2012 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist

/ zackids / 1 Comment

The shortlist for the 2012 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal have just been announced and they both include some amazing books.  I’d both love and hate to be a judge of these awards because I love the books they choose and would find it really hard to pick just one.

The Carnegie Medal is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children. This year’s shortlist includes:

The Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annualy for distinguished illustration in a book for children.  This year’s shortlist includes:

  • Wolf Won’t Bite by Emily Gravett
  • Peter Puffin by Peter Horacek
  • A Monster Calls illustrated by Jim Kay
  • Slog’s Dad illustrated by Dave McKean
  • Soloman Crocodile by Catherine Rayner
  • The Gift illustrated by Rob Ryan
  • There Are NO Cats In This Book by Viviane Schwarz
  • Can We Save the Tiger illustrated by Vicky White

SO many great books!  I’ve read (and LOVE!) quite a few of them and will try and read the others before the winners are announced. 

Which ones are your favourites?

Slide Book Trailer

/ zackids / Leave a comment

Slide by Jill Hathaway is about a girl who can ‘slide’ into other peoples bodies for a brief time.  She has narcolepsy and when she passes out she slides into other people’s heads and ends up seeing through their eyes.  Then, one day she finds herself in the head of a killer, who is standing over the body of one of the girls from her school.  I’m only 50 pages in and the story’s already gripped me.

Fast Five with Amy Brown

/ zackids / Leave a comment

1. Why did you want to be a writer?

My parents’ house has always had full bookshelves; there are piles of books next to each bed, and even beside the bath. The idea of being able and allowed to write the words in these important objects was thrilling. In Standard Two, I said that one day I wanted to write books for children. After school that day, I asked Mum what she thought I might be when I grew up. When she guessed that I would be a writer, I was delighted at her response. I still am.

2. What’s the best thing about being a writer?

When I’ve been writing for quite a while – perhaps two hours non-stop – the words sometimes begin to come unexpectedly. The chapter unfolds almost as if I am reading rather than writing it myself. Rereading these pages later, I often forget having written parts of them.  This is an exciting feeling.

3. What’s your favourite New Zealand book?

I won’t choose a favourite, because it is too difficult. But, I will say that Maurice Gee’s O Trilogy has stayed with me since I first read it nearly twenty years ago. I still have dreams (nightmares?) about Susan Ferris meeting the Birdfolk. I also vividly remember Jack Lasenby’s Harry Wakatipu stories. If you haven’t read them, Harry Wakatipu is a surly talking packhorse who lives with a deer culler in the Ureweras and gets into all sorts of mischief. Recently, I tried to tell a friend the story of when Harry starts illegally tickling trout, but had to stop because I was crying with laughter.

4. What do you love most about New Zealand?

I love that, in New Zealand, you’re never too far from the sea. I also love that you can walk barefoot without worrying about snakes or spiders biting you (I currently live in Australia).

5. What book changed your life?

Because I read it so often, and then later used it as a model for my own books, Jill’s Gymkhana by Ruby Ferguson probably changed my life. Its sense of humour, weird 1950s references to Bing Crosby, and brilliant line drawings have no doubt contributed to who I am today. I admit that it isn’t the best book in the world, but it has been important to me.
Amy Brown is the author of the Pony Tales series, including the latest book, Jade’s Summer of Horses.

172 Hours on the Moon book trailer

/ zackids / Leave a comment

172 Hours on the Moon is a chilling sci-fi thriller by Norwegian author Johan Harstad.  It’s a creepy, fast-paced read and I spent the whole day yesterday totally engrossed in it.  It’s out in NZ on April 1st and my review will follow soon.

Win a Lorax prize pack

/ zackids / 15 Comments

One of my favourite Dr. Seuss books is The Lorax so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out they were making a movie of the book (I love the movie of The Grinch and Cat in the Hat).  The movie is released in NZ next Thursday (29 March) and I have a Lorax prize pack to give away, including a copy of the eco-edition of the book, a Hoyts movie pass, and a recycled paper notebook.

