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Posts tagged ‘Morris Gleitzman’

Best of 2013

I’m not sure I really like doing best of lists because I am so sure I am going to miss something that I thought was really cool. I look at the books on my shelves to see if anything prods my memory. Using this method is very scattershot but does give me a couple of titles I had forgotten about. There is no real rhyme or reason to this list, they are simply the books that stayed with me the most or caught my attention for longer than others.

Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff (YA)

9780230768963

Acid by Emma Pass (YA)9780552566148

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo (8+)

flora-and-ulysses

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (9+)

the-school-for-good-and-evil

Extra Time by Morris Gleitzman (8+)

9780143307754

Princess Betony and the Rule of Wishing by Pamela Freeman (5+)

princess-betony-and-the-rule-of-wishing

Violet Mackerel’s Pocket Protest by Anna Branford (5+)

9781921977572

Noah Dreary by Aaron Blabey (picture book)

9780670077182

Journey by Aaron Becker (picture book)

9781406342307All of these are worth more than a quick look.

Continue reading throughout the new year, I know there will be heaps of great books out in 2014.

 

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Topics and Recommendations

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Extra Time

I received my copy from the publisher.

9780143307754

By: Morris Gleitzman

Matt is good at soccer, in fact he is great a soccer, better than anyone else in his town. He is not supposed to play too rough because of previous injuries and his manager, and younger sister is determined to make sure he doesn’t get injured again. The other thing about a manager is that they are responsible for making sure their player gets the best possible opportunities. To this end she reaches out and the most amazing thing happens. Matt his given an amazing opportunity with a soccer club in England. Before long the young manager realises she really needs to step up if she is to stop her brother becoming what others want him to be not what he really is.

This is a wonderful, heartwarming story. Matt is a resilient character, quiet and friendly, he has a real peace and drive about him. His talent gives him joy, but he also feels responsible. His sister is the narrator and she drives the story along. The beautiful thing about this story is the family dynamic. They have their problems, their disagreements but ultimately they really care for each other and want what is best. There is a small commentary on the nature of professional sports but more important is the theme of friendship and not losing passion for the things you love.

A thoroughly wonderful tale, told with Gleitzman’s experienced and balanced hand. The world is portrayed so realistically, from the small Australian town, to the estates of an English city and on to the glamour and wealth of professional sports. This is a layered story with a warm beating heart. The openness and joy of the characters even as they struggle to come to grips with things well out of their comfort zones is engaging. A real pleasure of a story to sink into and not just for those who love their sports.

Highly recommended.

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 24 July 2013

Format: Paperback 200 pages

Categories: Family, Sports, Humour

ISBN 13: 9780143307754

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

Now I had this great idea to put in one post a bunch of trailers from a wide variety of my have Aussie authors…but then I struck a problem, there just aren’t that many clips out there.

So instead I will list for you just a few Aussie authors worth checking out, if you haven’t already, and leave it at that.

In no particular order and by all means not a comprehensive list, (the heat here today is over the old hundred mark and my brain is trying to pretend it is somewhere cool).

Michael Pryor

Marianne de Pierres

Jackie French

Anthony Eaton

Marcus Zusak

Michael Gerard Bauer

Wendy Harmer

Cath Crowley

Lili Wilkinson

Margo Lanagan

Lian Tanner

James Roy

Kate Forsyth

Andy Griffiths

Morris Gleitzman

And then of course once I started thinking about Aussie authors I wanted to add, the list kept getting longer and then I could find more clips but not necessarily trailers and so I will leave you with just a few and apologise to anyone I didn’t add by saying it’s only because my brain is sweating.

 

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A Little Fun

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Pizza Cake

By: Morris Gleitzman

This is a book about many things. Open these pages and you will find out how to survive a deadly situation with a paper clip. You may find the courage to face up to scary things by eating a certain type of pizza. Then again you may simply relate to being part of a strange, weird and annoying family, and find the ability to make friends in the most unexpected of places. Of course it could be worse, you may find yourself in a reality where teachers get paid better than rock stars.

With a collection of short stories it can be difficult to summarize a book, suffice to say, this is a collection of witty, clever and just plain funny stories, from an author that speaks a language young readers understand and enjoy. Some of these stories are a little ridiculous, and some have a little hidden meaning if you care to scratch under the surface. With these stories Gleitzman has taken some familiar concepts (vampires, embarrassing parents and sibling rivalries) and had a little fun with them.

