Crissi Blair
Image: portrait of Crissi Blair by Vasanti Unka
“I’m always talking about ‘the glory of the books…’
Because I’ve seen the power of presenting a child with a book that’s just right for them, even when they thought there would be nothing they would like, seeing it spark in their eyes, and knowing they’ll give it a go.
I’m a Facilitator – National Capability for National Library Services to Schools. I work with schools in whatever way they need, to improve their capability through their libraries, supporting curriculum needs and generally getting kids reading for pleasure. I also write about, review and promote books for children and young adults, through my own business. In the past I’ve been a school librarian, and in that role I was also lucky enough to judge, and convene the judging panel for, the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults (NZCYA).
Being part of the NZCYA judging team in 2018 and 2019 was such an important experience for me. Reading every single book submitted for those years was an incredible way to get a big picture overview of local writing. To be able to do that two years in a row was also very revealing. The books were quite different – we don’t just get the same kinds of books published year after year. And because I was working as a school librarian, I took the books into school and read and talked about them to each class during their library sessions. We focussed on the picture book and illustration finalists (that’s my specialism) and discussed what makes a good picture book and how to think critically about the book. The students were year 7 and 8 and, as many picture books are aimed at younger children, I wanted them to be able to assess a book for its intended audience. Later, the whole school participated in a ‘make your own picture book’ project which benefited hugely from the students having seen so many different books before making their own.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been involved with the NZCYA awards in a different way. When the finalists are announced, the awards release a booklet with fun and interesting activities, tying in with the books. It’s downloadable so it can be used by schools, libraries or families at home. National Library began contributing content to the activity book before I started working there, and I eagerly joined the team. We’re in the great position of having access to, and usually prior knowledge of, the shortlisted books, and our small team all have different areas of expertise. For example, I’m always keen to write about the picture book and illustration categories, while others specialise in novels or non-fiction. Between us, we read all the finalist books and include as many as we can in the activities. We make sure we use books at different levels and that the activities cross a variety of interests (this year’s spider survey is a great science example). In this way, we hope to entice as many children as we can to interact with the wonderful finalist books. One aspect we’re proud of in the 2022 booklet is the board game in the centre. It ties into a number of the books and sets out instructions in te reo Māori and English.
I probably drive people a little crazy with all my talk about books! I’m always recommending what I think could suit a specific school or individual’s needs. I’ve been talking about NZCYA finalist How Do I Feel? a lot because it helps children (and adults too) to put words to their feelings and there’s a real need for books like this. I’ve also been recommending Lauren Keenan’s Amorangi and Millie’s Trip Through Time. Not only does it hook into the new histories curriculum, but it’s also a great story. On our National Library blog we have several interesting posts covering the finalist books.
Being able to see your own world, or one familiar to you, is vital for readers. It helps them connect with and enjoy a book, and want to read more. That’s important because reading for enjoyment has an enormous power to improve lives – it increases ability in all areas, including maths and science. So, it’s also very important that we have our own healthy book industry, and that our New Zealand authors, illustrators and publishers have a rich landscape to work in where our books are valued and of good quality.
We need local books in schools so our children can see that we can achieve these things too. Books don’t just come from famous overseas people, children here can grow up to be writers and illustrators and make amazing books that ring true to New Zealand readers.”
Crissi Blair is Facilitator National Capability National Library Services to Schools, writer, reviewer and New Zealand coordinator for Magpies Magazine.