Christine Bongers's Blog, page 9

Here’s looking at you, Mum

Back in 1966, at the age of 36, my mum had given birth to six children in the previous six years – including two sets of twins.

She’s pictured here (at Kemp Beach, Yeppoon, with the younger twins), looking effortlessly elegant in her brother Neil’s hat.

Forty-six years later, she’d probably still fit into that dress… legacy of a lifetime of taking only one potato – and then promptly offering it to the nearest child in need (I suspect I was that child a bit too often for my own good).

I often wish I could be more like my mum – but it’s probably too late now to say no to potatoes – so tonight I’ll simply settle for being with her.

I’m hopping on a plane and flying up to Bilo to help celebrate her birthday. She didn’t think turning 82 was worth making a fuss about, but I beg to differ.

Every birthday is a cause for celebration. And we’ll remind her of that every year from now on

You only live once, Mum…but if you do it right, once is enough.

Be brave, be Squished, be there

The tiny people in my life are squealing with pleasure over this one.

The lovely Kath Battersby’s new picture book Brave Squish Rabbit is an adorable story about conquering fears. And when you’re tiny and squishable, even the smallest fears can take on gargantuan proportions.

For a fun morning with your favourite short people, feel free to join us at Brisbane’s Black Cat Books at Paddington for the launch of Brave Squish Rabbit.

We’d love to see you there.

Quiet please, we have an announcement

Ahem.

Now that I have your attention, the beagle and I have some important news.

For one day only, by special request, on Saturday 15 September, I will be cramming all you ever wanted to know about Writing Young Adult Fiction into a one-day workshop at the Queensland Writers Centre.

It’ll be a fun program, with me and anyone who’s game, bending over a writer’s toolbox, trying not to show our cracks.

Tell your friends – hell, tell anyone with a passion for writing. I’d love to see you there.

Please click HERE if you’d like to find out more.

Happy Father’s Day

To all those Dads who encourage their children to do what they were meant to do … 

and be what they were meant to be. Thank you.♥

The votes are in!

Sending air kisses into the ether – mmwa - to everyone who voted for Dust and Henry Hoey Hobson in THE BIG READ celebrating stories set in Queensland.

Thanks to you, they’ve both come in winners – Dust for Older Readers, and Henry Hoey Hobson in the Younger Readers category.

Saturday’s announcement at the State Library of Queensland by Book Links Qld as part of the National Year of Reading was a great way to end Book Week …and an every better kickstart to Literacy Week (oh yes, the big weeks just keep on rolling for we wranglers of words).

Tomorrow I’m off to Calvary Christian College, and then on to All Hallows and Mt Alvernia later in the week to talk books and writing to secondary students.

And for Brisbane lovers of picture books, please feel free to drop by Riverbend Books at 5pm on Tuesday 28 August for the launch of Gus Gordon’s gorgeous Herman and Rosie. We’d love to see you there.

Thank you voters!

Sending air kisses into the ether – mwa - to everyone who voted for Dust and Henry Hoey Hobson in THE BIG READ celebrating stories set in Queensland.

Thanks to you, they’ve both come in winners – Dust for Older Readers, and Henry Hoey Hobson in the Younger Readers category.

Saturday’s announcement at the State Library of Queensland by Book Links Qld as part of the National Year of Reading was a great way to end Book Week …and an every better kickstart to Literacy Week (oh yes, the big weeks just keep on rolling for we wranglers of words).

Tomorrow I’m off to Calvary Christian College, and then on to All Hallows and Mt Alvernia later in the week to talk books and writing to secondary students.

And for Brisbane lovers of picture books, please feel free to drop by Riverbend Books at 5pm on Tuesday 28 August for the launch of Gus Gordon’s gorgeous Herman and Rosie. We’d love to see you there.

Our time to shine

Man, oh man, I am looking forward to putting my feet up this weekend.

(I even have it scheduled in: 7.30 pm this Saturday, 25 August, to help celebrate The Reading Hour as part of the National Year of Reading.)

It’s Book Week, a huge month for authors – it’s our time to shine.

It’s when we drag ourselves away from the keyboard and out of the dacks of track, and into our silver writing sneakers to sashay our way through talks and workshops all over town.

