The Children's Book Council has announced the Short-List for the Best Children's Books by Australians published in 2010. Some surprises which is always refreshing!
Last year, I think, has been strong for early childhood and picture books. The older readers offer a quirky mix- I loved Six Impossible Things and Graffiti Moon.
Have a look at the nominations for the Crichton Award for 2011 to encourage new illustrators of Australian children's books. Good luck to all, especially Sarah Kate Mitchell and Lisa Stewart, both friends of The Children's Bookshop!
Looking forward to seeing who are voted as winners of categories in August!
Older Readers Short List 2011
Crowley, Cath Graffiti Moon Pan Macmillan Australia
Hartnett, Sonya The Midnight Zoo Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Horniman, Joanne About a Girl Allen & Unwin
MacLeod, Doug The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Marchetta, Melina The Piper’s Son Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Wood, Fiona Six Impossible Things Pan Macmillan Australia
These books are for mature readers
Younger Readers Short List 2011
Bauer, Michael Gerard Just a Dog Omnibus Books, Scholastic Australia
Bongers, Christine Henry Hoey Hobson Woolshed Press, Random House Australia
Branford, Anna
Ill. Sarah Davis Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot Walker Books Australia
Carmody, Isobelle The Red Wind Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
McKinlay, Meg
Ill. Leila Rudge Duck for a Day Walker Books Australia
Murphy, Sally
Ill. Rhian Nest James Toppling Walker Books Australia
Intended for independent younger readers.
Early Childhood Short List 2011
Champion, Tom Niland & Niland, Kilmeny
Ill. Deborah Niland The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies Allen & Unwin
Dubosarsky, Ursula
Ill. Mitch Vane The Deep End Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Lester, Alison Noni the Pony Allen & Unwin
Niland, Deborah It's Bedtime, William! Viking Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
Norrington, Leonie
Ill. Dee Huxley Look See, Look at Me! Allen & Unwin
Ormerod, Jan
Ill. Freya Blackwood Maudie and Bear Little Hare Books
Intended for children in the pre-reading to early reading stages.
Picture Book Short List 2011
Baker, Jeannie Mirror Walker Books
Bancroft, Bronwyn Why I Love Australia Little Hare Books
Greenberg, Nicki Hamlet Allen & Unwin
McKimmie, Chris Two Peas in a Pod Allen & Unwin
Masciullo, Lucia
Written by Kim Kane Family Forest Hardie Grant Egmont
Riddle, Tohby My Uncle's Donkey Viking Books, Penguin
Group (Australia)
Intended for an audience ranging from birth to 18 years range (Some books may be for mature readers).
Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Short list 2011
Brasch, Nicolas Theme Parks, Playgrounds and Toys Macmillan Education Australia
Brooks, Ron Drawn from the Heart: A Memoir Allen & Unwin
Davidson, Leon Zero Hour: The Anzacs on the Western Front The Text Publishing Company
Dubosarsky, Ursula
Illustrated by Tohby Riddle The Return of the Word Spy Viking, Penguin Group (Australia)
Lloyd, Alison
Illustrated by Terry Denton Wicked Warriors & Evil Emperors: The True Story of the Fight for Ancient China Puffin Books, Penguin Group (Australia)
One Arm Point Remote Community School Our World: Bardi Jaawi: Life at Ardiyooloon Magabala Books
The Crichton Awards for 2011- best First Time Illustrators
McFadden, Clare The Flying Orchestra University of Queensland Press
Mitchell, Sarah Kate Starry Starry Night Pier 9
Stewart, Lisa
Written by Kerry Brown Can I Cuddle the Moon? Scholastic Press, Scholastic Australia
Thomas, Adele K
Written by Peter Macinnis The Monster Maintenance Manual Pier 9
Thompson, Jo
Written by Paul Collins The Glasshouse Ford Street Publishing
Wiltshire, Jonah and Evie & Hamilton, Sheryl The Lighthouse Kids of Maatsuyker Island Forty Degrees South
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
25 Ways the E-Book Can't Beat the Book!
I'm at a Book Conference with Annie Proulx and others and I am feeling inspired about books!
