Guest Review- Caleb (Year 8)

Last year I was fortunate enough to have several students guest review on the blog. This year, though they have been reading  just as avidly, they are reluctant to share their thoughts on ‘paper’. So, I was tremendously excited when the wonderful Caleb emailed me a review…here it is for you all to enjoy

My Swordhand Is Singing- Marcus Sedgwick

Tomas and his son Peter are always on the move, they arrive in a village called Chust during the unforgiving winter and make a life for themselves as woodcutters. Life does not come easy. The woodcutting is hard work and has little money in it, especially when Tomas drinks it all away at the tavern leaving little money for anything else. They setup a house for themselves out side of the village. The death of a fellow woodcutter makes Peter start wondering about the methods of the village and his father’s secrets, reports of cattle being completely drained of their blood and village Superstitions fuels his questions leaving him to wonder what is going on and what is in his fathers forbidden box. All together this is a great book filled with mystery, action, romance and the undead.

Certainly not your ordinary ‘run of the mill’ vampire novel and really very well written. I would recommend this book for readers 13 and up.

Castlemaine Children’s Literature Festival

Click here for more information

Before I say anything else, can I get a round of applause for james Kelly, the artist of this years Castlemaine Children’s Literature Festival Poster…How beautiful is this poster!?

I think its clear that I adore all things Children’ Literature and this wonderful event, organised by hard working and dedicated people is certainly a date for your diary guys!!

I am SO in love with this poster!!!!

Books For Young Adult Boys…(and Girls) Part 2- The Trailers

Books For Young Adult Boys…(and Girls)

I am posting this for two reasons really. Number One being the fact that I am truly excited about the amazing books that our Aussie Authors and Publishers are placing on our bookstore shelves. Number Two being the fact that I have been asked a great deal of late, what books would I recommend for Boys. (It is worth pointing out at this stage that I am talking for the most part, about Boys who enjoy reading. BUT these titles would work equally as well with reluctant boys too ) These titles are wonderful places to direct our boys who read voraciously and it is also worth me pointing out that our girls will also enjoy these titles!

Paranormal romance seems to be making its exit and dystopian and magical realism making a come back…Young Adult Publishing should be an interesting genre to watch for the next 12 months. (Isn’t it always!)

We are so blessed as readers in Australia. We have SO many talented Authors right here on our own shores and the books coming out at the moment are truly exciting!! This is only a very small list, but these are the ones that have the boys in my library, excited right now…

I would love to hear what the rest of you find is working, so please feel free to leave a comment!! More on this subject to follow!

Stewart Alison 9780143206545 Penguin Australia 01 Aug 2011 In stock

Higgins Jane 9781921758331 Text Publishing 01 Aug 2011 In stock

Stirling Adrian 9780143206101 United Book Distributors 30 May 2011

Maile Meloy 9781921758171 Text Publishing29 Aug 2011 In stock

Phommavanh Oliver 9780143304869 Penguin Publishing 30 May 2011

Holland James 9780141332192 Penguin Publishing 29 Aug 2011 Not yet available

Text Publishing 9781921656286 United Book Distributors 30 Aug 2010 In Stock

The Indigenous Literacy Project- YOUR Invitation!

Art For Country Event Information HERE

There is nothing more exciting than a Literary Event in the heart of Melbourne, especially when it has been organised by incredibly dedicated people and is for such a worthy cause! The Indigenous Literacy Project has been around for a while now and some of you may have participated in Great Book Swap Events in your school or community to help support this wonderful organisation.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF)  - an Australian Book Industry supported charity – aims to raise literacy levels and improve the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Australians living in remote and isolated regions.

Help support the ILF by joining us at a fundraising event, hosted by William McInnes, on September 9th 2011 from 6.00pm – 8.30pm. Funds will be raised through the sale of original and limited edition artwork from both indigenous and non-indigenous artists (including children). Monies raised from the sale of the indigenous art will be used to purchase literacy resources for the communities from where it has come. And if art is ‘not your thing’, join us for a drink and some fun anyway!

The event will take place at the Wheeler Centre and cost of entry is $25 including drinks and canapés.

Bookings are essential and can be made at www.trybooking.com/11775

For further information on the ILF and this event, visit www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au

Hope to see you all there

Breakfast Radio, Book Week and Thank YOU!

