Thanks to everyone who attended our AGM, which took place on the 30th January at the John Harvey Tavern. We had the chance to talk about our preparations for conference, which we are hosting this year. And then we all got busy with some very enjoyable paper crafting activities. Thanks to Jenny Maidment for leading us through it.

For our AGM this year, we asked members to bring a children’s book published in the last 50 years and tell us a bit about why it had meaning for them. There was hot debate about our choices compared to those in the Federation’s ‘Fifty Favourite Books’ booklist. Here is a list of what was chosen and why:
 

• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (1968) This early example of children’s fantasy was published in a vintage year!
• The Iron Man by Ted Hughes (1968) This held memories of a younger sibling acting out the story and another member on rereading was struck by how much noise was in the text.
• Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (1969) Only 33 words (including the word Flour on a sack), but so much is conveyed by the illustrations. Chosen by a librarian who came to realise that children are incredibly good at reading the story in the pictures of a book.
• The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elfrida Vipont & Raymond Briggs (1969) A favourite that showed what a traditional high street looked like, but on recently re-reading, the selector realised that Tescos makes an appearance in the background…
• Morris’s Disappearing Bag by Rosemary West (1975) This was loved for its humour and the chance for the youngest sibling to end up on top.
• Mog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr (1976) Christmas chaos with Mog
• Apple Pigs by Ruth Orbach (1978) What to do with too many apples?
• Peace at Last by Jill Murphy (1980) It’s easy to identify with Mr Bear’s troubles when you have young children!
• Rattlebag edited by Seamus Heaney & Ted Hughes (1982) An eclectic mix of poetry arranged in order of title or first line, with a wonderful introduction about how it came to be.
• Matilda by Roald Dahl (1988) The power of reading  and what an individual can achieve.
• His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (from 1995) Northern Lights was a significant title for getting a member’s daughter enthused about books.
• Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French (2002) A very funny picture book and a family favourite.
• The Quigleys by Simon Mason (2002) Hilarious short stories about the Quigley family, which still have the power to gather even a 16 year old to come and listen.
• You Choose by Pippa Goodheart & Nick Sharratt (2003) A book that changes every time you share it. It was a favourite whilst potty training!
• Ottoline series by Chris Riddell (from 2007) Off-beat humour accompanied by wonderful illustrations, which appealed to different ages in the family.
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd & Jim Kay (2011) (Overall winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award 2012) A powerful read with the significance of the yew tree using stories to help the child overcome difficult times resonating with the selector.
• Spooky Spooky House by Andrew Weale & Lee Wildish (2011) (Overall winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award 2013) Significant in a librarian’s career because of its popularity with children at a school in Tower Hamlets.
• Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr (Author),‎ &  Guy Puzey (Translator) (2017) Chosen by a member who works in a bookshop and has recommended it to many customers! 

​Our AGM talk From Inspiration to Publication featured children's writers Dawn Casey, Leigh Hodgkinson, Julia Lee and Jon Walter discussing their work and how they first came to be published with author Miriam Moss.

Reading the Future Tom Bonnick, of independent publisher Nosy Crow, gave a talk on the development of reading apps for iPads. ​

Come and meet Miriam Moss 
Miriam Moss gave an insight into the creative process of writing a picture book and answered questions about it. Miriam is a member of LCBG and an award-winning author of over 75 books, including 30 picture books, poetry and short stories. ​

​What's the Story? Issues around diversity & children's publishing in the UK A talk by Laura Atkins, senior lecturer at the National Centre for Research in Children's Literature, based on her experience in publishing and research into diversity in publishing in the UK.