Review: Young Dark Emu: A Truer History

Meet The Illustrator : Ruth De Vos

Name: Ruth de Vos

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Colourful, layered and slightly quirky

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Good light, a cup of coffee, plenty of paper and room to spread it all out.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
It doesn’t get much better than pencil on paper, but when I’m not illustrating on paper I LOVE to make ‘illustrations’ with fabric and stitch. I do this by stitching together lots of little pieces of fabric, and incorporating some dyeing and screen-printing.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Shirley Hughes, Freya Blackwood and Leon Pericles.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?

As far as illustration goes, we live in a pretty amazing period right now, with the new possibilities that digital drawing opens up. Looking back, though, I am intrigued by life and work of the illustrators that worked before photography to capture and record scientific specimens. I’m sure life was difficult, but I would love to be a fly on the wall to observe how they worked.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I spent many happy hours writing and illustrating books as a child, but only seriously revisited illustrating after many years of drawing for my textile artworks. In my textile art I love to capture children discovering and enjoying this wonderful world, which has led to a regular practice of drawing children and the spaces they inhabit.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I have a large upstairs studio that overlooks our living and dining room. I’m a stay-at-home Mum to six children, and need to be able to monitor family life from my studio. It is also large enough to accommodate the children’s activities, if they want to be nearby. That’s where all the messy stuff happens (printing, cutting out fabric, sewing, planning). In addition, I have a beautiful vintage mess hall table in our lounge, which serves as my drawing table. I love having a space so close to the centre of the home, for drawing every day. The light is beautiful there, as are the views across the valley. I especially love to sit here and draw in the evenings right after dinner, while my husband is reading bedtime stories to the children. On my drawing table there is a set of metal drawers (to keep the mess out of sight) a beautiful wooden box containing pens, pencils and brushes, and a couple of extra pots with all my colour pencils. My sketchbook sits open on the table at all times, enticing me to come and draw.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I love making my characters move and do whatever they need to do to tell the story. Often this means getting my kids to pose so that I can capture a bunch of reference photos!

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep a sketchbook and draw in it everyday. There is no substitute for showing up whether or not you feel like it, or for a regular creative habit.

Ruth de Vos’ illustration work has grown out of a career as a internationally recognised textile artist. Ruth combines traditional (pencil, gouache, collage, screen printing) and digital techniques to create fun scenes and worlds. As a mother of six young children, she is an avid and discerning consumer of children’s literature, and she also has a ready source of drawing inspiration right in her home. 

Please visit Ruth's website for more information or follow her on instagram .

from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2IbtQij

Review: Science You Can Eat

Have you ever wondered why onions bring tears to our eyes? Or why popcorn actually pops? How about the mysteries of the world's smelliest fruit or how to make edible slime? Well, wonder no more. In this exciting and informative new book, Science You Can Eat, you will find all these answers and more!

Author, Stefan Gates, is a well known television presenter in the UK who has written many books and presented many programs on science and food. In his clear and humorous style, readers can learn fun facts and try some of the experiments at home to prove or disprove their scientific hypotheses.

Sections on unusual foods, cooking without heat and exploding foods are particularly unique. The design, photography and illustrations ensure this book is constantly engaging, with appeal to children mostly aged 8-12, but also to anyone who loves science and food, tow of the best things in the world.


Title: Science You Can Eat
Author: Stefan Gates
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Limited, $24.99
Publication Date: 4 June 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780241301838
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior non-fiction




from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2IBEsGe

Review: Paint with Magic

Explore the joys of painting and creating in this charming, rhyming picture book from Sandi Wootan and Pat Kan.

When a child finds a box with the label ‘Paint with Magic’ on it, they discover the power to bring their paintings to life on the page.

But when the characters created by the young protagonist aren’t satisfied with the picture and demand corrections, scenery and more and more friends to play with, something must be done.

This is a fun and joyful story about creativity and imagination. With delightful and colourful illustrations, each page is eye-catching and fun to explore. The characters are big, bold and bright, and I love that kids can use the book as an easy reference to create their own illustrations.

The simple rhyming text flows beautifully throughout the story, and with heaps of suspenseful page turns, it’s also great to read to a crowd.

I love books that spark creativity in kids, and this is definitely one of them. I can see kids running off to create their own magical paintings immediately after hearing this story and playing pretend with their own magic paintbrushes.

For kids who love to create, and for those who maybe just need a little inspiration, Paint with Magic is a magical picture book and a whole lot of fun.

