The Children’s Book Council of Australia has announced the winners of its book awards for 2008.
The winner in the category for Older Readers is Sonya Hartnett, for The Ghost’s Child.
The Honour Books (or runners up) in the same category were Marty’s Shadow by John Heffernan and Black Water by David Metzenthen.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Do they deserve these awards or are there others you have enjoyed more?
Mrs Sweeney
A 7am start is not every boy’s idea of fun, but for Scotch Library’s annual event, Books Blokes and Brekky, 100 keen readers were more than happy to make an exception. Judging by the number of excited students, Fathers and Grandfathers who arrived at the Cardinal Pavilion on Thursday, Books Blokes and Brekky is an occasion not to be missed.
A delicious breakfast of fruit smoothies, eggs florentine, tea, coffee and mini-muffins filled the stomachs of the hungry guests, while the eight guest authors filled the minds of the “blokes” with their recommendations of books every boy should read.
Paul Collins, Brendan Gullifer, Leigh Hobbs, Michael Hyde, Sofie Laguna, Vikki Petraitis, James Phelan and Nick Place completed the varied line-up of special guests and all impressed the audience with their suggestions from varied genres.
Paul encouraged boys of all ages to read Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines, Brendan suggested the American classic, Catcher in the Rye as his most unmissable book for boys, Leigh Hobbs cited cartoonist Ronald Searle, noted for his St. Trinians illustrations, as an early influence, while Michael Hyde spoke of the importance of Australian classics , specifically Alan Marshall’s I can jump puddles.
Sofie Laguna chose Nick Hornby’s most recent novel Slam as a book for every boy, while crime writer Vikki Petraitis summarised Randolph Stowe’s 1967 comic story, Midnite : the story of a wild colonial boy and recommended it as another Aussie classic.
Action author James Phelan, familiar to many Scotch boys due to his appearance at last year’s Literature Festival, spoke highly of Orson Scott Card’s Sci-Fi award winner Ender’s game. The final word of the morning went to Nick Place who recommended books by both Elmore Leonard and Michael Chabon, but ultimately chose The Princess Bride by William Goldman as his “best book for boys”.
A lively morning of great literary discussion and delicious food delighted all those who attended. Bring on the next BBB!
Madame Librarian
For aspiring Scotch Scribes…Brigid Lowry will be running a workshop on creative writing, recommended for years 7-10, on Saturday 30 August, 1-3pm.
Where? Conference Centre, State Library of Victoria
Level 2A, La Trobe Street, Melbourne.
Cost? $7 per person.
Book at 03 8664 7555 or bookings@slv.vic.gov.au
You can read parts of Brigid’s book Juicy Writing here.
Mrs Sweeney
The Orwell Trust has begun publishing George Orwell’s diaries in blog form. An entry will be posted daily until the last one in 2012! To gain insight into the daily mental meanderings of the author of 1984 and Animal Farm, you will have to click here when you are at home ( because it’s blocked at school).
Image : www.theorwellprize.co.uk/…/orwelldiaries.aspx 13/8/08
Mrs Sweeney
The shortlist for Australia’s inaugural Prime Minister’s Literary Award was announced yesterday. The lucky winner will receive $100 000 .
The seven books chosen from the 91 submitted are:
§ Burning In Mireille Juchau
§ El Dorado Dorothy Porter
§ Jamaica Malcolm Knox
§ Sorry Gail Jones
§ The Complete Stories David Malouf
§ The Widow and Her Hero Tom Keneally
§ The Zookeeper’s War Steven Conte
Mrs Sweeney
Read this passionate debate about the merits of marketing and publishing books within a Young Adult genre. What do you think?
Mrs Sweeney
I as a student enjoy the DEAR Program immensly. It helps us relax during the school day after recess or lunch. My friend tnek mot is a keen reader and loves the DEAR program also. He is reading a book on cheese and we have heard rumours that DEAR will be stopped.
Voldemort
Last year we saw had the inaugural Inkys Awards, the first awards for YA fiction where the judges are the young adults themselves…yes, YOU.
