Every two weeks we compile, for your browsing pleasure, cool children’s book happenings (and peripherally related news) from around Aotearoa, the world and the internet.
Given we are all about adult conversations about children’s literature, it’s probably not too surprising that if we were in Dunedin, we’d be off to this event at Dunedin Public Library.
A perfect event for budding children’s book illustrators is coming up at Selwyn College – go and learn how to create a character, from Sandra Morris.
HarperCollins internationally celebrated their 200th birthday the other day, and launched a great new website, giving insight into many of our favourite kids classics, and more. See how the look of Stuart Little was created, and read E. B. White’s letter to his editor about the book. Find out why Jackie French writes for kids – and why others do too. Our favourite though: A letter from Paddington Bear to Australian booksellers.
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders was published 50 years ago this month.
There are two opportunities here for keen writers: Fabostory is back – if you are a keen writer aged between 5-13, sign up now and enter their weekly writing competition to carry the collaborative story on! And submit your work now for Toitoi 8, the journal celebrating the work of writers aged 5-13. The next deadline is 13 April.
‘Big sisters in children’s literature are independent, responsible, bossy, rule-obsessed, mothering, goody-two-shoes in any era—and I’m rooting for every last one of them.’
A fantastic piece about bossy big sisters in literature.
If you happen to be a teacher or librarian, The HELL Reading Challenge is back for primary and intermediate schools. Sign up and your students can earn free pizza! Easy as!
International Women’s Day was this week. Here’s the trailer of a fantastic book for your family to enjoy – Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls. Definitely for boys, too.
Mary Egan Publishing is starting kids’ book imprint Little Love, and the first book to come from it will be a poetry book called Feel A Little. Here is the Kickstarter.