Literature Festival

Year 7 Literature Enrichment Program

Each year the Library runs a short Literature Enrichment program for year 7 students based around the CBCA Book of the Year awards. Students are recommended for the program by their English teachers, based on their academic ability, and/or a passion for reading. The aim of the program is to encourage students to read quality literature that will challenge them to think more deeply about what they are reading; and to give them the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with others.

We use the vehicle of the CBCA‘s Australian Book of the Year Awards, which were established in1946, and celebrate books of outstanding literary merit. The students are asked to read the books shortlisted for the Picture Book of the Year category, as well as attend a workshop on “Judging picture books”. They are also encouraged to share their thoughts via our Literature Enrichment blog. The program concludes with a Judges’ Conference, where students discuss and ultimately agree upon a winner.

 

The winning Picture Books for 2108, as selected by our year 7 judges, are:

Winner: Mopoke (by Philip Bunting)

Honour Book: Florette (by Anna Walker)

Honour Book: Ten Pound Pom (by Carole Wilkinson & Liz Anelli)

 

A selection of student responses from the Literature Enrichment blog:

 

The Great Rabbit Chase

The Great Rabbit Chase is an exciting book about a rabbit named Gumboots who keeps on escaping out of a hole in the garden. I love how each page a new character with a different personality joins the chase. I also love in the end how the family end up with, what looks like 7 rabbits. The pictures add to the exciting lead up of the fantastic ending. Freya Blackwood has done an amazing job! (Lulu)

 

Mopoke

Mopoke is about a mopoke that changes “mopoke” into other things like a posh poke who is very posh and a high poke that is sitting on a high branch. That is just a few mopokes from the book. I personally like the uniqueness of the mopokes and how that the mopokes themselves are all the same but if you look at a real owl and an animated owl they are different and that is one of the things i like about a book. One thing I like about books is that they are never the same and that they are individuals.

I think this book is for people who want to have a laugh. I think that people over ten will enjoy it even adults will have a laugh. (Ana)

Mopoke is a real contender for the picture book of the year award!

Mopoke is a very interesting and quirky book. The pictures were the highlight for me, there were all these different types of pokes, all conveying a different feeling or characteristic they were also very cute! and I think the simplicity of it all was  great and would be very appealing to kids aged from 3-6.

I think that Mopoke  could also be like the new Hairy Maclary, in the sense that kids anywhere will start to remember the order of Mopokes and will read along and even create their own actions. (Tilly)

 

A Walk in the Bush                                                                                                                A Walk in the Bush is a book by Gwyn Perkins, who is the author and illustrator. The book is about a grandad and Iggy, a small cat. Grandad goes out into the bush and introduces Iggy to the beauty of the Australian bush. The book also has some educational elements about it such as how to crush eucalyptus leaves for that scent, what creature makes the scribbles on gum trees, and the way trees sprout new growth after a bushfire. The book also has an eye-catching art style and looks great. Overall ‘A Walk in the Bush’ is a great book for all ages not just children. (Tav)

 

Judith Hansen and Andrea McDonald

CSC 2018 Literature Festival

On Tuesday the 7th August, the Literature Festival began with a short presentation from the Goldfields Library staff. This involved a run through of all that they offer and a brainstorm of everything they could add, from indoor plants to a small kitchen area.  After a small morning tea with the Library staff, we started illustrating a front cover for short stories we were writing with Lorena Carrington. This process was called cyanotype. She explained the process for her own illustration, and the process for using the specific chemicals required before we began our 4 period workshop. By the end everyone had a beautiful artwork and a rough idea of a storyline.

 

On Wednesday we started with a morning tea with Ellie Marney. We then began workshopping our stories. We began breaking down our storylines and then looked at the layout of common story plots. On Thursday we edited our own and each other’s stories and continued working with Ellie. We also had a Q and A with Susan Green and Lorena Carrington.

On Friday we went on an excursion to the Bendigo Writers Festival. We heard some excellent speakers and really enjoyed the experience. By the end of term we will have our stories made into an anthology, with each of our stories illustrated by one of our cyanotype artworks. This was a wonderful week, and helped to motivate, inspire and challenge all of the students involved.

Thanks to Lorena Carrington, Ellie Marney and Susan Green!

Lulu Carolan