CBCA News and Views, Feb 2013 - Aleesah Darlison

tHE
engaging the community with litErAturE For yOuNG australians
Patron: Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AV CVO Governor of NSW
From the President:
inserts:
CHILDREN’S BooK
CoUNCIL oF aUStRaLIa
Bibliotherapy or Helping
Children with Books
Most readers agree that one of the joys of reading is the "ah-ha" moment
when one recognises oneself in a character or situation. For children
who are experiencing some kind of problem in their lives this can be a
defining moment; a child who is being bullied, who is grieving the loss of a
grandparent or whose parents are going through a divorce, can benefit from
reading about someone else who is in a similar predicament; that they are not
the only one going through the same thing.
One day at school i had a call from the Principal: did i have a book that might
help a child who was inconsolable because his grandfather had died? Without
giving it a thought i found a couple of books that dealt with death or grief,
not necessarily about grandparents or even humans, and took them to her.
What prompted the Principal to seek help from books? Why did i accept it
was completely natural that she did so? Are these instincts grounded in the
intuitive part of the brain, supported by one’s reading experiences?
it is a long-held belief that reading can help to overcome or at least to
understand many aspects of the human condition. the books of ancient
Alexandria were called Medicine for the Mind and in thebes the library
was deemed a Healing Place for the Soul. Even Winnie-the-Pooh knew
a “Sustaining Book . . . would help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great
tightness” (Milne, 1926).
How many teacher librarians have compiled a list of “starting school” books
for prospective parents to read to their pre-kindergarten children?
The Sun-Herald has a column where “famous” people list five or six “Books
that Changed Me”.
in 1995 the Medical Benefits Fund of Australia ltd (MBF) commissioned an
annotated bibliography of books, mainly Australian, that help children (Fox,
1995), “in which a child could find a point of contact and discover that they
weren’t the only person in the world with that special problem” (p. 2). the
problems listed include change (divorce, moving house), disability, sibling
rivalry, grief and loss.
For 350 years books for children were “judged by their powers of persuasion
upon the young” (Egoff,1969, p.443)).these days it is recognised that if
children can be helped by books at all it is through story.
For some, “literature may be the only way that [they] can see that many of
their problems are ‘normal’.” (Pardeck&Pardeck, 1984, p. 4)
w aaa
w Book Sale
w Stories on Screen
iReaD
volume 1 2013
http://nsw.cbca.org.au
contents
w teen master Class
From the President: 1
New Structure for the CBCA 2
Dates for your Diary 3
Vale Jan Ormerod 3
Sub-branch reports 4-5
CBC2u 6-7
Writer-in-residence 7-8
Aspiring Writers 9
Writing Workshops 10
the Shakespeare talk 10
Author teas 11
Australian Children’s laureate 12
National year of reading 12
the School Magazine 13-15
Contact us 16
CBC NSW gratefully
acknowledges Roman Printing
for their sponsorship of
IReaD
CoNtaCt RomaN
P: 9638 3366
F: 9638 4948
w the maurice Saxby Lecture

this process of helping with books is recognised as a
legitimate therapeutic tool, bibliotherapy — “the right book
to the right child at the right time for the right reason”
(Sisk, 1982, p. 224).
Many Australian award-winning children’s authors and
illustrators have created books about troubled children:
libby Gleeson’s Big Dog (1991), a fear of dogs; Susanne
Gervay’s I am Jack (2000),bullying, and Ships in the Field (2012),
refugees; Margaret Wild’s Old Pig (1999), grief and loss; Di
Bates’ Nobody’s Boy (2012), divorce; Aaron Blabey’s Sunday
Chutney (2008), always the new girl; Gus Gordon’s Herman
and Rosie (2012), loneliness; Kate Constable’s Crow Country
(2011), prejudice.
the list is endless. Several books, single publication or
series, novel or picture book, have been written for the
specific purpose of offering comfort to and/or strategies
for troubled readers, and that other readers might better
understand the problems some children have to deal with,
and develop empathy for them.
Helen lucas’s A New Star (1996) deals with Sudden infant
Death Syndrome (SiDS) from the point of view of a grieving
sibling and, a more recent publication, Patch the Brave Heart
Lion (2012) by Natalie Halls-Jones and Karen Horsell, tells the
story of “a little lion” with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).
Glenda Millard’s gentle series, The Kingdom of Silk, includes
themes such as the death of a baby sister, post-natal
depression, a foster child and sibling rivalry. these books are
so sensitively written with love and hope that they could
be recommended to any child whose family might be so
affected. Glenda Millard’s belief in the power of story comes
through in this passage from The Tender Moments of Saffron
Silk (2012, p.39):
“Books are many things: lullabies for
the weary, ointment for the wounded,
armour for the fearful and nests for those
in need of a home.”
there is often criticism of too many “issue” books for
children. However, the right book at the right time on the
right issue can be beneficial to its troubled reader. Among
Australian publications alone there is a plethora of books,
too many to list here, that can be recommended for a range
of issues that children might have. the internet has many
sites listing suitable books but very few are Australian.
librarians, school and public, with their wealth of
knowledge about children’s literature, are the best people
to advise on suitable books, Australian and other, at the
appropriate level for troubled children.
REFERENCES
Egoff, S. (1969). Precepts and pleasures: changing emphases
in the writing and criticism of children’s literature. in S.Egoff
et al (Eds) (pp419-446). Only Connect: Readings on children’s
literature. toronto: O.u.P.
Fox, J. (1995). Books that help children. Sydney: MBF Australia
ltd.
Milne, A.A. (1926). In which Pooh goes visiting and gets into a
tight place. Winnie the Pooh.
Pardeck, J. A. &Pardeck, J.t. (1984).Young people with
problems: a guide to bibliotherapy. Westport, Connecticut:
Greenwood Press.
Sisk, D. (1982). Caring and sharing: moral development of
gifted students. The ElementarySchool Journal, 82.221-229.
2
Denise Cramsie
NEW StRUCtURE FoR tHE
CHILDREN’S BooK CoUNCIL
oF aUStRaLIa
media release
as the first step in a major restructure of
the Children’s Book Council of australia, a
new National Board came together in adelaide
recently for their first meeting.
Board members are: Angela Briant (tas – National
President), Justine Power (ACt), toni Brisland
(NSW), John Chisholm (Nt), tina Cavanough
(Qld), robyn Cations (SA), Jo Goodman (Vic),
Caro Kay (WA). Margaret Hamilton AM (Awards
Foundation), Dr Belle Alderman (lu rees Archives),
Dr John Cohen OlJ (reading time), Julie Wells
(immediate Past President)
the Children’s Book Council of Australia is
well known for the celebration of outstanding
Australian children’s literature during Children’s
Book Week. the CBCA is dedicated to continuing
to maintain the Book of the year Awards, to
promote quality children’s literature and to
keeping reading alive for children.
the Board has resolved to work towards raising
the public profile of the CBCA, to strengthen its
place as the peak body for children’s literature
in Australia and to continue to build on its
international reputation which began sixty
seven years ago. this will mean embracing new
technologies, developing new partnerships and
continuing to advocate for Australian children’s
authors, illustrators and publishers, and not least
of all, for children.
in a statement, National President Angela Briant
said: ‘the CBCA is a great Australian example of
a national body of expert volunteers who work
together with a common purpose. Promoting
quality Australian children’s literature is a joy
and there are tremendous benefits for children
and parents, authors, illustrators, publishers and
libraries.’
Angela Briant is available for interview on
0407280255, email:
angelabriant@gmail.com

