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Twenty years is a significant milestone for a print publication such as Fiction Focus: New Titles for Teenagers.
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It has survived and adapted to new directions in education, cutbacks, restructures, changes of government and the introduction of new technologies into the curriculum. The twentieth anniversary of this reviewing journal provides us with an opportunity to reflect, reminisce and rejoice.
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| In essence, the main objectives listed in the first issue in 1987 remain the same: |
- To provide a selection and buying guide for secondary school-based staff and other institutions serving teenagers;
- To provide full critical reviews of current fiction published specifically for children and young adults in this age group;
- To review selected adult fiction that has potential young adult appeal.
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Expanding Scope
However, the scope of the journal has expanded to incorporate professional reading for teachers and librarians and reviews of selected nonfiction narratives, biographies, audio books, videos, computer software and online resources.
Reviews of these additional genres and formats address trends in publishing and help teachers to find resources that cater for the diverse learning styles and abilities in their classrooms, and to foster student recreational reading.
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Early Years
In the early years of the publication, books reviewed were overwhelmingly British.
There were only four Australian authors in the 1987 issue : |
- Allan Baillie Riverman
- Robin Klein Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left
- Ruth Park My Sister Sif and
- Ivan Southall Rachel.
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| Also, an article about Picture Books included five Australian illustrators: |
- Pamela Allen
- Graeme Base
- Doug Macleod
- Craig Smith
- Julie Vivas
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Today
By contrast, more than thirty Australian titles were reviewed in the third issue for 2005. The increase in Australian material reflects both the growth in young adult publishing, particularly in Australia, and our desire to promote local authors and illustrators. The gumnut symbol used to denote Australian authors, illustrators and/or content was introduced in 1991.
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While our current aim is to give priority to the work of Australian authors and illustrators, we continue to seek out and review overseas titles to provide teenagers with opportunities to look beyond their own world view and broaden their understanding of the human experience.
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| The development of the CMIS Resource Bank has allowed us to make reviews readily accessible online so that it is easier to find a review or generate book lists for specific purposes or audiences. |
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Editorial Process
Numerous editors and assistant editors have overseen the journal, with little stability in editorship until the mid 1990s.
Carolyn Logan the first editor recollects:
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The first Fiction Focus was a rushed affair, with a four to five month deadline. I was in an absolute panic! My experience with this type of publication was limited, Library Services staff was not used to writing the kinds of reviews that were needed in such a publication, and the normal processes of getting such a document printed in Publications would take more time than I had been given. We had to decide on a name, choose a cover design, select the books to review, choose book covers to include, write the reviews, and get all this in some form to a printer. Crash courses on writing were held for Library Services staff. I remember being impressed by the dedication and ability of those reviewers. It was a big job, and we later used teachers who volunteered to write reviews for us. It was rewarding to see a group of competent reviewers develop both in Head Office and in the schools.
To speed up the process I borrowed a computer, lugged it back and forth to work from home, and typed in the reviews as they were completed. I worked out how to lay out the pages and printed out the results on a printer in one of the other departments in the building. Unfortunately, my inexperience with the computer, coupled with the lack of help from computer experts in the building, meant that the printouts were not in a usable page form. In the end, I resorted to scissors and paste, fitting the reviews on the page, sometimes cutting and pasting line by line.
Finally, it came together and we had a launch, with important people praising the publication, and a good selection of eats. What I remember most about that event is the comment from the Superintendent who had given me the assignment and publication date —‘I didn’t think you could do it.’ He went on to say that he presumed it would come out later and that would have been okay. Well, I — and all the Library Services Staff — did do it and Fiction Focus came out on time, and has been doing so for twenty years. |
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Technological Advances
New publishing tools make the job of designing the interior layout less tedious, but it nevertheless requires skill and patience to achieve good results. Thankfully, the editor no longer has to painstakingly cut and paste each page! Kim Eversden, our administrative assistant has been responsible for the layout design for the past twelve years and her willingness to master Word, Publisher and the scanner has seen Fiction Focus progressively develop a more modern and professional look.
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| Editors 1987 - 2006 |
- 1987 - 1988 Carolyn Logan
- 1989 Carolyn Logan, Jan Scott, Barbara Shardlow
- 1990 Barbara Shardlow, Carol Townsing
- 1991 Li Gin, Carol Townsing
- 1992 Alison Gregg, Adrienne Voller, Valerie Hemsley, Rhonda Irvin
- 1993 Alison Gregg, Adrienne Voller, Jill Midolo, Valerie Hemsley
- 1994 - 1995 Valerie Hemsley, Jill Midolo
- 1996 Valerie Hemsley, Jill Midolo, Barbara Combes
- 1997 Barbara Combes, Jill Midolo, Lisa Gannon
- 1998 Jill Midolo, Rita Blackburn
- 1999 - 2000 Rita Blackburn
- 2001 - 2006 Rita Blackburn, Carol Townsing
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Feature Articles
Feature articles were included in most issues from 1987 – 1991, many written by CMIS officers with some notable guest writers such as:
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- Grant Stone, Murdoch University Librarian:
Science Fiction of the Last Decade: From Grand Masters to Cyberpunks
- Pamela Buselich, then Teacher Librarian, Mercy College:
The Experience of Literature: Individualised Reading Programs for Adolescents
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Between 1992 and 1998 no articles were published. This was mainly due to time constraints and the difficulties encountered finding suitable people to research and write.
