Robin Morrow facts for kids
Robin Morrow AM (born 1942) is an Australian expert in children's books. She has taught about children's literature, written about it, and helped decide which books win awards. She was also the president of the Australian part of the International Board on Books for Young People IBBY Australia, an organization that promotes children's books worldwide.
Contents
About Robin's Early Life
Robin Moncrieff Morrow was born in 1942. She went to Meriden School and then to Sydney University. For several years, she taught English, French, and ESL (English as a Second Language) to students.
Helping Kids Discover Books
In 1971, Robin and her mother, Beryl Moncrieff Matthews, opened a special shop called The Children's Bookshop in Beecroft. This was the first shop in New South Wales that focused only on children's books! Robin managed this bookshop for 25 years, helping many young readers find their next favorite story.
Later, Robin started working in publishing, which means helping to create and print books. For a while, she was a children's publisher at Scholastic, a big company known for its books for kids. Robin also served as the vice president of the Aora Children’s Literature Research Centre from 2008 to 2013.
Teaching and Reviewing Books
Robin has taught special courses about children's literature at several universities. These include Macquarie University, Australian Catholic University, University of Technology, Sydney, and Simmons College in Boston. She also reviewed children's books for The Weekend Australian and other magazines that review books.
Judging Literary Awards
Robin has been a judge for many important literary awards. This means she helped choose the best books for children. Some of the panels she worked on include:
- NSW judge for the Children's Book Council of Australia national awards (2001–2002)
- NSW Premier's Literary Awards
- Dorothea Mackellar National Poetry Competition for Schools
- International Board on Books for Young People Hans Christian Andersen Awards
Awards and Recognition
Robin Morrow has received several awards for her dedication to children's literature and libraries:
- 1996: Pixie O'Harris Award, for her excellent service to Australian children's literature.
- 1998: John Hirst Award, for her outstanding work helping teacher librarians and school libraries in New South Wales.
- 2004: Lady Cutler Award, for her distinguished service to children’s literature in NSW from the Children's Book Council of Australia.
- 2014: Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia, a high honor in Australia.
Robin's Writings
Robin Morrow has written many articles and papers about children's books. Her work often explores different aspects of children's literature. Some of her writings include:
- Articles about Indigenous languages in Australian picture books.
- Pieces about famous children's authors like Ursula Dubosarsky and Maurice Saxby.
- Reviews and comments in newspapers like The Weekend Australian.
- Articles in magazines such as Sydney’s Child, Classroom magazine, Bookseller and Publisher, and Magpies.
- Papers discussing surreal picture books and how Australian history is shown in picture books.
- A case study about publishing children's books called 'Penguins and Puffins'.
- A book about the history of The Children's Bookshop, titled More of a Club Than a Bookshop — The Children's Bookshop, Beecroft: The First 25 Years.
