Bursting!

It's been a big week!

Emu has been shortlisted for the Environment Award.

Then there was lunch with Walker and Black Dog peoples from both sides of book-making. I received my copies of the US version of 'Emu'. It has a dust jacket and looks very swish.



That evening I was lucky enough to attend the announcement of the Text Prize. There was a shortlist of four manuscripts and Kimberley Starr won with The Book of Whispers. Look forward to seeing this novel set in the 11C making its way into print.

Friday signalled the beginning of Reading Matters. So many wonderful sessions, so many people to catch up, and to meet. I actually had a conversation with someone who teaches at the school where I was a boarder (many moons ago). What are the odds? The conference opened with a panel of YA readers and finished with video 'Shelfies' from more young readers. Both groups were wonderfully articulate and thoughtful. Laurie Halse Anderson (US) was amazing, as was Sally Gardner (UK).  Priya Kuriyan shared her illustrations. Highlights for me included the discussion between Sean Williams and Jaclyn Moriarty about Science and Magic and the panel with Laurie Halse Anderson and Sally Gardner - very different but equally passionate. I also love the opportunity to mix with so many book people. I saw some sketches for an upcoming book (oh my giddy aunt they're gorgeous!), and realised why another manuscript is still not ready to be a book. There was a wonderful reception in the beautiful Queens Hall in the State Library and then a dinner at Supper In, Melbourne icon. I came away exhausted but full of ideas and inspiration.

Sunday included a celebration for son2's birthday. Always lovely to be surrounded by my boys and their girls.

This morning sees the official release of two new books. 'My Name is Lizzie Flynn' and 'Meet Weary Dunlop'. Asking me to choose a favourite is like asking me which of my children I love best. I hope they both find their way in the book world and that readers enjoy them.

Seadogs

My next picture book, Seadog, is due for March 2013 release. Here is our dog, Emmi, who inspired the story.

At Torquay on Sunday, we saw myriad other seadogs. There's nothing like watching a dog race along the beach to show pure joy.

 

 

Back to kinder

I've just spent a lovely, noisy hour at kinder reading books. It's the kinder where all our children attended...it's even the same teacher. My children, one now adult, the other two teenagers will no longer sit and let me read picture books to them. No surprise there.

With all the talk about literacy I thought it was time I contributed. I love talking in schools, but that isn't something that happens regularly enough and reading is often a minor part of a presentation/workshop. I wanted to just read. I took a pile of books from my own library and interspersed them with books from the library corner offerings.

I'd planned to be there for half an hour, but it was an hour. Kids came in and out, chose their favourites, chose new ones from my pile. They read along to Carle's 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and 'The Gingerbread Man' and went off into block corner to make a boat after I'd read my story 'Ebi's Boat'. They counted the butterflies in Sue Whiting's 'Taming Butterflies' and were riveted by Michael Rosen's 'There's a Bear in a Cave'.

It was great fun. I plan to make it a regular thing.

CBCA Book Awards Short List Announcements

Today saw the announcement of the long, and then 4 hours later, the short list for the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book Awards. Nervous times, when you know your book has been entered. Disappointment, no matter how you'd steeled yourself, when your book is not there.

It's a big job, judging these awards. Judges from each state read hundreds of books before meeting to agree on the long and short lists, and the winners. It's always interesting to see the lists (especially so if there's a chance your book will be on it) to see what, in the view of the judges, is the cream of the year's crop.

What's also guaranteed is that not everyone will agree on the books chosen. Books I would have sworn would be on the short list, aren't. And other books I'd been lukewarm about, are there. But also on the list are books I loved. I guess that's why there are so many books around. Different readers will love different books. No surprises there.

Congratulations to all the listees. For those whose books are on the short list, may the wait until August seem short. For those whose books aren't, it's time to get back to work.

Note: check here for details of the Notable and Short Lists

Favourite childhood books

At dinner at a friend's place last night, conversation flowed from one subject to another, and often back again. We discussed the changing position of Cerberus, a ship in the bay (which was put there as a breakwater), the various merits of boarding schools, early Melbourne township, town planning consultants, schools vs education and myriad other things. We also discussed favourite childhood books. Not strange conversation for me, but less usual for others of our company.

There were discussions about how rereading of a favourite childhood book had shown just much books for children have changed. (The consensus was that quality is generally much better now). We also talked about titles that went in and out of favour (Little Black Sambo, Noddy and Big Ears). I hadn't known that the song 'Alexander Beetle', sung by Melanie, was actually commissioned to bring one of A A Milne's poems to music. A 20 year old male talked about 'The Magic Faraway Tree' as a favourite. We talked about overt moral lessons in books and whether that was a good thing. Views on that ranged widely.

I've recently sorted through my children's bookshelves. Some books went to the op shop, some into my bookshelves. Each of my children had different favourites, even though they don't remember all of them. I wonder if the ones I kept are the ones they remember, or the ones that I remember they liked, or the ones I liked.

I came home determined to reread novels of my childhood and see how they stand the test of time.

Hunting and Gathering revisited

In an earlier post, I spoke about this film and speculated that it felt like it had come from a book. I felt that there were things left out, or not communicated clearly. Well, I was right. About the book that is. I'm fully aware that it may well be my own limitations that prevented me getting what I wanted from the film.

The book by Anna Gavalda is marvellous. All the questions I had after seeing the film were answered. Actions and decisions made sense. But there was more. There were other characters either absent or only very briefly alluded to, drawn in full colour. The main characters were rich and full and delightfully frustrating. I wanted to shake them, yell at them, hug them, cry for them, laugh with them. I couldn't leave the characters behind when I put the book down and I couldn't put the book down for long.

I want to see the film again. I think this time I could appreciate what the film makers have done. I don't pretend to be a film maker and I don't pretend that I know how they could have made the film work for me first time around. Someone said that a screenwriter's obligation is to stay true to the essence of a book brought to screen, not to reproduce the book. I get that, but to my mind they did stay close to the book. I won't know until I see it again, if the clues were there and I just missed them.

So if you get the chance, see the movie. But read the book first.

Which book next?

My idea of hell has two parts. One is to be somewhere without a pen and paper. It seldom happens, but I still have nightmares about how I'll capture that phrase, that idea. The other is to be somewhere, even at home, with no book to read. My bedside table always includes a tower of books. I'm not sure it's ever been empty. There are old books that I always wanted to read, books I want to reread and then new books. There are also often books that one of my sons has recommended. I used to finish every book I started, even if it was a struggle. Not any more. There are just too many books to read. Although there are exceptions. I did persevere with 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel, although finding the beginning chapters very dense and less than riveting. They were interesting, but I really couldn't work out where they were heading. I'm glad I did keep going though. The ending stayed with me for a long time.
I love the library. I read too much to be able to support my habit without these wonderful places. I do buy books too, particularly Australian children's books. I'm a big fan of fiction mostly, although I'm growing to enjoy non fiction more and more. Non fiction is seldom bedtime reading for me though.
I love that I can call reading work. Whether it's keeping up with what's being published, reading to review or for research, reading is a wonderful thing.