Dianne Bates's Blog, page 11

Promotion Offer

NEW BOOK TO PROMOTE?

 Do you have a new children’s book?

I have vacancies for Australian authors to be featured on my Writing for Children blog http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au

 All you have to do is provide me with:


1.  A jpeg of yourself (if you wish)
2.  A jpeg of your book cover
3.  A blurb about your book including why you wrote it
4. The name of your book’s publisher (and illustrator, if applicable), also date of release
4.  A review of your book (with a link to where it can be found) or an interview about your writing life (I can supply questions, if you wish.)
5.  Information (including links) about where your book can be purchased 

Please send any attachment as a Word document.
 
I ask you to become a follower of this blog and look forward to featuring you herein.
Di Bates
dibates@outlook.comwww.enterprisingwords.com.au

Forthcoming Conferences and Events

If you attend any of the festivals and events listed below, feel free to contact me dibates@outlook.com with an article for this Writing for Children blog. 16-18th May, 2014 CBCA National Conference, Rex Hotel, 250 Northbourne Ave, Braddon, ACT 2612 Theme: Discovering National Treasures. See http://www.cbcaconference.org.au/ for further details.
21st May, 2014 National Simultaneous Storytime 11.00 AEDT. Too Many Elephants in This House by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Andrew Joyner. See https://www.alia.org.au/nss for further details.
30th May – 4th June, 2014 Asian Festival of Children’s Content, Singapore. See www.afcc.com.sg for further details.

6-8th June, 2014 Sydney International Storytelling Conference. See www.storytellersnsw.org.au for further details.

9th June, 2014. The Fairy Tale in Australia. Paddington Uniting Church, 395 Oxford St, Paddington, NSW. See http://www.faeriebard.com/conference-... for further details.
27th – 30th July, 2014. Curtis Coast Literary Carnivale, Gladstone, Queensland. See http://carnivale.gladstonerc.qld.gov.au for further details.
23rd August, 2014 Satellite Meeting of the IFLA Conference, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France. Theme: 15 to 20 year olds reading across the world: Why? Where? How?
10-13th September, 2014 34th IBBY International Congress, Mexico City, Mexico. Reading as an Inclusive Experience. See http://www.ibbycongress2014.org/ for further information.
28th – 30th September, 2014 Inaugural International Library Symposium at The Southport School,
Winchester Street, Southport, Queensland 4215. Theme: Embracing New Landscapes See www.thesouthportschool.com/ils for further information.
15th-17th October, 2014 South Island Children’s and Young Adults’ Librarians Conference, Balclutha, New Zealand. See http://www.cluthadc.govt.nz/LibraryCo... for further details.

31st October-1st November, 2014 Celebrate Reading National Conference, The Literature Centre, Old Prison Hospital, cnr Knutsford St and Hampton Rd, Fremantle, WA. See www.celebratereading.org.au for further information.

2015 IBBY Asian-Oceania Congress in Kuala Lumpur.

25-28th August, 2016 35th IBBY Congress, Auckland, New Zealand.
2018 36th IBBY Congress, Istanbul, Turkey.
 

Current Industry Facts and Figures

More self-published authors are earning a living wage today than Big-5 authors according to a recently published online article. This information was gleaned from an article below. There are some very interesting facts emerging about children’s books lately so today I have made a list of links if you would like to get yourself up to speed of what’s happening in our industry. Any comments would be welcome!
http://authorearnings.com/the-tenured-vs-debut-author-report/?utm_content=buffer03973&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
http://authorearnings.com/the-report/
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/61116-hugh-howey-and-the-indie-author-revolt.html
http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/05/amazons-hachette-dispute-foreshadows.html?m=1&utm_content=bufferbcd7f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
And here are a couple of other links for your interest:
http://www.scoop.it/t/australian-children-s-authors
http://clancytucker.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/29-may-2014-future-neil-gaiman.html

Knowing Joey Field

Knowing Joey Field by Pauline Luke (Brolga Publishing, April 2014)
Moving is never easy, and Matt and Stephie soon learn that life in Moody Bay is something else again.   Matt is befriended by outsider Joey Field, who is believed to have “the gift” of seeing things, and Stephie’s new best friend is the sister of the school bully.
Is there any truth in the tales of sunken treasure? And who is behind the spate of increasingly violent robberies and break-ins?
Told by both Matt and Stephie, Knowing Joey Field is a story of mystery and intrigue, of friendship and acceptance that is sure to appeal to the older reader.
Knowing Joey Field is distributed through Pan MacMillan and available in books stores or mail-order through Pan Macmillan site. (RRP $16.99)

