Yep, it’s that time of year again. When the best books published in Australia for kids and teens are judged.

Check out the shortlist below. Drop into the library to collect your free activity booklet, and place free holds on any of the shortlisted titles.

The winners of all the categories will be announced Friday 20th August.

Book of the Year - Older Readers
CHRISTOPHER, Lucy - Stolen
CLARKE, Judith - The Winds of Heaven
LARBALESTIER,   Justine - Liar
METZENTHEN, David  - Jarvis 24
MILLARD, Glenda -  A Small Free Kiss in the Dark
TANGEY, Penny - Loving Richard Feynman

Book of the Year - Younger Readers
FENSHAM, Elizabeth -  Matty Forever
HIRSCH, Odo - Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool
LESTER, Alison - Running with the Horses
MCINTOSH, Fiona - The Whisperer
MURPHY, Sally - Pearl Verses the World
STORER, Jen - Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children

Book of the Year - Early Childhood Short
BLAND, Nick - The Wrong Book
BOOTH, Christina - Kip
DUBOSARSKY, Ursula - The Terrible Plop
BLACKWOOD, Freya - Millie and the Very Fine House
SHANAHAN, Lisa - Bear & Chook by the Sea
THOMPSON, Colin - Fearless

Book of the Year - Picture Book Short
MILLARD, Glenda - Isabella’s Garden
DANALIS, Stella - Schumann the Shoeman
HARVEY, Roland - To the Top End: Our Trip Across Australia
HOBBS, Leigh - Mr Chicken Goes to Paris
OLIVER, Narelle - Fox and Fine Feathers
ROGERS, Gregory - The Hero of Little Street

Book of the Year - Eve Pownall
CLODE, Danielle - Prehistoric Giants: The Megafauna of Australia
M is for Mates: Animals in Wartime from Ajax to Zep
MACINNIS, Peter - Australian Backyard Explorer
PATRICK, Tanya - Polar Eyes: A Journey to Antarctica
REEDER, Stephanie - Owen Lost! A True Tale from the Bush
MATTINGLEY, Christobel - Maralinga: The Anangu Story

Children’s Book Week runs from the 21st - 27th August. For more information visit the Children’s Book Week website.

… of the titles in the running to win Book of the Year in the 2009 Children’s Book Week.

CBW is 22-28th August, but until we know the winners, come in, phone us, or pop onto the library catalogue and place a free reseve on any of the following titles:

Book of the Year - Older Readers Short List 2009 These books are for mature readers

Monster Blood Tattoo Book Two: Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish

Into White Silence by Anthony Eaton

A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Kill the Possum by James Moloney

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Book of the Year - Younger Readers Short List 2009 Intended for independent younger readers.

The Wish Pony by Catherine Bateson

Polar Boy by Sandy Fussell

Then by Morris Gleitzman

Audrey of the Outback by Christine Harris & Ann James

Perry Angel’s Suitcase by Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King

The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda

Book of the Year - Early Childhood Short List 2009 Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages.

How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham

Leaf by Stephen Michael King

Special Kev by Chris McKimmie

Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle by Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King

Tom Tom by Rosemary Sullivan & Dee Huxley

Puffling by Margaret Wild & Julie Vivas

Book of the Year - Picture Book Short List 2009

Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years range (Some books may be for mature readers).

Sunday Chutney by Aaron Blabey

Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan

Home and Away by Matt Ottley & John Marsden

Nobody Owns the Moon by Tohby Riddle

Captain

The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness by Colin Thompson

Book of the Year - Eve Pownall Short List 2009 Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years. (Some books may be for mature readers).

The Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky & Tohby Riddle

Simpson and his Donkey by Mark Greenwood & Frané Lessac

Alive in the Death by Lincoln Hall

The Story of Chicken in

Tuart Dwellers by Jan Ramage & Ellen Hickman

Every Picture Tells a Story: Adventures in Australian Art by John Ross & Anna Booth

The Bill Coppell Young Writers’ Award 2009 has begun. Anyone between 11 and 18yrs can enter with a poem or short story no longer than 750 words.

Go here for more info and entry form.

Deadline is 5pm, Friday 8th May.

Thanks go to the following sponsors for their generous donations of thousands of dollars worth of prizes…

Ensemble Theatre, Pen Ultimate, NSW Writer’s Centre, World Book, Britannica, Norths FITNESS, Miller St. Oval Newsagency, Joan’s Ridge Street Gallery , Northside Courier, Sydney Aquarium , Luna Park, Sandra Shilansky, Mosman Daily and North Sydney council.

