Dark as night
scales like brass
fast as lightning
tongue flickering; in, out —
Snakes
This is Tanishkaa’s first poem published with Alphabet Soup. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!
It’s Friday! And that means it’s time for Pass the Book Baton. Every week Alphabet Soup features a book creator who will answer one question before throwing a new question to the next Friday visitor. (It’s kind of like a book relay in slow motion.)
Today the book baton is passed to Lorraine Marwood. Lorraine is an award-winning writer of novels, verse novels and poetry. You might recognise some of these books:
Last week Kylie Howarth asked:
Which poem or book you have written means the most to you?
Lorraine Marwood answers:
Ah, a perennial question that is often asked and at different stages or times in my writing journey there would be different answers.
Of course my first book picked up way back in 1999 part of the superdooper series ‘Rainbow Toes’ was a very exciting experience — even when the editor said I had to work on my ending before it was accepted. I was determined and still love this book today.
Or I could chose my first verse novel with Walker books Ratwhiskers and Me which allowed me to explore my love of history and my love of poetry in a fast paced narrative.
Then again I could choose my second verse novel Star Jumps, which was written in tears and shows life on a real live dairy farm as drought hits. This novel won the inaugural children’s section of the Prime Minister’s literary awards. So I love it because it celebrates my children’s growing up years and because it validated me as an author.
Or it could be my latest manuscript written last year at a May Gibbs literary fellowship in Brisbane. This one is close because it touches on grief — again another verse novel.
And poetry? I love writing poems mainly for children but continue to write literary poetry and be published in this genre too.
My latest collection Celebrating Australia: a year in poetry was a challenge to write, to research different celebrations (because I believe poetry should reflect facts as well as emotion) and to construct the poems in different ways.
A favourite poem from this collection was one on Christmas. My editor didn’t quite like the poem I’d already written and said to write a new one. I did, about a boy chosen to be the donkey in the nativity play, although he had no idea of what was going on — his friend Tiff kept explaining all the way through until he surprises himself and the reader right at the end. I love it when the right tone comes through for me and then the poem flows. Funny how my writing reflects my life because when I’d written that poem (the editor loved it by the way) my grandson was selected to be the donkey in his preschool play!
As my life continues on with many unexpected twists and new horizons, I love that my writing can help me adjust to new situations, to find meaning and to share this with my readers.
Poetry has the power to express what is on the inside and this is sometimes hidden to the poet too. So each new direction I take produces work which reflects that and looking back each poem or story contains the essence of that experience. So there are no favourites in my writing, just deep gratitude that writing is what I must do no matter what.
For more info about Lorraine Marwood and her books and poetry, visit http://lorrainemarwood.com or check out her blog http://lorrainemarwoodwordsintowriting.blogspot.com.au/
And now Lorraine Marwood passes the baton to the next Friday visitor — Kelly Canby. Kelly is an author-illustrator living in Perth, WA.
Lorraine asks:
“I see you do illustrations for a range of children’s genres, as well as colouring books! Can you tell us a bit about your illustrative journey and what you’d passionately love to draw in the future? Thanks.”
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Check in every Friday for questions and answers from children’s authors and illustrators.
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See you next week!
It’s Friday! And that means it’s time for Pass the Book Baton. Every week Alphabet Soup features a book creator who will answer one question before throwing a new question to the next Friday visitor. (It’s kind of like a book relay in slow motion.)
Today the book baton is passed to picture book author and illustrator, Kylie Howarth. Kylie’s books have been published in Australia, New Zealand, France and the USA. She grew up in the country with a dog, sheep, orphaned kangaroos and even an echidna.
Last week Geoff Havel asked:
How much of your love of stories and your ability to write them comes from your own childhood on a farm and how much comes from being surrounded by children now?
Kylie Howarth answers:
I do draw from my own childhood and now more than ever appreciate all the experiences my parents gave me. Not every kid had pet kangaroos or spent a year traveling around Australia. As a child I loved drawing and have always been fond of animals and the beach, which are both reoccurring themes in my books.