Dates for
your diary
2013
18 – 19 maRCH teen Master Classes at
the State library
20 maRCH World Storytelling Day
21 maRCH Annual CBC Book Sale
2 aPRIL international Children’s
Book Day
9 aPRIL AAA - ANtiCiPAtE! APPrECiAtE!
APPlAuD! the Short list
6 – 7 may teen Master Classes at the
State library
14 may the Maurice Saxby lecture
NSW State library
20 – 26 may Sydney Writers’ Festival
1 JUNE Entries close for the Aspiring
Writers Competition
30 JUNE last day for orders with
guarantee to be delivered by
Book Week Merchandise
11 JULy Merchandise packing day
16 JULy Entries close for Stories
on Screen
22-23 JULy teen Master Classes at the
State library
16 aUgUSt CBCA Book of the
year announcement
16 aUgUSt Primary schools review the Short
list for younger readers #
17 – 23 aUgUSt CHILDREN’S BooK WEEK
23 aUgUSt Judges Dinner
31 aUgUSt Nomination close for the
lady Cutler Award
5 SEPtEmBER Stories on Screen Showcase
21 SEPtEmBER AGM CBCA NSW
14 – 15 oCtoBER teen Master Classes at the
State library
19 NovEmBER lady Cutler Dinner
# School based event. Why not consider
nominating a host school to participate?
OuR AnnuAl
BOOk SAle
oNE Day oNLy
3 – 6pm
thursday 21 march
Please put the enclosed flyer on your notice board
and fix the day in your diary. Don’t miss out this
year!
unlike many book sales these books have quality
because our donating publishers use this day to
promote their writers and our writer members
donate signed copies of their publications. teachers
who know the books will be there to help you
make the best choices for your school.
New books for all age groups, including some good
reading for yourself.
New hardbacks $9, paperbacks $6. Many older
editions $2 or $1. Other books are free.
twelve paperback books for only $50.
Spend $50 and get another book free of charge.
For members only, a further 10% off the bottom
line.
We will invoice you or your school or library or take
credit cards or cash.
unlimited free parking outside our office at the
NSW Writers Centre, rozelle.
vale Jan ormerod
Australian-born author and illustrator Jan Ormerod
died in Cambridge England, on 23 January after a long
illness. She was 67. Ormerod was immersed in the visual
arts since childhood, pulling inspiration from numerous
sources including comic book art. After attending art
school, Ormerod became an Associate of the Western
Australian institute of technology and Design in
Education. She also taught in secondary school programs
and in a teachers college before moving to the uK.
in 1980. Becoming a mother was a deeply formative
experience for Ormerod who hadn’t planned on having
children. She relished the interaction between child
and parent when reading a book and incorporated this
intimacy into her work. Ormerod’s first picture book
Sunshine (1981) won the Mother Goose Award and was
voted Australian Picture Book of the year. She published
more than 50 books in her lifetime; other notable titles
included Moonlight, Goodbye Mousie, Miss Mouse’s Day,
Lizzie Nonsense, Water Witcher, and 101 Things to Do with a
Baby!
3

4
Sub-branch Reports …
illawarra south coast
maRgaREt WoLFE
the illawarra South Coast Sub-branch of the CBCA hope all
who are reading this had a very happy Christmas break with
your family and friends and we wish you a great 2013 filled
only with joy and good health.
CBCA illawarra South Coast Sub-branch finished 2012 on
a high note with a most successful day in November for
students doing English Extension 2 in 2013.
tony Britten was the keynote speaker and the participants
from schools as far down the coast as Moruya and across
to the tablelands as well as local schools really benefitted
from his address. tony complimented the Sub-branch for
arranging a day that is so important to young people who
may not otherwise have an opportunity to hear such a
professional speaker. William Kostakis was the introductory
motivational speaker and was very well received as usual.
He relates so well to young adults.
the Sub-branch gave a box of books to the Smith Family for
their family Christmas hampers for underprivileged children.
We hope to have more input into their educational
program this year by supporting their learning Clubs which
function in the community.
We have begun 2013 on an exhilarating note with a Kids
Day Out at thirroul library which supported an initiative
by our committee member and local children's author, Di
Bates. Di really proved that "it is not what you know but
who" today when the library hosted 15 authors presenting
stories, workshops, book characters ,craft, poetry and
prose reading. We distributed 100 sample bags and used
every room of the thirroul library and Community Centre
at no cost because of the support from the library and
Wollongong Council. it was a very fulfilling day and full
credit to Di Bates for this great idea. it went so well that
the library, like Oliver, wants MOrE !!!! it was wonderful
advertising for the CBCA. We hope to host more days which
will be equally well received. Of course you will need to
watch this space for reports on what happens next with the
illawarra South Coast Sub-branch.
new england and
north west
SyLvIa RaNSom
the New England and North West Sub-branch had its
last meeting of 2012 on 1 December. the program for
the meeting was for members to bring various editions
and versions of Alice in Wonderland for “show and tell”
and discussion. the members that attended brought a
staggering 24 different versions of lewis Carroll’s two
classics: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the
Looking Glass. there were books devoted to illustrators
of Alice, versions ranging from the scholarly Annotated
Alice through Golden Book and Disney Studios editions,
editions illustrated by the famous over 100 years, and
by the virtually unknown. Versions included a pop-up
version, an Australian bush version, and editions in latin
and russian. What was brought probably only touched
the surface of what has been published. Nevertheless it
stimulated discussion and strong opinions about which
illustrator best captured the essence of the stories. it also
demonstrated the life a true classic can have over time,
with so many interpretations of a text. the group may try
another classic text and see what results next time.
the group has a well deserved rest over the January
school holidays, and the first meeting of 2013 took
place on 2 February at 10 am in the Armidale Dumaresq
Memorial library meeting room to organise our meeting
program for 2013 as well as other activities to be held
during the year.
Enquiries can be directed to: Sylvia Ransom, Honorary
Secretary. sylvia.ransom@gmail.com
to follow Sub-branches
http://nsw.cbca.org.au/pages/about-us.html

