The 2011 Brisbane Writers Festival is on from 7th to 11th September. The festival features a program called ‘Word Play’ for young readers, writers and illustrators. There are writing and illustrating workshops, book launches, author events and lots more!
For those of you who DO subscribe, all our subscribers are entered into a prize draw every season. The winner of the issue 12 Subscribers’ Draw will receive a $200 book pack from Wombat Books—you can see some of their books above. (Books in the winner’s pack might vary.)
BIG Kids Magazine is launching in Australia later this year. The magazine is the work of Jo Pollitt and Lilly Blue—promoting creativity in children in collaboration with artists (big and small).
Today I’m over at the BIG blog, talking about how and why I started Alphabet Soup back in 2008. Check out the 2008 photo of me opening the very first box of Alphabet Soup. The covers have changed a bit since then! (Have you read issue 1?)
If you want to be a writer—you need to start writing.
Today we are thrilled to be talking to Nick Black. Nick is 12 and has already finished writing his first novel. He’s here to tell us a bit about his book and to share his writing tips.
Nick's pet rabbit. Do you think he might have a role in the novel?
How long have you been writing, Nick?
Since I was six.
Can you tell us something about your novel?
It’s a comedy adventure about a boy whose entire family is evil but he doesn’t discover that till his thirteenth birthday. He fights against what his family has planned for him.
How long did it take you to write the novel?
About 6 months.
Did you write in pen on paper or did you use a computer?
I used a computer, but I did the plotting in pen.
When do you write?
It is hard to fit in writing time. I write after school on Mondays and Thursdays.
You’ve started editing the novel—have you changed much of the book?
I’ve kept the basic storyline, but I’ve taken out unnecessary bits and put in more detail and depth. I’ve also developed the characters more.
How do you get your ideas for stories?
Usually the story comes into my head first—wondering what it would be like if this happens.
What sort of books do you like to read?
Comedy, adventure like Artemis Fowl and Grim and Grimmer.
Do you have any tips for other kids who want to start writing?
Plotting really helps. Plot out your story before you start writing because otherwise you get halfway through and think what am I going to do now? And you have to set aside times to write, otherwise you don’t get it done.
What’s next for you?
To finish editing my book and get it published.
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Thanks for talking to us about your novel, Nick. Writing a novel is a huge achievement! I’m looking forward to reading yours when it’s published. Setting aside time to write is an important tip for any writer—do any of you have set times for writing, or do you try to squash it in between everything else that’s going on?
Spare Parts Puppet Theatre are running School of Puppetry Workshops in the WA school holidays (July 2011).
Come to the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre to craft and perform your own puppetry show. Participants will also enjoy a performance of the current production as part of their workshop fee. Don’t forget your morning tea & lunch!
One Day Puppet Making Workshop for 4 – 6 year olds
Cost: $75.00 When: 9am – 3pm
Wednesday July 13th
Thursday July 14th
Friday July 15th
Wednesday July 20th
Two Day Puppet Making Workshop for 7 – 12 year olds
Cost: $140.00 When: 9am – 4pm both days, with a special 3pm performance featuring the newly created puppets on the second day!
Monday July 11th –Tuesday July 12th
Monday July 18th – Tuesday July 19th
Thursday July 21st – Friday July 22nd
For more info and bookings: phone (08) 9335 5044. (Bookings are essential)
The Bush Concert, written and illustrated by Helga Vissre, Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia. ISBN 9781862918863
A copy of this book was sent to us from the publisher.
There’s a terrible drought in the bush and the birds decide to put on a concert to cheer themselves up.
It hadn’t rained for a very long time. Food and water were hard to find. Everyone was feeling low. What could they do? Where could they go?
The birds get dressed up and put on a show. There’s music, singing and dancing, clowning, acrobatics and a lot more. And the concert ends with the perfect finale …
You’ve probably read a few stories about the bush that feature Australian animals. In this rhyming picture book, the story is about Australian birds. The detailed and colourful illustrations are in ink and pastels and show a wide variety of birds—pelicans, penguins, an emu, galahs and many many more. At the end of the book there is an illustrated glossary of the birds in the book. All 171 of them! Test your knowledge of Australian birds—how many can you name?
JULY 2011 BOOK LAUNCH for picture book, The Grumpy Lighthouse Keeper
written by Terrizita Corpus, illustrated by Maggie Prewett
When: 6 – 8pm Friday 8th July
Where: Magabala Books, 1 Bagot St, Broome WA
For more info: Nic Murray, Marketing Manager (08) 9192 1991
Here’s a bit about the book (taken from the Magabala Books press release):
Meet Cassius the hermit crab, Jacob the jellyfish, Bruce the bluebone and more sea creatures as they hurtle themselves over rocks and up the lighthouse staircase in a race to get out of a wet and wild storm — all while the lighthouse keeper is out checking the lamp for passing ships. When he returns and discovers what the sea creatures are up to, he is, indeed, grumpy.
The Grumpy Lighthouse Keeper is inspired by the iconic Gantheaume Point and the remains of the old lighthouse keeper’s house on the edge of world-renowned Cable Beach. Gantheaume Point attracts thousands of tourists each year with its ancient rock formations, dinosaur footprints and historical references.
As you know, Alphabet soup runs an annual cover-design competition. The 2011 competition is now open and entries close 16 September 2011. Here are the covers done by our 2009 and 2010 winners, K Larson and A Hatton:
Aren’t they brilliant? Yes! And now we need a cover for our summer 2011 issue.
We know you are busting to get to it, so here are some tips for all you budding artists.
Important – your artwork must be on one side of a sheet of white A4 paper. Make sure the paper is portrait orientation. Do NOT include the Alphabet Soup logo.
You may eneter as many times as you like, but each entry must have a competition entry form with the declaration signed by you and a parent. (Entry forms can be printed from the website, or contact us to have one sent to you.)
The winner’s artwork will be used on the cover of the summer 2011 issue of Alphabet Soup magazine (out in November 2011), and the winner will receive one copy of the summer 2011 issue and art supplies worth $20.
The theme for the cover is: MEDIEVAL.
Artwork can be realistic, or abstract, or collage, or cartoon-like, or any style you choose. It must be your own work and it must be original (no tracing pictures!). Remember that the magazine’s readers are aged 6 to 12.
If you’d like some more info on Medieval life, ask your parents if you can check out these sites:
Remember that our covers don’t usually have a lot of unused white space. If you draw one item in the middle of the page and nothing else, it would be tricky for us to turn it into a cover for the magazine!
There will be one winner chosen. By entering the competition, you agree to us using your artwork on the cover of the summer 2011 issue of Alphabet Soup magazine. We cannot return entries.
Here is the winning Under 7s story from our autumn 2011 writing competition. You were asked to write a story about something to do with cooking.
A reminder: always check the rules of the competition. If you don’t stick to the rules, we have to disqualify your entry and that makes us sad!
Under 7s winner: O Small (WA)
THE BALLISTIC CHEF
Once there was a chef, a crazy chef. He was so crazy that if someone ordered pizza he would give them pasta instead. But one day he said “I’m going to make myself a coffee. I love coffee it’s my favourite thing.”
So he went to the cupboard and got out what he thought was coffee beans. The milk was real, but the coffee beans were really poisonous sultanas.
“ARGOOWY!!!!! I used the poisonous sultanas” and he flew up to heaven never to be crazy again, still wearing his chef’s hat.
alphabetsoup.net.au 