book awards

The LIANZA Children’s Book Award 2012 Finalists

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The shortlist for the 2012 LIANZA Children’s Book Awards were announced last week.  Awarded by Librarians for outstanding children’s literature in New Zealand, the LIANZA Awards are for excellence in junior fiction, young adult fiction, illustration, non-fiction and te reo Māori.  There are a great bunch of finalist books this year including some fantastic books that weren’t on the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards shortlist.  I was especially pleased to see Des Hunt’s The Peco Incident, Susan Brocker’s The Wolf in the Wardrobe, and Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis’ Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear in the shortlist.  What are your favourites?

LIANZA Junior Fiction Award – Esther Glen Medal

  • The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else
  • The Peco Incident by Des Hunt
  • The Wolf in the Wardrobe by Susan Brocker
  • Super Finn by Leonie Agnew
  • The Flytrap Snaps; Book One in The Fly Papers by Johanna Knox


LIANZA Young Adult Fiction Award

  • The Shattering by Karen Healey
  • Pyre of Queens by David Hair
  • Dirt Bomb by Fleur Beale
  • The Bridge by Jane Higgins
  • Recon Team Angel: Assault by Brian Falkner

LIANZA Illustration Award – Russell Clark Award

  • Rāhui (Māori ed) by Chris Szekely and Malcolm Ross
  • The Call of the Kokako by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold
  • Fantails Quilt by Gay Hay and Margaret Tolland
  • Bruiser by Gavin Bishop
  • Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
  • Waiting for Later by Tina Matthews


LIANZA Non Fiction Award – Elsie Locke Medal

  • Digging up the Past: Archaeology for the Young & Curious by David Veart
  • Nice Day for a War by Chris Slane and Matt Elliott
  • The Call of the Kokako by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold
  • New Zealand Hall of Fame: 50 Remarkable Kiwis by Maria Gill and Bruce Potter

Te Kura Pounamu (te reo Māori)

  • Rāhui (Māori ed) by Chris Szekely and Malcolm Ross, translated by Brian Morris 
  • Te Poiwhana by Te Kauhoe Wano and Andrew Burdan
  • Ihenga by Aunty Bea – Piatarihi Tui Yates and Katherine Quin Merewether
  • Kei Wareware Tātou by Feana Tu’akoi and Elspeth Alix Batt, translated by Katerina Mataira
  • Nga Taniwha i Te-Whanga-nui-a-Tara by Moira Wairama and Bruce Potter

2012 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist

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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?

Congratulations to Shaun Tan!

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Shaun Tan, the award-winning author of some of the most amazing picture books, has won the biggest prize for children’s books.  The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was set up in memory of Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking, and is awarded every year to authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and those who promote reading.  It is the richest award for children’s literature, with a grand prize of close to $NZ1 million!

If you’ve never read or looked at a book by Shaun Tan you don’t know what you’re missing out on.  He has illustrated more than 20 books, including The Lost Thing, Rabbits, The Red Tree, The Arrival, and my favourite, Tales from Outer Suburbia.  His illustrations are weird and wonderful, and he can tell an amazing story without using words.  Shaun Tan has been super lucky recently because his short film of his book, The Lost Thing, won an Oscar at the Academy Awards.

Congratulations Shaun!