Title: Paint with Magic

Author: Sandi Wootan

Illustrator: Pat Kan

Publisher: Big Sky Publishing, $14.99

Publication Date: 1 June 2019

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781922265098

For ages: 3 - 6

Type: Picture Book

from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2XDYsOV

Review: Mummy Cuddle

Review: The Boy Who Hit Play

An interesting and impressive style of prose sweeps us into the life of twelve year old Elvis Crampton Lucas; soundsmith and YouTuber. 

When Elvis was a baby, he was left at the zoo under a newspaper and picked up and placed in a Stetson by George Lucas (not the famous one) who raised him as his son.

On his twelfth birthday, Elvis’ wishes he knew why he was abandoned. George, with Lloyd, their best friend, decide to make Elvis’ wish come true. Lloyd provides the money from an unusual source and with the Aftenposten, the newspaper found with Elvis, and hearts full of hope and optimism, they set off for Norway. 

Their search for the answer to Elvis’ question, found at the end of the greatest adventure of their never-travelled lives, will change them forever.

Along with mysterious occurrences, loss of passports, and being chased by unknown men in strange places, many dilemmas confront the group. It’s Elvis’ sharp mind that solves riddles and opens the way to a succession of clues in the chain that stretches across the world.

The three characters are unique. They are bound together by unconditional love and acceptance. Seekers of happiness, they all own spontaneity, impulse and fearlessness. These traits will be needed to link the mysterious events, revelations, and countless obstacles they will encounter before they reach their final destination and the answer to Elvis’ why.

 

This is a complex and multi-layered story filled with brilliance. The journey undertaken by Elvis, George and Lloyd is one of excitement, anticipation and repetitive acts of love. Each character is changed by the journey to truth that they have undertaken together. Although it is about growth and change, lies and truth, it also reveals how some people live with a person all their lives and never really know them.

Themes of identity, family ties, truth and hidden secrets hum with tension through this outstanding piece of work forcing the pages to turn.  It is Chloe Daykin’s second novel.

Title: The Boy Who Hit Play

Author: Chloe Daykin

Publisher, Allen & Unwin, $14.99

Publication Date: August 2018

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780571326785

For ages: 12+

Type: Middle Grade Fiction

 



from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2WHhffX

12 Curly Questions with author Astrid Scholte

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
My hair was used as a model for a digital double in the King Kong ride at Universal Studios.

2. What is your nickname?
Asti or Astro.

3. What is your greatest fear?
I saw Jaws at my neighbour’s house when I was only three years old and I’ve been terrified of the ocean and sharks ever since!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Twisty, a little dark and a whole lot of fun.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Imaginative. Unexpected. Pacy. Emotive. Captivating.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I’d like to be a side character in the Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. That way, I won’t be in danger, but I get to live in such an intriguing fantasy world.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
July 17th, 1955 to attend the grand opening of Disneyland. Disneyland is my favourite place in the world, and I’d love to see what it was like when it first opened and, of course, meet Walt Disney.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
All the hard work, dreaming and patience paid off. Time to celebrate!

9. Who is your greatest influence? 
Walt Disney. I’ve loved Disney animated films since I was a kid. The whimsy and wonder has not only impacted my writing but who I am today. Watching the Disney princess movies over the years inspired me to write my own kind of royalty in Four Dead Queens.

10. What/who made you start writing?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve written stories, writing my first 'novel' at age five. The desire to be published only increased as I got older. Reading Twilight in 2006 inspired me to try my hand at YA, although it took another 10 years to sign with an agent.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Ephemeral. Not only do I like the sound of the word, but I think it’s important to cherish each moment before it passes.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
That’s a tricky question! Could I be cheeky and say my notebook? That way, I could write all kinds of stories in it, and not have to read the same thing over and over.

Raised on a diet of Spielberg, Lucas and Disney, Astrid Scholte knew she wanted to be surrounded by all things fantastical from a young age. She’s spent 10 years working in film, animation and television as an artist and manager. Four Dead Queens (Allen & Unwin) is her debut novel. For more information, see www.astridscholte.com.

from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2R4FNsV

Cover Reveal: Pippa by Dimity Powell

Pippa is a little pigeon with big blue-sky ambitions: to fly solo and explore the world beyond her nest.

Her parents are less than thrilled with their risk-taking, feathered fledgling and smother her with well-meant yet suffocating warnings until one day she ignores them all and takes the leap into the unknown…alone.

