Description
“Amy Brooke’s stories are a voyage of discovery for the characters and reader alike. Quite simply, New Zealand’s best children’s writer.” Mike King
“Dear Amy
I have just read your Who will speak for the Dreamer? which I was saving up as a reward for finishing a novel, which I have now finished, seconds before it finished me. Phew. That’s why it has taken me until now to read it.
In fact, I have read it twice. It is wonderful. Why have I not read your books before? Your story-telling skills are superb, the narrative is illustrative without being heavy, the story is chilling enough to enthrall, I adore your tough, aged females and the book has a wonderful, spiritually uplifting ending. I love it.
Therefore, can I swap some of my books for yours? I enclose three which you might like.
Please accept my most sincere compliments on your skill.
Yours faithfully
Kerry Greenwood
“I have totally, completely enjoyed my first read of Who will speak for the Dreamer? I found it electrifying – an amazing work to galvanise young thinkers – brilliant.” Pam Nevill
“A fascinating story…” Heather Kavanagh
In the light of the generous tribute paid to Who will speak for the Dreamer by the award-winning Australian writer, Kerry Greenwood, readers may be interested to know that it was disparaged by the ubiquitous New Zealand reviewer, later a judge of the New Zealand Children’s Book awards, Trevor Agnew…similarly to how other of my titles have been dealt to in turn by this ubiquitous reviewer.
The considerable contrast between Kerry’s wonderful review and of other enthusiastic reviews of all my children’s book – to Agnew’s very typical dismissal of all those he has reviewed – is so very marked that it calls into question what has been happening to the New Zealand Children’s Book establishment… dominated by the same few names… and whether it has prioritised reviewing actual books – or has concentrated on attacking or ignoring writers who do not belong to the left wing cliques.
It was remarked recently to me that it is quite extraordinary how another pillar of the Establishmen, Tessa Duder, a former swimming champion who turned to write popular books about a girl who wanted to be a swimming champion…has managed to produce a supposedly comprehensive study of children’s books writers in this country, without including any of my 20 children’s stories – nor mentioned the author. And yet I have been caled “New Zealand’s best children’s writer.” (Mike King)
I do, however, recall Ms Duder targeting me as “rightwing” in a letter in an article or letter in the left-wing magazine, Listener, some years back .She was quite wrong – I have no leanings towards either the right or left ends of the political spectrum, regarding them both as different sides of the same coin – and preferring to judge issues on their own merit – with regard to their truth.
That Duder had never interviewed me, and so was jumping to unwarranted conclusions, did not seem to bother her. Perhaps the fact that she has since defined herself as a Feminist- a definition with which fewer than 1/4% of women reportedly identify – explains why she has managed to ignore my children’s books, with their wonderfully heartening reviews – including from children. Moreover, given the apparently overwhelming proportion of those controlling the writing scene in this country holding strong left-wing views, the targeting of writers like myself who object to the inappropriate propagandising now embedded in our children’s writing scene has been the consequence.
It is arguably little wonder that so many teachers and parents have been complaining about what has been on offer to children – highly politicised, dark and edgy, even sexualised and propagandised writing inappropriate for young readers – inevitably turning so many children away from reading – a great shame…
It is apparently time for government funding to be withheld from an area which has become so blatantly an area replacing real children’s stories with indoctrination on sociopolitical, and even sexual issues.