Hey guys

If you feel like some Valentine’s Day fluff, angst, paranormal pretties, drama or fantasy check out our reading list below:

Paranormal Romance

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

• Twilight YAF/ MEYE and F/ MEYE

• New Moon YAF/ MEYE and F/ MEYE

• Eclipse YAF/ MEYE and F/ MEYE

• Breaking Dawn YAF/ MEYE and F/ MEYE

Vampire kisses series by Ellen Schreiber

• Vampire Kisses Graphic

• Kissing coffins  YAF/SCHR

• Vampireville YAF/SCHR

• Dance with a vampire YAF/SCHR

Mediator series by Meg Cabot

• Grave doubts YA PB

• High stakes YA PB

• Heaven sent YA PB

• Twilight YAF/CABO

• Young blood YA PB

Dark angel series by Meredith Ann Pierce

• The darkangel YAF/PIER

• A gathering of gargoyles YAF/PIER

• The exchange student by Kate Gilmore YAF/GLIM

• Companions of the night by Vivian Vande Velde YA PB

• City of bones by Cassandra Clare YAF/CLAR

• A great and terrible beauty by Libba Bray YAF/BRAY

• Boys that bite by Marianne Mancusi  YA PB

• The host: a novel by Stephenie Meyer F/MEYE and YAF/MEYE

Complicated Hearts

• Squashed by Joan Bauer YAF/BAUR
• Hard love by Ellen Wittlinger YAF/WITT
• Whistle me home by Barbara Wersba YAF/WERS
• Monsoon summer by Mitali Perkins YA PB
• Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen F/AUST
• Cross my heart by Maureen McCarthy YAF/MACC
• Nicola and the viscount by Meg Cabot. YA PB
• Love, ghosts and nose hair by Steven Herrick YAF/ HERR
• To catch a prince by Gillian McKnight YAF/MACK

Thriller

• Tenderness by Robert Cormier YAF/ CORM

• Son of the mob by Gordon Korman YAF/ KORM

 Fantasy

• Sunlight and shadow by Cameron Dokey YA PB
• The princess bride : S. Morgenstern’s classic tale of true love and high adventure by William Goldman  F/GOLD
• The hunter’s moon by O. R. Melling YAF/MELL
• The Truth-Teller’s tale by Sharon Shinn YAF/SHIN
• Sorcery and Cecelia, or, the enchanted chocolate pot : being the correspondence of two young ladies of quality regarding various magical scandals in
• London and the country by Patricia C. Wrede SCI-FI PB
• Once upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris YAF/FERR
• Belle : a retelling of “Beauty and the beast” by Cameron Dokey YA PB
• Snow : a retelling of “Snow White and the seven dwarfs” by Tracy Lynn  YA PB
• Before midnight : a retelling of cinderella by Cameron Dokey YAF/DOKE 

Contemporary

Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison

• Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging: confessions of Georgia Nicholson YA PB

• On the bright side, I’m now the girlfriend of a sex god YAF/ RENN

• Dancing in my nuddy-pants YAF/ RENN

• Then he ate my boy-entrancers: more mad, marvy confessions of Georgia Nicholson YAF/ RENN

• Startled by his furry shorts YAF/ RENN

• Luurve is a many trousered thing YAF/ RENN

• Stop in the name of pants: fab new confessions of Georgia Nicholson YAF/ RENN

Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot

• The Princess Diaries YA PB

• Princess in the spotlight YAF/ CABO

• Princess in love JF/ CABO

• Princess lessons: a princess diaries guide YAF/ CABO

• Princess diaries guide to life: discover your inner princess YA PB

• Princess diaries: give me five YAF/ CABO

• The Princess files: YA PB

• Perfect princess YAF/ CABO

• Princess in pink YAF/ CABO

• Princess diaries: sixtational YA PB

• Princess diaries: Mia’s Christmas YA PB

• The princess present: a princess diaries book YA PB

• Princess in training YAF/ CABO

• The princess diaries guide to Christmas YA PB

• Seventh heaven YA PB

• Party princess YA PB

• Sweet sixteen princess YAF/ CABO

• After eight JF/ CAB

• Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin YA PB

• Mates, dates and cosmic kisses by Cathy Hopkins YAF/HOPK

• Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli YAF/SPIN

• Plain Rude by Linda Aronson YA PB

• With lots of love from Georgia by Brigid Lowry YAF/LOWR

• Summer boys by Hailey Abbott YA PB

• Merrow by Louise Cooper YA PB

• What a week omnibus : books 1-3 by Rosie Rushton YA PB

• Something in the world called love by Sue Saliba YA PB

• One girl, two decks and three degrees of love by Jonny Zucker YA PB

• Love struck by Rachael Wing YA PB

• Guitar highway Rose by Brigid Lowry YAF/LOWR

• Follow the blue by Brigid Lowry YA PB


 

With lots of <3 <3 <3 from the Stanton crew.