This morning I was fortunate enough to be a guest on ABC Radio 774 discussing all things book related for Children and Young Adults with the delightful Hilary Harper. I was thrilled to bits to have been invited and so incredibly nervous before hand (and during, if I am honest) If you missed it and want to hear it, you can find the PODCAST online.

Ordinarily, I don’t post on the blog about things like this. I am posting today though to say THANK YOU and give you a little more information about the CBCA, Book Week Events in Melbourne and The Inky Awards.

One of the interesting things I learned today, (among many) was how little people know about the process behind book submission/selection and judging within the Children’s Book Council of Australia. I wanted to take a moment to let you all know that ANYONE and everyone is welcome to join the CBCA! Membership has many great benefits and a regular Newsletter that will keep you abreast of all manner of things book related in Australia. If you are interested in becoming a member, you can get a membership from from your local branch HERE It is important to note that while I am a proud member of CBCA Victorian Branch, my opinions were my own this morning and do not reflect the opinions of the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

Before we began chatting, Hilary pondered as to whether the CBCA- Book Of The Year Award set the ‘gold standard’ as an indicator of which books to select for your kids when buying/choosing a book. The CBCA Awards are indeed the oldest award for Children’s and Young Adult Books in Australia. The Awards are steeped in history and there are some stunning selections on the list. The judges work tirelessly and consider a great many factors during the process. Those little gold and silver stickers are a wonderful indication that you are making a great choice!

It is worth mentioning though, that another award that can also be a great guide when choosing books for Young Adults is The Inky Awards. This Award is judged by a panel of Young Adults, the winning Author from the year before and another adult (usually involved in the industry) The shortlist is then open for voting by readers of all ages. Another impressive list of titles to choose from!

There are some amazing events happening all over the city for Book Week, great for taking the kids along and just as fun for adults! You can find lists HERE and HERE annnnnnddddd HERE

Thank you to the wonderfully eloquent Children and Young Adults that called in to share with Hilary and I, and the nation, their favourite reads. I was so proud of the calibre of Authors and the wide range of books you are all reading!!! Thank you for letting Australia know that yes, kids are reading! I was terribly impressed with the callers today, you all made me smile! AND! Gave me more titles to read!

Thank you to Hilary for being such a warm and friendly host and for showing me what to do!

And…Thank you to those wonderful people who sent so many private messages of support and congratulations, I cannot tell you how you all made my day!

(And thank you to he who shall not be named, for not listening…even if you did watch )

Days Like This- Alison Stewart

Link To Our Novel Study Site

She has to escape.
But who else is out there?
And can anyone survive days like this?

Lily is a prisoner in her own home.  Forced to stay inside by The Committee and guarded by their increasingly distant parents, Lily and her brother Daniel are beginning to ask why.  Then, when Daniel disappears just before his seventeenth birthday, Lily knows she is next. Text courtesy of Penguin Publishing Australia.

Recently I was approached by some of my Year 7 book club participants from last year. They wondered if I was going to run a book club for them this Term and I happily agreed. After much discussion, we decided to go ahead with a novel study/book club for Days Like This- Alison Stewart.

I am reading it chapter by chapter, alongside my students and thought some of you may be interested in sharing our journey. The image above will transport you directly to our novel study blog!

Enjoy

Open Letter To A Bully.

I had hoped to never have to discuss this issue publicly again, however, tonight it has come to my attention that this person is in fact still active. I do NOT repost this for sympathy or any such thing, I repost it simply as a reminder that should you, ANY of you, receive an email or a link or stumble across an inappropriate image on the net, regarding or in relation to me, please, PLEASE remember that there is omeone out there deliberately trying to destroy my reputation in this industry.

If you have been contacted, or subject to any activity from this ‘person’ please contact me via the comments. Comments will not be published, however, your information is important to add to the police file that exists as a result of these actions. The comments that existed from the original posting still remain.

Thank you, one and all.

Below is the original post.

I am being Cyberbullied.

I will spare you the details, though sadly many of you have experienced first hand this persons toxicity in relation to their feelings about me. Many of you, most who have only ever met me in a professional capacity, have received tweets or emails that demonstrate all too well the depth of this persons hatred for me. I apologise to those of you who have received messages, for having been subject to the vulgarity of this persons mind.

