AustLit

'Why should any society listen to children? How can we, as adults, support children’s individuality and their creative expression? How can we make space for children as active cultural agents within their communities and on a global level? In the words of IBBY’s founder, Jella Lepman, “Let us set this upside down world right again by starting with the children. They will show the grown-ups the way to go” (qtd. in Said). In its twenty-year history, Kids’ Own Publishing has turned the publishing paradigm upside-down to give a platform for children’s voices in two countries.' (Introduction)

'Libraries are repositories of community and personal histories recorded in all forms. Libraries throughout history have had the technology and space, both of which have provided support and inspiration for people of all ages to tell their stories. As you read this (perhaps in a library yourself), people are sitting in libraries and writing down their thoughts, dreams, and memories in the hope that publication will bring them a wider audience. ' (Introduction)