Yes, SRC has started again for the summer! And this year we’ll have even more prizes for all you readers. Not that reading isn’t it’s own reward of course

• Write book reviews of your summer reading for display in the Library
• Collect prizes when you read 3, 6, and 10 books.
• Read more than 20 books and go in the draw for a mega games prize pack!
• Come to our closing party* for (yes more) prizes, certificates, & yummy food.
• Open to kids & teens of all ages. Register at the Info Desk now.
• For more info ph 9936 8400 or email yasmin.greenhalgh@northsydney.nsw.gov.au or check out www.summerreading.org.au

*4pm 10th Feb, 2009

Book of the Year: Older Readers
The Ghost’s Child / Sonya Hartnett

Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Dragon Moon / Carole Wilkinson

Picture Book of the Year
Requiem for a Beast / Matt Ottley

Check out the other category winners and the fantastic honourable mentions at http://cbca.org.au

Yep, it’s that time of year again. When the best books published in Australia for kids and teens are judged.

Check out the shortlist below. Drop into the library to collect your free activity booklet, and place free holds on any of the shortlisted titles.

The winners of all the categories will be announced 1pm Friday 15th August.

THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA AWARDS:

Book of the Year: Older Readers (NB: These books are for mature readers)
Pharaoh: the boy who conquered the Nile / Jackie French
The Ghost’s Child / Sonya Hartnett
Marty’s Shadow / John Heffernan
Love like Water / Meme McDonald
Black Water / David Metzenthen
Leaving Barrumbi / Leonie Norrington 

Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Sixth Grade Style Queen (not!) / Sherryl Clark & Elissa Christian
The Shaggy Gully Times / Jackie French & Bruce Whatley
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp / Odo Hirsch
Winning the World Cup / David Metzenthen & Stephen Axelsen
The Key to Rondo / Emily Rodda
Dragon Moon / Carole Wilkinson 

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Shhh! Little Mouse / Pamela Allen
Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley / Aaron Blabey
Cat / Mike Dumbleton & Craig Smith
The Trouble with Dogs! / Bob Graham
The Night Garden / Elise Hurst
Lucy Goosey / Margaret Wild & Ann James 
 

Picture Book of the Year

(Some of these picture books may be for mature readers).

The Peasant Prince / Anne Spudvilas & Li Cunxin,
The Island / Armin Greder
Ziba came on a Boat / Robert Ingpen & Liz Lofthouse
You and Me: Our Place / Dee Huxley & Leonie Norrington
Requiem for a Beast / Matt Ottley
Dust / Colin Thompson & 13 other illustrators

 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
Australia’s Deadly and Dangerous Animals / Michael Cermak
Girl Stuff: Your Full-on guide to the Teen Years / Kaz Cooke
Kokoda Track: 101 Days / Peter Macinnis
The Antarctica Book: Living in the Freezer / Mark Norman
Parsley Rabbit’s Book about Books / Frances Watts

Ned Kelly’s Jerilderie Letter / Carole Wilkinson

Children’s Book Week runs from the 16th - 22nd August. For more information visit the Children’s Book Council of Australia website.

Laura Chan for “Winter Fruit’ - winner of the Alun Leach-Jones Poetry Prize, senior.

Naomi Gibson for “Heard” - winner of the Alun Leach-Jones Poetry Prize, junior.

Bill Coppell Young Writer’s Award:

James Archer for “The Escape” - winner 16-18 years category.

Ben Latham for “Beyond Borders” - winner 15 years category.

Rebecca Malloy for “Johnny in the Night” - winner 14 years category.

Jessica Croker for “Walking Wollstonecraft - Sorry Day” - winner 13 years category.

Teresa Urwin for “Kawarau Bridge Bungy” - winner 11-12 years category.

Congratulations to you all!          If you’d like to read their stories, looky here.

Congratulations certainly also go to all the following:

Alun Leach-Jones Poetry Prize

Merit Certificates

‘Summer Simmers’ By Anna Church               

‘0.02 seconds apart’ by Emily Deegan            

Junior Prize:

Merit Certificates

‘Sisters’ by Emma Leask                                       

‘Mr Wynn Taylor’ by William Boyd   

Bill Coppell Young Writers Award

11-12 years

Highly Commended:             “The Life of One ANZAC”             Kieren Kresevic

Commended:             “The Star Inside My Apple”                         Sophie Brown             

Merit Certificates:

“Fragile Crystal”                                                Isaac Chia

“Chased by the Enemy”                                    Oonagh Macken           

“Water Dancer”                                                Eloise Croker            

“A Wind Change”                                               Emily Malek             

“The Poem”                                                      Lucy Wills                

“My Country”                                                  Kate Delaney                       

“An Afternoon Fishing”                                    Anna Sindone                       

“Don’t Look Behind You”                               Hannah Nicholson        

“When She Woke Up and Couldn’t Remember” Emily McLennan       

“A Change of Heart”                                      Sophie Wood             

13 years

Highly Commended: Albert Zhou, for My Home                

Commended: Rose Marel, for On the Way Home. 