northern sydney
LINDy BatCHELoR aND tRISH mCLEoD
What a wonderfully happy evening we had at our annual end
of year celebrations in November last year. Glenda Millard
and Stephen Michael King enthralled the 70 guests with their
honest, personal stories about their writing and illustrations.
those in attendance had a special treat when they were able
to look at the Order of Australia medals of our honoured
guests Maurice Saxby and Margaret Hamilton. the evening
was busy with many raffle prizes, silent auction bidding on
Stephen’s wonderful illustrations, interviews and fun. Our
Sub-branch was proud to make a presentation to Amelia
lush of Pages & Pages in Mosman to congratulate her on the
Australian Booksellers Association Elizabeth riley Fellowship
for Children's Bookselling. Amelia is a young enthusiastic
bookseller and will use her award to create a children’s
bookselling guide.
Congratulations to our hard working secretary toni Brisland
(nee Antonette Diorio) who has recently been elected to
the NSW CBCA Committee as well as to the newly formed
CBCA National Board. Her professional and organisational
skills will be well used in these positions…thankfully she can
still continue the terrific job she is doing as our Sub-branch
Secretary as well.
2013 is looking like another happy series of events for our
Sub- branch members and friends. Come along and share the
fun of our:
• First meeting at The Children’s Bookshop at Beecroft with
guest speaker Paul McDonald, the owner, giving his views on
the children’s book industry on Wednesday the 27 February.
Felicity Pulman’s new book A Ring Through Time will be
launched.
• Morning and afternoon teas with local Northern Sydney
schools and public libraries.
• Lunch with the Stars
• Regular interesting meetings during the year – dates for
these and other events will be set at our planning meeting in
early February.
Anyone wishing to join our Sub-branch and come along to
our events will always be warmly welcomed. We aim to meet
regularly to support our local authors, illustrators, schools
and libraries in a variety of fun and interesting ways bringing
children and books together. For further information please
look at our Sub-branch contact details on the CBCA website.
to follow Sub-branches
http://nsw.cbca.org.au/pages/about-us.html
5

AlOuD (now CBC2u)
Program Visit Roundup
children’s Book creators to you (cBc2u)
CBCA AlOuD program funding has enabled me to visit
a number of small, isolated and needy schools over the
past twelve months. it’s been a pleasure to be involved
in the program and to work with students who come
from such diverse backgrounds. Below is a sample of the
wonderful things the AlOuD Program has achieved recently.
NovEmBER 2011
Along with artist and children’s book illustrator Ken Searle,
i visited Dubbo West Public School and Buninyong Public
School over two days, working as a tag-team creative
duo. these schools were chosen for the AlOuD Program
because of their regional locations, their high percentage
of Aboriginal students and their low literacy levels for some
students.
My first day was spent at Dubbo West PS where i received a
warm and enthusiastic welcome. First up, i conducted two
workshops on Narrative Writing with year 3 classes. it was
fantastic to see such engaged and hard working students. in
the afternoon, i conducted an Author talk to years 3 – 6 in
the library. We even had a visit from a local television news
crew, which caused quite a buzz! the teacher librarian and
Assistant Principal at Dubbo West PS, Sue Buttery, included a
write-up of the visits in the Autumn 2012 issue of the School
library Association of NSW newsletter. thanks Sue!
On my second day in Dubbo, i presented Workshops and
Author talks at Buninyong PS. Again, the students were
enthusiastic and eager, and the teachers and librarians were
all thrilled to be part of the AlOuD Program.
later in November and back in Sydney, this time at lalor
Park PS, i was invited by a very proactive and supportive
teacher librarian, Natalie ignacz, to run a “GirlS ONly”
writing workshop. the school has a high percentage of male
students, but very few females. Our session was designed to
empower and inspire the year 5 and 6 girls who attended.
i presented an Author talk about my youth and my career
which highlighted the adage “from little things, big
things grow”. the students and i then spent the rest of
the morning in a creative writing workshop developing
6
by aleesah Darlison aleesah@bigpond.net.au
characters, discussing story and setting then drawing and
sharing our creations. We were also treated to a delicious
morning tea and shared an open discussion time. the girls
each received a goody bag donated by my publisher Walker
Books, and i hear that the lalor Park PS boys have since been
keen to be part of a “BOyS ONly” writing workshop.
may 2012
i was delighted when taree City library invited me to be one
of their Ambassadors for National year of reading. i’ve been
involved with the library ever since becoming a published
author. together, we’re working on creating an anthology
of student works (short stories and poems) which will be
published later this year.
During a writing workshop i ran at taree library as part of
the anthology project, i met an amazingly dedicated teacher
librarian called lyn Schneider. lyn works at Moorland
Public School, which is located 28km north of taree on the
mid-north coast of NSW. Moorland PS consists of fifty-four
students and four teachers, one of whom is employed under
the National Partnerships Program for low Socio Economic
Communities. it’s a very small school but the teachers and
students are achieving big things.
After discussing the opportunities available to lyn through
the AlOuD Program, she was keen to apply for funding. She
knew that several of her students showed great promise and
passion when it came to writing and she wanted them to
experience the joy of having an author visit their school and
work closely with them to hone their writing skills.
lyn’s application was successful and i spent three days at
Moorland running Author talks and Workshops on topics
such as: Making Picture Books, Creating Characters &
Settings, Narrative Writing and Fractured Fairytales. the
books, stories and illustrations the children created during
the visit were presented to proud parents and grandparents
at the end of the week. Book prizes were awarded to a
number of students. i must admit that it was an extremely
difficult job choosing prize recipients because all of the
students worked so hard for me during our workshops. they
also made me feel very much a part of the school community

and i look forward to seeing them again soon.
thanks has to be given to the wonderful lyn Schneider
who secured more coverage for the AlOuD Program via an
interview on the local television news. Word is spreading!
Across all of my AlOuD visits i have discovered genuine
book lovers as well as impressive writers. i hope those
young creators continue to develop their talent. it would
give me no greater pleasure than to see one (or several!)
of the students i’ve visited as part of the AlOuD Program
become an author one day. And what could be more fitting
than if the CBCA had helped make it happen?
CaBRamatta WESt PUBLIC
SCHooL vISIt
by glenda millard and Stephen michael King
Denise Cramsie
the Children’s Book Creators to you (CBC2u)
Program is about enriching the lives of children
disadvantaged by economic, cultural or distance
hardship by inviting authors and illustrators of
children’s literature to visit their schools. On 29
November 2012 the teacher librarian at Cabramatta
West Public School, Kathryn Flanagan, arranged
a full day’s visit for award winners Glenda Millard
and Stephen Michael King to talk to the students.
Kathryn invited four other schools that also have a
high percentage of NESB students to send groups of
children.
Stephen and Glenda shared the first session speaking
to a large group of children from years 1-3. Glenda
talked about her picture books and Stephen was
greeted with oohs and ahs as he demonstrated how he
develops an illustration for a book.
Glenda, in her “Nell” apron (check out the Kingdom of
Silk series) drew the children of years 3-5 in with her
story reading and talking about her ideas and where
her inspiration comes from. Once again Stephen’s
illustration grabbed the students’ attention with, at
one stage, spontaneous applause as the character took
shape.
After lunch Glenda and Stephen gave master classes to
about 25 students each before sharing the last session
of year Six students.
in each session the children were thoroughly engaged
with the talks and Stephen’s drawings as they
appeared like magic on the paper.
At the end of a long and extremely hot day, although
the rooms were cooled, both speakers were very tired
as was Margaret Hamilton who arranged for the
CBCA to have Glenda and Stephen for the day and
who chauffeured them across Sydney. Many thanks,
Margaret.
thanks also to Arts NSW whose funding continues to
make this program possible.
writer-in-residence at
Birrong girls high school
laurine Croasdale
www.laurinecroasdale.com
Earlier this year i submitted a proposal to be Writerin-residence
at Birrong Girls High School for ten days
through the Australian Society of Authors’ Authors in Schools
Program.
the aim of the program is to help students from K-12
build their narrative and literacy skills and was set up with
consultation from teachers and authors who run creative
writing courses.
“the great thing about this program is that it not only
helps improve students' interest in reading and writing,
it gives teachers new ideas about what activities they
can do in the classroom to maintain that interest. We've
received some fantastic feedback from teachers who now
feel more confident about how to approach their creative
writing classes.”
Lucie Stevens, Program manager, aSa
Birrong Girls High is in Sydney’s western suburbs. it has
850 students predominantly with Polynesian, Asian and
Arabic backgrounds. ten years ago the figure for students
from a non-English speaking background was at 85%, five
years ago it reached 92%, and currently sits at 95%. As this
figure inches upwards the onus is on the teaching staff to
find ways to engage the girls, who do not always have a
home background of reading or writing in English, and
interest them in books and reading. this is partly done by
a magnificent, vibrant library that is well attended every
day but it was felt that a dedicated program would help
introduce creative thinking and avenues into writing stories
that a practising writer could offer.
the high school system runs at a breathless pace. there
appears to be a huge focus on achieving results that can
be formatted onto a master spreadsheet somewhere but
thank heavens for teachers who can see the value in creative
thinking, the power of daydreaming and for encouraging
kids to get their thoughts onto the page.
My background includes roughly twenty years working in
publishing, developing concepts and ideas for books i would
commission others to write. Gradually i began writing my
own books and moved from activity/event type books to
fiction for upper primary to mid secondary.
Over the years i have combined writing with presenting
workshops at schools and teaching courses at the NSW
Writers’ Centre and the Sydney Writers’ Centre. in addition
to this i co-founded Literature Live! - a group of authors and
illustrators who deliver creative writing workshops through
videoconference technology directly to classrooms.
teaching via videoconference has been an invaluable
experience for me as it made me work harder to engage
kids and develop material that was highly interactive. this
is partly due to the different dynamic of presenting via
screen and partly from my interest in helping students enjoy
playing with an idea and finding the story. Writing is always
7