Why I wrote Knowing Joey Field
When writing for  adolescents, or “the older reader”,  you have the opportunity to  raise  important issues for  young people to  think   about at a time when they are beginning to develop their own ideas and attitudes.   The challenge is to present different viewpoints not in a didactic manner but through a  read they will enjoy.   In Knowing Joey Field  the main  issues are accepting  the difference of others, bullying and  employing  our  intellect, intuition and  skills of  observation to the world around us.  
By  using alternate narrators,  brother and sister Matt and Stephie,  not only do I hope to appeal to both the male and female reader, but present a wider range of issues within the story. 
Importantly, at the end of the book  there  is a list of  organisations  where young people who may be  the victim of  bullying or facing other problems  can turn to for help.
Pauline Luke
http://paulineluke.com.au/
Reviews
Good Reads:
 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22001943-knowing-joey-field



 
 

The Importance of Setting

An interview with Australian children’s author, Melissa Wray whose latest book is Destiny Road (Morris Publishing Australia)

How important is setting? Does every detail need to be explained? How can setting work in the author's favour?

These three questions are important to my writing because I am a little light on when it comes to details. I know where the scene will be set. I'm just not sure of the details to be included until later. This usually happens after the chapter is written and I'm sure of the added sensory information needed. My writing style is generally to get it written then come back and fatten it up later.

One reviewer accurately wrote of Destiny Road;

"Wray’s descriptions lay out the scene perfectly. They are in-depth enough to give you all of the details necessary to picture the scene or scenery, but do not go so far that you get lost in the description, losing out on the story as a whole."

When I first wrote Destiny Road I was not clear on where the story was actually set. However, I knew exactly where certain scenes were to take place. These were the easiest to write as I had them conjured up in my mind already. I could smell the bonfire, feel the sandy beach and hear the motorbikes in the bush.

For my next story, Summer Change, which is a work in progress, the setting was very clear for me. For the most part this made it easier to write about. I could use it to my advantage. It allowed me to write with more certainty as the location was mapped out in my mind. I just needed to pull the scenes together.

Setting is not just descriptive writing though. Sure you want to paint a picture with words. But it's important for the reader to imagine the setting from their own experiences. From these they can imagine sounds, smells, perhaps even tastes that the writer has made no mention of.

Too many details can sometimes take away from the writing while some people enjoy the poetic nature of writing. Personal preference for a reader varies. This is the problem writers are up against when deciding what to include and what to omit. Sometimes it is not the amount of words used to describe the setting, but the quality of the words.

For example;

The cold wind whipped against her cheeks making them sting. The trees along the trail did little to protect her from the elements.

Let's try tweaking the words as follows;

The bitter wind whipped against her cheeks making them sting. The gum trees along the trail offered no protection from the elements

The second is tighter, succinct and offers a better visual idea of the setting than the first. That's why editing is so much fun! You can play around with the words to get the most out of your words.

Wherever the story is set writers have a duty to transport their readers to that exact location. After all, isn't that why we read -- to get swept away in a great book and become transported to that world, if only for a while.

Melissa Wray’s debut novel Destiny Road, is about choices, consequence, heartbreak and acceptanceYou can connect with Melissa Wray.BlogGoodreadsFacebook To read the first chapter for free go to Morris Publishing Australia
 
 
 

When I See Grandma

When I See Grandma is a picture book by Australian duo Debra Tidball (author) and Leigh Hedstrom (illustrator), for pre /early school children. It is about two young children who visit their Grandmother in an aged care home, and was inspired by Debra’s experiences of taking her children to visit their Grandmother during her decline with dementia.
The two children in the story are sometimes sad to see their Grandma because she seems to be always asleep, but they are glad that they can ‘brighten her dreams.’ As they do this, the reader gains an insight into Grandma’s past, linking her past to the present and the children’s vitality transforms the setting to the benefit of the other residents. The children make memories they will treasure forever whilst helping Grandma remember.
When I see Grandma is a love story that connects generations in a powerful way despite barriers posed by age and illness. Author royalties are donated to the Hazel Hawke Dementia Research and Care Fund.
What reviewers have said:
Author Debra Tidball and illustrator Leigh Hedstrom have combined to produce a colourful and delightful children's hardcover book: When I See Grandma.

This little gem is designed to teach little ones to treasure and appreciate life in all its many stages – and that being old, frail and infirm is just as much a part of living as being young and vibrant. It also teaches children that they can have a positive influence on the lives of those they love and who love them.

This would make an excellent gift from Grandma to her young grandchildren. It is designed for pre-school and early grade school children. DS via Goodreads.
To see other reviews on Goodreads, visit https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20985022-when-i-see-grandma
To find other reviews, including a radio interview with SBS, go to Debra’s blog on her website www.debratidabll.com
Released February 2014 and published by Wombat Books, When I See Grandma can be purchased at http://www.wombatbooks.com.au/when-i-see-grandma or from good bookstores including Berkelouw Books, Lindfield Bookshop, The Children’s Bookshop Beecroft and Koorong stores.

