Tag: competition

teachers' resources

Win a copy of Bush Secrets by Tjalaminu Mia and Jessica Lister!

Alphabet Soup

Thanks to everyone who entered our Wombat Divine giveaway. (Refer to the comments at that post to see who won, if you haven’t already!)

We thought we could squeeze in one last book giveaway before Christmas is upon us. A while back we reviewed Bush Secrets, by Tjalaminu Mia and Jessica Lister, about a granddaughter sharing a secret with her grandfather, and then Grandpa sharing a special place in the bush with her.

We have one review copy to give away! To enter, leave a comment at any post on Soup blog, telling us the title of a children’s book you love (0r loved as a child!) that has a Christmas theme.

This giveaway has been extended and entries close on Thursday 24 December 2009 at 5 pm Perth time (that’s Perth in Western Australia!).

authors, Christmas, competitions, illustrator, teachers' resources

Win a copy of Wombat Divine by Mem Fox!

Alphabet Soup

This year Wombat is old enough to part in the nativity play, ‘so with his heart full of hope and his head full of dreams, he hurried along to the auditions.’ It’s hard to find a part that’s just right for him and when all the parts have been handed out, he’s a very sad wombat indeed. Everyone crowds around to comfort him but then Bilby has a brilliant idea.

This picture book is a favourite at our house. And the good news is – we have one copy of Wombat Divine to give away! To enter, tell us how you heard about Soup Blog by leaving a comment in the comments box for this post. We will draw a winner at random on 10 December 2009 and ask the winner to contact us with their posting address.

Wombat Divine by Mem Fox, illustrated by Kerry Argent, Omnibus Books for Scholastic Australia, ISBN 9781862918412
This book was selected for review from the Editor’s own collection but we also received a review copy – the prize in the giveaway.
[The winner of this giveaway was Airalynn – see comments below. We’ll be running another giveaway soon, so keep an eye on Soup blog!)
competitions, info

Competitions for kids aged 12 and under

Alphabet Soup

Writing a story

Are you under 12? Do you like writing your own stories? Or are you a budding artist? Alphabet Soup magazine is currently accepting entries for two competitions:

1. WINTER 2009 WRITING COMPETITION entries close 3 JULY 2009

Win a $20 book voucher! Write a SHORT STORY up to 350 words (shorter is fine). Stories must include this line: ‘The paper aeroplane was gone!’

Please remember to include a COMPETITION ENTRY FORM for each entry. This may be printed from the Alphabet Soup website, photocopied, or contact us to have one emailed or posted to you.

2. DESIGN-A-COVER COMPETITION entries close 16 SEPTEMBER 2009

See your artwork on the cover of our summer 2009 issue (and win a pack of quality colour pencils too)!

Using any materials you like, design a cover for our summer issue. You may enter as many times as you wish but each entry must have a separate COMPETITION ENTRY FORM. This may be printed from the website, photocopied, or contact us to have one emailed or posted to you. 
See the ‘competitions’ page of the Alphabet Soup website for the rules and conditions, and to print an entry form.
competitions, info

Winter 2009 issue OUT NOW!

Alphabet Soup

Winter issue 2009

Doesn’t a serve of delicious alphabet soup sound like just the thing for this cooler winter weather? The winter 2009 issue of Alphabet Soup is out now!

Inside Alphabet Soup magazine this issue:

  • Q&A with Jo Oliver (author-illustrator of Pilgrim)
  • interview with an Air Traffic Controller
  • Stories, poems and good books
  • Kids writing (poems, stories and book reviews)
  • winners of our autumn writing competition
  • details of our winter writing competition
  • details of our design-a-cover competition
  • and more!

Where can you buy a copy? If you live in Western Australia, you can buy copies at Westbooks children’s bookstore (396 Mill Point Rd, Victoria Park) and   Zero to Ten (330 South Tce, South Fremantle).

You can also order single copies (or subscribe!) from our website www.alphabetsoup.net.au, where you can order online with a credit card, or print off an order form to post in to us with a cheque or money order.

Get reading (and writing)!

authors, competitions

Write-a-book-in-a-day

Alphabet Soup

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/

competitions, info

Writing comp closing on 3 April

Alphabet Soup

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.

competitions, info

Wanted: writing by children

Alphabet Soup

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!

competitions, info

Giveaway: War’s End by Victoria Bowen

Alphabet Soup

2008 is the 90th anniversary of the end of The Great War. We have one copy of War’s End by Victoria Bowen to give away to a Soup Blog reader.

From the blurb: ‘Dad is finally on his way home from The Great War. Twelve-year-old Nell barely remembers him but when the Spanish Influenza enters their lives, threatening Dad’s return, she begins to understand the gap in the family his absence has created. This is one family’s experience of the end of the war, a time of hope that turned into a time of trial.’

Email us at editor @ alphabetsoup.net.au (remove the space after editor) with War’s End in the subject line. In the body of your email, include the statement ‘I agree to the terms and conditions of this giveaway.’ Then, in 25 words or less, tell us why you’d like to receive a copy of War’s End.

If your entry is the winner, we’ll contact you by email.

Terms and conditions:

1. Immediate family members of Alphabet Soup staff are not eligible to enter. 2. The prize is only open to Australian citizens or residents and can only be sent to an Australian delivery address. 3. Email entries must be received by midnight (in Western Australia) on Friday 14 November 2008. 4. Chance plays no part in this giveaway. 5. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 6. The prize is one copy of War’s End by Victoria Bowen. 7. Entry is free 8. All entries become the property of Alphabet Soup Publishing and will be destroyed after the winner has been announced. 9. The winner’s initial of their first name, surname and Australian state of residence will appear on Soup Blog and remain for as long as Alphabet Soup Publishing desires.  10. You must abide by these conditions to be eligible to enter the giveaway.