Paper Tigers has an awesome Australian author interview. (A portent of great things to come later this month!) Via the ever-fab Ya Ya Ya’s, who have amusing — and really strange — news about The Dangerous Book for Boys. And may I just join them in saying “Huh?”
“What’s In Their Backpack?” at The Edge of the Forest: Way too cute.
The Guardian’s Imogene Russell Williams bemoans the lack of anti-heroes in fiction for girls. Though I’d never heard of the character she mentioned (Flossie Teacakes?!), I doubt we’re suffering from a surfeit of sweetness in the kidlit world. Weren’t people just complaining about our girl Junie B? Has this woman never met Ramona Quimby?
I think it’s possible that the writer may not have read a children’s book since sometime in the eighties… when she was a child? (Or else there really is very little cross-over between here and the UK?!) A few people responded to this post, but I know we can come up with more than a few novels which don’t feature sickeningly sweet girls – or even girls who long to be eighteen. My list begins with Flora Segunda, how about yours?