ALIEN WIZARDRY

© Antoinette Conolly Alien Wizardry - the sequel to the Cauchemar Trilogy was written because many of my readers emailed me and wanted to know what happened after the end of Book 3, Mactavish’s Destiny.
Zachary travels again to the magical world of Cauchemar at the request of his friend Mactavish. The boy has made three previous journeys there but on the last occasion the ginger cat did not return with him to Earth.
Cauchemar is threatened with extinction if an ancient prophecy is not satisfied. Alien assistance is required to complete the task and many difficulties have to be overcome. Zachary and his companion, Taffy, have many friends who help – Magenta the witch, Bijou the dragon and Ulysses the unicorn (to name a few).
Can they succeed in defeating the black magic of Malfactorius and save Cauchemar?
I am a self-publisher and the illustrator of my cover is Michael Smetham who now lives in London. My books are printed by Ligare Pty Ltd in Sydney.
Alien Wizardry was published on December 20 2013, but was not made available for sale until the end of January 2014.
The book is about 70,000 words and there are no illustrations. It is suitable for competent readers aged from 7 to 13. Many adults also enjoy the story.
My book will soon be reviewed in “Buzzwords” and on “Writers Web”.
I have been writing for about eight years.
My books are the Cauchemar Trilogy     Zachary’s Odyssey
                                                                 Perilous Journey
                                                                 Mactavish’s Destiny
and A Key to Time published in 2012.
So far, I have sold over 1500 copies of my books.
The trilogy was reprinted in 2009. Initially I sold my books through a number of bookshops in Sydney, but in the last four years as the bookshops have disappeared, I now sell my books from my website: http://www.antoinetteconolly.com  or by email a.conolly@optusnet.com.au.
I also have visited many primary schools and libraries. As I am a retired high school teacher, I have no difficulty speaking to large groups of children and find that I am in demand (particularly in Book Week and Education Week) as an example of “a real-live author”!
My presentation describes the process of writing a novel and also involves the students in discussion of text types, different techniques for characterisation, plot etc and the extent of their reading/writing knowledge. Of course, I also talk about my books and usually read an excerpt from one of them. The most enjoyable part for me is the question time at the end. Children never cease to surprise and delight me!
My books can now only be purchased from me or from Writers Web.
They are also advertised on the SCIS site (school librarians access this)
Alien Wizardry costs $25 which includes postage and packaging.
You can read reviews of my other books on “Writers Web”.
 
 
 

VIVA LA POETRY REVOLUTION!

Launched in March 2014, the unique blog site, Australian Children’s Poetry  http://wwww.australianchildrenspoetry.com.au had nearly 10,000 hits in the first six weeks as people made connections with our country’s A to Z of children’s poets and read articles, interviews and more about the subject. With the site, I am trying to revitalise poetry in Australia, starting with poetry in schools.

Here’s a thought: if all of us with a love of, and connection to, Australian children’s poetry united, we might just put poetry and Australian children, teachers, publishers and booksellers on the same page. United, we can be a powerful force! We can bring poetry into schools and into bookshops and into the community at large. We can exert pressure on organisations such as the CBCA and/or state and federal governments to fund prizes, competitions and/or otherwise promote children’s poetry.
Recently I asked poets to consider approaching school/s to offer to present a poetry reading and/or poetry writing workshops. Now I’m asking teachers and librarians to make a conscious effort to book poets when they next decide to have a children’s writer in their school (see poets' contact details on the site http://wwww.australianchildrenspoetry.com.au)
Another idea for interested people is to organise poetry readings in schools, either by students, teachers and/or visitors. Every teacher in the school could read their favourite poem at a special celebration assembly; there might also be a mini eisteddfod devoted to children’s poetry recitations!
There is interest in schools; recently poet and verse novelist Sherryl Clark emailed me that she is undertaking a May Gibbs residency in Brisbane in May, part of which is presenting workshops in schools. Initially, when Sherryl suggested poetry workshops, the State Library thought that maybe there wouldn’t be enough interest and that she should offer story writing as well. Sherryl recently received a draft schedule and four of the five schools requested poetry! Point taken!
Am I being too optimistic in thinking that together we can revolutionise children’s poetry in schools and in our community? What do you think? Do you want to be part of the Poetry Revolution?

Feel free to send your thoughts and/or experiences to me at dibates@outlook.com  Dianne (Di) Bates is known as a children’s author who lives in Australia. Her first anthology of Australian children’s poetry, Our Home is Dirt by Sea, will be published in 2015 by Walker Books Australia. Meanwhile, she has published a collection of anonymous verse, Erky Perky Silly Stuff (Five Senses Education).   
 