Annie referred to the points below (from M. Allen Cunningham)talking about the advantages of the book over the e-book.... something to think about!
1 . The book unites delivery device and content. E-readers, drained of battery power, revert to hunks of plastic.
2. The book begets libraries and independent bookstores, irreplaceable bastions of culture and community.
3. The book, beyond cover price, comes with no proprietary fee. Your preferred e-reader sets you back $250 to $500.
4. The book is not an inventory portal, therefore not subject to proprietary restrictions in content; i.e.: Due to licensing or discretionary considerations, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley cannot be downloaded to this e-reading device. (Think this is a joke? See note* below.)
5. The book is not a brand, therefore free from functional limitations imposed by a manufacturer; i.e.: The e-book you’re requesting is not supported by your e-reader’s operating system. Upgrade to our newest e-reader or follow this link to our checkout to download OS-2011.5.
6. The book withstands excessive dust, direct sunlight, splashed soup, or dropped potatoes.
7. The book is hard to eradicate except by fire. Is any e-reading device likely to reach — with zero loss of content — an age comparable to civilization’s oldest incunabula?
8. The book, presented as gift, shows regard for the recipient’s tastes, being a single selection and/or bearing the giver’s handwritten inscription.
9. The book can be autographed by its author.
10. The book, by conspicuous display of title and/or author, occasions conversation between mutually inclined strangers.
11. The book may be safely read in the bath.
12. The book relieves you of the screen in an age of relentless screen-media assaults upon the eye.
13. The book is not an immediate access point for innumerable diversions (e-mail, video games, etc.).
14. The book’s printed editions are traceably distinct, a defense against manipulations of fact or history.
15. The book does not “transmit and receive,” except in mysterious ways. No need to fear an Orwellian eye embedded in the page.
16. The book cannot be “swiped remotely” by the powers that be.
17. The book’s publisher may go broke without imperiling access to additional content.
18. The book, bought second-hand or borrowed, yields up fascinating ephemera: grocery lists, love notes, locks of hair, receipts, etc., bringing the reader into poignant contact with an unknown fellow human being.
19. The book complements your mantelpiece.
20. The book boasts many practical uses beyond communication (as furniture, makeshift stairs, etc.). E-readers — oddly shaped and breakable — are as obsolescent as other computer junk once they quit working.
21. The book is not invariably manufactured in China.
22. The book accommodates ingenuity of format: children’s books, art books, illuminated texts, pop-up books, fold-out maps, etc.
23. The book makes a meaningful heirloom.
24. The book may be safely left unattended on the beach. As gizmo it is not a hot steal.
25. The book is not a shopping cart.
http://www.soulshelter.com/technology-vs-the-soul/25-ways-e-readers-cant-beat-the-old-fashioned-book/
Annie referred to the points below (from M. Allen Cunningham)talking about the advantages of the book over the e-book.... something to think about!
1 . The book unites delivery device and content. E-readers, drained of battery power, revert to hunks of plastic.
2. The book begets libraries and independent bookstores, irreplaceable bastions of culture and community.
3. The book, beyond cover price, comes with no proprietary fee. Your preferred e-reader sets you back $250 to $500.
4. The book is not an inventory portal, therefore not subject to proprietary restrictions in content; i.e.: Due to licensing or discretionary considerations, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley cannot be downloaded to this e-reading device. (Think this is a joke? See note* below.)
5. The book is not a brand, therefore free from functional limitations imposed by a manufacturer; i.e.: The e-book you’re requesting is not supported by your e-reader’s operating system. Upgrade to our newest e-reader or follow this link to our checkout to download OS-2011.5.
6. The book withstands excessive dust, direct sunlight, splashed soup, or dropped potatoes.
7. The book is hard to eradicate except by fire. Is any e-reading device likely to reach — with zero loss of content — an age comparable to civilization’s oldest incunabula?