The best bits are always the kids and their shiny bright ideas. Though I do have a soft spot for the lunch treats all those lovely librarians and teachers roll out for visiting authors (yes, Warrigal Road State School, I am talking about you. Homemade gyoza. Nom nom. Thank you, Mary and Maureen!)

My Book Week kicked off a couple of weeks ago, but it really hotted up this week and is showing no signs of easing till the end of the month.

Last Sunday, I had a fun day with my made-of-awesome Year-of-the-YA-novel students in at the Qld Writers Centre, followed by many fun days with the lovely girls at Moreton Bay College and the champion little writers in at Warrigal Road State School.

Next week, I’m looking forward to spending my days at All Hallows School, Calvary College’s Literature Day, and Mount Alvernia College. And of course, there’s also the wonderful Gus Gordon’s book launch to look forward to (Tuesday 28 August at 5pm at Riverbend Books for those little and big people who love picture books).

If you need me before 31 August, I’ll be hard to track down during the day. But at night, you need look no further than my couch. I’ll be assuming the position. Feet up. Reading a book.

2012 CBCA Books of the Year

Ah yes, the CBCA gongs have sounded for another year, and let me say that this year’s choices all resonated with me.

Winner of the Book of the Year for Older Readers is Scot Gardner’s The Dead I Know, a gritty, yet sensitive tale about a troubled boy apprenticed to a kindly undertaker. A celebration of life in the face of death.

Honour books include two of my favourite reads for the year: Bill Condon’s poignant and funny story of first love, first job, A Straight Line to My Heart; and Robert Newton’s moving story of two brothers marching off to the Great War, When We Were Two.

Book of the Year for Younger Readers was Kate Constable’s time-slip novel exploring black-white relations, Crow Country, with Jackie French’s excellent Nanberry: Black Brother White and Susan Green’s The Truth about Verity Sparks taking out Honour Books.

Early Childhood Book of the Year goes to Nicholas Bland’s The Runaway Hug, and Picture Book of the Year to Bob Graham’s A BUS CALLED HEAVEN.

For a complete list of all Winning and Honour Books, please click here and congratulations to all Book of the Year, Honour Book, and Short-listed authors.

Hitting a high note with Herman and Rosie

Nawww, who could resist this?

Gus Gordon’s gorgeous new picture book Herman and Rosie has already taken New York by storm, with Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan winning the North American rights at auction.

‘It took an extremely talented Australian to remind me why I moved to New York 40 years ago.‘  Neal Porter, the book’s North American publisher.

‘Quirky, soulful and alive…a book to treasure, like a favourite song.’ Markus Zusak, author of the Book Thief.

This gorgeous picture book is as endearing as its author/illustrator, multi-talented, all-round nice-guy, Gus Gordon.

Come meet Gus in Brisbane for the launch of Herman and Rosie at Riverbend Books, Bulimba on Tuesday 28 August at 5pm.

We’d love to see you there. And yes, there will be wine.

Catty’s gone

Sixteen years ago a friend walked in with a grey ball of fluff that his daughter had given him.

‘My kids are grown up,’ he said. ‘I don’t need any new commitments. You take him. You’re not going anywhere for the next sixteen years. ‘

Still in the glow of newly wedded bliss, I let that one slide and picked up the kitten. ‘Does he have a name?’ I asked.

And surprisingly the little ball of fur answered for himself. ‘Al,’ he meowed, and I was sold.

Who could resist a cat that could say his own name?

Yes, he was my cat, but to his credit, he took to each new child with delight, sleeping at their feet at night, and trotting up to the school through their primary school years to walk them home.

He was the ultimate party cat: jumping the fence to join the fairy circle at the neighbour’s birthday party; displaying a bizarre affection for family beach holidays; and always finding the lap of whichever visitor had the strongest aversion to felines.

It took him more than three years to forgive us for getting the beagle, despite the pleasures he discovered in tormenting him.

And for sixteen years, he was my little mate. I spent more hours with Al than with hubba hubby or the kids or my friends or all of my extended family put together. And yesterday he died in my arms.

I thought I’d cried myself out, but it seems that I haven’t… RIP Allan Hallam, you dear old thing. You will always be the best catty ever.