That being said I am now focused on creating stories that my children love. Their interests and personalities are definitely the biggest inspiration for my work. They contribute so much to my books too as I am constantly tweaking text and layouts based on their reactions and feedback. We also create paintings together in our backyard art sessions, which I then scan and use as textures in my illustrations.
For more info about Kylie Howarth and her books (and colouring sheets and craft activities), visit www.kyliehowarth.com
And now Kylie Howarth passes the baton to the next Friday visitor — Lorraine Marwood. Lorraine is an award-winning children’s author and poet. Her most recent poetry collection is Celebrating Australia: A Year in Poetry.
Kylie asks:
“Which of your poems or books means the most to you?”
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Check in every Friday for questions and answers from children’s authors and illustrators.
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See you next week!
I am learning piano and violin. It is lots of fun. I will tell you what are the similarities and differences between the piano and violin.
Piano and violin are both made out of wood and strings, and it is hard to play them. Both need teachers to tell you how to play them.
A piano is a keyboard instrument, but a violin is a string instrument. A violin needs a bow but a piano does not need a bow. You will need to stand up when you play the violin. When you play the piano, you need to sit down.
I like playing the piano the most. The violin is hard to play, because I have to hold down the strings. I want to keep learning the violin because I want to be a professional violinist.
Alphabet Soup has published Gabriel’s work before. You can read his earlier work here. If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!
It’s Friday! And that means it’s time for Pass the Book Baton. Every week Alphabet Soup features a book creator who will answer one question before throwing a new question to the next Friday visitor. (It’s kind of like a book relay in slow motion.)
Today the book baton is passed to Geoff Havel. Geoff was born in the mountains of New Guinea and now lives in Western Australia. His first book — Ca-a-r Ca-a-a-a-r was written during uninterrupted sustained silent reading in a year 5 classroom at Walpole Primary School. His latest book is Dropping In — an action-packed novel that explores friendship, bullying, and living with a disability. (You can read a sample chapter of the book on the publisher’s website.)
You might recognise some of these books by Geoff Havel:
Last week Sally Murphy asked:
What is the thing (or things) you are most proud of in your writing career to date?
Geoff answers:
Every so often I come across a story that cries out to be told because it might make a difference. One such story was The Grave of the Roti Men. I was travelling back to the ferry terminal on the island of Roti in Indonesia when we passed a road turning off towards the ocean. I asked another traveler where the road went and he replied, “The Village of Widows and Orphans.” Right then I knew the story had to be told and I was the one to tell it.
It was the same for Dropping In. The story sort of dropped into my lap when I saw three boys rolling down my street on a couch skateboard they had built. It wasn’t long before I had a clear idea of the three main characters and what the book would be about. I am proud of both those books because it feels like they were meant to be written and I was the one to do it.
Visit Geoff Havel’s website for more about him and his books.
Read an earlier review of Dropping In by Joseph, aged 11.
And now Geoff Havel passes the baton to the next Friday visitor — Kylie Howarth. Her picture book illustrations include lively textures created from paintings by her two young children during their backyard art sessions.
Geoff asks:
“How much of your love of stories and your ability to write them comes from your own childhood on a farm and how much comes from being surrounded by children now?”
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Check in every Friday for questions and answers from children’s authors and illustrators.
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See you next week!
SUCCEED
by Anishka, 7, QLD
A single seed is all we need to succeed.
I believe, I can walk.
I believe, I can talk.
I believe, I can fly.
I believe, I can cry.
When I say so,
I mean let go your feelings and just try,
That’s all you can do.
Anishka has been published at Alphabet Soup many times — you can read all her earlier work here.
If YOU would like to send us a story, drawing, poem, or book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy writing!
