All Saints’ College runs a Literary Festival every year and has announced the 2011 Lit Fest Writers’ Competition. This comp is open to students in Western Australian schools, years 1 – 12. There is a prose section, a poetry section, and an illustration section. Winners will receive a book prize package to the value of $250.
The competition commences on 8 November 2010 and ends on Friday 8 April 2011. More details and an entry form can be found on the All Saints’ College website.
The bad news is that we haven’t had as many entries as we usually find in our PO Box. The good news is, there’s still time to enter! (And we can’t guarantee that you’ll win, but with fewer entries you have a slightly better chance of winning. But shhhh, we didn’t tell you that.)
For this competition, you have to write a funny story about a musician—maybe that scared off a few writers but we’re sure you can write something funny about a crazy conductor or a brass player who likes blowing bubbles out of his tuba, or … a dog howling whenever his neighbour practises the recorder … or … ___________________<– enter your own idea here.
The competition is judged in 3 age categories: under 7s, under 9s and under 12s and there are $20 book vouchers to be won.
Here are the details:
SPRING 2010 WRITING COMPETITION
Entries close 22 October 2010
Write a funny story about a musician. Length: up to 350 words—shorter is fine. Your entry can be handwritten or typed.
Include a competition entry form. This may be printed from the website, photocopied, or contact us to have one emailed or posted to you.
We accept emailed entries (if you include a scan of the entry form) and entries postmarked 22 October.
A gripping wilderness-adventure by the author of Nim’s Island. Raven’s sister and step-father are trapped under rocks on the mountain top, and their lives depend on Raven making it down the mountain to get help. But can she find the way?
Description
When Raven woke up by the lake she just knew this day would be one she would remember forever. And as they climbed the mountain they saw bears—a Mama bear and two cubs. Not just ordinary black bears—two were white, like the Spirit Bears in the north who are said to help people in trouble. Raven is first to make it to the top of the mountain and she’s doing a top-of-the-mountain dance before her sister Lily and stepfather Scott catch up. But suddenly the rock under her feet cracks and she is falling, tumbling, crashing down over the edge of the cliff.
When she finally comes to, no one answers her calls. The rockfall is covering the trail where she last saw Lily and Scott. Eventually she hears her sister through a tiny crack in the rocks, but Scott is lying twisted and unconscious. Raven must find help. But can she find her way down through the forest? And what if she meets the bears they saw on the way up? Or wolves? She has no food, little water, no phone and no compass. And it’s late in the day. Still, Raven will do anything to save her family.
Hanging Out, by Catherine Bateson, illustrated by Adam Carruthers, Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia, 2010
Weston is coming for a visit while his parents are on holiday, and Ben is worried. Last time Ben saw Weston, Ben made up lots of stories about his life in Melbourne, and now Weston will find out he wasn’t telling the truth. Ben tries to make his mum change her mind.
I remembered everything I had said.
“Mum, he really can’t come here.”
The only true thing I’d told Weston was that we lived near Puffing Billy. We can hear its whistle blow from our house.
As soon as Weston arrives, he’ll start asking about all the activities Ben bragged about. What will Ben do?
This is an early chapter book in the ‘Mates’ series. The colour illustrations by Adam Carruthers are fun. My favourite is a drawing of Miss Phillips on page 35, but I can’t tell you why because it will spoil the story. 🙂
Do you think Ben should tell Weston that he made up most of the stories about his life in Melbourne?
Reviewed by Rebecca Newman. Our review copy was sent to us by Omnibus Books.
Totally Twins is a new series for girls. The first book in the series, Musical Mayhem, was released in September 2010. The author, Aleesah Darlison, is taking Musical Mayhem on a blog tour to celebrate the launch of the book, and she arranged for us to interview a character from the series—Portia. You can get to know Portia’s twin, Persephone, on another stop on the tour.
But now, let’s meet Portia.
Your twin sister, Persephone, keeps a diary. Do you keep a diary too?
No. Not yet, but seeing Perse have so much fun with her diary sure makes me want one too! I’m usually kept pretty busy with school and ballet practice but maybe I’ll ask Mum to splurge on a new diary for me. I can’t let Perse have all the fun!
What’s the best thing about having a twin sister?
Having someone you can always, always rely on.
What’s the worst thing about having a twin sister?
Having to share a birthday—every year. But at least Mum lets us have our own cakes.
Describe yourself in 5 words.
Fun, friendly, fabulous, fashionable and … FUNKY!
Perse is a sensible, sensitive, shy, serious and super sister! But don’t tell her I said that, it might go to her head.
If you found $20 lying on the ground, how would you spend it?
I’d buy some pink-iced cupcakes for Perse and me (chocolate for her, vanilla for me)—but don’t tell Mum because she’s dead against high sugar food. I’d also buy some new jewellery and magazines.
