Posts tagged Christchurch Storylines Family Day

Watch out for T-Wreck-Asaurus!

August 10, 2011 · Filed under Animals, Books, Children, Fun, Humour, New Zealand · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Do you like Dinosaurs?  Do you like to be grossed-out by all sorts of disgusting things?  If you answered yes to both of these questions then I’ve got the perfect book for you – T-Wreck-Asaurus, the first book in the hilarious new Dinosaur Rescue series by Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley.

Arg is a caveboy with a really big brain.  He doesn’t really fit in with the rest of his tribe who are really, really stupid.  Arg doesn’t know why he was born with a bigger brain than anybody else, and sometimes it can be quite lonely being this smart.  Thankfully, he has his pet microceratops, Krrk-Krrk to keep him company and join him on his adventures.  When an angry T-rex starts destroying his village it’s up to Arg to come up with a plan to stop him.

T-Wreck-Asaurus is a gross, hilarious book and it’s perfect for fans of Andy Griffiths, Captain Underpants, and anyone who likes stories with dinosaur farts and Brontosaurus poo.  The story and the illustrations had me laughing out loud.  There are lots of little added extras throughout the book, including notes about Arg’s clothing, interesting facts about Brontosaurus poo and a diagram of Arg’s family cave.  You may want to hold your nose as you read, because the stench from these dinosaurs is deadly!  Look out for book two in the series, Stego-Snottysaurus.

Recommended for 7+    10 out of 10

Come along to the Storylines Family Day in Christchurch to meet the creators of Dinosaur Rescue, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley.  Make sure you also check out the T-Wreck-Asaurus book trailer too.

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Dinosaur Rescue: Stego-Snottysaurus book trailer

August 3, 2011 · Filed under Authors, Book Trailer, Books, Children, Christchurch, Family, Fun, New Zealand · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Dinosaur Rescue is a hilarious new series by Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley.  The first two books, T-Wreck-Asaurus and Stego-Snotty-Saurus are out now and you can reserve your copy at the library.  Kyle and Donovan are officially launching the series at the Christchurch Storylines Free Family Day on Sunday 21 August so make sure you come along and meet them and get your book signed.

We are giving away 5 sets of the first two books right here on the blog soon so watch this space.

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Interview with Zac Power author Chris Morphew

August 3, 2011 · Filed under Author Interview, Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Family, writers, Young Adults · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Chris Morphew is one of the awesome authors who are coming to Christchurch for the 2011 Storylines Family Day, on Sunday 21 August from 10am-3pm at Cobham Intermediate.  Chris Morphew is one of the authors who write the Zac Power series (under the name H I Larry) and he’s also written the action-packed Phoenix Files series, about a group of teenagers who have 100 days to stop the world from ending.  I got the chance to ask Chris a few questions before he comes to Christchurch.

What is it like to be one of the authors of the Zac Power series?

It’s pretty cool! Whenever I visit a school and ask how many kids have read a Zac Power book, I’m always amazed at how many hands go up!

What’s your favourite Zac Power gadget?

I think Zac’s Turbo Boots in Volcanic Panic are pretty awesome. Jetpack shoes powerful enough to blast someone out of a volcano? That sounds pretty good to me!

Zac Power books written by Chris Morphew

What inspired you to write your action-packed Phoenix Files series?

This might sound a bit morbid, but one of the biggest things I want to do with The Phoenix Files is tell a story about hardship and suffering. I want to be really honest about the darkness and brokenness of the world. But I don’t want to stop there. I want to suggest that the darkness and the brokenness isn’t all there is, and that maybe there’s a bigger story being told that makes the bad parts worthwhile in the end.

In The Phoenix Files Luke, Peter and Jordan learn that there is only 100 days until the end of the world. What would you do if you knew you only had 100 days left to live?

I would pray a lot. And then maybe see if I could find a super-powered homeless man to tell me what was really going on.

What was the book you loved most as a child?

That’s a tough one! There are so many!
Fiction: The Narnia series, Animorphs, Where the Wild Things Are…
Non-fiction: The Bible and books about dinosaurs.

Who is your favourite author/children’s author?

It’s a toss-up between C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling.

Why did you want to be a writer?

Because I love telling stories! I think fictional stories have incredible power to help us understand the real world in new ways.

What’s the best thing and worst thing about being a writer?

The best thing is having the opportunity to explore interesting ideas. The worst thing is usually my next deadline. I write pretty slowly, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write about things that matter. If you care about your story, then other people are far more likely to care about it too.

