Mem Fox’s writing career almost didn’t begin at all. Her tremendously successful Possum Magic began as a university assignment named Hush the Invisible Mouse, and was rejected by nine publishers over five years. Fortunately the tenth publisher accepted her manuscript and with substantial editing, including changing her main character from a mouse to a possum, her assignment was transformed into Possum Magic.  The book has sold over three million copies and is a feature on children's bookshelves all over the world.

Mem’s second book, Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge, proved that her Australian themes were not the only reason for her tremendous success. This lovely fable about a young boy whose 96-year old best friend lives in an old age facility warmed readers hearts all over the world with it's universal themes of melancholia and the value of memories. It’s not the setting that makes Fox’s books so utterly readable, it’s her acute understanding of her audience.

The secret to her success, Fox states, is making sure her stories appeal to children. It may seem obvious, but many publishers and writers try to appeal to teachers, parents or retailers. In contrast, Fox explains that it is children who ultimately decide if a book stands the tests of time, and reminds the audience that picture books that receive awards from adults are often forgotten.

Reading should be ‘a Chocolate Experience’ according to Fox; always fun, always enjoyed and always wanting more. There should be no expectations about reading. It’s often treated as a formal learning activity with children expected to excel and improve, instead of just enjoying the process. For this reason, she urges children's writers not to shy away from happy books for children. They should enjoy the experience, she says, "children need to know that happiness is possible." As Fox points out, we don’t criticise children for the way they watch TV and reading should be the same.

After spending many years working at Flinders University, Fox now divides her time between writing and acting as a literary consultant. 'Get 'em young' is her philosophy, and she recommends reading to children from the day they are born.  Most brain development occurs in the first three years of life, and reading helps stimulate that development. Holding children and reading to them simulates four of the five senses – touch, hearing, sight and smell.

She also advises that invoking a sense of rhythm and rhyme in children can help combat dyslexia. She abides by the three Rs; rhythm, rhyme and repetition. Each of these encourages children to be active in story reading, for example, by calling out the last word of each line.

Inviting children into the world of reading and books is about choosing the right book for their age level, she says. Due to its large number of words (512 to be exact), Fox would never select Possum Magic for under threes. However her Where is the Green Sheep? is perfect for little ones, with only 197 words. She admits that it took her eleven whole months to select and arrange such few words.

One secret to engaging younger readers is using what she calls a ‘blue page’, the most dramatic part of the story, or the part of "greatest calamity". As an example, she holds up Possum Magic before the audience, and begins to read.

"Grandma Poss looked miserable," she reads,"‘Don’t worry Grandma,’ said Hush. ‘I don’t mind.’ But in her heart of hearts she did. "

She includes blue pages in all of her books for over threes, because children in this age group love calamity and trouble. Not only are these the moments of 'blue' emotion, but Fox calls them 'blue' because the illustrations accompanying the text are coloured blue. As Mem explains so gracefully on her website, the blue pages provide a way for stories, "to soar with thankfulness when the trouble is finally removed".

"So, does writing children’s books get easier after selling millions of copies?" Fox is asked. She answers no, describing writing for children as "hideous". "You need silence because you’re trying to create music. You can’t listen to music, have a lawn mower going outside your window or even a fly in the room."

In a very competitive and demanding market, it is her thoroughness and attention to detail which keeps Mem at the top of the bestseller lists. Each of her books takes two years of preparation before being sent to the publisher, far longer than the average children's book, which writers tend to churn out formulaically.

"You’ve got to put drafts away," she says. "After the first draft, you think that you are God’s gift to writing, but looking at it two months later you think 'I couldn’t have written that, I’m Mem Fox'".

Thumbnail photo courtesy of Scholastic Australia Pty Ltd

Photo above courtesy of Creative Commons, Mely-o