As with any story collection there will be certain tales that jump out at a reader, I know which of these stories are my faves, just like I’m sure many a reader will be happy to romp through this collection in search of their own. If you’re a fan I don’t really need to say anything else, and if you’ve never sampled, then Pizza Cake is a pretty tasty place to start.

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 31 October 2011

Format: Paperback 160 pages

Categories: Fiction, Short Stories

ISBN 13: 9780143305989

Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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ALMA Nominees 2012

184 candidates from 66 countries are nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2012. This was revealed at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Thursday October 13th 2011.

Over one hundred expert organisations from all over the world have nominated the candidates. The recipient or recipients of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award will be announced on March 20th 2012.

Here are some of the authors you may be familiar with:

Allan Ahlberg

David Almond

Quentin Blake

Eric Carle

Joy Cowley

Hazel Edwards

Michael Foreman

Neil Gaiman

Morris Gleitzman

Margaret Mahy

Michael Morpurgo

Meg Rosoff

There are of course many other names of authors/illustrators/individuals/organisations who have contributed to children’s literacy and the full list can be found here.

A huge congratulations must go out to all these incredible people and organisations.

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News

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ABIA 2011

The Australian Book Industry Awards have been announced.

The relevant winners for us here are :

International Success of the Year 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Penguin Group Australia, for Once, Then and Now

Book of the Year for Younger Children (age range 0 to 8 years) 2011

Noni the Pony, written and illustrated by Alison Lester, published by Allen & Unwin

Book of the Year for Older Children (age range 8 to14 years) 2011

Conspiracy 365, written by Gabrielle Lord, published by Scholastic Australia

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News

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2011 ABIA Awards – Finalists Announced

The finalists for this year’s Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) have been announced. The winners will be announced on Monday 25 July during the 2011 ABA Conference.

International Success of the Year 2011

Allen & Unwin, for Tales from Outer Suburbia (Shaun Tan)

Hachette, for The Red Tree (Shaun Tan)

HarperCollins, for The Innocent Mage (Karen Miller)

Penguin, for Once, Then and Now  (Morris Gleitzman)

Book of the Year for Younger Children (age range 0 to 8 years) 2011

All Through the Year (Jane Godwin, illus by Anna Walker, Penguin)

Feathers for Phoebe (Rod Clement, HarperCollins)

Maudie and Bear (Jan Omerod, illus by Freya Blackwood, Little Hare)

Mirror (Jeannie Baker, Walker Books)

Noni the Pony (Alison Lester, A&U)

The Legend of the Golden Snail (Graeme Base, Penguin)

Book of the Year for Older Children (age range 8 to 14 years) 2011

Conspiracy 365 (Gabrielle Lord, Scholastic)

Graffiti Moon (Cath Crowley, Pan Macmillan)

Shakespeare’s Hamlet (illus by Nicki Greenberg, A&U)

Museum of Thieves: The Keepers Book 1 (Lian Tanner, A&U)

Now (Morris Gleitzman, Penguin)

A big congratulations to all nominees.

Further details can be found here.

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News

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Speech Pathology Australia 2011 Book of the Year Awards

Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) this week released the shortlist for its annual Book of the Year Awards.

These awards were started with the objective to promote literacy and the need for good literacy skills, and enabling speech pathologists, teachers and parents the resources to build a library that can be uses to help promote literacy and reading.

There are four categories and this years short list is :

YOUNG CHILDREN

A Giraffe in the Bath
Mem Fox & Olivia Rawson, ill. Kerry Argent – Penguin Group (Australia)

The ABC Book of Cars, Train, Boats and Planes
Helen Martin, Judith Simpson & Cheryl Orsini – Harper Collins Publishers Australia

Can We Lick the Spoon Now?
Carol Goess, ill. Tamsin Ainslie – Working Title Press

The Flying Orchestra
Clare McFadden – University of Queensland Press

I Found a Friend and My Friend Found Me
Beth Norling – Penguin Group (Australia)

It’s Bedtime, William!
Deborah Niland – Penguin Group (Australia)

JoJo Goes to Playgroup
Christine Miesen – Penguin Books (Australia)

Leo, the Littlest Seahorse
Margaret Wild, ill. Terry Denton – Penguin Group (Australia)