8. The book, presented as gift, shows regard for the recipient’s tastes, being a single selection and/or bearing the giver’s handwritten inscription.
9. The book can be autographed by its author.
10. The book, by conspicuous display of title and/or author, occasions conversation between mutually inclined strangers.
11. The book may be safely read in the bath.
12. The book relieves you of the screen in an age of relentless screen-media assaults upon the eye.
13. The book is not an immediate access point for innumerable diversions (e-mail, video games, etc.).
14. The book’s printed editions are traceably distinct, a defense against manipulations of fact or history.
15. The book does not “transmit and receive,” except in mysterious ways. No need to fear an Orwellian eye embedded in the page.
16. The book cannot be “swiped remotely” by the powers that be.
17. The book’s publisher may go broke without imperiling access to additional content.
18. The book, bought second-hand or borrowed, yields up fascinating ephemera: grocery lists, love notes, locks of hair, receipts, etc., bringing the reader into poignant contact with an unknown fellow human being.
19. The book complements your mantelpiece.
20. The book boasts many practical uses beyond communication (as furniture, makeshift stairs, etc.). E-readers — oddly shaped and breakable — are as obsolescent as other computer junk once they quit working.
21. The book is not invariably manufactured in China.
22. The book accommodates ingenuity of format: children’s books, art books, illuminated texts, pop-up books, fold-out maps, etc.
23. The book makes a meaningful heirloom.
24. The book may be safely left unattended on the beach. As gizmo it is not a hot steal.
25. The book is not a shopping cart.
http://www.soulshelter.com/technology-vs-the-soul/25-ways-e-readers-cant-beat-the-old-fashioned-book/
Friday, January 14, 2011
2011 is here!
At The Children's Bookshop, we are excited about 2011 because we are forty years old! The store started in 1971 and will hopefully continue to thrive as we move through our fortieth year.We have many celebrations and events planned with lots of author visits and a big party with a special guest.
And some great books await us in 2011.
What is great for adults? Five Bells by Gail Jones (Random House) is out in February and is a beautiful novel linking with Slessor's famous poem. I loved it. Intelligent, beautifuly written, beautifully crafted... and memorable.
Two other great reads include When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman (Hachette) out in April.This is perhaps one of the great reads of 2011. It is a quirky, sensitive and dynamic tale of love between a brother and sister over a span of years. This is a debut author we need to keep an eye on because her first novel offers great promise.
The other novel to look out for is Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett out in May (Hachette). This is a brief and deceptively simple tale that resonates long after the final pages have been read. I loved it even more after the second reading. This is also a debut novelist- I can't wait to see what Favel writes next.
Looking forward to a great year of great reading.
And some great books await us in 2011.
What is great for adults? Five Bells by Gail Jones (Random House) is out in February and is a beautiful novel linking with Slessor's famous poem. I loved it. Intelligent, beautifuly written, beautifully crafted... and memorable.
Two other great reads include When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman (Hachette) out in April.This is perhaps one of the great reads of 2011. It is a quirky, sensitive and dynamic tale of love between a brother and sister over a span of years. This is a debut author we need to keep an eye on because her first novel offers great promise.
The other novel to look out for is Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett out in May (Hachette). This is a brief and deceptively simple tale that resonates long after the final pages have been read. I loved it even more after the second reading. This is also a debut novelist- I can't wait to see what Favel writes next.
Looking forward to a great year of great reading.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Conversations in a Bookshop
A Conversation in a U.S. Bookshop:
Me: “How can I help you?”
Caller: “This a bookstore?”
Me: “Yes, this is a bookstore.”
Caller: “Oh. I need the 8th Harry Potter book.”
Me: “I’m sorry sir, but there are only 7 Harry Potter books.”
Caller: “But I need the 8th one.”
Me: “There are only 7 books, sir.”
Caller: “Why?”
Me: “Because there are only 7 years at Hogwarts.”
Caller: “What does that mean?”
Me: “Sir, have you read the Harry Potter books?”
Caller: “No, my son reads them and he finished the 7th one and asked me to get the 8th one.”
