Posts tagged Iron Bottom Sound

A POEM TO SHARE

August 11, 2011 · Filed under Books, Ghosts, History, School, Star Author, War · Tagged , , , ,

HEY THERE CHRISTCHURCH AND OTHER KIDS – IT’S YOUR AUGUST STAR AUTHOR HERE AGAIN.

It’s nearly the end of the second week of term three already. In my class we’ve been doing lots of Maori art in traditional and non-traditional colours. Everyone is choosing their favourite pieces to display. They look awesome!

Last night I went to the Regional Science Fair in Fairlie. There were lots of great investigations and experiments to look at. Well done to all students involved and especially to the winners.

Thanks to the people who have been posting comments, including Mark and Ansja Whetu. Mark is one of New Zealand’s best known mountaineers and adventurers. I have been lucky to teach both of his and Ansja’s super-cool kids. Last summer Mark took my book to Antarctica to read when he was down there guiding a group of American scientists. He told me they all read and loved my book but they couldn’t believe it was written from someone in little old Twizel in little old New Zealand!  He also told me that most of them had never heard of Iron Bottom Sound or Guadalcanal, which I think is really sad because thousands of Americans died there.

Do you think it’s important to know the history of your own country? I’d be interested in your thoughts.

I have decided to share some poems with you. Here’s the first one.

POEM ONE: This is a poem from The Ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound. I didn’t really write this poem. I copied most of it from a poem written for me by my Australian e-mail friend Mac Gregory.

The ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound

Are murmuring in the deep,

Underwater cameras have disturbed them

From their long, long sleep.

 In case you are wondering: Mac’s poem was about a Kiwi Writer disturbing the ghosts, not underwater cameras – the Kiwi Writer was of course me!

Log on again soon for another poem. The next one will be from my not-yet-published second book The Lucky Ship.

Ka kite ano

From Sandy Nelson

Author of The Ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound

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H.M.A.S. Canberra leaving Wellington

August 7, 2011 · Filed under Ghosts, History, New Zealand, Star Author · Tagged , , , , , ,

Hi everyone,

Here she is:

H.M.A.S. Canberra, leaving Wellington in 1942, en route (that means on her way) to the Solomon Islands, to Guadalancal, to the Battle of Savo Island, to the water that was called Savo Sound but after the night of August 8-9 1942 was renamed Iron Bottom Sound (because of all the ships and planes and tanks etc that lie on the sea floor).

H.M.A.S. Canberra is the ship I wrote about in my book. She was the largest ship Australia lost in the war, and is the grave of 84 Australian sailors (those Australians join the Americans who died in the Battle of Savo Island to bec ome the ghosts that haunt Paddy).

The last port H.M.A.S. Canberra ever came to was our very own capital city, Wellington.  Her destination – the destination of the whole convoy (fleet of ships) was of course top secret. There’s a saying ‘Loose lips sink ships.’  Have you heard of it? 

I hope you’re all having a good weekend.

From your August Star Author

Sandy Nelson

Author of THE GHOSTS OF IRON BOTTOM SOUND

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MORE ON HOW I NEARLY GAVE UP …

August 6, 2011 · Filed under Books, Children, Ghosts, History, Star Author · Tagged , , , ,

Hello everyone.

It’s Saturday. I should be doing school-work, or house-work, or writing, or taking my dog for a walk, but I’ll write to you first.

That’s called procrastinating.  Are you good at procrastinating? (putting things off, making excuses for not doing what you should be doing).

As I told you last night …

I NEARLY GAVE UP – I NEARLY DIDN’T BECOME A WRITER

 I was sitting in my living room late at night, feeling very tired and worried because I had no ideas for the writing task Kate de Goldi have given us.

This is what I did:

I didn’t invent a new character. Instead I used the same character I had been writing about that day, a boy named Paddy who I had invented using a mind map and ideas that mixed up bits from lots of boys I knew, mostly from my teaching. I already liked Paddy and he was getting real in my head so it was a good decision to think about him more instead of inventing a new character.

But Paddy needed a hobby – something he was so into that it was almost like an obsession. I was stuck. I sat and I thought and I thought. I had an empty piece of paper on my knees and a pen in my hand. I was nearly ready to give up. Finally I gave a big sigh and decided to have a rest from thinking about what Paddy’s interest might be.

I put down the paper and pen and picked up a book from our coffee table. It was a book I had never seen before, a book my eldest son Josh had got out from the Twizel Library, a book about shipwrecks in a place named Iron Bottom Sound. I had never heard of Iron Bottom Sound.

I flicked though the pages. I found a map. I found an underwater image of H.M.A.S. Canberra, the largest ship Australia lost in World War Two. I found photos that didn’t look like they could be real but they were. I found stories that made me think of sharks and bravery and wasted lives and … ghosts. I was hooked!

This is what the book looks like. It’s an amazing book. I sent a copy of my book to the writer Robert Ballard to thank him for motivating me, and he sent me a copy of another one of his books, one about the Bismarck. Robert Ballard is one of my heroes. I’ll tell you more about him another day. 

 

Anway, that’s how I started writing!

I’M GLAD I DID

I HOPE YOU ARE TOO

Have a great day and remember to post to me. I’d love to hear from you!

Sandy Nelson

Author of The Ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound

 

 

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10 / 10 from Zac for my book!

August 1, 2011 · Filed under Authors, Books, Children, Ghosts, History, Star Author, War · Tagged , , ,

Hi there Christchurch kids and other kids who also read this blog!
You kids who live in Shaky Town are very brave. I hope reading this blog and reading lots of wonderful books helps you escape to nice places in your minds.
My name is Sandy Nelson. As I wrote in my first post, I am honoured to be invited to be the Star Author for August, particularly because I have only had one book published and it didn’t win any awards (boo-hoo) and it seems as if all the other Star Authors have great long lists of published titles and awards. So I feel very humbled.

So, thanks Zac for choosing me. It must be because you liked my book so much. I was very excited when you gave it 10 out of 10 (I had a very big smile for days!)
And even though my book didn’t get any awards, it was nominated for the N.Z. Post Awards, and lots of reviewers and other writers, and most importantly young people, have said they really liked it. My editor, Kate Stone, at Harper Collins, says that’s what is the most important.

THIS IS MY BOOK:

As a new writer, I just love those words ‘My Book.’ I think they sound fantastic!

For those who haven’t read THE GHOSTS OF IRON BOTTOM SOUND yet, I’ll tell you a bit about it in my next post.

Ka kite ano – and hey, I hope you have had a good start to Term Three.
From your newest Star Author, Sandy Nelson

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