Thanks to everyone who entered this competition.  The winner is Stephanie.

Will Hill introduces Department 19: The Rising

/ zackids / Leave a comment

Department 19: The Rising is the sequel to Will Hill’s 2011 debut.  It’s one of my most anticipated April new releases and I can’t wait to get into it.  Will Hill’s Department 19 books are perfect books for boys, especially those who like Anthony Horowitz and Robert Muchamore.  There’s plenty of action, violence, blood and guts, and vicious (non-sparkling) blood-sucking vampires.

Will Hill will be joining me on the blog in April to tell us why he writes (and reads) scary stories, and I’ll have a chance to win the first two Department 19 books.

Win a signed copy of Balthazar by Claudia Gray

/ zackids / 1 Comment

To celebrate Claudia Gray’s visit to NZ and her NZ Blog Tour I have two signed copies of her latest book, Balthazar to give away.

To get in the draw just read my interview with Claudia today and answer this question “What is Claudia’s advice to teenage guys interested in teenage girls?”  Thanks to HarperCollins NZ for this fantastic prize. 

Thanks to everyone who entered.  The winners were Lisa and Scott. 

Claudia Gray’s NZ Blog Tour – Interview with Claudia

/ zackids / 4 Comments

Claudia Gray is coming to Auckland on 31 March and in the lead up to her visit, she’s doing a New Zealand blog tour.  I was curious about romance in Young Adult fiction and in her books in particular so I caught up with Claudia and asked her some questions.

Romance is a major part of each of your books.  How do you create realistic relationships between your characters?

I think the trick to writing a three-dimensional romance between two characters is to make sure each character is three-dimensional in his or her own right. Often you read a book or see a movie where the hero is portrayed in a lot of detail — but the girl is just “the girl,” and she’s always wearing makeup and looking perfect and possessing zero personality of her own. You also see books and movies where the woman is the center of the piece and the guy is just this toneless, unthreatening slice of beefcake. You never really buy those romances, do you? But when you feel like both people in the romance are real — that they have motivations of their own, flaws of their own, humor and personality that set them apart — then it is also going to feel real when those two people “click.” My rule of thumb is that I would have to want to read a book about either member of the couple that was just about that one person, with no romance. They need to be well-developed enough for that.

Guys often get put off my romance in books.  Why should guys read your books?

First of all, I think it’s just not true that guys hate romance. Guys are told they SHOULD hate romance — and I think sometimes they pretend to more than they really do, because of this weird societal expectation that they’re not supposed to care. (For much the same reason, many girls play down their enjoyment of sports, etc. It’s all very silly.) But guys fall as deeply in love as girls do.

Also, if you are a teenage guy who is into teenage girls, a helpful hint: Spend some time exploring what teenage girls are interested in. This gives you shared interests and something to talk about. You will meet more girls, and these girls will know you’re a little different — more independent, more open, and usually way more attractive to them than the average guy. There are always a handful of guys at my signings — and they are invariably accompanied by about three to six girls each. These are good odds, people. These are the kind of odds you want.

Finally, while there’s a lot of romance in my books, they aren’t purely romance novels. Just as even thrillers and crime novels often have romances folded in, my books have a lot of adventure and action amid all the kissing.

As a teenager would you rather have fallen in love with a vampire or a werewolf?

As a teenager? Probably a werewolf, because you’d only have to deal with the scary hairy stuff one night a month. (At least, in traditional folklore.) It would have made a conflict with the prom far less likely.

When you were a teenager was there a character like Lucas that you fell in love with?

When I was a teenager, sadly, I was Lucas-free. I went to a very small school — 200 people, kindergarten through 12th grade. All of us had known each other since we were babies, which made dating a challenge; the guys all felt more like my brothers than like people I’d want to go out with. No hot, brooding loners with mysterious pasts ever transferred schools into my class, and more’s the pity.

Why do you think paranormal romance appeals so much to teens?

