Library Update

LIBRARY NEWS

Year 7 Literature Enrichment Program

Each year the Children’s Book Council of Australia nominates a panel of judges to determine the Australian Picture Book of the Year. On Friday August 19th sixteen students in year 7 were given the opportunity to undertake this task from a student, rather than adult perspective. Each participant read and reviewed the Picture Books shortlisted for the Award, and took part in our own version of the Judges’ Conference.

And what were the results?

Our year 7 students decided on the following Awards:

Winner: My Dead Bunny

Honour Books: Suri's Wall and Ride, Ricardo Ride

[The CBCA awards went to Flight (winner), Ride, Ricardo, Ride, and One Step at a Time]

Here's what some of the students had to say.

I think My Dead Bunny should win because it is a funny, creative and weird. And there is a cute worm that follows the bunny around on his head! It tells a story about a boy’s pet bunny called Brad who accidently bit the TV cord and got electrocuted, then Brad goes around haunting the family until they find a solution at the end. It should win because I liked the easy cartoon pictures and the simple colour pallet of green, pink, orange, black and white. The book only contains about 16 pages so it is a quick book to read and the plot is very simple so I think even 7 year olds can read and understand it. (Elwyn)

Ride, Ricardo, Ride is my favourite book and I think it should win. It had lovely, clear pictures which help tell the story, used lots of clever similes to describe the setting and what the character felt. The author also left some mystery in what the “shadows” were although then left clues so you could work it out. It was sad when the father died and when the fighting was all around them, but had a happy ending. I would recommend this book to 10-14 year olds because they would understand it better. (Alister).

Suri’s Wall is a beautiful book about making others happy even if it means lying to people to do so. Suri is left out because she is so tall. The tallest child in the orphanage and the only one who can see over the top of the wide wall surrounding the village. But what she sees is a war zone. Full of smoke at burning. But she doesn’t want to tell the other children about that. She wants to give them hope. She tells them about magical lands of forests, beautiful ships and amazing animals. The images really go with the story and they depict what Suri is telling the children. It shows the beautiful way suri tells the stories. Suri’s wall is a lovely book and I recommend it to everyone. (Mari)

Melbourne Writers Festival

On Monday August 29th students from the year 7, 8 and 9 Book Clubs, accompanied by Ms Ronke, Mr Mooney, Ms Wilson and Ms McDonald, travelled to Melbourne to take part in the Melbourne Writers Festival. We had the privilege of meeting a number of inspiring authors of Young Adult literature, including David Burton, Claire Zorn, Suzy Zail, Melina Marchetta, Alice Pung and Rainbow Rowell.