A review of Alphabet Soup (based on Issue 2) was posted on The Book Chook blog today. The Book Chook reviews a wide range of children’s books and is certainly worth a visit!
Review of autumn 09 issue
Read a review of Alphabet Soup magazine over at the Busy Mothers website.
Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists
For budding illustrators living in the Perth metro area (Western Australia), aged 4 – 18, it’s time for the Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists. Artwork will be accepted at the Subiaco Library from 2 to 9th April 2009.
For further details and an entry form, go to the Subiaco Library website.
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/
Writing comp closing on 3 April
Just a reminder: our poem-writing comp is closing on 3 April 2009. The competition is open to children aged 12 and under, entries are judged in three age categories and there are $20 book vouchers to be won! Plus, the winning entries will be published in Alphabet Soup magazine!
Your poem needs to include the word ‘float’ in it.
For further details, and an entry form, go to the ‘competitions‘ page of Alphabet Soup’s website.
Wanted: book reviews by children
Have you read a really cool book that you think other kids would love too?
We are currently considering book reviews by children under 12, for publication in the winter issue of Alphabet Soup, which will be out in May 2009.
If you’d like to send us a book review, you can find guidelines for submitting work on the ‘Writers Wanted‘ page of the the Alphabet Soup website.
We love hearing about your favourite books, so get writing!
Donate books to schools affected by bushfires
This is taken from the Community page on the Borders website: http://www.borders.com.au/community.asp
Help Borders raise $200,000 for the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Bring in your second hand good quality books or purchase a new book to donate.
Borders will match the retail price of all donated books up to $200,000, which will go directly to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.
Borders will donate all books to schools and libraries in fire affected communities.
A dedicated area for book donations will be provided in store from Monday 23rd February 2009.
Pancakes! Pancakes!
As 24 February 2009 is Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake Tuesday, and Mardi Gras), we thought we’d talk about a favourite book from our shelves: Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle.
This picture book has Carle’s characteristic illustrations and tells the story of how a boy, Jack, goes about making a pancake from scratch. This includes using a sickle to cut the wheat, grinding the wheat to flour, gathering eggs, milking the cow, churning the butter and pulling a jar of jam from the shelves in the cellar.
We read our copy every year in the lead up to Shrove Tuesday and the kids find it fascinating. (Would you go to so much work just for a pancake?)
Happy pancake making – and eating!
This book selected for review from the Editor’s own collection.
Autumn writing competition for children under 12
Win a $20 book voucher!
Write a poem or short story up to 200 words (shorter is fine). Your poem must include the word ‘float’ in it, and don’t forget to give your poem a title!
For competition rules, and to download an entry form, go to www.alphabetsoup.net.au and click on ‘competitions.’
Entries close 3 April 2009.
Happy writing!
alphabetsoup.net.au 