There are, of course, thousands of books to choose from (it's a very comprehensive list). That means a lot of kids may never get to read my particular title. But since tens of thousands of students take part in the six-month program, and they all are challenged to read many books, there's a good chance a whole lot of kids may get to read What's the matter, Aunty May? this year who might otherwise not have.
And that, I think, is a good thing. Good for the kids, I mean, not just for me. It's been four years now since this book was published (and longer still since I actually wrote it) and that means there's enough distance between me and the book for me to sit back and appreciate it simply as a book.
And, as a book, Aunty May seems to "work" (if you like this kind of thing, and a lot of kids apparently do). The text rolls along with a sing-song rhythm and rhyme, and there are lots of funny bits; the kid character creates chaos wherever he goes, joyfully oblivious to all the mess he's created.
Of course, the book was much more than a solo effort. As well as my poetry, it needed a publisher with a stack-load of vision to get me to extend one of my poems into a whole book (some of you might remember that I hadn't originally intended to write a book at all, just a poem; it was the publisher who had the idea for a picture book). And it needed a fabulous illustrator too, who the publisher found in Andrew Joyner, one of Australia's best, who took the text, and not only illustrated it but also added wonderful new layers of humour and madness.
As a state Government initiative, a large number of schools will be involved in the 2016 Premier's Reading Challenge. For many schools, the Challenge is an important part of their yearly reading program. It's not just an individual pursuit either. The website encourages teachers to organise class, group and in-pairs activities around particular books. Perhaps some of them will choose the Aunty May book. I don't know.
The Premier, Mr Mike Baird, wrote this in his "Message from the Premier" on the Reading Challenge website: "The world of books is certainly an exciting one, and I wish all students undertaking the Premier's Reading Challenge a fun, enjoyable and fulfilling experience."
Of course, I don't know how many kids will read What's the matter, Aunty May? But as a writer, it's a pleasure to be involved even in a tiny way.
Thank you, Mr Premier.
The 2016 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge opened on the 7th March and closes on the 19th August.