I think paranormal romance appeals to teens because the paranormal allows us to acknowledge the element of fear. Honestly, right now, I believe we are in this cultural place where no one gets to admit vulnerability. Nobody gets to say that they’re afraid, or they’re intimidated, without people treating it as some kind of problem to be overcome. We can’t admit that some experiences are just flat-out terrifying and being afraid of them is a completely natural reaction — and I think falling in love is definitely in this category. Falling in love is SCARY. Having sex for the first time = scary. Being that vulnerable and that open to someone = terror!  We all know it’s true, even if right now we have to pretend to be jaded, sophisticated, and so totally over it all.

So, enter the vampires. And the werewolves. And all the other scary things that have become romantic in the recent past. We’ve hung monster masks on our own fears, so that we can admit them.

Make sure you stop by these other great NZ blogs to find out more about Claudia Gray and her books:

My Most Anticipated April New Releases

/ zackids / 1 Comment

Department 19: The Rising by Will Hill

After the terrifying attack on Lindisfarne at the end of the first book, Jamie, Larissa and Kate are recovering at Department 19 headquarters, waiting for news of Dracula’s stolen ashes.

They won’t be waiting for long.

Vampire forces are gathering. Old enemies are getting too close. And Dracula… is rising.

 

Fear by Michael Grant (Gone series, book #5)

It’s been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they’ve built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

 

Revived by Cat Patrick

Daisy has died five times. She’s a test subject for a government super drug called Revive, which brings people back from the dead. Each time she is revived, Daisy has to move cities and change her identity to avoid suspicion. Daisy has always gotten a thrill out of cheating death, but her latest move has come with unexpected complications: a new best friend, and a very cute new crush. As Daisy’s attachment to her new home grows, she discovers secrets that could tear her world apart. And the more she learns, the more she feels like a lowly pawn in a sinister game.

Rainbow Orchid: Volume 3 by Garen Ewing

At the beginning of Volume Three, Julius and Lily are recovering from the electrifying end of Volume Two. What does the future hold for Evelyn Crow and her gang of desperate villains? Do Julius and Lily have the strength to prevent Urkaz Grope from enacting his evil plans? Don’t miss the stunning conclusion to the biggest adventure in comics!

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

Everyone said sending teenagers into space would be their opportunity of a lifetime… It’s been decades since anyone last set foot on the moon. But three ordinary teens are about to change that–and their lives–forever. Mia knows this will be her punk band’s ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it’s her way out of her restrictive lifestyle in Japan. And Antoine just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible. But little do they know that something sinister is waiting for them on the dark side of the moon.

Picture Book Nook: Seesaw Po by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Katz Cowley

/ zackids / Leave a comment

Read me for NZ Book Month!

Kyle Mewburn has done it once again!  He’s created another clever and fun-filled picture book that children and adults alike will love, and it features a loveable hippo called Po.

Po and his friends love the playground.  “I want to swing!” said Uta.  “I want to slide!” said Madi.  “I want to spin!” said Raff.  “I want to do everything!” said Po.  They all rush off to the playground and have a go on everything.  Everyone, that is, except Po.  Poor Po is just too big to go on anything…until he gets to the seesaw.

Children absolutely love Seesaw Po!  I’ve read it numerous times to children from 2-7 years and they were all captivated by the story.  Older children know right from the start that Po is too big to go on the playground and they feel sorry for him, but they don’t see the surprise ending coming.  It’s a story that all children can relate to because they all love going to the playground and they all have their favourite thing they like to go on (for me it’s always been the swings).  Katz Cowley’s illustrations are as marvelous as always.  You can really see the joy on the faces of the characters as they whizz around on the roundabout and whoosh down the slide.  The favourite illustration of the children I read the book to was Po stuck on the slide and they liked to point out that Uta was trying to pull Po down the slide by his ears.  Book Design deserve a special mention for the wonderful design of the book.  I love how the words follow the characters down the slide and around the roundabout, while still making the text easy to read.   It’s also great to see Scholastic NZ publishing Te Reo versions of their New Zealand picture books, especially these younger picture books.  Seesaw Po is a great collaboration from two of our most talented authors and illustrators.

4 out of 5 stars