure fanboy pleasure.

The name that makes fanboys and fangirls of us all, though, is Alan Garner. Alan Garner! Anne Fine has managed to impress her daughter: "'Are you writing to Alan Garner? The Alan Garner? Blimey, Mum!'" Neil Gaiman is thrilled: "(I got a crazy thrill seeing Alan Garner in the comments -- an author whose books work if you're nine and work if you're twelve, and work if you're seventeen, and work if you're forty: they just work in a different way each time.)" And that goes double for me!

Comments

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

I didn't know it was you wot did that! It must be nice to undertake a job that brings so much squee :)

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

Let me add squee. Also, let me say how glad I am you're doing this. Too many children *believe* when someone says "You can't read this" and it shapes their reading, plus it means some of them think "If I'm not allowed to do something as simple as read a book, maybe I can't do other things."

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Hee. I just clicked through to see how much the list had grown - and there's Ariel Dorfman. Ariel Dorfman! This is beyond cool. It was cool before. Now it's heading off into the outer reaches of the solar system. Alas: in space, no one can hear you squee.

[janni.livejournal.com]

What they said! I didn't know you were part of this, either!

Too many parents already convinced their kids can only read things that are exactly the right age, nothing older or younger. We don't need more of that, or parents making kids put books back on account of the level on the cover.

And of course, if one is an involved parent--or, alternately, a parent who trusts one's children--it's a non-issue.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Awe-frickin-some!

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Hey, we just built the web site - but, yes, I love my job!

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Let me add squee.

Can't have too much squee! Plus, thanks for posting about this - I don't know if Australian publishers are trying the same thing?

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Just in, DWJ.

Alas: in space, no one can hear you squee.

Ain't no alas about it! Some of us are trying to keep our professional cool here.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

A very small part.

[karinmollberg.livejournal.com]

Blimey! Oh, having messages from Terry Pratchett... cryptic or non-so?

[valydiarosada.livejournal.com]

Keep up the good work!

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Brief and to the point - as are most of them; I don't want to exaggerate my part in all this. I'm just absurdly pleased to be here at all...

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I didn't both checking. This is largely because when something becomes common in both the US and the UK book universes, the Australian tends to follow suit. All books sold in the UK to the Commonwealth come straight here, too.