This plucky little pigeon is also the star of my latest picture book, Pippa, which she considers something of a self-titled achievement! She is young, feisty, determined and wilful, just like many youngsters, and she refuses to remain grounded by her parents' overprotective ways.

But what happens when she throws caution to the wind and encounters more adventure than she bargained for? You can find out for yourself this July when Pippa lands in bookshops around Australia.

Masterfully illustrated by Andrew Plant and published by Ford Street Publishing, Pippa is a light-hearted adventure tale about striking out alone, following your dreams and experiencing what it’s like when you get there. I can't wait to introduce her to you. So here she is...!

Visit Dim's Write Stuff blog for more details on Pippa's launch dates both in Brisbane and Melbourne (with Andrew Plant).

Dimity Powell had a loft-full of homing pigeons when she was a kid. She often stayed with them well after dark, not to avoid her parents. She just liked watching them sleep. If she had wings, she’d fly but she doesn’t so is a full-time children’s author, semi-professional chook wrangler and occasional adventurer instead.

Andrew Plant is an author and illustrator of picture and education books, several of which have been CBCA notable books. He has been published in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, USA and South Korea. He has presented sessions in schools and libraries from Alice Springs to Beijing and France. He also paints murals for schools, libraries and museums, and designs and builds theatre sets.

Title: Pippa
Author: Dimity Powell
Illustrator: Andrew Plant
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing, $24.95
Publication Date: July 2019
ISBN: 9781925804263
Format: Hardcover
For ages: 3 – 6
Type: Picture Book



from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2I4vl1U

Review: Playing with Collage

Award-winning author and illustrator Jeannie Baker creates the most amazing, beautiful picture books with illustrations that are collages.

Now, in Playing with Collage, she shares how to create your own artworks. If you're not inspired after reading this, I'd be extremely surprised.

It's a gorgeous publication, with simple, clear explanations, and photographs which capture the materials and concepts perfectly.

Playing with Collage is divided into sections, starting with an introduction to collage.

There's also an explanation of some tools you'll need to get started. They are items you might already have, or could buy at a craft store.

Then you can learn about collecting collage materials, and how to use them to best effect. The four main sources are: paper (with the many textures, colours and patterns); nature (leaves, seeds, clay, bark, and much more); beach (the most obvious being sand and shells, but don't forget seawead, sea sponges and driftwood); and the kitchen (spices, pasta, soup mix, and other colourful and variously sized food items).

One key idea highlighted to show how you can make your collages look different is to use translucent materials (like certain papers, acrylics, leaves, or even red onion skin) for a stained glass effect.

Right at the end are two collage projects to make, one using a matchbox, and the other an egg carton.

Playing with Collage deserves to be on every home and library bookshelf, to serve as inspiration, as well as for entertainment and education. Suitable for a broad range of ages, it shows that everyone can give collage a go.

Always keep in mind Jeannie Baker's advice that 'ultimately how you create the shape and look of your collage is up to you....and the more you practise the stronger your instincts will grow.'

Title: Playing with Collage
Author/Illustrator: Jeannie Baker
Publisher: Walker Books, $27.99
Publication Date: June 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781406378665
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior non-fiction




from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2K8zN1R

Review: Say Something

Empowerment.

We all have a voice and it is important that we share our thoughts.

You don't have to be loud. Powerful words can be a whisper.

Perter Hamilton Reynolds' story, Say Something, shows that your voice can be expressed in lots of different ways. You can express your voice through creativity, actions and words. You can show who you are.


Creatively you can express your voice though art. By using words you can share your opinion, express your feelings or even create poetry. Your actions can be as simple as sitting with someone who is lonely.

Reynolds' message is expressed though text in speech bubbles, accompanied by one strong uncluttered illustration on each page. This simplicity of style makes the strong message stand out, it is clearly communicated. Say Something touches on themes of identity, bullying, self expression, feelings and injustice.

The end papers at the beginning of the book are filled with speech bubbles expressing some messages already out in world, while the end papers at the end of the book are blank. This invites the reader to voice what they would like to say.

Say Something is a call to action, to express your thoughts, dreams and beliefs. All you need to do is be brave and share what you have to say because it might inspire, heal and transform.

Title: Say Something
Author/Illustrator: Peter Hamilton Reynolds
Publisher: Scholastic, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 March 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781760664992
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book, Junior Non-Fiction




from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2KBokqZ

Guest Post: Q & A with Candice Lemon-Scott

SE Queensland is home to some pretty amazing animals and, happily, children's authors who love writing about them, too!

