I’m delighted to announce that Ten Pound Pom has won the Educational Publishing Australia award in the category for Primary: Educational Picture or Chapter Book. Illustrator Liz Anelli, black dog book publisher Maryann Ballantyne were there to accept the award last Thursday, along with Linsay Knight and Steve Spargo from Walker Books. Ten Pound Pom … Continued
Atmospheric has won the Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children’s Literature Award in the non-fiction category, and I am thrilled. It was awarded yesterday, on the last day of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Atmospheric: the burning story of climate change was a book I felt I had to write. I am sure that climate change is a huge … Continued
I’m very proud to announce that Blood Brothers has been short-listed for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Patricia Wrightson Prize. This is very exciting. The winners will be announced next month and you can see the complete short list, and the short lists for other sections here. Blood Brothers is the 4th book in the … Continued
The talented Sonia Kretshmar has won the Illustrators Australia Gold Award for a books series, for her fabulous covers for the Dragonkeeper series. Congratulations, Sonia. I love the covers, so I am delighted that they have been acknowledged in this way. You can see more of Sonia’s lovely artwork on her website. In other news, Blood … Continued
I’m feeling pretty good. The Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards shortlist was announced at lunchtime today. My non-fiction book Fromelles: Australia’s Bloodiest Day at War is on the list for the Eve Pownall Information Book Award. Fantastic news as you can imagine. You can see the shortlisted titles in all categories here. Congratulations also … Continued
I have discovered that my YA novel Sugar Sugar has been selected for this year’s White Ravens Catalogue. What is the White Ravens Catalogue?, I hear you ask. Well, there is an institution called the International Youth Library (IYL), a collection of books housed in the Blutenburg Castle in Munich, Germany. Each hear the IYL selects a list … Continued
I just got a certificate in the post telling me that Garden of the Purple Dragon won the 2009 KROC Award for Best Fiction for Older Readers, which is terrific. (The KROCs are the Children’s Choice Awards in the Northern Territory). So thanks to all those readers who voted for the book, and I’m sorry … Continued
On Tuesday I went up to Sydney for two award ceremonies. The first was the KOALA Awards (the NSW children’s choice awards) which were held at the Parramatta Town Hall. I’m very pleased to say that Garden of the Purple Dragon won the award for older readers! Honour books were Give Peas a Chance by … Continued
I’m pleased to tell you that my picture book The Night We Made the Flag: A Eureka Story, illustrated by Sebastian Ciaffaglione, has been shortlisted for the 2009 NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize. The judges said it was “very powerful” and that it highlights the importance of women in Australian history, which is very pleasing. … Continued
Last week was when the announcements were made for various Australian children’s choice awards—YABBA in Victoria, KOALA in NSW, COOL in ACT and KROC in Northern Territory. I went to the YABBA award ceremony at Ashburton Primary School. Dragon Moon was shortlisted for the new category of Fiction for Years 7-9. It didn’t win the … Continued