Carnegie and Greenaway Shortlists

Via achuka

The Carnegie and Greenaway Shortlists are out. Highly respected and much debated these awards are one of the most significant.

CILIP Carenegie Medal Shortlist
Frank Cottrell Boyce, Cosmic (Macmillan)
Kevin Brooks, Black Rabbit Summer (Penguin)
Eoin Colfer, Airman (Puffin)
Siobhan Dowd, Bog Child (David Fickling)
Keith Gray, Ostrich Boys (Definitions)
Patrick Ness, The Knife of Never Letting Go (Walker)
Kate Thompson, Creature of the Night (Bodley Head)

CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
Angela Barrett, The Snow Goose (text by Paul Gallico, Hutchinson)
Marc Craste, Varmints (text by Helen Ward, Templar)
Thomas Docherty, Little Boat (Templar)
Bob Graham, How to Heal a Broken Wing (Walker)
Oliver Jeffers, The Way Back Home (HarperCollins)
Dave McKean, The Savage (text by David Almond, Walker)
Catherine Rayner, Harris Finds His Feet (Little Tiger Press)
Chris Wormell, Molly and The Night Monster (Cape)

Those with eagle eyes will spot that four of the books shortlisted also feature on the Bisto Book of The Year shortlist- Jeffers, Thompson, Colfer and Dowd.

Bookbrunch already has some analysis with Fiona Barrows looking at the large number of male  protagonists featured in the Carnegie list and Nicolette Jones looking at the diversity of styles in the Greenaway list.

Events Epidemic

Lots of events happening in the next week……..

First up is Pj Lynch, in St Patrick’s College on Thursday 23rd April at 6.30pm. In celebration of UNESCO World Book Day, Cregan Library, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Dublin, will present a special event with P.J. Room E201, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra.To RSVP, email info.library@spd.dcu.ie

Also on Thursday, in Cork city library- French graphic artist Stéphane Heuet will be in town not only to launch a new graphic novel by teenagers with author John Sexton and illustrator Alan Barrett but he will also be participating in a public event on Thursday afternoon. For more information please contact cork libraries 021 4924900- libraries@corkcity.ie

On Saturday Walker Books and Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines are presenting ‘The Story in the Picture’ on 25th April 2009 in the College in Rathmines. Featuring illustrators Patrick Benson, Bruce Ingman and Niamh Sharkey along with Deirdre McDermott and Lizzie Spratt from Walker Books.Cost €35 (students €20) to include coffee/tea and lunch. For further information contact vcoghlan@cice.ie or telephone 01 4970033.

On Saturday April 25th from 2.30pm, Derek Landy will be celebrating in the National Gallery of Ireland as part of Family Fun day. Derek will be in The Shaw Room from 3pm and will be signing books as well- more info from the National Gallery of Ireland – http://www.nationalgallery.ie or info@ngi.ie

On Monday 27th at 7pm, US academic Jack Zipes will be addressing the theme of The Reconfiguration of Children and Children’s Literature in a Globalised World. St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra. More information from celia.keena@spd.dcu.ie or janeohanlon@poetryireland.ie

Toddling round the bookshops

I’m a big fan of Shelftalker, a booksellers blog from the US.  A recent post about toddler book choice is a fascinating read.

It is strange habit but I do often find myself lurking in bookshops watching parents and kids make book choices. Over the past wee while there are a couple of things I’ve spotted -

Cover design is the most important factor in kids choosing books. Let me say that again, cover design is the most important thing in kids choosing books. You’d think that as a result good design would be everywhere – it’s not. Often it seems rush, poorly conceived and slapped together. The poorest element is usually the typography. It’s daft because without a decent cover, kids won’t even flick to the blurb. Adults buy based on the blurb, kids buy based on the cover.

The other most important factor in book choice is the adults in the room. Parents so often get in the way. Lots of times I’ve seen kids spot Book A, pick it up, dive in and turn round expectantly to parent. In an ideal world, parent drops down to shelf height has a read of Book A too and they decide together if it will be their choice that day. Alas normally Book A is quickly dismissed as parent shows them Book B which they think they will enjoy. I’m not saying the parents are wrong in their choice, it would just be nice in Book A was given a fair chance.

