While better known these days for her gardening credentials and writing, Abbie Jury has long had an interest in books and literature – particularly books for children. She graduated with an Honours degree in English literature from Massey University, “aeons ago, or so it feels”, and spent close to twenty years working across the education sectors before retiring to plants and gardening. She now reviews for the Waikato Times and was, until recently, a reviewer for the Taranaki Daily News.