Persephone (Portia’s twin sister) also has her own blog where you can send her messages and download Totally Twins material. Visit Perse at: http://totally-twins.blogspot.com.
I loved reading his books when I was growing up, and I’m still reading them. Now my kids are reading them—my daughter really likes Matilda.
I can’t imagine Roald Dahl’s stories without Quentin Blake’s illustrations. (There should be a Quentin Blake Day, too. While we’re waiting for someone to organise that, you can check out Quentin Blake’s fantabulous website.)
Anyway, back to Roald Dahl. Here’s something you didn’t know about me. When I was about 11, I used to correct people who thought Roald Dahl’s name was RONALD Dahl. They never believed me. (I was quite bossy about it but they didn’t know anyone else called Roald, so they thought I had it wrong. Ha!)
Then, when I was 15, I had to learn a poem off by heart to recite in front of the class. I was very slack and I didn’t think about the assignment again until three days before the recital. In a bit of a panic, I borrowed Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes from the library and I spent two nights frantically learning ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’ It was fun and actually not too hard to memorise (even though it’s quite long) because of the rhymes and the way the story unfolds. And because, when you have someone listening to you reciting it (and they don’t have the book in front of them, so they can’t read ahead) you can’t wait to get to the funny bits!
I can’t remember what anyone else’s poems were about but I can still recite big chunks of Jack. If you haven’t read Revolting Rhymes yet, find a copy immediately. (If you can’t buy your own, ask for it at your school library or your local library.)
Visit the official Roald Dahl Day site for a free PDF with Roald Dahl Day activities. You could have a Roald Dahl Party to celebrate your favourite books any day, of course. It doesn’t have to be 13 September!
Here’s my favourite Roald Dahl Book. What’s yours?
Just a reminder—if you want to enter our design-a-cover competition, entries close on 16 September 2010. The winner will see their artwork on the cover of our summer competition (out in November) and receive $20 worth of art supplies. You can find details and an entry form on the Alphabet Soup website.
And if writing is more your thing, don’t forget we run a writing competition for kids in every issue of the magazine. Our spring story competition closes on 22 October 2010. There are $20 book vouchers for the winners in three age categories. You’ll find details and an entry form over at the Alphabet Soup websitefor that, too.
There’s a Goat in My Coat, by Rosemary Milne, illustrated by Andrew McLean
Reviewed by students at Winthrop Primary School, WA. Teacher: Mrs Therese Cianfrini.
Suitable for Ages: 0 – 7 years
Our Favourite Poems: Lazy Little Lizard, Piglet in Puddles, Wriggle and Giggle, Penguins, and The Hopping Song.
We loved the cover of the book, it was colourful and inviting, the illustrations made us want to open the cover and discover the exciting poems inside.
Each poem in the book was cleverly created with rhyme and rhythm that made the poetry fast and cheerful, with a good beat to encourage children to get involved with saying the poems. The author really used her imagination to create some hilarious and entertaining poetry that will encourage young children to learn as they sing along with these poems. They will learn to walk, count numbers and say new words.
Our little brothers and sisters would love this book of poems, they are silly and full of nonsense that would really make them laugh. The bright colourful illustrations would also involve them in the book. Rosemary Milne has created some awesome poems that will make small children want to hear and say them over and over again. The book keeps the reader interested, as you never know what the next page will have on it.
This exciting and entertaining book will even have the adults enjoying the time they spend reading to their young children. The book has a nice ending and would be a great bedtime reading book. We recommend that you get this fun book for your children, we know they will love it.
Winthrop Primary students review ‘There’s a Goat in My Coat’. Photo used with permission.
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These Winthrop Primary students are members of our Undercover Readers Club, a book reviewers club for kids. (The book was provided by publisher, Allen & Unwin.) If you or your class would like to join the club, you can download an information pack (PDF) from the magazine’s website. Membership is free!
This is a new title in the Waarda series (Waarda is Noongar for talking and sharing stories and information).
Barlay! is an early chapter book (it’s only 45 pages, you’ll finish it in no time!). It starts with Nan telling Sarah, Jay and Rene a story about the woordatj.
‘One of his jobs is to make sure children behave themselves and listen to the wise things their Elders tell them. If you don’t … ’
Jay and Rene think it’s just a fairy tale. But when they go on a family outing to Rocky Pool, they’re suddenly not so sure. Could Nan’s story about the woordatj be true?
Barlay! has short chapters and the story zips along. There are black and white illustrations by Tracey Gibbs scattered through the book and it’s fun to learn some Indigenous words like koolbardi (magpie) and “Barlay!” (“Look out!”). At the back of the book, there’s some information about the author and a map showing you where Noongar country is.
This is the sixth book in the Waarda series, so if you like this one, you’ll want to read the other five, too!
alphabetsoup.net.au 