authors

Monkey Fist Blog Tour Starts Today!

Monkey Fist, by Sandy Fussell

Sandy Fussell, the author of the Samurai Kids series, is taking Monkey Fist on a blog tour, starting today! Visit the first stop on her blog tour to read an interview with a character from Monkey Fist. (Sandy will be stopping by Soup Blog on 8 August to talk about how she does her research for the Samurai Kids books. See you here!)

Monkey Fist Blog Tour stops:

1 August http://tips4youngwriters.wordpress.com

2 August http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale

3 August http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com

4 August http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com/

5 August http://belka37.blogspot.com

6 August http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com

7 August http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com

8 August https://soupblog.wordpress.com (You’re here!)

9 August http://thebookchook.blogspot.com

10 August http://jefferyedoherty.blogspot.com/

competitions, info

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

competitions, info

Giveaway: War’s End by Victoria Bowen

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.