At a Catholic primary school in Melbourne’s outer-north, I began a recent visit by showing the students a photograph of the jar of Nova dill pickles my mum named me after. Soon we were talking about the sorts of characters I create in my books, leading them into creating their own. They were full of energy, ideas and excitement. After we finished, one of the teachers proudly showed me around the library, sunlight streaming through the window, lighting the walls of children’s artwork and book displays, and I understood then why these students were so alive to the wonder of story.

Like many Australian children’s authors and illustrators, I visit a broad range of schools each year to give talks and run workshops, and it is immediately apparent when I am in a school that values the library and promotes reading culture. At these schools, the teacher-librarians will often know my books better than I do (even dressing up as my characters for a Book Week parade), and the students will ask tough narrative questions that surprise me.

They will create their own stories that are complex and inventive, begging to share and building on each other’s ideas with openness and generosity. They will be encouraged by a trained teacher-librarian to find the books that work for them. Even the most reluctant student will be reading,........

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