And Little Good Wolf with its gorgeous red Christmas-y cover suits the festive season right down to the ground. Perfect for boys who like a laugh and are learning to read independently.
Balloons, partying, Glen Street Theatre, authors, illustrators, librarians, kids’ literature enthusiasts – the Christmas party by Children’s Book Council, Northern Beaches was a buzz!
Michael Stephen-King had us moved to tears with his stories of the heart:
- illustration as his place to escape, explore, create in a confusing world where his deafness separated him
His joyous lines capture the curiosity of childhood and we love him.
Glenda Millard also brought tears and laughs with her stories of family and relationships.
She invites us all into the safety of being different and celebrating it. Love her too.
It was a night of friendship and celebration of the children’s literature community-
authors Kate Forsyth, Belinda Murrell, Wendy Blaxland, Margaret Roc, Aleesah Darlison, Laurine Croasdal, Jill Bruce, Anna Feinberg, Kim Gamble
… the iconic Maurice Saxby father of Australian children’s literature
and Margaret Hamilton publisher, writer, and Director of the illustrator’s house Pinerolo in the Blue Mountains.and so many more.
Thankyou to Wendy Fitzgerald, president of the CBCA Northern Beaches and all the fabulous people who supported this night.
FABULOUS NIGHT!
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If you’re not away or flying back from Bologna or at festivals and conference, the SCBWI Network is:-
5-7 p.m.
Monday 2nd April
at The Hughenden
14 Queen Street Woollahra (near Paddington, Sydney).
I have been on a conference and festival trail where I have met kids, librarians, teachers, adults, even politicians from Queensland to Picton to the beautiful Dixon Room in Sydney’s heritage Mitchell Library overlooking our Botanical Gardens towards the Opera House.
I’ll be keynote at the Glouceter Festival , touring the USA with my ‘Butterflies’, visiting Taree, Melbourne ….and more ….. and I am looking forward to speaking at the IBBY Congress in London. It’s crazy but the wonderful life of a writer.
Deborah Abela, Serena Geddes, Lesley Vamos, Christopher Cheng … are just back from Bologna Book Fair; and
shared a fabulous time with heaps of brilliant authors and illustrators in Somerset on the Gold Coast like Jacqueline Harvey, Michael Wagner, Oliver Phommovanh, Ursula Dubosarsky, Tristan Bancks, Karen Brooks, Leigh Hobbs, Scott Westerfield, James Roy, Georgia Blain and the brilliant list goes on.
Frane Lessac, Mark Greenwood, Sally Murphy, Norm Jorgenson, A J Betts, Dianne Lawrenson, Samantha Hughes …
….and all those WA writers and illustrators are on the move throughout WA and NT at festivals and reaching remote indogenous communities.
Sarah Davis and Deborah Abela have flown to Alice Springs to join them. Love it.
Aleesah Darlison is back from Hong Hong; Jan Latta just back from China speaking at festivals; Jacqueline Harvey is doing her Alice-Miranda tour in the USA and UK.
Sue Whiting’s at All Saints in Perth which I loved when I spoke there last year
This is the coolest community ever!
If anyone is in Sydney on Monday 2nd April, there’s a great talk by Wendy Blaxland on non fiction writing; catch up with SCBWI Conference information on 29th June-2nd July and networking at The Hughenden.
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Discovered that Mickey Mouse has BIG feet.
Minnie Mouse has BIGGER feet.
Tory and I have SORE feet.
Just got my Book Month in August programme – really looking forward to speaking to 1000s of kids across Sydney!!!!!!!! Love you all!
Signing out from Disney
PS My photos will be coming soon – my Disney village hotel internet can’t handle the capacity.
PPS Literature Live! with Jeni Mawter, Aleesah Darlison, Laurine Croasdale and the brilliant illustrator Nina Rycroft are setting up launches – connecting Literature Live! with Australia & the world.
I’ll be joining the Literature Live! team when I get back to Sydney on 23rd March
PPPS SCBWI Retreat in Florida coming soon
Watch out for LL!
Literature Live! ROAD SHOW
We packed our bags and the Literature Live! team spoke to wonderful kids and teachers at schools including Dubbo Public School, Mosman Preparatory School, Balgowlah Heights Public School and Oxford Falls Grammar.
It was so much fun with the kids engrossed in our show cases:-
Jeni Mawter made everyone laugh with her So Gross book stories
Laurine Croasdale surfed the beaches with her Surf School and Surf Sister books
Nina Rycroft had them spell bound with illustrations from her award winning Ballroom Bonanza
Aleesah Darlison engaged them with her Totally Twin books published by New Frontier
Susanne Gervay captured everyone with winning against school bullying.
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Technology is zooming ahead and we’re racing as fast as we can to catch up.
We’ve discovered the smart board – computer on a screen that travels to classrooms from Blaxland Public School to Balgawlah Heights Public School – kids love themselves on TV.
Nina Ryecroft explored Ballroom Bonanza. Aleesah Darlison and Serena Geddes showed the development of the series ‘Totally Twins’ to be published by New Frontier.
Laurine Croasdale surfed across the screen with her Surf School books, Sue Walker gave a great inter active workshop and I did bullying and I Am JACK.
Kids asked questions from the country to the surf and despite the hiccups, it worked out really well.
Thankyou to e-Lit, Val Noake and CAL for helping develop this.
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The Australia Council for the Arts got it right by supporting this innovative collection of stories and illustrations that are scary, fun, moving, questioning
- and donated by some of Australia’s most loved creators to help kids. All proceeds from the sales go to Australian kids to help them when they need mentoring and support.
SHORT & SCARY
edited by Karen Tayleur
published by Black Dog Books
isbn 9781 7420 31330
Here are some beginnings:-
JARED LOVES Karyn. The wind howled through the trees, as Jared carved a heart around the words……. George Ivanoff
Since time began the Shivers, lurking. Hide behind the human back …. Sally Odgers
ON A DAY of wild storm, a strange bird …. Gabrielle Wang
YOU’D BETTER take a look/ ‘Cos you don’t know who they took …… Meredith Costain illustrated by Marc McBride
THE THREE friends had been arguing the whole way home. …. Aleesah Darlison
Here’s my story -LUNAR ROSE – ( I love that title).
‘I don’t want a birthday party this year ….. ThIRTEEN is the big one’.
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Thanks for the interview, Renee. Looks good! Best wishes, Aleesah
Thank you Aleesah for inspiring us and sharing your fabulous children's books. I love my copy of Warambi!