A lovely little sekrit ...

I had a sekrit, but now I can say ... I am a finalist in the 2014 NZ Post Book Awards for Children And Young Adults with my book A Winter's Day in 1939. I am beyond thrilled and especially so that this is for a book that is a tribute to the bravery and tenacity of my wonderful parents. The full list of finalists is below. I am so honoured to be in this company. Congratulations to all the other finalists. Yet the list is just not long enough for all the great books that came out in 2013 - New Zealand is going from strength to strength with the quality of children's and young adult literature we are producing. . Thank you to all the lovely folk who have said such nice things to me about my shortlisting. It means a lot to me.

Picture Books

Machines and Me: Boats by Catherine Foreman; Scholastic New Zealand

The Boring Book by Vasanti Unka; Penguin Group (NZ), Puffin

The Three Bears … Sort Of by Yvonne Morrison & Donovan Bixley; Scholastic New Zealand

Toucan Can by Juliette MacIver & Sarah Davis; Gecko Press

Watch Out, Snail! by Gay Hay & Margaret Tolland; Page Break Ltd

Non-Fiction

An Extraordinary Land by Peter Hayden & Rod Morris; HarperCollins Publishers (NZ)

Anzac Day: The New Zealand story by Philippa Werry; New Holland Publishers

Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber & Brian Lovelock; Walker Books Australia

The Beginner’s Guide to Hunting & Fishing in New Zealand by Paul Adamson; Random House New Zealand

Wearable Wonders by Fifi Colston; Scholastic New Zealand

Junior Fiction

A Winter’s Day in 1939 by Melinda Szymanik; Scholastic New Zealand

Dunger by Joy Cowley; Gecko Press

Felix and the Red Rats by James Norcliffe; Random House New Zealand, Longacre

Project Huia by Des Hunt; Scholastic New Zealand

The Princess and the Foal by Stacy Gregg; Harper Collins Publishers (NZ)

Young Adult Fiction

A Necklace of Souls by R L Stedman; Harper Collins Publishers (NZ), HarperVoyager

Bugs by Whiti Hereaka; Huia Publishers

Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox; Gecko Press

Speed Freak by Fleur Beale; Random House New Zealand

When We Wake by Karen Healey; Allen & Unwin

Winner – Māori Language award

Taka Ki Ro Wai by Keri Kaa & Martin Page; Tania&Martin