The Little Drummer Boy
Bruce Whatley – Random House (Australia)

Love from Grandma
Jane Tanner – Penguin Group (Australia)

One Funky Monkey
Stacey McCleary, ill. Sue Degennaro – Walker Books Australia

The Truth About Penguins
Meg McKinlay, ill. Mark Jackson – Walker Books

LOWER PRIMARY

Boris Gets a Lizard
Andrew Joyner – Penguin Group (Australia)

The Boy and the Toy
Sonya Hartnett, ill. Lucia Masciullo – Penguin Group (Australia)

Duck for a Day
Meg McKinlay – Walker Books

Hairy Nose, Itchy Butt
Elizabeth Frankel, ill. Garry Duncan – Jane Curry Publishing

The Important Things
Peter Carnavas – New Frontier Publishing

Magpie
Luke Davies, ill. Inari Kiuru – Harper Collins Publishers Australia

The Miracle of the Little Wooden Duck
Margaret Wild, ill. Dee Huxley – Working Title Press

Miracle on Separation Street
Bob Graham – Walker Books

Scaly-tailed Possum and Echidna
Cathy Goonack – Magabala Books

Shake a Leg
Boori Pryor – Allen & Unwin

The Snake and the Boy
Azmen Senastien – Magabala Books

UPPER PRIMARY

Arnie Avery
Sue Walker – Walker Books

Battle Boy: White War
Charlie Carter – Pan MacMillan Australia

Grimsdon
Deborah Abela – Random House Australia

Harriet Bright: The Star You Are
Claire Craig – Penguin Group (Australia)

Head Spinners
Thalia Kalkipsakis – Allen & Unwin

Mosquito Advertising: The Parfizz Pitch
Kate Hunter – Quniversity of Queensland Press

The Keepers: Museum of Thieves
Lian Tanner – Allen & Unwin

Nanny Piggins & the Runaway Lion
R. A. Spratt – Random House (Australia)

NOW
Morris Gleitzman – Penguin Group (Australia)

Raven’s Mountain
Wendy Orr – Allen & Unwin

Red Dirt Diary
Katrina Nannestad – Harper Collins Publishers

The Song of the Winns
Frances Watts – Harper Collins Publishers

INDIGENOUS CHILDREN

Beautiful Colours
Tina Raveneau – Black Ink Press

The Devil You Know
Leonie Norrington – Allen & Unwin

Fair Skin Black Fella
Renee Fogorty – Magabala Books

Guulaangga the Green Tree Frog
Gloria Whalan – Black Ink Press

Jakobi & Nan
Esther Fisher – Black Ink Press

The Little Moo Cow
John Delacour – Black Ink Press

Look See, Look at Me
Leonie Norrington – Allen & Unwin

Our World: Bardi Jaawi Life at Ardiyooloon
One Arm Point Remote Community School – Magabala Books

Peka-Boo, the smallest bird in the world
Eliza Feely – Allen & Unwin

Sam’s Fishing Adventure
Monique Russell – Black Ink Press

Scaly-tailed Possum and Echidna
Cathy Goonack – Magabala Books

Shake a Leg
Boori Pryor – Allen & Unwin

Sissy’s Secret
Althea McKeown – Black Ink Press

The Snake and the Boy
Azmen Goonack – Magabala Books

Stolen Girl
Trina Saffioti – Magabala Books

Walkabout with our Mates
Esther Fischer – Black Ink Press

Congratulations to all short listed authors. The Awards will be presented  in Darwin on Tuesday 18 October 2011.

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News

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Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2011 – Short List

Today saw the announcement of the short list for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2011. Firstly a big congrats to all listed authors across the categories.

The two categories that are of particular interest to TheKylieVerse are: Children’s Fiction and Young Adult Fiction.

Children’s Fiction 

Why I Love Australia – Bronwyn Bancroft

Flyaway – Lucy Christopher

Now – Morris Gleitzman

April Underhill, Tooth Fairy – Bob Graham

Shake a Leg – Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod

Young Adult 

Good Oil – Laura Buzo

Graffiti Moon – Cath Crowley

The Three Loves of Persimmon – Cassandra Golds

About a Girl – Joanne Horniman

The Piper’s Son – Melina Marchetta

The complete list can be found here.

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News

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