 

PAPER MAGIC

Paper Magic by Australian author Jeff Doherty is a novel for young readers about finding courage, facing challenges and overcoming self-doubt. It is about the power of friendship and discovering you don't need magic to be worthwhile.

Marina needs a wheelchair to get around. Her legs might not work but she has clever hands.

Marina spends her days staring out at the park from her bedroom window. The park calls to her. It tugs at a place deep in her chest but the thought of meeting the children who play there sends her into a breathless panic. On the last day of the holidays, before starting at a new school, Nana arrives with a magical gift to change Marina’s life.

When Marina discovers she can breathe life into the origami figures she creates from Nana's magic paper, it gives her the courage to go out and explore the park.

The inspiration for Paper Magic One day when my son was younger, he came home from school and I watched him scooting around the lounge room on his hands, dragging his legs behind him. It turned out one of his classmates was a young girl with Spina Bifida, a spinal cord disorder. I got to know Sarah during that year and she was one of the most inspirational kids I have ever met. Nothing was too hard for her. She competed at the sports carnivals, tried everything the other kids did and her greatest desire at the time was to get a wheelchair with slanty wheels so she could go fast. I decided back then, I wanted to write a book about a character just like Sarah.
Since 2007 I have been working as a School Learning Support Officer assisting children with special needs to thrive in a mainstream schooling environment. Helping these wonderful children overcome their limitations is such a rewarding job. Each and every one of them is an inspiration to me.
Paper Magic was published by IFWG Publishing Australia www.ifwgaustralia.com
Pub Date: October 2013 ISBN: 9780992302016 RRP: $15.99 (Aust) Format: Paperback – 98 pagesKindle, NOOK Books, Kobo Books Illustrations: Black & white Publisher: IFWG Publishing Australia Ages: 8-12 For moreInformationAnd Orders: gerryhuntman@ifwgpublishing.comGerry Huntman Ph: 0421 739 061Wholesale Discounts Available
[image error]
      Children’s author, Jaquelyn Muller reviewed Paper Magic for BuzzWords; the full interview can be read at http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com/2013/11/paper-magic.html
Copies of Paper Magic can be purchased by asking your local bookstore to order in a copy, direct from the publisher’s website http://ifwgaustralia.com/shop-item-paper-magic/   or in most on-line bookstores - links to the sites that offer the best prices can be found at www.papermagicbook.com
 

THE POPPY

The Poppy, by Andrew PlantFord Street Publishing, 2014
In the Somme region of northern France is a village that seems to have been lifted out of rural Australia. Australian flags fly from almost every flagpole, images of kangaroos adorn the town hall, cafes and restaurants. The streets have names such as Melbourne and Victoria, and the schools have enough fluffy Australian animal toys and artwork to fill a shop. Even the crèche is called Les Marsupiaux. This is Villers-Bretonneux, and the story of why it has this profound connection with Australia is what inspired me to write The Poppy.
Villers-Bretonneux was the site of one of the Australia Corps’ most dramatic and improbable victories in WWI. At great cost, Germany’s final attempt to win the war was stopped by two brigades of the 4thand 5th Australian Divisions. Some historians consider it to be the turning point of the entire conflict. Australian soldiers fought bravely and lost lives severely in many places on the Western Front, but what makes Villers-Bretonneux so unique is the extent to which commemoration of the battle has been upheld for the last 95 years. Villers-Bretonneux is ‘the town that never forgets’, and in the fields just outside the town stands the Australian National Memorial to our soldiers missing in France, those whose bodies were never recovered.
I discovered the story for myself just before going to live in Paris for 3 months in 2011, and was stunned that I had never been aware of it. Nor, it seemed, did anyone else to whom I spoke. Of course, anyone with an interest in WWI knew it well, but it seemed to me that this was just as significant as Gallipoli, and that it should be as widely known. Hence, The Poppy.
Why a picture book? I felt that the time to teach Australians about this extraordinary story was while they were young, so that they would grow up with the admittedly awkward-to-pronounce Villers-Bretonneux being as familiar to them as Gallipoli. (By the way, the ‘s’ is silent, and the ‘eux’ is something between an ‘oh’ and an ‘er.’)
With the centenaries approaching, I also realised that the time was perfect to tell some of the story of the Western Front, where most of our casualties and all of our victories occurred. It also became a very personal story when I decided to include images of my daughter in the paintings, something I have never done before. (I’m probably best known for my dinosaurs, definitely not my people. People are hard!)
I am aware that some people think that the subject matter and the format of the book may be a little unusual for a children’s picture book, but I believe that kids have far more emotional intelligence than we give them credit for. Is the story sad? Undeniably yes. But it is also incredibly hopeful and uplifting, and I hope I have captured at least a little of that.
For a recent review of The Poppy, go to http://blog.boomerangbooks.com.au/the-poppy/2014/04
Andrew’s website is www.andrewplant.com