Today, we are delighted to welcome Candice Lemon-Scott, author of the hugely popular junior fiction, Jake in Space series, to talk about her brand new eco-inspired series, Eco Rangers.

Welcome, Candice!

Eco Rangers: Microbat Mayhem is the second book in this chapter book series. What was your inspiration for the series?
My stories usually come from my experiences and from things that I care about. I love animals and nature, and I often feature animals in my stories, which made me want to write this series.

My own experience of rescuing a koala gave me the initial idea of the Eco Rangers - kids who work with their local conservation centre. As I was witnessing the rapid destruction of our environment and the alarming rate at which animals are becoming threatened, endangered and extinct, I felt I needed to write about caring for wildlife in an empowering way for children. I wanted the stories to be fun and exciting first and foremost though, which is where the idea for them to be environmental mysteries came from.

How did you come up with the Eco Rangers characters, Ebony and Jay?
When I was first writing the series, I thought about whom the main character would be and I couldn’t decide whether it should be a boy or a girl. In the end, I realised I was having trouble because when I go visit kids in school as a guest author I ask who loves animals and all the students put up their hands. I realised on this reflection that this shouldn’t be a book for boys or girls, but one that all children can love and enjoy. I also think that being nurturing towards animals is something both boys and girls can engage with. The characters of Ebony and Jay are very much inspired by my own two children, who love animals and nature.

The first book features a pelican. How did you come up with the second book idea for Microbat Mayhem?
The idea for Microbat Mayhem came from a true story. My husband was working for a theme park at the time, and a colony of microbats was found in an old ride that was going to be pulled down there. Luckily, the real theme park is nothing like the one in the book, and they took steps to rehome the microbats safely, but it did give me the idea for this story! From there I undertook a wildlife carer course at my local wildlife centre, and I learned a great deal about the care and rehabilitation of microbats.

This is your second chapter book series for children, and you have also done some standalone chapter books as part of other series. Why did you decide to write in this genre?
I love writing about kids of this age. It’s a lot of fun because they are becoming more knowledgeable, and independent, but they are also open to the fantastical. I love writing for emerging readers because it’s such an important stage of development, and it’s a special time for kids as they discover the thrill of reading to themselves. I tend to write fast-paced adventures too, so I think this appeals to that particular age group, and it’s fun to play with the techniques for getting new readers turning the pages.

Your background is as a Media Manager, can you discuss the influence your experience had on your writing?
Going back a step, I first enrolled to do my Diploma of Arts (Professional Writing & Editing) because I wanted to learn more about creative writing, and I then went on to complete my Bachelor of Communication. While I was still studying, I was offered a full-time position as a Media Reporter and I was later promoted to Media Manager.

In that way, I still learned the greatest amount about creative writing through the diploma, and creative writing remained my true love, but the media work also influenced my writing for children. I learned self-discipline, to stick to deadlines, to write concisely, to distil information, to type really fast (believe me, this is very useful when your ideas come faster than your fingers can move) and to edit. It also taught me about finding the essence of a story and of the human element that’s important to every story.

What are your top five favourite reads of all time?
I have so many books that I have loved but as a child my favourites were anything by Enid Blyton, the Trixie Belden books and Sherlock Holmes stories. Can you see a theme here? I loved mysteries, and still do. As a teen I loved anything by Stephen King and thrillers like Silence of the Lambs.

My favourite reads as an adult are hard to narrow down but five books I loved recently are, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts and The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

What book couldn’t you put down this year?
Two books I couldn’t put down this year so far are Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

Who has been your greatest influence as an author, and why?
Authors of the early books I read that took me away to faraway lands like The Magic Faraway Tree, The Secret Garden and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe influenced me as a child. These are the books that inspired my love of reading, and subsequent love of writing. Later, the teachers who encouraged me to write in school and in my professional writing diploma course, influenced me the most.

As well as having a family, you also run a book exchange. What advice would you give to other people juggling parenthood (and running a business), about writing a book?
I actually have my children to thank for becoming an author. I gained my full-time position as a Media Reporter, and then Manager, while I was still studying, so I didn’t have any time for creative writing. When my first baby was born, I left my position, but I felt I needed to keep my brain active so in nap times I started to write creatively again. I loved it so much, I knew this was what I truly wanted to do.