This is the very first TOP READS post for 2017! At the end of each month — from February to November — our Top Reads team recommends their favourite reading material from the previous month. Yesterday we introduced our 2017 Top Reads team; they are all children aged 12 or younger.
And here are the first recommendations for the year. Check the bookshelves at your local library, school library, bookshop or friends’ houses and get reading!
You can check out all previous Top Reads posts here.
All our Top Readers are kids aged 12 and under. No grownups allowed!
It’s time to introduce the 2017 Top Reads Team. What is the Top Reads Team? Members of this team are keen readers who stop by each month to recommend a favourite read for the month, and they’re all kids like you! We’re very excited to introduce our team members for this year.
INTRODUCING:
Stacey, 12, VIC
Stacey enjoys teamwork in basketball, making new friends and listening to music. When reading, she likes to guess how problems will be solved.
Matilda, 11, WA
Matilda has been writing book reviews for Alphabet Soup since 2011. When she’s not reading, she likes gardening, drawing portraits and writing poems. Her favourite authors at the moment are Jaqueline Wilson and David Walliams.
Mitchell, 11, VIC
Mitchell loves basketball, Stephen Curry, reading and school. He spends most of his time practising basketball or watching TV.
Tess, 11, WA
Tess’s favourite things to do are reading and gymnastics. She also enjoys swimming, netball and playing her violin. Tess enjoys curling up in her hanging cocoon to read her favourite books.
Xavier, 8, NT
When he’s not reading, Xavier enjoys riding his bike, swimming and playing soccer. He also loves making up stories. When he grows up Xavier wants to be a doctor.
Lewis, 8, WA
Lewis loves reading, particularly entertaining/funny books. When he isn’t reading he loves soccer, swimming, Lego and playing with his younger brother.
Anishka, 7, QLD
Anishka loves writing poems — she started composing her own poems when she was four years old. She loves to play with her friends. She also loves to practise yoga everyday.
Céití, 7 (nearly 8), WA
Céití loves spending time with her chocolate labrador Flynn. She enjoys all sorts of reading and writing, and playing minkey, soccer and tennis. Her favourite books at the moment are the Kingdom of Silk books.
Albie May, 5, NSW
Albie May loves endless engrossing narratives — the longer the better! Last year she wore out her paperback edition of The Big Book of Tashi. She is also a big fan of Winnie the Pooh.
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Look out for their first book recommendations for 2017 on the last day of every month!
It’s Friday! And that means it’s time for Pass the Book Baton. Every week Alphabet Soup features a book creator who will answer one question before throwing a new question to the next Friday visitor. (It’s kind of like a book relay in slow motion.)
Today the book baton is passed to Sally Murphy. Sally has written over forty books for children including picture books, novels, non fiction, and verse novels. Her poetry has been published in magazines, anthologies and online. Sally’s latest book is Sage Cookson’s Fishy Surprise — book three in a series about a girl with parents who are celebrity tv chefs.
Sally’s next book — coming soon! — is called Looking Up. You might recognise some of these other books by Sally Murphy:
Last week Gabrielle Wang asked:
I would love to know how you began. I’m interested in hearing about that transition between being unpublished to being published. Did it take you long? Did you ever want to give up? Did you have many rejections?
Sally answers:
Where did I begin? Gosh that’s a hard one — I was always a writer. I started writing ‘stories’ before I could actually write anything legible, and as I grew up I didn’t really stop. I made up poems and stories all the time. I always knew I wanted to be an author, though by the time I left school I was less sure about how I would achieve that and earn a living.
So, although I kept writing I also did other things: became an English teacher, got married, had children. And I wrote in my spare time, and I submitted manuscripts, not really knowing a lot about the industry. I was rejected repeatedly. But persistence paid off. First I had a few poems published in small publications. Then, by chance, I saw an advertisement for teachers to write educational resource books and the next thing I knew, I had my first book contract. I was published!
It was a few more years, still writing and bringing up children (I have six) before I realised my dream of having fiction published. The educational books gave me the confidence to keep going, and I spent a lot of time studying market guides, and researching publishers and publishing on the internet, as well as improving my writing by writing, rewriting, getting critiques from a critique group, attending conferences and workshops and so on.
My first trade publication came about because I saw online a call for manuscripts for a new chapter book series. I read the guidelines carefully and also read the few titles which had already been published in the series, to get a feel for what the publisher (Banana Books) wanted. Then I wrote, revised and submitted two manuscripts. The day that one of those was accepted was amazing.
Now, twenty years from my first educational book being published, I’ve had over 40 books (trade and educational) published. I still get rejections — more rejections than acceptances. And every time I get one I feel sad. But I also know that no piece of writing is wasted. Published or unpublished, that manuscript has added to my skills, a bit like sportspeople learn from every game or every training session.
Do I ever want to give up? Yes. When I get lots of rejections. Or when I can’t get a story to work. Or when I get a negative review. But the feeling never lasts long. I’m a writer. Writing is what I do.
Visit sallymurphy.com.au to find out more about her and her books.
And now Sally Murphy passes the baton to the next Friday visitor — Geoff Havel. Geoff’s most recent book is Dropping In; an action-packed novel that explores friendship, bullying, and living with a disability.
Sally asks:
“What is the thing (or things) you are most proud of in your writing career to date?”
..
Check in every Friday for questions and answers from children’s authors and illustrators.
..
See you next week!
It’s Friday! And that means it’s time for Pass the Book Baton. Every week Alphabet Soup features a book creator who will answer one question before throwing a new question to the next Friday visitor. (It’s kind of like a book relay in slow motion.)
Today the book baton is passed to author and illustrator, Gabrielle Wang. Gabrielle writes and illustrates picture books and novels, including two series in the Our Australian Girl series. Her latest novel is The Wishbird. Gabrielle says her Chinese heritage influences all her work and she likes to include Chinese philosophy and folktales in her novels. Keep an eye out for her new book The Beast of Hushing Wood, which will be published in April 2017.
Here are some of Gabrielle Wang’s books:
Last week, Michael Gerard Bauer asked:
In general I’d love to know how being an illustrator impacts on your writing. For example, if you are writing a novel, do you find yourself creating illustrations for the characters or scenes even though they might not be included in the published work? Have characters or stories ever started from something you have drawn? Is visual imagery an important part of your writing style?
Gabrielle answers:
While working on a novel, I don’t think about the illustrations. I do think in pictures and scenes though. Being a visual person, the very first thing I need to come up with when I begin a new novel is the setting. Only then can my characters begin to act out their story.
In my forthcoming novel, The Beast of Hushing Wood, the woods play a major role. It is a character with its own moods, mysteries and emotions. Because of this it was important for me to travel to the USA to do research. I needed to immerse myself in place — to walk, feel, smell, touch and taste the woods before I could write about them.
Once I’ve completed the novel and it has been through all the major editing phases with my publisher, I then go back through the text wearing my illustrator’s hat. If a particular scene stands out and excites me then that’s the one I will illustrate. At the same time, I need to be practical and make sure that the illustrations are evenly distributed throughout, especially those that are full-page.
Because painting gives me such joy, I illustrate almost everyday. It’s a form of relaxation. I don’t know what I’m going to paint until I begin. I like illustrating animals so many story ideas come out of these illustrations. One day I would like to publish a picture book.
Visit gabriellewang.com to find out more about Gabrielle Wang and her books.
And now Gabrielle Wang passes the baton to the next Friday visitor — Sally Murphy. Sally has written over forty books for children including Pearl Verses the World, and a new series about the daughter of celebrity tv chef parents.
Gabrielle asks:
“I would love to know how you began. I’m interested in hearing about that transition between being unpublished to being published. Did it take you long? Did you ever want to give up? Did you have many rejections?”
..
Check in every Friday for questions and answers from children’s authors and illustrators.
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See you next week!
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