Friday, May 28, 2010

You're warmly invited ...




Ruth Paul's newest picture book will be launched at the Wellington Children's Bookshop (Kilbirnie),
 this Thursday June 3, at 6pm.


RSVP to The Children's Bookshop, Phone: 04 3873905 or email childbkwgtn@xtra.co.nz

Monday, May 24, 2010

Zero Hour book launch cancelled

The Wellington Children's Bookshop has let us know that Leon Davidson's New Zealand launch of Zero Hour has had to be cancelled due to unforeseen cirumstances.

However, please look out for another book launch announcement coming soon.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

NZ Post Children's Book Awards Winners!

Results are being texted in from our woman in Auckland ....

Congratulations to:

Young adult fiction winner (and WCBA member!) Mandy Hager for The Crossing

Non-fiction winner Janet Hunt for E3 Call Home

Junior fiction winner James Norcliffe for  The Loblolly Boy

Picture book winners Kyle Mewburn and Rachel Driscoll for Old Hu-Hu

and the winners of an additional picture book honour award - Margaret Mahy, David Elliot and Tessa Duder for The Word Witch

Further congratulations to:

Children's Choice winners Craig Smith and Katz Cowley for  The Wonky Donkey

Best First Book winner David Hair for the The Bone Tiki


and

The big prize - overall Best Book winners Kyle Mewburn and Rachel Driscoll for Old Hu-Hu !

Good luck to children's book awards finalists!

The awards are tonight! Good luck to everyone. We'll update as soon as we can!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

You're invited to the launch of ...


 
Zero Hour 
by Leon Davidson 


The Anzacs sailed for France to fight a war the whole world was talking about. 
Few who came home ever spoke about it again.

Zero Hour is the third book by Leon Davidson, author of the best-selling 
and multi-award-winning Scarecrow Army: the Anzacs at Gallipoli and 
Red Haze: Australians and New Zealanders in Vietnam.



Wednesday May 26th 
@ 6pm onwards
The Children’s Book Shop, Kilbirnie

RSVP to The Children's Bookshop 
t 04 3873905  f 04 387328
e childbkwgtn@xtra.co.nz

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Technology used to connect authors and readers

BookTalks – an initiative using online technology to link authors and readers, will be launched on May 10 to coincide with the New Zealand Post Book Awards.
Organised by research and professional development organisation CORE Education, BookTalks will utilise the internet video telephone system Skype to allow readers, initially in schools across the country, to talk online with their favourite authors and illustrators.
Already nearly 30 prominent authors from around New Zealand have signed up for BookTalks, and internationally renowned author Margaret Mahy has agreed to be the BookTalks Patron.
Using the www.booktalks.org.nz website, schools can go online and select which author they would like to connect with.  CORE Education will then look at availability and match up authors with schools. Authors will receive a fee for their session and a small charge will cover administrative costs.
It’s wonderful to be able to talk live over the internet, and it adds a coolness for the kids to say they talked with an author using Skype,” The Wonky Donkey author Craig Smith says.
Craig skyped a pilot BookTalks session with children at Outram School near Dunedin.
“I’ve skyped heaps, but this is my first performance via Skype.  It was fantastic,” he says.
The Outram children asked Craig why he wrote the story, how long it took him, whether he had other stories and even how to pronounce “hee-haw”. 
Outram School Principal Greg Carroll says BookTalks is a highly valuable programme because it brings people into the classroom who can't actually physically be there.

"It is a good opportunity for the kids to engage with a real person, to be able to see them, someone who can't obviously visit our school but the children can still talk to them, engage with them, have a conversation with them about their book and about the process and about what it means to be a real author. It was great. The kids had a ball; they really enjoyed it," Mr Carroll says.

CORE Education Project Manager Matt Tippen has received support from Booksellers New Zealand and the New Zealand Book Council, and encouragement from many educators.
BookTalks will provide real-time, meaningful conversations about NZ literature – that can only have a positive effect on our next generation’s interest in literacy and literature. And it’s a way of modeling how effective online communications can be in education,” Mr Tippen says.

He envisages that book clubs, writing course organisers and writers’ groups might also be interested in BookTalks. 

“We’re initially targeting educational settings, but we’d love to hear from others who would like the chance to talk to their favourite authors,” he says.

To get the details, visit the BookTalks site www.booktalks.org.nz

Monday, May 3, 2010

Introducing Maria Samuela

 
The WCBA has had a long association with the Storylines team, so it's with pleasure that we introduce and welcome Maria Samuela - Storylines' new Wellington Coordinator. 

Maria is a children’s author who has had stories translated into five Pacific languages, read on National Radio’s Storytime, written for School Journal, and published a collection - The Secret Game Plan and Other Stories. She has a Diploma in Publishing from Whitireia Polytechnic, and is now completing an Advanced Diploma in Creative Writing, writing a children's historical novel.  

Maria also brings to the role a strong background in administration, including several years in a marketing/media environment.

She says, “I’m excited about being part of the Storylines team promoting reading and New Zealand children’s literature through this year’s Family Day celebrations in August. We’ve got an awesome lineup of authors and illustrators, and we’re planning a full-on day of fun and frolics. I’m especially looking forward to meeting some of our young readers.

Storylines Wellington Family Day Festival will be held at the Wellington Town Hall on Sunday 15 August.

Check out Storylines website for more details: www.storylines.org.nz

Applications closing soon!

Children’s Writing Workshop: 
Creative Writing at Victoria University

“The child reader I was……..wants a world she can see, taste, smell, feel, and hear. And above all she wants characters who will make her laugh and cry.” Katherine Paterson

This creative writing workshop, convened by Eirlys Hunter, encourages you to reach that reader. You’ll explore different forms of writing for the pre-adolescent child: picture books, plays, short stories and the novel, and begin to develop your own clear voice.

Applications for the Second Trimester close 5 June.

For information, application forms and course dates, please contact:

International Institute of Modern Letters
Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600,
Wellington, New Zealand
Phone 04-463 6854
Email modernletters@vuw.ac.nz
Website www.victoria.ac.nz/modernletters