Listomania

Well what a week it has been. We've had such super exciting cricket with the tail end of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. I've been so impressed by the Black Caps, both for their cricketing and their sportsmanship, and was thrilled they won their way into the final against Australia. They made it easy for us to love them and want them to do well. Win or lose, they are a remarkable bunch of guys.

The 2015 LIANZA Children's Book Award finalists were announced on the 23rd, and it was rather fab to have my book with illustrator Dominique Ford, The Song of Kauri, long-listed in two categories: for the Russell Clark Award for Illustration (yay Dominique - those illustrations are breathtaking), and for the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction (the only picture book included - crikey). We didn't make the shortlists -  there are just so many great books coming out of New Zealand - congratulations to all those who did and good luck for the big announcement of the winners in June.

Russell Clark Illustration Award Finalists

• Marmaduke Duck on the Wide Blue Seas - illus. Sarah Davis – Scholastic
• Jim’s Letters - illus. Jenny Cooper – Penguin Random House
• Have you seen a monster?, - Raymond McGrath – Penguin Random House
• So Many Wonderfuls, - Tina Matthews – Walker Books
• Mrs Mo's Monster, - Paul Beavis – Gecko Press

Longlist

Bye,Bye, Bye - illus. Stephanie Junovich

Go Home Flash - Ruth Paul

Moonman - Ned Barraud

The Song of Kauri - Illus. Dominique Ford

I Am Not A Worm - Scott Tulloch

LIANZA Young Adult Finalists

•  I am Rebecca, by Fleur Beale – Penguin Random House
• The Red Suitcase, by Jill Harris – Makaro Press
• Singing Home the Whale, by Mandy Hager – Penguin Random House
• Recon Team Angel: Vengeance, by Brian Falkner – Walker Books
• Night Vision, by Ella West – Allen and Unwin

Longlist

Kiwis At War - Susan Brocker

Spark - Rachael Craw

The Bow - Catherine Mayo

Awakening - Natalie King

Unworthy - Joanne Armstrong

Magic and Makutu - David Hair

Elsie Locke Nonfiction Finalists

• The Book of Hat, by Harriet Rowland – Makaro Press
• A New Zealand Nature Journal, by Sandra Morris – Walker Books
• Maori Art for Kids, by Julie Noanoa and Norm Heke - Potton and Burton Publishing
• Mōtītī Blue and the Oil Spill: A Story from the Rena Disaster, by Debbie McCauley – Mauao Publishing
• New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame: 25 Kiwi Champions, by Maria Gill and Marco Ivancic – New Holland

Longlist

Under the Ocean - Gillian Candler, illus. Ned Barraud

Offloading With Sonny Bill - David Riley

Ghoulish Getups - Fifi Colston

Loves Me Not: How To Keep Relationships Safe - Lesly Elliott

Taratoa and the Code of Conduct - Debbie McCauley

One Girl, One Dream - Laura Dekker

Esther Glen Junior Fiction Finalists

• Monkey Boy, by Donovan Bixley – Scholastic
• The Volume of Possible Endings (A Tale of Fontania), by Barbara Else – Gecko
• Conrad Cooper's Last Stand, by Leonie Agnew - Penguin
• Trouble in Time, by Adele Broadbent – Scholastic
• Letterbox Cat, by Paula Green – Scholastic

Longlist

The Song of Kauri - Melinda Szymanik, illus. Dominique Ford

The Deadly Sky - David Hill

Island of Lost Horses - Stacey Gregg

Dappled Annie and the Tigrish - Mary McCallum

The Night of the Perigee Moon - Juliet Jacka

Te Kura Pounamu (Te Reo Māori) Finalists

• Nga Kī, by Sacha Cotter, Josh Morgan and Kawata Teepa - Huia
• Hui E!, by various authors - Huia
• Tūtewehi, by Fred Te Maro - HuiaKimihia by Te Mihinga Komene and Scott Pearson - Huia
• An early Te Reo Reading Book Series, by Carolyn Collis - Summer Rose Books