viewed as a solitary activity but i like the
starting point to be collaborative, get
kids excited about an idea, value day
dreaming for the rich resource that it is
and realise how far they can stretch and
play with that initial concept to shape
and develop it.
With this in mind i put together a
suggested program for classes ranging
from years 7-10.
8
Student Comments
“Our year 10 English class
had the great opportunity to
work with a very inspirational
author. laurine Croasdale
is a very colourful character
who brought out the creative
side of in all of us in the
the 1.5 hour workshops included:
engaging workshops that she
• Looking for ideas and realising that taught. She challenged us
they aren’t perfect at the beginning to write like we have never
written before. i particularly
• Creating characters
enjoyed spontaneous writing
• Developing a story with an orientation, using newspaper stimulus
complication and resolution
and collaborative character
• Story beginnings and first pages
creation sessions. We will use
• Editing a draft of your work – what to everything we learnt from
look for and how to offer feedback to laurine to aspire further in our
others
creative writing.”
All of these classes included work both JN, year 10
in groups and as individuals. As a group
we mind-mapped characters, created “i really enjoyed laurine’s
stories in small workshop groups, rewrote creative writing lessons. they
bad examples of paragraphs, rewrote
were lots of fun and engaged
the verbs in sentences to bring them to
life and wrote small pieces that could be the whole class. Everyone
peer-edited. We discussed the etiquette appreciated her support and
of giving feedback, what to look for and knowledge about writing.
how to make changes.
i was inspired to continue
My first classes were slow and difficult. writing as a result of her
the girls were shy and did not want to lessons”.
be seen to be standing out. there were
cultural and social undercurrents zipping tM, year 10
across the room that i was aware of but
unable to interpret and it was often
difficult to gauge if i had just bored them
to tears for the entire lesson or if i was
opening a door to something that their
time-poor programs had previously not allowed.
this is a good moment to mention the teaching staff and
how crucial their role in this program was. From the first i
was warmly welcomed to the school. Many of the English
staff either had an interest in books and film or were
actively engaged in their own projects and were keen for
some professional development. they came along to the
classes, took part in the exercises or took notes on any ideas
they could use later on. their enthusiasm, and support
towards me during classes was invaluable – as was the
feedback about what was helpful to them or what they felt
worked with the girls.
A couple of weeks into the program the class had developed
a pop-out Home and Away character. they were often
blonde blue-eyed 18 year old boys with eight packs (i didn’t
even know eight packs existed!) who had killed someone
and were on the run. the challenge for me was moving
them away from tV stereotypes
so we would then reshape that
character to be more realistic with
greater depth. the girls then created
their own character, adding playful
details like the character’s DVD
collection and Facebook profile.
While we were reading out a
few profiles an evacuation alarm
sounded and as i made my way along
the corridor i was surrounded by
students describing to each other
the character they had just created.
it was really encouraging to realise
that even though they were quiet
in class they had plenty of ideas to
share with each other.
By the end of my residency the girls
were greeting me in the corridor and
more at ease sharing and talking
about their work. One of the key
things in any writing class is to
give the writer confidence in their
abilities so they are prepared to
take those first tentative steps and i
believe the program achieved this.
there were a number of talented
students who could come up with
ideas that were fresh and interesting
and execute those ideas with ease.
Many others though, did not find
it so easy but they still gave it a try
and all were surprised by at least one
idea they came up with, and thrilled
when their peers laughed or showed
appreciation for it. in our editing
class students peer-edited each
others’ work and it was rewarding
to see numerous hands go up when
i asked them who had just read the
best story, tell us why and then listen
to the spontaneous applause for the
writer.
By the end of the program the girls learnt how to find
ideas, write about their backgrounds, personal feelings and
experiences, then shape and develop the story by editing
and rewriting their work. they discovered that writing
down your ideas can be fun and that first attempts are
messy but that’s okay, they should be. this is a program
that allows for personal development and reflection, with a
means to express it.
Being at Birrong gave me a chance to learn from talented
and passionate teachers and interact with a group of girls
willing to try something new. i hope that the time we
spent together enabled them to express their thoughts and
feelings whether they choose to do that in a public forum, a
personal diary or a community group.