Merit Certificates

Sarah Fitzgerald, Soccer Boots              

Kate O’Mara, untitled poem                           

Giorgia Collins, No Place                                 

Catherine Storr, Those Who Dare                   

Samantha Talas, Lost and Found                         

Evie Fox Koob, untitled prose                 

Jane Machart, untitled story                            

Jessica Davis, Leo was here                           

Rose de Kantzow, untitled prose               

14 years

Highly Commended: ‘Modesty’ by Raphaelle Mady              

Commended: ‘Eye Can Do This’ by Kelia Yan

Merit Certificates:

‘Where’ by Lauren Winton

‘The Netball Game’ by Georgia Geldens                       

‘High School Flashback’ by Emma Falzon               

‘A Life’s Achievement’ by Amelia Halley                          

‘Magnets for Danger’ by Mollie Matthews                                

‘Anchor’ by Francesca Scutella                                                           

‘Sisters’ by Emma Leask                                                               

15 years
Highly Commended: Benjamin and the Baby Sitter - Caitlin Still
Commended: Swimming in Dresses - Timothy Gao
Merit certificates:
Evie’s Story -                            Faye Hurwitz           
How Shameful -                       Emily Carpenter        
Adelaide -                                Sarah Evans              
Life Away From Home -             Francesca Lucas          
I Have a Spot -                                     Abby Ross                
The Train -                               Simone Fox Koob       
It Was the Moment -                     Elizabeth Jones
English Assessment -                Emma Hulse   
How To Get Home -                        Paige McNamee       

16 – 18 years

Highly Commended:    Our Lives Are in Their Hands   by Rosalynde Gray    

Commended: The Council                  by Keegan Thomson         

Merit Certificates:

Paloma Brierley Newton                        When She Goes Home  

Anna Cuthill                              The End of the Road   

Jessica Di Blasio                                  The Safehouse        

Lauren Dixon                           Floating                                   

Leah Fitzgerald                                 Kottonmouth  

Jessica Long                                         Destiny                        

Cameron Nacson                                All for a Smile

Marina Pavlovic                                   Untitled                                   

Jack Scott                                        The Jump                           

Mudabbir Sittisak                                Cruisin’                       

Our thanks go the the following fantastic people for the time and effort they spent in judging these awards…

Poet, Marjorie Pizer, Author, Duncan BallWriter, Deborah GreenEditor, Lachlan Jobbins

The poster competition winners have been announced! And congratulations go to Duwun and Laniyuk Lee from Darwin for their awesome poster  titled Advanced Australia Fair?

From the NAIDOC Website:

The brothers’ artwork was judged best in a field of 100 entries from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists across Australia, including some from remote desert communities and, for the first time, the Torres Strait. The competition carries a prize of $5,000.

The winning image features the word ‘Sorry’ on a vibrant red and orange background, with an emu and kangaroo (both in ochre) in the foreground. These are surrounded by the Southern Cross, which is connected by bold, wavy black lines.

“For the background, we have used the colours of the land, the sorry is in blue representing water and a healing point,” the Lee brothers said. “The Southern Cross is in the colours of the sunset, the time when it first comes out. The lines connecting the Southern Cross represent the spirits of our ancestors that are looking down on us and keeping an eye on us…(and) the orange is power and knowledge that they have and have given.”

The emu and the kangaroo from the Australian coat of arms have been swapped left to right “to represent the switch in the Government’s attitude” with its decision to apologise to members of the Stolen Generations.

Chairperson of the National NAIDOC Committee, Aden Ridgeway, said the committee had been very pleased with the standard of entries and the fact that they had come from all parts of the country.

“I congratulate Duwun and Laniyuk Lee on winning the competition with their wonderful work. This is a prestigious award that is getting harder to win each year as an increasing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists take the opportunity to showcase their talent,” Mr Ridgeway said.

The winning artwork will be reproduced on the 2008 NAIDOC Week poster, which will be distributed to Indigenous Coordination Centres and direct to the public across Australia over the coming weeks. To order free copies of the poster, please call 1800 050 009.

More info can be found at www.naidoc.org.au

Yup. We’re gonna have a Nintendo Wii in the Library.

And we’ll have it set up and some games bought by the time the school holidays start. It’ll be just for playing here - no games for loan just right now sorry.  Have you got any favourite games you think we should buy? email yasmin.greenhalgh@northsydney.nsw.gov.au

Stay tuned for more news - including what times you’ll be able to come and play.

And don’t forget our Softies workshop. Limited spaces, so book now.