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.

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

The Bill Coppell Young Writers’ Award 2008 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 here for a copy of the entry form and conditions of entry.

Deadline is 5pm, Friday 2nd May.

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

Joans’ Ridge Street Gallery - Alun Leach-Jones - Northside Courier - Abbey’s Bookshop - North Sydney Leagues Club - Ensemble Theatre - NSW Writers’ Centre - North Sydney Council.

Here’s a list of the 20 most re-read books in the UK. (From www.costabookawards.com)

What books do you re-read? Do you think the ones in this list deserve re-reading?

THE TOP 20 MOST REVISITED READS:

1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien
3. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
6. 1984 by George Orwell
7. Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
8. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
9. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
10. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
11. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
12. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
13. Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews
14. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
15. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
16. The Bible
17. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
18. Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding
19. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
20. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

 From the totally fabulash youth literature site ‘Inside a Dog’ comes… The Inkys!

As the Centre for Youth Literature folks say:

“3000 votes were cast by young people from Australia and internationally to decide the inaugural Inky Awards, Australia’s first teenage choice bookprize. The winners were announced at the State Library Victoria last night.” 

There are two awards: the Golden Inky for an Australian book, and theSilver Inky for an International book. 

And the winners are…

Golden Inky
Notes from the Teenage Underground, by Simmone Howell

Silver Inky

Looking for Alaska, by John Green

 Might be worth a read?

You liked Harry Potter but you don’t know where to go next?

Try The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper.

The movie based on the second book is coming out on October 5.

But read the series first – it’s definitely worth it.

The Dark is Rising was a 1974 Newbery Honour book, and The Grey King won the 1976 Newbery Medal.

The order of the series is:
Over Sea Under Stone
The Dark is Rising
Greenwitch
The Grey King
Silver on the Tree
Though if you just want to read one to see what the fuss is about – try Greenwitch.

(Image Copyright; Twentieth Century Fox & Walden Media, 2007)

The Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards are listed below.

You can place a free hold on any of these items by asking at the Info Desk or giving us a call on 9936 8400.

Hurrah for free holds!

Book of the Year: Older Readers

(NB: These books are for mature readers)

Don’t Call Me Ishmael! / Michael Gerard Bauer

One Whole and Perfect Day / Judith Clarke

Monster Blood Tattoo: Book One Foundling / D. M. Cornish

The Red Shoe / Ursula Dubosarsky

 Red Spikes / Margo Lanagan  (Winner!)

 My Big Birkett / Lisa Shanahan

Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Being Bee / Catherine Bateson (Winner!)

The Tuckshop Kid / Pat Flynn & Tom Jellett

Macbeth and Son / Jackie French

The Cat on the Mat is Flat / Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton

Bird & Sugar Boy / Sofie Laguna

Layla, Queen of Hearts / Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King  

Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Grandpa and Thomas and theGreen Umbrella / Pamela Allen

Doodledum Dancing / Meredith Costain & Pamela Allen

Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush HerHair / Lee Fox & Cathy Wilcox

Amy & Louis / Libby Gleeson & Freya Blackwoood (Winner!)

Eight / Lyn Lee & Kim Gamble

Chatterbox / Margaret Wild & Deborah Niland

Picture Book of the Year

Some of these picture books may be for mature readers.

Brian Banana Duck Sunshine Yellow / Chris McKimmie

Home / Narelle Oliver

Water Witcher / Jan Ormerod

The Rainbirds / Sally Rippin & David Metzenthen

Woolvs in the Sitee / Anne Spudvilas & Margaret Wild

The Arrival / Shaun Tan (Winner!)

Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

Red Haze: Australians & New Zealanders in Vietnam / Leon Davidson

Queenie: One Elephant’s Story / Corinne Fenton & Peter Gouldthorpe

Amazing Facts about Australian Dinosaurs / Scott Hocknull & Alex Cook

All Cats have Asperger Syndrome / Kathy Hoopmann

The Penguin Book: Birds in Suits / Mark Norman (Winner!)

Leaf Litter / Rachel Tonkin 

Crichton Award for New Illustrators

When elephants lived in the sea / Vincent Agostino (Winner!)

Automaton / Aaron Hill & Jane Godwin

Clancy the Courageous Cow / Lachie Hume & Gary Crew