Aspiring Writers
(formerly Frustrated writers mentor Program) and the cBca nsw
my First Publishing experience
Nathan Luff
www.nathanluff.com.au
i'd been writing scripts for many years, and loved the
mechanics of storytelling. One day, however, i awoke with
an idea for a children's book.
i had no confidence in my skills as a writer of prose. i felt
like i had no idea what i was doing but decided to give it a
crack regardless.
Once i had a rough draft i sent it away to a manuscript
assessment agency as a safe way of finding out if i could
write prose or not. the feedback i received was all about
how to strengthen the story.
they didn't mention how my cliched metaphors and similes
were like a breath of fresh air, and no one told me my
grammar were great.
“your comments were all helpful,” i wrote back, “But fail to
answer the ultimate question: can i write prose or not?”
this taught me a valuable lesson that no matter what
medium you write in, it is All about story.
And i understand story!
So i continued work and did some more drafts, and then
like a number of other authors i know, i was fortunate
enough to receive a mentor through the Frustrated Writer's
Mentorship program (offered through the NSW branch of
the CBCA).
this sped up the process considerably – my mentor, John
larkin, was awesome. i moved to italy and lived/worked on
farms in tuscany while completing the next draft – why not?
Coming back to Australia i met with John and he asked me
if i wanted Chicken Stu to be my first novel. He told me we
only ever get one first novel experience. i decided it was, so
on the spot he called up his publisher (Scholastic) and told
them to expect my manuscript the next day.
two weeks later i received an email saying they loved it and
wanted to take it to an acquisition meeting.
i know i was very fortunate with this – i think it was a
case of the right story at the right time (trust me i have a
collection of rejection letters for many other projects), plus i
had committed a hell of a lot of time rewriting it (when not
eating fresh pasta and drinking vino).
lo and behold it was accepted and now i am rich beyond
my wildest dreams!!
this last bit may not be wholly true.
i am grateful for the feedback i received from that
manuscript assessment and for the support from the CBCA.
My highly awaited* second novel, Bad Grammar, will be
released in January/February. look out for it because it's
going to be huge (though more likely the normal book
size so it fits more easily on bookshelves – this is still to be
finalised).
* My Mum really can't wait to read it.
a Path worth taking
Helen Chebatte
imagine having your own private writing mentor scan your
work, give personal feedback, suggest ways to improve and
enhance your text, guide you as you make these changes,
answer all your questions (even the strange ones) and, as
an added bonus, enjoy a coffee and a laugh with you! that
is the fortunate experience i am having as a result of being
the recipient of the 2011 Frustrated Writers’ Mentorship
Program, a Children’s Book Council of Australia initiative.
What a fabulous prize! i submitted my young Adult novel,
Bro, to the FWMP with my fingers and toes crossed. the
idea of a professional giving my manuscript her complete
attention was appealing. in fact, to be shortlisted would be
good too. Not only would it be an attractive achievement
to include on my writing resume, it would also suggest my
manuscript had potential.
i remember the moment i received the phone call from Carol
Keeble, head of the committee at the time. it came about an
hour before i was due on stage in a play i was performing.
First i felt shock, then denial - i actually asked Carol three
times to check my name - and finally came acceptance.
A rocketing surge of excitement followed. i had won the
mentorship! i had actually won the mentorship! And if
that wasn’t enough, Carol proceeded to tell me my mentor
would be Heather Curdie, Editor with Penguin Group
Australia. that’s about the time i ran around the theatre
change room like a spooked chicken. luckily the play was a
comedy and my character high-spirited, a suitable outlet for
my joy.
the surprises kept coming. i attended the lady Cutler
Dinner. there, i met Heather who presented me with the
award, the newly named Charlotte Waring Barton award.
Formerly referred to as the Senior Award, the fresh title was
to honour Australia’s earliest known children’s book author,
Charlotte Waring Barton. After listening to her great-greatgreat-great
granddaughters, Kate Forsyth and Belinda
Murrell share Charlotte’s incredible history, i was awarded
the first printed certificate. it was an honour that stimulated
the creative work on which i was about to embark with my
mentor.
the care of a professional mentor is a beneficial tool for
working on a manuscript. Heather’s guidance is educating
and encouraging. Being able to tap into her expertise is
certainly advantageous. My questions are answered and
my concerns addressed. As a result, wgoes from strength to
strength. the changes so far have made a huge difference
and it’s inspiring to watch it grow closer to a publishable
standard.
Supported by my writers’ group, i began to write Bro
approximately four years ago. the mentorship is giving me
the professional direction i now need. i’ve learnt much in
a short time and continue to gain knowledge. there are
many writing competitions offering prizes but few offer a
professional mentorship, and as an emerging writer, this
mentorship is an invaluable gift. Entering the FWMP was a
good career move.
9

Writing Workshops
the Powerhouse museum/
sydney writers’ Festival Writer
Overnighter
michael Pryor
i
’m lucky enough to be invited to speak at many schools,
libraries and festivals. Every appearance is different, but my
recent engagement at the Powerhouse Museum – as part of
the Sydney Writers’ Festival – was unique in my experience.
the Writer Overnighter event has, as its centrepiece, the
chance for young people (and their parents) to sleep
overnight in a real museum. Before the sleeping part gets
underway the museum takes the lucky participants on a
tour then presents enthralling demonstrations and a movie.
Slotting into this program is a series of writing workshop
activities conducted by a writer of note. On 18 May 2012 i
was fortunate enough to be that writer.
the staff at the
Powerhouse was
wonderful. in putting
the program together
we talked about the
possibilities offered
by the museum.
Since i have been busy
writing Steampunk
for a number of
years, i jumped at the
opportunity to do
something that would
utilise the museum’s
Steam revolution
exhibition and the
remarkable Boulton
and Watt steam engine. Anticipating some of the fun of the
occasion – and wanting to add to it – i dressed up in some
of my Steampunk finery. i dusted off my top hat, carefully
tied my bow tie, and put on my white gloves. this, naturally,
brought some stares as i walked from my hotel to the
museum.
the result was a workshop that had the young writers
creating Steampunk heroes and heroines, using the best
aspects that the genre has to offer. i was able to use the
big screens in the workshop space to good effect, showing
examples of magnificent Steampunk characters i have
accumulated over the years.
We worked for an hour and a half. We wrote, shared,
supported and laughed so much that the time disappeared
in front of us. After more chatting and enthusiasm i had
to make my farewells as the evening’s movie (Steamboy of
course!) started.
i’m always impressed by the young writers and the freshness
of their creations. i see that my role is to share what i’ve
learned about writing, but also to guide and give shape to
the bubbling, fervent imaginations of the participants. i’m
a writing practitioner and young writers seem to appreciate
that my suggestions come from a practical, experienced
background.
i thoroughly enjoy writing workshops and the Writer
Overnighter at the Powerhouse was one of my most
memorable.
10
the shakespeare talk
tony thompson
was lucky. My first book, Shakespeare, The Most Famous
i Man in London, was published by Black Dog Books in
2009. Something bardly must have been blowing in the
wind because Andy Griffiths produced the masterful Just
Macbeth and John Marsden brought his uniquely disturbing
voice to Hamlet that same year. this, no doubt, prompted
Mike Shuttleworth at the Centre for youth literature in
Melbourne to hold a two day symposium on Shakespeare.
He phoned me up and told me that i would be sitting on a
panel with Andy and John as well as giving my own talks.
i said that i felt like an obscure local band being asked to
open for led Zeppelin.
those first talks were uncertain affairs. i was nervous and,
maybe because i had spent my working life in schools, i
couldn’t quite shake the sense that i had to “teach” the
material in my biography of Shakespeare. Watching Andy
was a revelation. He was entertaining, highly so, but he
also spoke about his books and his approach to writing in
a serious and informative manner. John Marsden was like
a wise uncle. He told stories, he made observations, and
mused about possibilities. When my turn came, i stumbled
through a long explanation of the Elizabethan school system
to a sea of expressionless adolescent faces. i realised then
that i was going to have to develop another voice.
A few weeks later i was once again sitting on a stage
with Andy Griffiths, this time at the BMW Edge for the
Melbourne Writer’s Festival. i had streamlined my talk
somewhat and it had gone over reasonably well but i could
feel that something was still missing. During question time
we were both asked to talk about how we became writers.
As Andy wittily explained his own beginnings, i realised
that i was drawing a blank. But then it occurred to me that
there was a plausible starting point and that it was rather
dramatic. Andy finished and indicated that it was my turn. i
turned to the audience and said:
“i was arrested for armed robbery when i was at university
in Canada. it was a case of mistaken identity but i wrote
a story about it and it was published in a journal called
Proem.”
For the first time, i had everyone’s attention. While i had
been speaking most of the students had been staring over
my shoulder at Andy. they were listening to me now. i told
the story and it went down pretty well. i had my first clue.
Not long afterwards i was speaking to a group comprised
mainly of year 8 and 9 boys in a large theatre. they were,
for the most part, polite though not terribly interested
in what i was saying. My old teaching instincts noted two
boys at the back who were mucking around, completely
lost in their own world of some private joke. i wasn’t
particularly worried. they weren’t distracting anyone else
and if they didn’t want to hear what i had to say, well, that
was up to them. But i was talking about the dangers of
Shakespeare’s london and i happened to use the phrase,
“concealed weapons”. One of the boys looked up. i said it
again. “Everyone was drunk and they all carried concealed
weapons.” His friend went to say something but was
shushed. i had his attention and now his pal was listening
too. Another clue, i decided.
i enjoy talking about Shakespeare to students. there is a
lot of resistance at first. Shakespeare, for some of them,
represents everything they dislike about the texts they study