And last but by no means least,yesterday was the Storylines International Children's Book Day and Storylines Awards Presentation. I was really pleased to receive a 2015 Storylines Notable Book Award for The Song of Kauri. And so happy to finally meet the book's illustrator Dominique. What's more, the illustrator for my next picture book was there too, and we had a bit of a chat about some things he is planning. I cannot wait to see what he comes up with. I got to chat with other writery and illustratory friends - always an excellent thing. And missed chatting with others and am now kicking myself over that. Congratulations to all the other Notable Book Awardees. Congratulations to Suzanne Main on the launch of her 2014 Tom Fitzgibbon Award winning book How I Alienated my Grandma - such an awesome read!, to Tom Moffatt, this year's Tom Fitzgibbon winner, and Joy Halloran-Davidson, the 2015 Joy Cowely Award winner.

Here is the full Notable Books List for 2015:-

Notable Books List 2015

The 2015 list is for books published in 2014. 

Storylines Notable Picture Books List 2015

Books for children and/ or young adult where the narrative is carried equally by pictures and story

• Blackie the Fisher Cat by Janet Pereira, illustrated by Gabriella Klepatski (Craig Potton Publishing).
• Have You Seen a Monster by Raymond McGrath (Penguin).
• Jim’s Letters by Glyn Harper, illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Penguin).
• Kakapo Dance by Helen Taylor (Penguin).
• I Am Not A Worm by Scott Tulloch (Scholastic).
• The Song of Kauri by Melinda Szymanik, illustrated by Dominique Ford (Scholastic).
• The Anzac Puppy by Peter Millett, illustrated by Trish Bowles (Scholastic).
• My New Zealand ABC Book by James Brown (Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of NZ).
• My New Zealand Colours Book by James Brown (Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of NZ).

• Construction by Sally Sutton, illustrated by Brian Lovelock (Walker Books)

Storylines Notable Junior Fiction List 2015

Fiction suitable for primary and intermediate-aged children.

• The Volume of Possible Endings by Barbara Else (Gecko Press).
• Island of Lost Horses by Stacy Gregg (HarperCollins).
• Conrad Cooper’s Last Stand by Leonie Agnew (Penguin).
• Teddy One Eye: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear by Gavin Bishop (Random House).
• MNZS: Harbour Bridge by Philippa Werry (Scholastic).
• Monkey Boy by Donovan Bixley (Scholastic).
• Trouble in Time by Adele Broadbent (Scholastic).
• The Name at the End of the Ladder by Elena De Roo (Walker Books).
• Ophelia Wild, Deadly Detective by Elena De Roo ( Walker Books).

Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction List 2015

Fiction suitable for upper intermediate and secondary school students.

• While We Run by Karen Healey (Allen & Unwin).
• Speed Of Light by Joy Cowley (Gecko Press).

• I Am Rebecca by Fleur Beale (Random House).
• Singing Home The Whale by Mandy Hager (Random House).
• Spark by Rachael Craw (Walker Books).

Storylines Notable Non-Fiction List 2015

For authoritative, well-designed information books accessible to children and young adults.

• A Little ABC Book by Jenny Palmer (Beatnik Publishing).
• Maori Art for Kids by Julie Noanoa, illustrated by Norm Heke (Craig Potton Publishing).
• Under The Ocean: Explore & Discover NZ’s Sealife by Gillian Candler, illustrated by Ned Barraud (Craig Potton Publishing).
• The Book of Hat by Harriet Rowland (Makaro Press).
• New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame: 25 Kiwi Champions by Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic (New Holland Publishers).
• A Treasury of NZ Poems edited by Paula Green, illustrated by Jenny Cooper (Random House).
• Ghoulish Get-Ups by Fifi Colston (Scholastic).
• The Letterbox Cat & Other Poems by Paula Green, illustrated by Myles Lawford (Scholastic).
• Piggy Pasta & More Food with Attitude by Rebecca Woolfall and Suzi Tait-Bradly (Scholastic).
• A New Zealand Nature Journal by Sandra Morris (Walker Books)