Bookshop layout and atmosphere  is also key. The best spaces are bright, big and welcoming. Kids don’t mind if its untidy as long as they can reach the books and as long as they are welcomed. The kids from Trim put it best last year when they said

We appreciate helpful staff but don’t stalk us around the shop

A couple of things they also said which didn’t make it to final poster –

Don’t put the sticker over something important, Make the price clear, Display staff recommendation posters and signs, and Don’t over promote one title

Lastly for a treat – direct from Shelftaker – do you see a rabbit or a duck or both?

Easter Treats

Awaken from your chocolate coma on Sunday 12th at 7pm for this lovely thing…..

David Almond’s book Skellig is tremendous. It’s a read that you will gobble up and then wish afterwards that you had savoured it just a little bit more. If you haven’t already read it, seek it out and enjoy.

Now, there’s a new adaptation with Tim Roth, John Simm, Bill Milner and Kelly MacDonald. Showing on Sky 1 this Sunday. Really good microsite here as well in case you need more convincing

If you’d like to hear David talk about Skellig and more, remember he will be a part of the CBI Conference 2009.

Irish Reading Stars Start perhaps?

You might have spotted mention of Premier League Reading Stars over on achuka and The Independent last week. Fantastic scheme and a really creative reading partnership.

In summary (and I do it no justice here) each premiership club nominates a reading champion who shares their book choice and then each club adopts local library branches to work with for the duration of the project.

The book selections are often entertaining in themselves – including

• Bacary Sagna – The Soul of a Butterfly by Muhammad Ali
• Brad Friedel – Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
• Jamie Carragher – War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
• Wayne Rooney – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling
• Robert Green – The Iliad by Homer
• Emmerson Boyce – Wallace and Gromit: The Bootiful Game
  

It got me thinking what would an Irish Reading Stars look like, I’ve started a list below, to amuse me on a gloomy day. You’ll notice that its not confined to sports people, you can decide if that means either my knowledge of sports is limited or if I simply can’t resist the option to include some other targets options. Mine are pretty lame – I’m sure you can all do much better………….

• Brian O’Driscoll – Amy Huberman Green, Teen Agony Queen
• Andrea Roche – I will not ever never eat a Tomato
• Ronan O’Gara – The Silver Sword
• Brian Cowen – The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Miriam O’Callaghan – Friday Nights
• Brian Lenihan- My First Book of Numbers

The story in the picture

Yipee, a full day of chat about picture books –

Walker Books and Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines are presenting ‘The Story in the Picture’ on 25th April 2009 in the College in Rathmines.

Featuring illustrators Patrick Benson, Bruce Ingman and Niamh Sharkey along with Deirdre McDermott and Lizzie Spratt from Walker  Books

Venue: The Church of Ireland College of Education, 96 Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin 6.

Cost €35 (students €20) to include coffee/tea and lunch.

Bookings: The Reading Centre@The Church of Ireland College of Education (Please make cheques payable to ‘The Church of Ireland College of Education’)

For further information contact vcoghlan@cice.ie or telephone 01 4970033

just because

more here

IBA Full shortlists available

Shortlists all out today – see here for all those irrelevant adult prizes!

Children’s Shortlists below.

The Dublin Airport Authority Irish Children’s Book of the Year – Jn for readers aged 8 and under.

THE GREAT PAPER CAPER by Oliver Jeffers

HER MOTHER’S FACE by Roddy Doyle, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

BEFORE YOU SLEEP by Benji Bennett

HIGHWAY ROBBERY by Kate Thompson

The Dublin Airport Authority Irish Children’s Book of the Year – Snr for children in the 9 + age group.

THE MAGICIAN by Michael Scott

ALICE AND MEGAN FOREVER by Judi Curtin

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT – PLAYING WITH FIRE by Derek Landy

THE POISON THRONE by Celine Kiernan

Celine is also nominated in Best Newcomer Category, Bravo!