at school. His work seems distant, intimidating, and difficult.
“Why do we have to study Shakespeare?”, “the language
is tricky.”, “Why doesn’t he just write in English?”. i don’t
say much about the plays in my talk. i tell them about the
world he lived in and some of his friends. i’m not trying to
“demystify” or (shudder) “simplify” Shakespeare. i don’t
like the idea that he would have been writing airport
novels or soap operas if he had lived in our time. the kids
already have those things and it’s not really true anyway.
Shakespeare’s work is unique and wonderful. i try to
give a sense of the human experience of london in
An author visit to schools provides a valuable
opportunity for students to connect with
authors and deepen their enjoyment of reading.
Students gain insight into an author’s passion for
writing, the elements of a story and knowledge of
book publishing. it is always encouraging to see the
author’s books borrowed and on reserve for months
after an author visit.
After hearing that the Children’s Book Council of
Australia NSW sponsored Author teas Kambala was
eager to host such an event. the thought of four
authors presenting in one afternoon sounded very
inspiring. the specific requirements of holding a
CBCA Author tea include inviting local schools and
family members to attend, organising with a CBCA
NSW member bookshop to sell books during the
afternoon and providing afternoon tea. the process
of booking the event, obtaining four authors and
being guided on the necessities of hosting an Author
tea, a huge task,was carried out seamlessly by Mary
Anne Cartwright, a CBCA NSW Committee member.
After a lot of planning the event was booked for
an afternoon in October. Kambala Junior School
students were joined by students and family
members from Cranbrook Junior School, Kincoppal
Junior School, McAuley Primary School, rose Bay
the 1590s. My idea is that students might be more
willing to give the plays a chance if they can catch a
glimpse of a real person behind “Shakespeare” the
phenomenon. i know that i’ve made some headway if
they start asking questions like “What’s your favourite
play?” or “What’s the best film version?”. their
curiosity has been stirred and no speaker could ask for
more.
Kambala hosts a CBCA
Author tea
Primary School and Scots Preparatory School.to keep
track of attendance, each local school was provided
with ten tickets allowing schools to distribute and
invite students and family members in a way that
suited their needs.
the Principal of Kambala, Mrs Margaret White,
opened the event and welcomed the community to
the school. the event allowed students to meet and
get up close to Deborah Abela, Oliver Phommavanh,
Susanne Gervay and Christopher Cheng. Each author
had a short time in which to share their love of
literature, childhood stories and behind the scenes
snippets of their books. Ernie tucker entertained
us as he introduced the authors and kept them to
a tight time schedule. the authors were a diverse
group and each connected with the audience in a
unique way.
the event concluded with afternoon tea, book
sales and signing. Opening the event to the local
community and joining together with local schools
made the event exceptionally special. the CBCA
Author tea was a highlight of 2012 and was a
landmark in our efforts to promote literature and
support the CBCA NSW and the National year of
reading.
11

12
australian Children’s Laureate
Alison lester and Boori Monty Pryor are
our first Australian Children’s laureates!
together they share the inaugural role for
2012 and 2013 and they are united in their
message to all Australian children: “ Join
our story circle!”. Both have been very busy
in 2012 involving children, their families
and communities in events, festivals and
projects all over the country from remote
communities to inner city schools. Now it's
2013 and they are excited about another full
program of story-based activities!
visit the Laureate website
http://www.childrenslaureate.org.au
CeleBRAting 2012 nAtiOnAl YeAR Of ReADing
by aleesah Darlison
2012 National year of Reading
ambassador for greater taree City
Libraries
twenty four years ago, the original We Are The Future
anthology project was developed by Manning Valley
year 12 student Ainslee Dennis (now a journalist at the
Manning River Times in taree) to help celebrate the 1988
bicentennial year. Students from across the Manning
Valley entered short stories and poems. the book was
edited by author Jenny Summerville.
i had three works published in the anthology and have
kept a copy of the book to this day. it was probably my
first faltering step towards becoming a “real” author,
though it would take me twenty years to finally come
around to fulfilling that dream.
When i did become a published author in my own right
i tried to think of ways i could give back to kids in the
Manning. Helping to develop their storytelling and
creative writing skills was one way i thought i could help.
i approached taree library (Danielle Old and Margie
Wallace) to see whether they would be interested in
supporting a new anthology project to help celebrate
2012 National year of reading.
Danielle and Margie were behind the project one
hundred percent from the start. Danielle and Debbie
Horgan did a lot of administration and behind the scenes
work to make the project a success. they also applied
for, and secured funding for the project from Mission
Australia. We couldn’t have completed this project
without the funding.
in March this year i spent five days visiting six schools
across the Manning Valley and Great lakes workshopping
with children about how to write narrative, helping
prepare to launch the project and getting them excited
about the anthology and the launch, so they would enter
stories and poems into the book. Students started their
stories with me and then had several more months to
finish them by the end of May.
From that point on i edited the stories. the book was hot
off the press for the launch of the We Are Now, We Are
the Future anthology. We had 60 stories from 57 children
included in the anthology. Schools included: Moorland
PS, Hallidays Point PS, Cundletown PS, Krambach PS,
tinonee PS, taree West PS, Chatham PS plus one entrant
from a home-schooler.
the launch took place on Friday 7 December at taree
library. We had well over a hundred students, parents,
teachers, principals, library staff, NyOr Ambassadors,
community members and the media at taree library in
attendance. the place was buzzing. Camera flashes were
popping everywhere as the young authors featured in
photograph after photograph. Several students read
their stories out, which was very exciting to witness.
Students were also given pens to sign each others’
books, and i was thrilled to be able to sign some too.
My publisher, Walker Books, provided some extra special
giveaways for the students.
So many teachers and parents approached me at the
launch to thank me and say how wonderful the project
was for the community and how thrilled they were
for their children to be involved in it. My hope is that
one day some of these students will become published
authors in their own right. For me, that’s what it’s all
about: inspiring others to write, to express themselves, to
know that they can achieve. Simple things like that make
a huge difference in kids’ lives.
Because the project was such a success, we are hoping to
repeat it. this time, i won’t wait twenty four years.