Many readers of this blog know me personally as a friend, many of you have met me in a professional capacity and some of you have never met me. I have agonised for hours as to whether to post about this issue. There is a very large part of me that simply wants to hide in my house and delete myself from the Internet until the ‘bully’ tires of attacking me and trying desperately to discredit me on social networks. A smaller part of me wants to hold my head high, endeavour to not let this affect my life and ignore it. That smaller part wants to fight back.

The thing with Cyberbullying though, is its insidious nature. Because I have no idea who is responsible, the only thing I can be sure of is who it couldn’t possibly be. Or can I?

Had this been a one-off attack, I may have been able to file it away in my mind as a hurtful and horrible experience and move on. However, there have been several attacks now, each worse and more graphic than the last. This person has used Twitter, Facebook and Email to slander my reputation across the Internet. I am not about to espouse here about the perils and evils of the Internet. I still believe that the web is a wonderful tool for many, many things. I do however have a new appreciation for how the Internet can be used to harm and hurt.

The thing about action motivated by negativity, is often, its impulsive. Mistakes are made eventually. This time, the last attack a mere 21 hours ago, a mistake was made. I have been assured I am much closer to knowing who this person is. This time, because they chose to use my husbands name to send Tweets, they can be charged with Fraud. The Victorian Police have quite a file building up now and the Cybercrimes Unit Police Officer I deal with assures me they are getting closer to discovering who it is.

While I contemplated whether or not to follow the advice of the Police and publicly speak out about what is happening to me, my instincts willed me to stay silent. This experience has been humiliating, hurtful, distressing and devastating to say the least. It has affected my family, my work and my friendships. I have deleted my Facebook account and want desperately to delete my Twitter account, however I am unable to do that at this time because the Police are using it to watch what happens next.

It was during my consideration of whether or not to act that I wondered how many Students read this blog. How many of them at one time or another have experienced some form of Cyberbullying? I know first hand how I have struggled to cope with the emotional ramifications of this issue, and I am an adult.  I know how I longed to keep it ‘secret’, hide my hurt and tell no one. It was too humiliating. Too confronting. Too hurtful. How on earth could any one hate me this much? I began to question myself, what had I done, or said to motivate this person to act? In fact had it not been for the very people who were recipients of this ‘hatemail’ about me actively encouraging me to fight back and not let it affect me, I would have stayed hidden in my house, too devastated to face the world hiding the person responsible. Even though I had done nothing wrong. I wondered, how on earth does a young adult cope with this?

It was the thought of those same young adults dealing with this issue themselves and not knowing how to cope with it, or what to do, that prompted me to write this post. To tell you, should this ever happen to you, PLEASE, don’t hide. Don’t keep this to yourself. TELL SOMEONE. Don’t let the horrible, self depreciating thoughts in your head swirl there endlessly and grow beyond control. This person and what they have chosen to do or say about you, IS NOT YOUR FAULT.

There are some fantastic websites and helplines available to help you work through this issue and let you know you are not alone. Hopefully the following sites and this post will encourage those of you unfortunate enough to be dealing with an issue like this, to get help. The Line has been established by the Australian Government and has some great information and a  confidential Helpline. Parents and Teachers, there are some great resources here for you also. Other sites that may help are; ReachOut Australia, and Cybersmart.

A wonderful positive to come out of this ‘event’ for me, was the realisation of just how lucky I am. The enormous support and encouragement I have received from family, friend’s and people I know only through social networks has been overwhelming. Thank you, so much, to all of you, for your understanding and support.

And for those Young Adults out there dealing with this issue also, please know, YOU are not alone.

August Issue – OFF THE SHELF

I am a little more excited than usual about Penguin’s Online Magazine, ‘Off The Shelf’…Could be just a little bit about the fact that it has TWO great articles about/with two of my very favourite Authors – (Melina Marchetta and Isobelle Carmody) and maybe just a tad about it having a little article in there that I wrote

Either way, tis a GREAT READ!!!

Five Parts Dead Book Trailer!!!!

Five Parts Dead- Tim Pegler, my very favourite book of last year (and in my top ten forever) has a book trailer!!!

Tim made it himself! How awesome is this…?!?