New Zealand Book Month starts today and runs for the whole month of March. It’s the month where we celebrate all the wonderful authors and illustrators that we have in New Zealand. Here on the Christchurch Kids Blog there will be lots of cool things happening, including:
Fast Five Questions with NZ children’s and young adult authors and illustrators, including David Hill, Sherryl Jordan, Diana Noonan and Donovan Bixley.
Guest blog posts from Melinda Szymanik and Barbara Else.
Lots of NZ book reviews and promotions.
NZ book giveaways.
Make sure you check back in March to help celebrate New Zealand books, authors and illustrators. You can also check the NZ Book Month page on the library website to see what’s happening in Christchurch throughout the month.
Don’t forget to pick up or download your $5-off voucher that you can put towards any book you buy in March. For more info see the NZ Book Month website.
There are only a couple of weeks until our 2013 Star Authors join us on the blog. We’ve got a great line up of New Zealand and Australian authors joining us this year and I’m sure you’ll make them feel welcome by asking lots of questions. Here are our Star Authors for 2013:
All you have to do is enter your details in the form below with the name of your favourite author. At the end of the month we’ll add all the votes together and name your favourite. One lucky voter will also win a prize pack of New Zealand books.
Get voting and tell us who is your favourite New Zealand author. We’ll announce your favourite author on Monday 26 March, 2012.
Christchurch kids’ favourite New Zealand author is: MARGARET MAHY
The finalists in the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards were announced today. These are the awards for the best books for children and young adults in New Zealand and they are awarded every year. There are four categories – picture books, non-fiction, junior fiction and young adult fiction.
Here are the fantastic books that are finalists in each category:
March is the month that we celebrate New Zealand books, authors and illustrators. It’s New Zealand Book Month – and we’ll have some special events and competitions to celebrate our fantastic authors and illustrators. Stay tuned for:
Vote for your favourite New Zealand children’s author – everyone that votes goes in the draw to win a New Zealand book pack.
New Zealand children’s authors and illustrators answer our Fast Five questions. Find out how books have changed the lives of our best authors.
Below the Mountains is about fourteen-year-old Amy McDonald, who lives in Lumsden with her mother and her seven-year-old brother, Bruce. Amy’s father is a mechanic in the Milford Road Camps, and she knows that her mother wants to join him there.
One day the McDonalds get a letter from Milford Sound, saying that they have permission to join their father in the camp. They drive to Cascade Creek camp, leaving their home and friends behind. When they arrive Amy immediately realises how dangerous the camp is. It’s freezing cold, and a very fast river rushes past the camp.
They soon move again, setting up camp near Falls Creek. “The camp looks like a scene from a war film,” Amy writes in her diary, a gift from her best friend Mary, now far far away back at Lumsden. “There’s tents and gear spread all along the strip of bush edging the noisy river. Cascade Creek was a holiday camp compared to Falls Creek.” Wind tears through their tents day and night, ash coating everything. Falls Creek is a living hell, and those living there endure fires, snow, wind, rain, avalanches, and earthquakes. Although these harsh conditions threaten to tear families apart, friends are made, and Amy gets a baby sister. But who will survive the horrors of the camp, and who will die trying? Will Amy, despite the odds, ever fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher? You’ll have to read this gripping book yourself to find out.
Below the Mountains is one of my favourite My Storys, because there’s not a single dull or dry moment. Kids who enjoy action-packed books will love it. My favourite character is Tom, because he’s always cheerful, and tries to see the bright side of things. Below the Mountains is set in the Great Depression, and I learnt so much about how desperate a time it really was. I give this book a 10 out of 10, and I think that children aged from 9 to 14 will love it.
The winners of the 2011 LIANZA Children’s Book Awards were announced last night in Wellington. The LIANZA awards are given by librarians for outstanding children’s literature in the categories of junior fiction, young adult fiction, illustration, non-fiction and te reo Maori. Here are the winners in each category:
HI AGAIN CHRISTCHURCH AND OTHER KIDS: I do so hope Shaky Town is having a quiet week.
Today I have been thinking about what started me writing. That’s because some of you might be thinking about being writers. I know a girl who lives near Shaky-Town in a little town called Rolleston who loves writing and is thinking about keeping on writing when she grows up. Her name is Fable. I think Fable is a great name for someone who loves reading and writing. If you don’t know what I mean, then you need to find out what a fable is. If you find out the meaning of fable, please blog it for everyone else – Thanks heaps.