 

Check out the blog on Monday for your chance to WIN a copy of Zac Power:Fear Files or The Phoenix Files: Arrival by Chris Morphew

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Join the fun at the 2011 Storylines Free Family Day

August 2, 2011 · Filed under Authors, Children, Christchurch, Family, Fun, New Zealand, writers · Tagged , , , , ,

The Storylines Free Family Days are held every year throughout New Zealand to celebrate the amazing, extremely talented authors and illustrators that we have in our country.  This year the Christchurch Free Family Day is being held at Cobham Intermediate School, 294 Ilam Road, Burnside on Sunday 21 August, from 10am-3pm.   It’s a chance for you to meet some fantastic New Zealand authors and illustrators, including:

And some very special guests…

You could get your favourite author’s autograph, listen to them talk about their books and read some of them, or enter the Storylines competition.  It’s totally FREE, so come along with your family and join the fun.  Go to the Storylines website to view the programme or grab one from your library.

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Win Dinosaur Rescue books by Kyle Mewburn and Donvan Bixley

August 1, 2011 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Fun, Humour · Tagged , , , , , , ,

The Storylines Free Family Day in Christchurch on Sunday 21 August is only 1 week away.  There are lots of amazing author and illustrators coming, including the very cool, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley.  Kyle and Donovan have created a hilarious and disgusting new series called Dinosaur Rescue.  You can read our review of the series and watch the disgusting book trailer here on the blog.  To celebrate the release of the first two books in the series and their appearance at the Christchurch Storylines Family Day, we have 5 sets of the first two books to give away, which include:

To go into the draw to win one of these books, all you have to do is answer this question – What is your favourite dinosaur and why? Add a comment on this post with your answer, your name, and email address (so we can contact you if you win).  Entries close Friday 19 August at 5pm.

See below for terms and conditions     Read the rest of this entry »

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Win Zac Power and Phoenix Files books

August 1, 2011 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Competitions, New Zealand · Tagged , , , , , ,

The Storylines Free Family Day in Christchurch on Sunday 21 August is only 2 weeks away.  There are lots of amazing author and illustrators coming, including the author of the Zac Power series and Phoenix Files series, Chris Morphew.  Thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont we are giving away two of Chris Morphew’s books:

To go into the draw to win one of these books, all you have to do is answer this question – What gadget would you use to help you save the world?  It could be one of Zac Power’s gadgets or any gadget that you can think of.  Add a comment on this post with your answer, your name, email address (so we can contact you if you win) and the title of the book that you would like to win.  Entries close Friday 12 August at 5pm.

See below for terms and conditions  Read the rest of this entry »

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Check out who was at the Storylines Family Day

August 15, 2010 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Family, Fun, New Zealand, writers · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Margaret Mahy at Christchurch Storylines Family Day

Margaret Mahy

Joy Cowley at Christchurch Storylines Family Day

Joy Cowley

Gavin Bishop at Christchurch Storylines Family Day

Gavin Bishop

Ross Kinnaird at Christchurch Storylines Family Day

Ross Kinnaird

Sandy McKay at Christchurch Storylines Family Day

Sandy McKay

I had lots of fun walking around and talking to the all the authors and illustrators.  There were lots of kids who were dressed up in costumes.  My favourite costume that I saw was a girl who was Pippi Longstocking.  There were also a few Harry Potters and a Willy Wonka.  I like getting my books signed because I think it’s really special, especially when an author or illustrating writes something nice.

Did you go to the Storylines Family Day?  If you did, what was your favourite part of the day?

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Meet great NZ authors at the Storylines Free Family Day

August 11, 2010 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Family, Fun, New Zealand, writers · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

StorylinesIf you’re looking for something to do this weekend, why don’t you come along to the Storylines Free Family Day at the Christchurch Town Hall from 10am-3pm.  It’s a chance for you to meet some fantastic New Zealand authors and illustrators, including:

You could get your favourite author’s autograph, listen to them talk about their books and read some of them, make a cool mask or bookmark, or learn about the world around you in the Factopia Zone.

Who’s your favourite New Zealand author?  What question would you ask them if you got the chance to meet them?

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What might you find down the back of a chair?

July 29, 2010 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Christchurch, Competitions, Family, New Zealand · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Cover imageYou can find all sorts of interesting things down the back of a chair.  It’s the best place to find loose change because it always falls out of people’s pockets and seems to roll there.  Sometimes you  find old bits of food that have gone all crusty or have been mushed into the chair cushions.  Have you ever fallen down the back of the chair?  Some chairs are so soft and spongy that you can almost disappear into them.

There is a special writing and illustrating competition that you can enter if you go to the Storylines Free Family Day at the Christchurch Town Hall on Sunday 15 August.  All you have to do is write a one page story about what you might find down the back of a chair, or you could design a book cover for Margaret Mahy’s book, Down the Back of the Chair.  You can write it on the day or write it beforehand and bring it along.  There are prizes for the best writing and illustrations in each age group: Age 4-8 and 9-12 years and winning entries will be posted on the Storylines website.

Get writing or illustrating and you might win a cool prize.

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