Make sure you check back on 8 August 2009 – we’ll be chatting with Sandy Fussell, author of the Samurai Kids series.
The fourth book in the series, Monkey Fist, will be out in August 2009 – stay tuned!
Category: authors
Illustrator at work
We came across this video of Stephen Michael King working in his studio. Watch him at work!
Byron Bay Writers Festival: kids’ events
Join Australia’s best children’s writers at the Byron Bay Writers Festival (NSW) on Saturday 8 August from 9.00am – 2.30pm.
In the kids’ marquee, kids aged 6 to 16 will find authors, book signings, storytelling and fun activities!
For more information about events and purchasing tickets, visit the Byron Bay Writers Festival website. (The festival runs from 7 – 9 August 2009.)
Author website: Hazel Edwards
There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake Answering Questions!
There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake (by Hazel Edwards and illustrated by Deborah Niland) celebrates its 30th birthday this year. Do you have a question you’d like to ask the hippo? You can ask away on Hazel’s website! (You can also find out the answers to to questions from other kids, like: What kind of cake is it? and Do you talk?)
The site also has news about Hazel’s latest picture book Flight of the Bumblebee, which comes with a CD of Antonia Kidman reading the story, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s famous music Flight of the Bumblebee.
Tim Winton Award for Young Writers
The Tim Winton Award for Young Writers is a story-writing competition for children aged 5 to 18, living in the Perth metropolitan area (Western Australia).
Entries close 5pm on 31 May 2009. For details, and an entry form, go to the Subiaco Library website.
Get writing!
Write-a-book-in-a-day
Write-a-Book-in-a-Day is a fundraiser by the Katharine Susannah Prichard Writers Centre and Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.
Sponsored teams write a children’s book in a day, raising funds 40% for KSPWC and 60% for Children’s Hospitals in each Australian State. Additionally a copy of each finished book will be donated to the hospital library. Teams may compete from school, home, office, library, telecentre or elsewhere.
Write-a-Book-in-a-Day runs from April to the end of August and the teams of writers nominate their day to write a children’s book. (Teams will be given some details about the subject of the book they are to write.)
Teams of 5-10 people will obtain sponsorship (a minimum of $300 per team to enter) and will compete for awards in the following sections-
* Primary School – Minimum 2000 words
* Under 18 – minimum 4000 words
* 18 and over – minimum 8000 words
In addition there will be an award for the highest sponsorship.
A booklet containing rules, hints and judging criteria can be found at http://kspf.iinet.net.au/bookinaday/
Subscriptions for addresses outside Australia
Alphabet Soup magazine now has online ordering for local (Australian) and overseas addresses! (Go to www.alphabetsoup.net.au and click on the subscribe tab.)
Issue 2 will be out next week! Inside you’ll find: a Q&A with Duncan Ball, what’s cool about scuba diving, stories, poems, book reviews, crossword, kids’ writing, our issue 1 competition winners, and a new writing competition for kids.
Don’t miss it!
Behind the scenes: January 2009
Greg Mitchell has been very busy, and we’re currently adding his illustrations to the upcoming issue of Alphabet Soup. Issue 2 is due in February 2009 and includes an interview with Duncan Ball (author of the Selby books), an article about scuba diver Liz Brodie, book reviews, stories, poems, kids’ writing, a crossword and a kids’ writing competition!
For more information about the magazine (or to find out how to subscribe), see www.alphabetsoup.net.au and stay tuned!
Kerry Millard’s website
Today, while looking for information about Duncan Ball’s upcoming book My Sister Has a Big Black Beard, I stumbled upon Kerry Millard’s website.
It’s a fun, colourful site and has lots of her drawings and includes a blog.
It’s worth a visit!
WA Premier’s Summer Reading Challenge 2008 – 2009
Visit the Premier’s Summer Reading Challenge website! Information is being distributed to schools and libraries and the challenge starts on 11 December 2008.
Get reading!