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Feature articles were reintroduced in 2000, the first one providing information about video classification, the second an examination of ebooks to keep teachers abreast of publishing trends and their classroom implications.
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Other articles covered topics such as picture books, genre studies and graphic novels, which focused on issues of current interest to teachers and librarians as revealed in discussions on the watlnet and OZTL_NET listservs, or highlighted education priorities, for example: Including Asian Perspectives in the English Classroom.
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Spotlights on specific authors or illustrators provided material for author studies. With the notable exception of Historical Fiction –Tool or Torment, which was written by Anne-Louise Wilton, an interstate reviewer, Rita Blackburn and Jill Midolo have written the articles, often with valuable input from our reviewers.
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Reviewing Network
From the first issue when CMIS librarians wrote all reviews, the reviewing network has grown (in 2005) to 109 with 34 from WA public schools, 26 from private, 38 interstate and 1 from New Zealand.
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Reviewers are teachers, librarians or experts in the field of children’s and young adult literature.
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While editors have come and gone, two stalwart reviewers – Kerry Boyd and Peta Harrison – have been with Fiction Focus for 20 years. Marlene Dullard and Gay Tierney have reviewed for 19 years, Jennifer Riggs and Esmé Kidd for 18, and Fran Knight, Alison Lawrence and Graeme Smith for 13!
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We also have many reviewers who have contributed to the journal for 5 years or more. We salute all of them. Without the volunteer reviewing network Fiction Focus could not exist.
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| Reviewers 10+ Years |
- Beth Ashworth
- Kerry Boyd
- Shirley Broadhurst
- Jean Doran
- Marlene Dullard
- Marie Evans
- Jenette Graham
- Peta Harrison
- Heather Haskett
- Jane Haylock
- Jeff Herd
- Esmé Kidd
- Fran Knight
- Mary Koenig
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- Alison Lawrence
- Sheila Lea
- Leonie McIlvenny
- Hugh Rayner
- Maggie Read
- Jennifer Riggs
- Faye Shortal
- Graeme Smith
- Vivienne Stickland
- Shane Symonds
- Gay Tierney
- Martin Turner
- Matthew Wood
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| Reviewer and Reader Perspectives |
| A reviewer since 2002, Deborah Robins, teacher librarian at Trinity Beach State School in Queensland shares her perspective on reviewing: |
I regard Fiction Focus reviewing as a privilege - a win/win situation because in return for the promise of a pleasurable read (well most of the time), approximately 30 minutes of writing and another 30 minutes of rewriting; the reviewer's experience of literature is broadened and updated, we practice composing a genre for a useful purpose and we can direct the reader's focus to the strengths of adolescent fiction.
Fiction Focus has guided my selections when working at middle schools and secondary schools and been a handy exemplar for teaching the review genre. I have also appreciated both the trust and feedback from the editor(s) as a given.
In over 5 years of commissions from the editors, I have had only one uncomfortable moment.
One sweaty summer's morning, my co-worker passed the phone to me and told me that a particular author was on the line. Time stood still as my mind frantically struggled to remember whether I had reviewed his latest novel favourably!
You can imagine my delight when he prefaced his phone call by telling me how accurately I had interpreted his novel. My combined relief and accomplishment reinforced my belief that I was contributing to a bona fide knowledge sharing community. I have always loved John Steinbeck's (1962) assessment of the role of the fiction writer in society:
The ancient commission of the writer has not changed. He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement.
I congratulate Fiction Focus for actioning Steinbeck's belief by sustained promotion of the human story as a subtle yet powerful method of instruction. ‘That's all I have to say about that’ in relation to my involvement in the service orientated and visionary ‘Fiction Focus’ phenomenon. |
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| Kerry Boyd, a reviewer since the inception of the journal reminisces: |
Imagine reviewing for 20 years! When living in Meekatharra, I remember the absolute pleasure of receiving the new books that were sent to me and reading them with students at the district high. For many kids it was the first time that they had seen a 'new' and quality book and they even delighted in the freshness of it.
For me, it was a lifeline to staying current with student literature. You could not buy any type of books in Meeka. I still never fail to delight in discovering what's new in the market.