The long list for 2008 was announced on Friday. From this list, these six judges will choose a shortlist, and then it’s up to you, the YA readers, to vote for your favourites. So start reading these books, because voting commences on the 12th September via the insideadog website and SMS. Remember, this is your chance to let publishers, authors, librarians, teachers and other young people know which books YOU like.
Inkys 2008 Long List
Officially, the head of our household is Uncle John, who is Aunt Charlotte’s brother and Veronica’s father (and the King of Montmaray), but he’s rather distracted on his good days, and downright alarming on his bad ones.
I sit up and switch on the bedside light. There’s a pen, but no paper, so on the wall behind me I write, I want to feel the weight of a boy on top of me.
It was like watching the mating rituals of retarded birds, clumsily stepping the wrong patterns around each other over and over again.
It wasn’t mine. I didn’t drop it, but the boy in the queue said I did. It was a negative of a photograph, one on its own, all scratched and beaten up.
Maybe people weren’t as beautiful as back during the Prettytime, but parties were a lot more interesting.
Mum gripped the steering wheel tight. ‘Don’t ever ask her again, Darcy.
I know what people say. They reckon I’m simple. Call me dumb. Retard. Spastic.
…the only thing the population had to fear, was fear itself. The true danger humanity faced during this period was the shrinking of its own spirit.
‘Oh, that’s the gay guy.’
Now me, I’m not an alpha obviously. I’m more like one of the obscure ones in the middle that no one’s ever heard of – omicron or something.
Then nothing happens for about a hundred years in this goddamn story, though it feels like a million and a half…
His hands are slotted loosely in his pockets, as though he hasn’t just murdered Ian Cartwright, too.
I know what a girl is. Course I do. I seen ‘em in the Noise of their fathers in town, mourned like their wives but not nearly so often.
“Great,” I said. “The world’s coming to an end, and we’re fixing it with Band-Aids.”
For the first time, I allowed for the possibility that I had forgotton everything from the last four years.
Dud says, ‘We’re not gay,’ probably mishearing the last word, which is crunched and skewed by Tom’s accent.
When the news swept the little town of Wattleton that sixteen-year-old Anne-Marie Cooper had been raped on her way home from school one summer afternoon, some townsfolk said they weren’t surprised.
Alex Rider would never forget the moment of impact, the first shock as the parachute opened and the second – more jolting still – as the module that had carried him back from outer space crashed into the sea.
It’s funny how these days, when every household has its own intercontinental ballistic missile, you hardly even think about them.
My brother Kimlan works all night fixing the road. He wears a shirt that reflects the light from the cars. The boss man says that if he does not wear that shirt, no one will be able to see him unless he smiles.
Mrs Sweeney
The long list from which this year’s Man Booker Prize winner will be chosen, has been announced.
It is…
Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger
Gaynor Arnold – Girl in a Blue Dress
Sebastian Barry – The Secret Scripture
John Berger – From A to X
Michelle de Kretser - The Lost Dog
Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies
Linda Grant - The Clothes on Their Backs
Mohammed Hanif - A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Philip Hensher – The Northern Clemency
Joseph O’Neill - Netherland
Salman Rushdie – The Enchantress of Florence
Tom Rob Smith - Child 44
Steve Toltz – A Fraction of the Whole
It’s good to see two Australians on the list – Michelle de Kretser(below left) and Steve Toltz (below right). A Fraction of the Whole is his first novel.
The short list will be revealed on the 9th September and the winner announced on the 14 October.
Mrs Sweeney
Images: http://www.libraries.vic.gov.au/downloads/Reading_Victoria/de_kretser_michelle_lost_dog.jpg 31/7/08
http://www.australianfestival.com/images/SteveToltzCPrudenceUpton.png 31/7/08
Have a look at this promotional video for a dramatic production of Lord of the Flies in the USA last year. There’s so much implied violence, power and impending doom. Powerful stuff!
Pilot Theatre: Lord of the Flies (You’ll have to watch this at home because Youtube is blocked on the student system at school).
Mrs Sweeney