Me: “Sir, if he read the 7th one, he would know that that was the final book in the series.”
Caller: “But he wants to read it. What can I do?”
Me: “Contact the author?”
Caller: “Do you have his number?”
Me: “Do I have J.K. Rowling’s number?”
Caller: “Yes.”
Me: “No. I… uh… don’t happen to have that on me.”
Caller: “Oh. Can you tell my son that there are only 7?”
Me: “No, I’m sure you’re quite capable of doing that all on your own.”
Caller: “He will be very upset!” *hangs up*
Me: “How can I help you?”
Caller: “This a bookstore?”
Me: “Yes, this is a bookstore.”
Caller: “Oh. I need the 8th Harry Potter book.”
Me: “I’m sorry sir, but there are only 7 Harry Potter books.”
Caller: “But I need the 8th one.”
Me: “There are only 7 books, sir.”
Caller: “Why?”
Me: “Because there are only 7 years at Hogwarts.”
Caller: “What does that mean?”
Me: “Sir, have you read the Harry Potter books?”
Caller: “No, my son reads them and he finished the 7th one and asked me to get the 8th one.”
Me: “Sir, if he read the 7th one, he would know that that was the final book in the series.”
Caller: “But he wants to read it. What can I do?”
Me: “Contact the author?”
Caller: “Do you have his number?”
Me: “Do I have J.K. Rowling’s number?”
Caller: “Yes.”
Me: “No. I… uh… don’t happen to have that on me.”
Caller: “Oh. Can you tell my son that there are only 7?”
Me: “No, I’m sure you’re quite capable of doing that all on your own.”
Caller: “He will be very upset!” *hangs up*
Monday, October 4, 2010
It Takes all Types of Customers!
Working in a Bookshop is always interesting and bookstore owners across the UK are compiling a list of the most stupid and amusing they have heard from shoppers.
Examples so far include the customer who asked if Anne Frank wrote any more books after her diary - and the man who when asked to specify what sort of map he wanted said "mappy maps."
Another of the gems compiled to celebrate Independent Booksellers Week is the lady who asked "Did Charles Dickens write any shorter versions of his books?"
I like the teenager who wanted to return a copy of Douglas Adams'Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy' - because it didn't even contain anything about Italy where she was going Euro-railing.
(Source: http://newslite.tv/2010/06/18/overheard-in-a-bookshop-are-re.html)
Examples so far include the customer who asked if Anne Frank wrote any more books after her diary - and the man who when asked to specify what sort of map he wanted said "mappy maps."
Another of the gems compiled to celebrate Independent Booksellers Week is the lady who asked "Did Charles Dickens write any shorter versions of his books?"
I like the teenager who wanted to return a copy of Douglas Adams'Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy' - because it didn't even contain anything about Italy where she was going Euro-railing.
(Source: http://newslite.tv/2010/06/18/overheard-in-a-bookshop-are-re.html)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A Big Day!
Today was a big day with visits from some writers.
This morning, Craig Smith, author of The Wonky Donkey, visited The Children's Bookshop. What a star! He sang his way through story-time and the kids loved him. The day ended with a visit by Georgia Blain, author of Darkwater and many other texts. About 30 people bravely came out into the rainy night to enjoy a great discussion of Georgia's work... And I am looking forward to meeting Jeannie Baker next week!
Who would I like to visit the shop over the next twelve months? Tim Winton, Shaun Tan, Pamela Allen... and we always love a visit from Markus Zusak. We will see!
This morning, Craig Smith, author of The Wonky Donkey, visited The Children's Bookshop. What a star! He sang his way through story-time and the kids loved him. The day ended with a visit by Georgia Blain, author of Darkwater and many other texts. About 30 people bravely came out into the rainy night to enjoy a great discussion of Georgia's work... And I am looking forward to meeting Jeannie Baker next week!
Who would I like to visit the shop over the next twelve months? Tim Winton, Shaun Tan, Pamela Allen... and we always love a visit from Markus Zusak. We will see!
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