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.
We’ve seen some great content featuring children’s books in the NZ media over the past fortnight. Here’s a David Hill and Glyn Harper interview about writing war for children, while over at The Spinoff, Thalia Kehoe Rowden asks why so few of the best New Zealand picture books for kids have characters who are women, Maori or Pacific Islanders. And something everyone has an opinion on… Mandy Hager asks what the big deal is with swearing on Hooked on Books. And in events, there’s lots of free festival fun for kids at Auckland Writers Festival 2017.
We’ve tested augmented reality book The Dragon Defenders, by James Russell, and it’s pretty neat! And if you too want to become a children’s author, it’s your last chance to enrol in the IIML Writing for Children course. (Editor Jane did this course a few years ago, and it’s GREAT.)
In international news, Penguin Workshop’s new children’s imprint is launching this autumn. Meanwhile, here are some upcoming ‘summer read’ children’s books from US publishers. Right now, it’s Children’s Book Week in the US. Here are some great resources that will apply anywhere! Also in the US, it’s a tricky political environment: here are a few of the issues facing children’s and school librarians, and how they are dealing with them. And in Australia, the Text Prize has been announced: and of course they’re giving all four finalists publishing deals. High five!
We’re all talking about 13 Reasons Why: the TV series (based on a book) has been limited as RP18. Over at The Spinoff, they’ve got an essay about it from an actual teenager, as well as 13 conversations that ought to arise from watching it. The great Sarah Laing gives her illustrated take on it, as a mother of a 14-year-old.
In entertainment, the Timmy Failure books will be made into movies! We’re laughing already. Meanwhile, on the New York Time, they tell us about the dark side of Anne of Green Gables coming to Netflix.
The Tall Tales writing competition is offered by The School for Young Writers. This is open to children from Year 4 to Year 11. All of the details are here.