It's been an action-packed week for children's and young adult literature, with the Inky Awards being launched on Thursday Night, the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards being announced the Melbourne Writer's Festival also kicking off on Friday, and Kirsty Murray's latest novel, Vulture's Gate, launched today. Next week promises to also be action packed, with appearances at the Melbourne Writers Festival by Scott Westerfeld, China Mieville, Andy Griffiths, Morris Gleitzman, Anthony Eaton, Isobelle Carmody, Melina Marchetta, Justine Larbalestier, Kirsty Murray, Randa Abdel-Fattah, Simmone Howell, Alice Pung, Julia Lawrinson, Gabrielle Wang, and many others whose names I can't recall right now, but deserve mention. Exciting times in Melbourne...
However, over at the City of Boroondara Library Service, there have been a series of children's literature events, which culminated last Tuesday in "Book Idol" where young readers were able to vote for their favourite children's book. Now, it's one thing for a panel of experts to judge the excellence of children's literature, but the true test ultimately lies with the readers, and here are the results...
1st. Once, Morris Gleitzman
2nd. The graveyard book, Neil Gaiman
3rd. The Dark is rising, Susan Cooper
4th. The arrival, Shaun Tan
5th. Amelia Dee and the peacock lamp, Odo Hirsch
6th. A rose for the ANZAC boys, Jackie French
Equal 7th. Wish pony, Catherine Bateson & Evil genius, Catherine Junks
Equal 9th. Dragonkeeper, Carole WIlkinson & A ghost in my suitcase, Gabrielle Wang
It's great to see a line-up of almost all Australian authors... and a pleasant surprise to see The Dark Is Rising up there. It's one of those wonderful books that I personally thought would suffer from being dated but, clearly, still loved by young readers...