The School Magazine—a world of words
By tHE SCHooL magazINE tEam
Did you read The School Magazine when you were at
school? If so, you’re one of many tens of thousands
of people. and if, like many, many people, you have fond
memories of the magazine, you might be surprised to know
that it’s better than ever—and about to turn 100 years old.
a bold idea
When the first edition of The School Magazine made
its way to young readers it was no doubt delivered
to some schools by horse and cart. the year was 1916
and, as the world grappled with horrors of World War
l, the New South Wales Department of Education had
a brave and brilliant idea: why not give primary school
children their own free high-quality literary magazine?
So, while hardships related to the war abounded,
Australian children gained something remarkable—their
own magazines to read and to treasure: the School
Magazine of literature for our Boys and Girls.
With Editor Stephen Henry Smith at the helm, the first
16 page magazines were published in 1916.there were
three parts to each issue, catering to different reading
ages—for example, ‘Part i … for Class iii’.
Here is an excerpt from the words that welcomed new
readers:
DEAr BOyS AND GirlS
Here is the new School Magazine, which henceforth
will come to you monthly. A Magazine means a
storehouse; it is a word we get from the Arabs. And
what are the stores you will find here?
there will be tales of boys and girls, of men and
women, of birds and beasts, of all living things.
you will find tales of the fairies and their
wonderful doings.
in fables you will meet with animals that talk in
your own language, and say wise things that you
will like to know.
there will be stories of all lands and seas, of our
own Australia, of the mother country, of the
regions of tropical suns, and of ice and snow…
Most beautiful of all will be the golden verse,
which will delight your ear as well as your mind.
And whence come all these treasures? the editors
write some of the articles specially for you, and search
everywhere for what will give you pleasure and perhaps a
little wisdom too.
13

Over the years, The School Magazine has never skipped
a beat, not even during World War ll or during the
tough years of the Depression (although the magazine
was temporarily reduced in size then to save paper and
expenses). it is one of Australia’s quiet success stories. And it
has continued to honour the vision of its original mission—
bringing a world of words to young readers. Of course, there
have been many changes over the decades. the magazine
has had to evolve, keeping pace with a changing world,
staying as entertaining and memorable to young readers as
ever, while maintaining literary excellence and relevance as
a teaching resource. the secret of the magazine’s enduring
success is its quality and its ability to engage young readers.
During the 1960s with Noreen Shelly as Editor, the
magazines were published in four different formats to cater
more specifically to the reading needs of different levels.
in 1985 the black and white artwork became two colour
artwork. And by 1999, dazzling full colour artwork filled
thirty six pages of every publication.
For several decades each part has had its own title rather
than the rather prosaic ‘Part i, Part ii, Part iii and Part iV’.
inspired by the voyage of discovery of a rocket ship the
magazines for readers from years 3 to 6 (by reading age)
are: Countdown, Blast Off, Orbit and Touchdown. the idea is
that starting as early independent readers of Countdown,
children are taken on a wonderful journey to arrive at the
final issue of Touchdown as confident, well read lovers of
literature.
the School Magazine has a proud history—ninety seven years
of continuous production; ninety seven years of bringing joy
to Australian children, and ninety seven years of nurturing
the careers of the writers and illustrators of Australian
children’s literature.
14
a quiet success story
in 2010 ABC radio National’s Hindsight program presented
“An older kind of magic: a history of The School Magazine”.
(As you might recognise, the title comes from the title of
a novel by the award-winning writer Patricia Wrightson
who was Editor of the School Magazine for many years, and
who was the only Australian writer so far to have been
awarded the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Medal.)
At one point the presenter lorena Allam asked celebrated
illustrator Noela young,
“the School Magazine has been described to me as
something of a cultural institution, yet it seems to live
quietly; it isn’t celebrated probably as much as it should be.
Why is it so unassuming, do you think?”
Noela young, who has been an illustrator of the magazine
for over fifty years, replied,
“Maybe it was because in the early years the magazine was
free and the people who were enjoying it were children,
though i’m sure later on when they became adults they
looked back on their experience with The School Magazine
with a great deal of pleasure. it just went along quietly
because the people who were enjoying it didn’t have a loud
voice.”
later, lorena Allam was in discussion with Jonathan Shaw,
who was the magazine’s Editor for fifteen years. lorena said,
“the School Magazine has fostered generations of writers,
illustrators and readers, all of whom cared deeply about
these offerings to our children. it’s been quietly going about
its business without fanfare, but its influence has been
immeasurable.”

Jonathan Shaw replied,
“in fact it stays in people’s
minds for the rest of their
lives. When i was Editor
we would regularly have
queries from people in their
80s saying ‘i remember a
poem that i read in the
School Magazine when i was
such-and-such an age.’ So it
functions as a major influence
on the culture without being
acknowledged as such.”
One example of this is a letter
received by the editorial team
from a year 3 teacher.
“i was so excited to find a
pile of lovely magazines on
my doorstep this morning. it
is the first year 3 magazine i have seen since i was in year 3
way back in 1966! i remember how much i loved The School
Magazine. it was the first time i had ever read a simile. ‘the
clouds were piled up in the sky like a pile of mashed potato.’
i Still look at clouds and think of them like that!”
Fast forward to today. the feedback from readers across
Australia and even further afield is now sent via email to
the editorial team. And one word is mentioned again and
again: love. For all the modern electronic gadgetry and
instant entertainment available to them, contemporary
readers respond in much the same way that their parents,
grandparents and great-grandparents did. readers see the
magazine as their own personal treasure-trove. As a year
3 reader wrote recently, “you brighten up the day with
rainbows for loads and loads of children including me.”
who’s who
An impressive array of the Australian
children’s literature community has
been part of The School Magazine
story.
the first Editor Stephen Henry Smith
was followed by Doris Chadwick
who took the helm in 1922 and
steered the magazine through the
turbulence of the Depression and
World War ii and on to 1959, when
Noreen Shelley took up the reigns for
more than a decade. She has been
followed by a number of dedicated
and inspired editors: Patricia
Wrightson, lilith Norman, Duncan
Ball, Anna Fienberg, Jonathan Shaw,
tohby riddle, Susanne Eggins and
the current Editor, Alan Edwards.
Over the decades many of Australia’s
most respected writers have been on
the staff of the magazine, including
Cassandra Golds, ursula Dubosarsky, Geoffrey McSkimming
and many more.
importantly, The School Magazine has always welcomed
unsolicited manuscripts from writers. it is notoriously
difficult to get a start as an emerging writer. Being accepted
by The School Magazine has been the first step for many
writers. robin Klein, Joanne Horniman, John Heffernan,
Sophie Masson and Pamela Freeman are just a few of
the many writers who got their start in the pages of the
magazine. And looking back through the bound volumes,
illustrious writers such as Kylie tennant, ruth Park, May
Gibbs, Pamela Allen, Dianne Bates, Bill Condon, and Stephen
Herrick are all part of the School Magazine story. the majority
of writers published in the magazine are Australian but the
magazine publishes work by international authors too.
if you’ve seen a copy of the magazine in recent times you’ll
know that each issue is illustrated—36 pages of full colour
splendour that enriches and extends the words. the School
Magazine team collaborates with freelance illustrators. A
glance at the first covers for 2013 will give you a glimpse of
the talent the editors can call on. From left to right these
covers are by lesley Vamos, Douglas Holgate, David legge
and Vivienne to.
Current and recent illustrators include Aaron Blabey,
Stephen Axelsen, Gus Gordon, Bronwyn Bancroft, Sarah
Davis, Craig Phillips and Peter Sheehan.
BELoW: (L to R) marissa gunning, gregory myers, althea
aseoche, David Legge, Cheryl orsini, Noela young, Lesley
vamos, Peter Sheehan—just some of the illustrators of The
School Magazine.
…the story continues in our next
issue of iRead.
For further information, visit these websites:
www.theschoolmagazine.com.au
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/
hindsight/an-older-kind-of-magic-a-history-of-theschool/3024590
15