Teaching at the district high gave me a new approach to understanding the audience for particular books.
I remember selecting books for Year 7 students to find that little Year Ones had them (for their parents to read at night). If my recollections are correct some fantasy/science fiction titles had short chapters and glossy pictures, which attracted the younger students.
Conversely, the Year 7s sought out early childhood stories such as those by Richard Scarry because they were easy to share when sitting around. It always makes me hesitate when adding the ages to the reviews. |
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| I use reviews to encourage students to read in different genres. I photocopy reviews and place them with the book, or photocopy the book cover and review and place them in plastic menu holders on top of fiction shelves to publicise titles. |
Jill Diedrich, Scotch College, VIC |
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Fiction Focus is a great additional selection tool for fiction and possibly one of the most useful resources (for me) that I buy for this library.
Recently, after an approach from the SRC I reconsidered the age levels in the fiction collection and agreed with the girls that the collection was very much slanted to the junior school.
FF was a great help as I trawled through back issues to find materials suitable for our more mature readers. Any relevant article I pass on to the English Department, for example the article on fantasy, as we do a unit on fantasy in year 10. |
| Allen Carters, Brigidine College, NSW |
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| I love the new look cover – brighter and exciting. I am thinking of putting it on our magazine stand for the students to look at. |
| Virginia Barber, Merredin SHS |
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Your copies of FF arrived on Friday. We’ve been poring over them ever since! Wow, you cover a lot of ground. I’m also struck by the network of teachers around Australia contributing to the journal.
I’ve already passed on the graphic novel feature to a librarian here who is building a graphic novel collection. |
| Mike Shuttleworth, Centre for Youth Literature, Melbourne |
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From a public library point of view – I love your guides to websites and assorted author information. And the reviews are good.
It’s refreshing to hear what teachers think and this does help me decide on some titles.
If a school thinks it’s too controversial I will think seriously about acquiring it so the kids can get it from somewhere! |
| Margaret Kett (WA) |
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Distribution
Fiction Focus has always been distributed free of charge to all public secondary schools in Western Australia. From 1988 onwards it has also been available on subscription.
It is pleasing to note that in 2005, 237 individuals or institutions subscribed to the journal, including 187 from interstate and 9 from overseas. Interest in the journal has spread through word of mouth, conferences and the CMIS Focus on Fiction website.
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As revealed in feedback, the journal is used for a variety of purposes.
Primarily, it is a selection tool for those responsible for choosing fiction for libraries and classrooms and professional reading for teachers and librarians.
It is also a teaching resource providing examples of the review genre and material for author studies. Students refer to the reviews when looking for something new to read and even parents browse it to find suggested reading for their children.
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We were particularly honoured last year to receive a request from Agnes Nieuwenhuizen, for multiple copies of the second issue of Fiction Focus to use in a workshop with teachers interested in graphic novels, at the Australian Centre for Youth Literature in Melbourne. |
On several other occasions we have received similar requests for multiple copies for teachers or for class sets to use with students.
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Focus on Fiction
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The Focus on Fiction section of the CMIS website, established in the mid 1990s, evolved, in part, from the Fiction Focus journal ...
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Focus on Fiction website logo
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... and our desire to raise the profile of literature at a time when the importance of reading books was pushed into the background as computers gained ascendancy in society and schools.
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Slowly the wheel is turning and the importance of providing children and adolescents with exposure to a rich print environment is again at the forefront, particularly among those concerned with raising the literacy levels of students.
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As Susan Clancy concluded:
| ‘Being able to read is a gift, but loving reading is a great gift, and it’s one that we can give to students when we open the door into the world of literature’. |
Susan Clancy. ‘The Essential Luxury of Literary Experiences’.
in, Back to Books: Creating a Focus on Fiction, p.9.
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The website provides another avenue for helping teachers find out about good fiction to introduce to young people and ideas for incorporating literature into the curriculum to enrich the learning experiences of their students.
Reviews and articles from Fiction Focus feed the website and the CMIS Resource Bank database, so the print publication and the online medium now complement each other.
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| The Future |
In its 20 years of publication, Fiction Focus has increased in size and scope and has developed an extensive Australia-wide network of reviewers, providing a broad teacher perspective.
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Its reputation as a useful selection tool and practical resource to assist teachers in their curriculum planning is evident in the growing number of subscribers.
Dissemination of information about books and reading via the website is the most significant change in the last 10 years.
Teacher and librarian comments indicate that a print journal supplemented by online access to information is the most convenient option for their needs.
Will the print version of Fiction Focus remain a viable option in the future? Only time will tell.
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| Rita Blackburn, Editor, with input from Sue Scott, Coordinator Evaluation, CMIS, Department of Education and Training (WA) |
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