This semester we’ve been learning about how it is important for students to read books on diversity, specifically reading about things that they can relate to and that open their mind to new ideas. One group, #LoveOzYA, started a movement in Australia in 2015 to bring local content to their Australian teen readers, claiming that diverse books in the classroom should include local content. “We all want the same thing – to draw the attention of Australian teens to Australian books that speak to their experience, and unite the youth-lit community by: promoting a united message, centralising information, and raising the profile of local content” (#LoveOzYA). Teachers, writers, and readers have banded together to build the movement and bring more local Australian texts to high school classrooms across Australia.
The movement began when the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) comprised a survey that found most books read by Australian teens were books imported from the United States (#LoveOzYA). The movement began online, connecting readers with local content and expanding their knowledge on books written by Australian natives. One book I was surprised by was The Book Thief, which was marketed as general fiction in Australia but Young Adult Fiction in the United States (#LoveOzYA).
The #LoveOzYA website includes a Q&A section with authors, a book list, information on local terms and ideas for readers, a newsletter, a podcast, and links to other social media sites like twitter and facebook. This website is designed for teens in Australia to interact with local content, local authors, and understand the diversity found in Australia. The main point of this movement is connection: it’s connecting the Australian youth with Australian literature and diversity, instead of having Australian youth only read books from the United States. The creators of #LoveOzYA wanted to show off Australian literature, its wide reaching scopes, and its impressive talents. Check out books such as Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, StormDancer by Jay Kristoff, and One Would Think the Deep by Clare Zorn.
Works Cited
#LoveOzYA, editor. “About.” #LoveOzYA: Read Local, 2018, loveozya.com.au/. Accessed 7 Dec. 2018.