CBCa
http://nsw.cbca.org.au
ABN 66 581 126 991
PO Box 765, rOZEllE NSW 2039
phone: (02) 9818 3858
fax: (02) 9810 0737
email: cbcansw@bigpond.com
Patron, Her Excellency Professor Marie
Bashir AC CVO Governor of NSW
National Board delegate: toni Brisland
Office Manager: Felicity Jagavkar
Book Keeper: Julie Johnson
Executive Committee 2012-2013
President: Denise Cramsie
Vice President: Gail Erskine
Secretary: Dorothy tonkin
treasurer: Alison Manno
Minutes Secretary: Carole Sharp
Public Officer: Ernie tucker
CBC mEmBER BooKSHoPS
Corporate Member
Bookshops offering 10%
discount to members:
Bloomin' Books:
tel: 9540 3788
Books and Beyond
tel: 9988 3888
Clever Patch
tel: 1300 836 522
Gleebooks Children’s
Bookshop
tel: 9660 2333
Glottogon tel: 1300 651 558
lesley McKay’s Children’s
Books
tel: 9328 2733
lindfield Children’s Bookshop
tel: 9416 2266
Pages and Pages Mosman
tel: 9969 9736
Shearer's Bookshop
tel: 9572 7766
the Book Escape:
tel: 9449 7037
the Children's Bookshop
Beecroft tel: 9481 8811
Novella Fine Books and Cards
tel: 9489 3128
Corporate/ bookshop
yearly membership $143.
Benefits: unlimited member
discounts.
•Newsletter.
•Notables booklet.
•Shortlist poster.
Committee
•Book Week poster.
•Free half page ad in our
toni Brisland
Newsletter as a yearly offer.
Mary Anne Cartwright
The CBCA AwArds FoundATion
Victor Davidson
Proudly Funding Prizes for the Children’s Book of the Year Awards
toni Field
rachel Greenwood
Benefactors:
Jackie Hawkes
Scholastic Australia,
CBCA Awards Foundation
Jo Henwood
Allen & Unwin
Proudly Funding Prizes for the
leanne Hodges
Laurie
Children’s
Copping
Book
OAM
of the
(in
Year
memoriam)
Awards
Thyne Reid Trust No. 1.
Sicy li
Benefactors:
Honor White
Scholastic Australia
Major Donors:
Allen & Unwin
lisa White
Australia Laurie Post, Copping Era Publications, OAM (in memoriam) Five Mile Press
Libby Gleeson AM, Thyne Hachette Reid Trust Children’s No. 1 Books Australia
CHilDrEN’S BOOK OF tHE
Hardie Grant Egmont, HarperCollinsPublishers Australia
yEAr NSW JuDGE
Ipswich District Teacher-Librarians’ Major Donors: Network
CBCA Awards Foundation
The James N Kirby Foundation, Kinross-Wolaroi School
2011-2013 Jill Bruce
Australia Post, Sandy Campbell, Era Publications, Five Mile Press, Libby Gleeson AM,
Proudly Funding Prizes for the Bob Graham, Hachette Koala Children’s Books, Books The Aust, Library Hardie Board Grant of Egmont, Q’land HarperCollinsPublishers Aust,
Publications information Children’s Book of the Year Awards Ipswich District Beryl Teacher-Librarians’ Moncrieff Matthews Network, (in James memoriam), N Kirby Foundation, Angela Namoi Kinross-Wolaroi School,
Koala Books, The Library NT Bd Govt, of Q’land, Parents Beryl & Boys Moncrieff of Sydney Matthews Grammar (in memoriam), Edgecliff Jill Prep Midolo (in memoriam),
iRead: Victor Davidson Benefactors:
Angela Namoi, NT Penguin Gov, Parents Books & Australia, Boys of Sydney Random Grammar House Edgecliff Australia Prep, Penguin Books Aust,
Scholastic Australia
All the Buzz about BOOKS:
Random House Emily Aust, Rodda Marion (Jennifer E Robertson Rowe), (in memoriam), Gillian Rubinstein Emily Rodda (Jennifer Rowe),
Allen & Unwin
Gillian
rachel Greenwood
Maurice Rubinstein, Saxby AM, Maurice SA Dept Saxby of AM, the SA Arts Dept & Cultural of the Arts Dev. & Cult. Dev,
Laurie Copping OAM (in memoriam) University of Queensland Press, Julie Julie Vivas, Vivas, Walker Books Australia Aust, Cassandra Weddell, Qld (in memoriam),
Designer: Wendy rapee Thyne Reid Trust No. 1
Maisie Williams,
Cassandra
Garah,
Weddell,
NSW (in memoriam),
Qld (in memoriam)
Margaret Wild, Sue Williams.
Maisie Williams, Garah, NSW (in memoriam), Sue Williams.
Sub-branch Contacts Donations to the CBCA Awards Foundation are tax deductible and can be sent to: PO Box 172, Blackheath NSW 2785
Donations to the CBCA Awards Foundation
Central Coast
are tax deductible and can be sent to:
Fran Carson 4384 3801
PO Box 172, Blackheath NSW 2785
Franlib02@yahoo.com.au
Ph: 02 4787 8492 or 9630 2424 Fax: 02 9630 2594
New England & North West
Or donate on line: http://cbca.org.au/foundation.htm
Sylvia ransom 6772 8938
Eve Pownall won the Children’s Book of the year in 1952 for
The Australia Book. She was the first recipient, in 1981, of the
sransom@une.edu.au
NSW CBCA lady Cutler Award. in recognition of Eve Pownall’s
illawarra South Coast
contribution to children’s literature, the CBCA aims to raise $5000
President Aileen Harland
in her name so that she can be listed in memoriam as a major
Northern Sydney
donor. See http://nsw.cbca.org.au for details.
Antonette Diorio
antonetted@optusnet.com.au
Major D
Australia Post, Sandy Campbell, Era Publica
Bob Graham, Hachette Children’s
HarperCollinsPublishers Aust, Ipswich
James N Kirby Foundation, Kinross-Wolaroi Sch
Beryl Moncrieff Matthews (in memoria
Parents & Boys of Sydney Grammar Edgecliff Pr
Marion E Robertson (in memoriam), Emily
Maurice Saxby AM, SA Dept of the Arts & Cultur
Cassandra Weddell, Qld (in memoriam), Maisie Wi
Donations to the CBCA Awards Foundation are tax deductible and can be sent to: