We’re on the home stretch with issue 2 of Alphabet Soup – it will be out in mid-February! And we’ve finally put a sample of issue 1 on the website. So if you’d like a peek inside the magazine, go to www.alphabetsoup.net.au.
Tag: children’s magazine
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!
Wanted: writing by children
Are you aged 12 or younger? Do you like to write stories, poems, plays, book reviews, or letters? Then we need you to pick up a pen and get writing!
We love reading kids’ writing and we are currently considering material for the ‘Write On!’ section of Alphabet Soup‘s May issue. If you’d like to see your work published in the magazine, you can visit the Alphabet Soup website www.alphabetsoup.net.au (click on the ‘writers wanted’ tab) and read the guidelines there.
As well as seeing your work in print, all children who have work published in an issue of the magazine receive an entry into a prize draw for that issue.
And we’ll be announcing our second writing competition in Issue 2 (due out in February 2009) so stay tuned!
Merry Christmas from Alphabet Soup
Merry Christmas to our Alphabet Soup readers!
Thanks to everyone who subscribed or bought single copies this year – this ensures we can continue to publish the magazine! (Just a reminder – if you’re thinking of placing further orders, the introductory offer of free postage and handling for delivery to Australian addresses expires on 31 December 2008. We will honour orders postmarked 31 December 2008.)
Alphabet Soup News:
- On 29 November Gabrielle Bastow officially launched the magazine in Kings Park. (Gabrielle is a Literacy Consultant to the Benchmarking and Educational Measurement Unit who will manage the central components of the 2010 NAPLAN Testing Project.) Gabrielle gave a great speech! She also suggested we consider including a cryptic crossword (or some cryptic clues, if not a whole crossword) in future issues of the magazine. What do you think?
- We’ve started a new blog for the magazine (www.soupblog.wordpress.com) which has information such as book reviews, news about upcoming writer’s festivals with children’s events and behind-the-scenes info about what’s happening at Alphabet Soup.
- We held our first writing competition and we were impressed with the excellent stories and poems you sent in! Winners will be announced in January and a new competition will appear in the next issue of Alphabet Soup – which is due out in February 2009.
- If you live in WA we are pleased to advise that children’s bookstore, Westbooks, now stocks the magazine! You can find Westbooks at 396 Mill Point Rd, Victoria Park – they have friendly staff, and shelves and shelves of fabulous books. It’s worth a visit!
We hope you enjoy the holidays and find time to curl up with a good book. If Santa doesn’t leave a few books in your Christmas stocking, you can visit your local library! (And if you live in WA, don’t forget to record your books for the WA Premier’s Summer Reading Challenge.
If you’d like to be added to our email list for updates and news about the magazine and children’s book events, please send an email to editor@alphabetsoup.net.au with ‘subscribe enewsletter’ in the title.
Keep reading – and writing!
Rebecca
Editor
Rebecca Newman
Editor
editor@alphabetsoup.net.au
Ph: 0412 820 478
Alphabet Soup Publishing
PO Box 742, Willetton WA 6955
www.alphabetsoup.net.au
Issue 1’s writing comp closed
The writing competition for issue 1 has now closed. Thanks for your entries! We will start reading them all this week and will let you know the winners in January.
If you were hoping to pen something and just ran out of time, you can either keep an eye out for Issue 2 (out in February 2009) or send us something for the Write On section of the magazine (A poem, short story, letter or book review). Write On is not a competition but it does give kids aged 12 and under a chance to see their writing published in an Australian magazine! Go to the Alphabet Soup website for more details.
Alphabet Soup Reviewed on ‘Aussie Reviews’ site
Sally Murphy has reviewed Alphabet Soup magazine on her Aussie Reviews website. She gives us a positive plug! The Aussie Reviews site reviews ‘the best of Australian books, films, music websites and more’. We’re proud to be up there with ‘the best’! 🙂
(Please note that the web address she has quoted for the magazine is incomplete and should read www.alphabetsoup.net.au.)
Keep writing – and don’t forget, there’s still time for children aged 10 and under to enter our first writing competition. Entries close 21 November 2008!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …
Well, maybe not just yet … but you’re someone who likes to get organised early, right? So, what will you buy your favourite young bookworm for Christmas? Have you considered a subscription to Alphabet Soup magazine? If you didn’t feel like forking out $25 all in one hit, a single copy would make a great stocking filler at only $7! It’s light to post too!
We now have postage and handling prices for postage to addresses outside Australia. (Free postage and handling for delivery to Australian delivery addresses for orders placed by 31 December 2008.) Visit the Alphabet Soup website for details.
About the illustrator
Greg Mitchell is our talented illustrator! (The header for this blog is taken from one of his drawings.)
Greg and his wife Kate are Education Consultants and somehow Greg finds time to draw all the illustrations for the magazine as well! We send Greg pages from the magazine with just the text. He draws all his pictures on white paper and posts them to us. We can then scan his drawings and place them exactly where we want them on each page of the magazine (and enlarge or reduce them if we need to).
We keep him very busy. 🙂
MEDIA RELEASE: Alphabet Soup. A new children’s literary magazine.
Perth editor and mother-of-three, Rebecca Newman, has launched Alphabet Soup magazine for primary-school aged kids who love books and reading. Rebecca started work on the magazine 18 months ago, after she was unable to find a suitable magazine for her young daughter, who is an avid reader.
Schools, children’s libraries and early childhood educators have been enthusiastic about issue 1. Specialist literacy educators have previously imported similar publications from Canada and the USA — while despairing at the lack of a local product. Alphabet Soup magazine, with a section devoted to showcasing children’s writing, has found a ready-made readership.
‘Alphabet Soup will be very popular with children who love books, and already write their own stories,’ commented primary school teacher, Paulina Sweeney. ‘But magazines like this are also valuable for kids struggling with literacy. Seeing their writing in print gives a huge boost to their confidence, and that flows into their schoolwork.’
The magazine is not limited to children’s own work. ‘I aim to help kids develop a love of reading and literature, from a young age,’ says Mrs Newman. ‘I want to expose children to a variety of writing styles and genres … and also to give parents some ideas about suitable books for their children. There are many excellent children’s authors writing quality literature — but it’s not always easy for parents to know where to start.’
Inside issue 1, readers will find:
•   Q&A with children’s author, Jackie French
•   An interest article — interview with a WA bushfire brigade firefighter
•   Stories, poems and book reviews for children (by adults)
•   A crossword
•   A kids’ writing competition
•   6 pages of kids’ writing (stories, poems and book reviews)
Greg Mitchell’s colourful and quirky illustrations round out a really fun read!
Alphabet Soup is published quarterly and can be ordered online (www.alphabetsoup.net.au), or by sending address details with a cheque or money order to the publisher.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Rebecca Newman (Publisher and Editor)
Ph: 0412 820 478
Alphabet Soup Publishing
PO Box 742 Willetton WA 6955 AUSTRALIA
Website: www.alphabetsoup.net.au
Email: editor@alphabetsoup.net.au
Single copies: $7.00 (including GST)
1-year subscription (4 copies): $25.00 (including GST)
Free postage and handling until 31 December 2008 for all orders with Australian delivery addresses. Contact the editor for postage and handling costs to addresses outside Australia.
Rebecca Newman is available for interview.
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What is Alphabet Soup magazine?
Alphabet Soup is an Australian literary magazine for children aged 6 – 12. Issue 1 is out now!
From February 2009, the magazine will be published quarterly.
Single copies cost $7.00 and a 1-year subscription (4 issues) costs $25.00. Orders can be placed online at www.alphabetsoup.net.au and Westbooks (the specialist children’s bookstore in Victoria Park) also stock Alphabet Soup.
Westbooks
396 Mill Point Road
Victoria Park WA 6100
Ph: +61 8 9361 4211
See www.alphabetsoup.net.au for more information.
alphabetsoup.net.au 