In my next post, I’ll tell you how I ended up writing a book about a boy and a warship. It was a bit of a surprise to me and to people who know me, because I didn’t know much about warships and I love the sea but I love mountains much more.
FOR NOW, I AM GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITE BOOKS – This book was my very favourite book for many years, from when I was about 8 or 9 years old and a teacher named Mrs Scott read it to my class when I was a skinny girl with long blonde hair at Pleasant Point Primary School.
This book got me interested in history, an interest I have kept for my whole life, an interest that helped lead me into teaching and writing. Books are powerful!
The Silver Sword – by Ian Serraillier
ISBN 0-14-030146-1
The Silver Sword is about four children in Poland in World War Two. Three of the children belong to one family. The fourth child, an orphan boy named Jan, becomes their friend. The story is about what happens to Jan and his treasures (including a chicken and a silver sword) and to the family. It is an adventure story and a war story and a story about love and bravery. It’s a great book. You should read it but I’ll give you a warning.
HERE’S THE WARNING: The first chapter is not about the children. It’s about the Dad having a scary time. I remember that when Mrs Scott was reading to us I didn’t like the start of the book all that much, but I grew to really, really love it.
The Silver Sword has been published lots of times. Here are two of the covers it has had. I’m sure you’ll find this book in your library. Remember to ask for help if you can’t find a book you want. Librarians love helping keen readers.
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.
We’ve had the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards and now it’s time for the 2011 LIANZA Children’s Book Awards. The LIANZA awards are given by librarians for outstanding children’s literature in the categories of junior fiction, young adult fiction, illustration, non-fiction and te reo Maori. Here are the finalists in the Junior Fiction, Non-fiction and Illustration category:
There are sooo many fantastic NZ Authors and books it’s impossible to choose only one, or two or even five! But, since I can’t fill up the entire blog, I’ll pick a few of my favourites – ‘The Fat Man’ by Maurice Gee. This story is a thriller for kids. It’s intriguing, action packed and you can’t put it down. Vince Ford’s ’2Much4U’ is my favourite funny story – true LOL stuff. Ken Catran’s ‘Talking to Blue’ series is creepy freaky for older kids and VM Jones’ ‘Karazan Quartet’ would give Harry Potter a run for his money.
March is the month that we celebrate New Zealand books, authors and illustrators. It’s New Zealand Book Month – and we have some special events and competitions to celebrate our fantastic authors and illustrators.
So tell us what your favourite New Zealand books are. Just click on Add a comment at the bottom of this post and tell us what you think. Any Christchurch kids (aged 8-12 years) who comment on the blog during March will go in the draw to win a selection of great New Zealand books. Make sure you tell us your name and email address so that we can contact you if you win.
This competition has now closed but we’d still like to hear about your favourite NZ books.
The finalists for the 2011 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards were announced a couple of weeks ago. These are the awards for the best books for children and young adults in New Zealand and they are awarded every year. There are four categories – picture books, non-fiction, junior fiction and young adult fiction.
Here are the fantastic books that are finalists in each category:
If 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?
Which person from the past would you most like to meet?
Why did you want to be a writer?
What’s the best thing and worst thing about being a writer?
Have a look at the Interviews with NZ Children’s Authors pages on the library website to find out more about your favourite New Zealand authors. You’ll find interviews with Margaret Mahy, Joy Cowley, Lynley Dodd, Jack Lasenby and Gavin Bishop, plus lots more.
On Sunday 15 August from 10am-3pm some of New Zealand’s best children’s authors and illustrators will be heading to the Christchurch Town Hall for the Storylines Free Family Day. The whole day is FREE and it’s a chance for you to come and meet some of your favourite authors and illustrators, including Margaret Mahy, Joy Cowley, Gavin Bishop, and the creators of the Wonky Donkey book, Craig Smith and Katz Cowley.
As well as meeting all these cool people and maybe even getting your books signed, there are heaps of fun things for you to do, including face painting, creating your own bookmark or mask, and learning about the world around you in the Factopia zone. Come dressed as your favourite book character and you might even score a spot prize.
To find out more about what’s happening on the day you can grab a programme from your local library or visit the Storylines website.
New Zealand Book Month starts today and runs for the whole month of March. It’s the month where we celebrate all the wonderful authors and illustrators that we have in New Zealand. Here on the Christchurch Kids Blog there will be lots of cool things happening, including:
Below the Mountains
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