When baby two came along, I didn’t have a nap time to write during any more, as I had an active three-year-old as well by then. So, I hired a babysitter for three hours a week and I would use that time to write at the library. It was my sanity break! Even now, with family and my business, I have one day of the week that is devoted to writing. If you truly want to write, you need to create that pocket of time that is for writing only, no matter how small it is.

Now that you have published two books in the Eco Rangers series, what’s next?
I’m currently completing edits on the third book, Wildfire Rescue, about a possum that’s injured in a wildfire, that will be released later this year. I’m also writing about my recent trip around Australia with my family, and some YA and middle grade fiction. I have so many ideas, it’s just a matter of finding time to write all these stories that fill my head.

Candice is an Australian author, editor and presenter. She has published 13 books for children, and written one for adults.

Candice loves wildlife and animals and has always been surrounded by a range of pets throughout her life, including dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, birds (including a duck) and various lizards. She was first moved to write her latest series, Eco Rangers, after helping with a couple of koala rescues from her own backyard.

The first book in this series was Pelican in Peril. Look out for the third, Wildlife Rescue, later this year.

Visit Candice at www.candicelemonscott.com 


from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2WwJbTt

Event: CBCA conference 2019

Celebrating 40 years of Grug (Photo: Julie Long)

The 13th Children's Book Council of Australia conference was held in Canberra last weekend, with more than 300 people in attendance, and around 50 fantastic speakers from across Australia.

The theme for the conference was 'And now they're laughing', with many of the sessions springboarding from this, and others complementing it.

It made for a hilarious and insightful time, or as Morris Gleitzman described it, 'a whole glorious weekend of uncertainty and confusion.'

Some memorable quotes from the conference are shared here so you can experience a little of the conference, too.

If you follow the links you'll also be able to discover more about the creators.

Happy reading!

Morris Gleitzman: '[The purpose of literature is] to open up possibilities, rather than close possibilities down....Humour can only exist in a context....[It] is capable of being the worst of its own capabilities and the best....Humour feeds and suports optimism and capacity for empathy.'

Morris Gleitzman (Photo: Julie Long)

Leigh Hobbs shared his experience as the previous Australian Children's Laureate and gave a sneak peek at his upcoming book, Mr Chicken All Over Australia (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Matt Stanton: 'When you're really trying to be funny, you're really exposed.'

Bruce Pascoe: 'There's an enormous amount of goodwill of Australians to get this right....We have to do it together....If there's an absence of this sort of literature...there's going to be an absence of connection....I don't mind being argued against. What I don't like it silence.'

Jol Temple: 'Sympathy is a response. Empathy is a viewpoint.'

Kate Temple: 'Humour can help you into serious issues. Playfulness is a form of humour.'

One-of-a-kind illustrated bears were auctioned to raise money for the CBCA Awards Foundation (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Part of the busy conference book store (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Jeannie Baker: 'It's about a feeling. Feeling that something looks right to you....When you work in abstract, it allows you to be far more creative and free...you don't need many tools....I define collage as an artwork made from a number of different parts that are stuck together....If I find something really special I will keep it, but otherwise I only collect for the project I'm working on at the time.'

Danny Katz: 'Tragedy and comedy are so tied together.'

Andrew Hansen, Jessica Roberts, Danny Katz, Mitch Vane (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Oliver Phommavanh, Matt Cosgrove and Peter Carnavas really took the conference theme to heart (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Robert Newton: 'Life's complicated and messy at times, and I think humour can have a really big impact on a story that's confronting big issues. A respite if you like....Well placed humour can make those darker moments more powerful.'

Vikki Wakefield: 'Literature can be an escape, but it can also be a mirror....My greatest responsibility is to tell the truth, even if that's uncomfortable for some people.'

Mark McLeod: 'Don't underestimate the willingness and ability of children to engage with the quiet book.'

Emily Rodda: 'Naturally the things that you value are in your stories.'

Allen & Unwin publisher stall at the trade exhibition (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Affirm Press publisher stall at the trade exhibition (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Walker Books publisher stall at the trade exhibition (Photo: Sarah Steed)

from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2WQVsl7

Review: Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters (Squishy Taylor #1)

Squishy is full of Chutzpah and a whole lot of heart but she has a tendency to get herself into all sorts of pickles. She works hard to make things right, but this doesn't always pan out, just like in real life.

In this first book, Squishy is adjusting to life with step-twin sisters, a baby brother a and home in a high-rise building when she discovers someone mysterious in the car park basement.

Would you share your deepest secret with girls you don't know that well, even if they are your new sisters? Or is it better to go it alone? When do you know you can trust someone else?

While still grappling with this life-changing question, the cranky, complaining neighbour goes too far and Squishy decides to do something about it.

The pages flew as I closed my eyes with exasperation when Squishy was going off track.  I often held my breath, hoping Squishy would work through her moments of disaster. One thing is for sure. I can't wait to read each and every book in this fast-paced, funny series.

Title: Squishy Taylor and the Bonus Sisters (Squishy Taylor #1)
Author: Ailsa Wild
Illustrator: Ben Wood
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont, $12.99
Publication Date: 1 February 2016
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760126759
For ages: 6 +
Type: Junior Fiction




from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2EXRBIN

Announcement: At The End of Holyrood Lane Crystal Kite Award Winner

Warning: the following contains a fair dollop of self-love and galaxies of sparkle, because that's what happens when one wins awards. Ed. (aka Dimity)

EK Books is delighted to announce that At the End of Holyrood Lane, by Dimity Powell and Nicky Johnston, has won the 2019 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI) Member Choice Award (Australia, New Zealand).

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI) is the international professional organisation for writers and illustrators of children’s literature.

Their annual Crystal Kite Award is a peer-given award to recognize excellence in the field of children’s books from 15 regional divisions around the world. It is the only peer chosen award in the field.

Anouska Jones, Publisher at EK Books, says At the End of Holyrood Lane, with its hopeful message for children impacted by domestic violence, is the embodiment of the purpose of EK Books; publishing meaningful messages through beautifully crafted story.

'At The End of Holyrood Lane uses a storm metaphor to open a conversation with children at risk. It’s a tough subject to approach in a picture book and we are thrilled to have been able to work with the talented combination of author, Dimity Powell, and illustrator, Nicky Johnston, to produce this much-needed and beautifully crafted book,' Anouska said.

Creators Dimity Powell and Nicky Johnston are thrilled to have their work acknowledged by their peers. They share a hope that the award will raise awareness of the issues faced by children experiencing domestic violence and make the book more accessible to children who are faced with weathering domestic storms.

It is the second time in recent years an EK picture book has won the SCBWI Crystal Kite, with Smile Cry by Tania McCartney taking out that award in 2017.

from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2I0L9T7

Review: Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire

Have you ever fantasised about being a millionaire? Come on, you know you have! Think of the things you could buy and the places you could go!

Well imagine if you became a millionaire at ten-years-old. What would you do then? What fun would you have?

These are exactly the questions Tess Heckleston faces when she stumbles across a million dollars (I won’t tell you how!) in Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire.

Tess the entrepreneur, the idea-generator, the business creator has spent her whole life trying to make a million dollars. And then, suddenly, she has it. 

She can buy jumping castles and support entrepreneur schemes. She can supply lollipops, coffee and donuts to all, and her best friend Toby can donate to charities around the world.

But a million dollars in your backpack is not as simple and easy (and exciting) as it might seem. It comes with challenges and obstacles and big, big problems that Tess and Toby have to navigate.

Adults get suspicious, family members get hurt and bad guys close in. Sacrifices need to be made and hard truths need to be faced if Tess and Toby are going to fix the catastrophes they’ve created.

Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire is a hilarious and addictive junior fiction read. This book had me from the first page, pulling me into Tess’s world — pulling me into how she sees the world and how that vision changes as she becomes an instant millionaire.

Tess is an honest and relatable character with heaps of awesome flaws that she has no issue with admitting to. She talks to the reader throughout the book, giving honest advice, confessing to her mistakes and sharing insight into her journey to millionaire. 

I loved Tess's millionaire (and general life) tips scattered throughout the book. Tips like ‘have goals!’, ‘always listen to your best friend’s advice’ and ‘watch some movies from the 80s’. It's a funky addition that makes it feel like the book has been written just for you!

This is a fresh, exciting and thrilling read for kids. It’s that super cool book you want to keep hidden under your bed so parents don't know you have it (given all the juicy kid-tips inside!). Nat Amoore is a talented new Australian author who really gets kids and what they are looking for in a book.

Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire is an absolute winner, and I can’t wait to see what Amoore delivers next.

Title: Secrets of a Schoolyard Millionaire

Author: Nat Amoore

Publisher: Penguin, $14.99

Publication Date: 4 June 2019

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780143796374

For ages: 8+

Type: Junior Fiction

from Kids' Book Review http://bit.ly/2I1ymzU