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Finding Aunt Joan Represents Africa With Crystal Kite Award Win

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 04 May 2012   |   

Published by Jacana Publishers
This was born during a SCBWI workshop!

Finding Aunt Joan (Lucy Books)
Jenny Hatton (Author), Joan Rankin (Illustrator)
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd South Africa (1 Sep 2011)
ISBN-10: 1770098038
ISBN-13: 978-1770098039

Finding Aunt Joan describes the drive with family (plus dog and mouse) crammed inside the car. Hugely amusing and perhaps the best of the three. Jenny Hatton’s text is simple, direct, easy to digest – ideal inspiration for some of Joan Rankin’s friendliest, most frantic set of illustrations. A delight for early readers.

The Lucy Books consist of three charming little square books which make a sort of sequence – the process of packing up one home, moving to the next, and enjoying life when you get there. Children will easily relate to the stories which reflect true to life events such as going on a journey, moving house and a visit to the beach. The rhythmic text of the Lucy books will help build children’s reading skills and confidence while they are absorbed by the humorous illustrations depicting Lucy and her family.

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Full list of Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards 2011 Winners

Africa: Finding Aunt Joan: Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin, Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd.
Australia: The Last Viking: Norman Jorgensen, Fremantle Press
California/Hawaii: Won Ton – A Cat Tale Told in Haiku: Lee Wardlaw, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Flordia/GA Cleopatra’s Moon Vicky Alvear Shecter, Arthur A. Levine Books (Scholastic Press)
Kansas/LA: Between Shades of Gray Ruta Sepetys, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Middle East/Asia: Orchards, Holly Thompson, Delacorte Dell (Random House)
Minnesota/Iowa: Bluefish Pat Schmatz, Candlewick Press
Nevada: Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor, Larry Brimner, Boyds Mills Press
New England: Pearl, Jo Knowles, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Thelonious Mouse, Orel Protopopescu, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.
PA/DE/NJ: The Absolute Value of Mike, Kathryn Erskine, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Texas/OK: MINE! Patrice Barton Random House Children’s Books
Americas: Witchlanders, Lena Coakley, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)
UK/Europe: Dark Parties, Sara Grant, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group USA)
Washington: The Friendship Doll, Kirby Larson, Delacorte Dell (Random House)

• Visit SCBWI

Book details

• Finding Aunt Joan by Jenny Hatton
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9781770098039
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

UK Authors Have Strong Presence on Astrid Lindgren Award Shortlist

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 24 Oct 2011   |   

Quentin Blake, Neil Gaiman, Meg Rosoff and Michael Rosen are competing for the world’s richest children’s prize, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial award.

The UK has mustered one of its strongest-ever showings for the SEK5m prize, with 17 candidates nominated for bodies of work “in the spirit of Astrid Lindgren”. In total 184 candidates from around the world are in the running for the award, a mix of authors, illustrators, promoters of reading and oral storytellers.

“184 candidates or not, it feels very good to be nominated,” said the former children’s laureate Rosen. “It means that there are some people who think that what I’m doing is worthwhile. Producing children’s books is full of complicated emotions about worth and being nominated for the Astrid Lindgren is a very clear way to feel a bit less complicated about it.”

Rosoff, whose novels have won the Guardian children’s fiction prize and the Carnegie medal, agreed. “There aren’t many awards where I’d be excited about being on a 184-member longlist, but the Astrid Lindgren prize is more like being invited to join an exclusive worldwide club. Some of the people I most admire in the world are on the list – Wolf Ehrlbruch, Jutta Bauer, Maira Kalman, Peter Sís, Ulf Stark, Morris Gleitzman, not to mention David Almond and Michael Rosen from the UK. And of course Shaun Tan holds the current title – a thrilling and brilliant choice.”

Sitting alongside fellow British nominees including Allan Ahlberg, Michael Foreman, David Almond, Michael Morpurgo and Shirley Hughes, “it’s a great feeling to be a contender,” said Rosoff. “I was so pleased to be longlisted – though I wouldn’t say I’m exactly worrying about spending the money.”

• Read complete article at Guardian

Exclusives Book IBBY SA Award Calls for South African Published Children's Books

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 02 Feb 2011   |   

Dear Publishers and Children’s Book People

Exclusive Books, in association with IBBY SA, is once again delighted to announce its sponsorship of the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award, for the best original children’s picture book or illustrated children’s story book published in South Africa.

For the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award 2011, we invite submissions of books published between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010. The rules and conditions are detailed below.

Please send submissions (two copies of each title) to Exclusive Books Head Office before the 30 April 2011.

Kind regards

Colleen Whitfield

Corporate Social Investment & Children’s Books Manager

Exclusive Books

1st Floor | Rivonia Village | 3 Mutual Road | Rivonia

Tel: 011 798 0000 | Fax: 086 682 8794 | colleenw@exclusivebooks.co.za

The Rules of the Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award

1 The name of the award is: ‘The Exclusive Books IBBY SA Award’.
2 It is awarded to the illustrated literary work for children (i.e. picture book or illustrated children’s story book or illustrated book of poems) adjudged the best in the period of adjudication.
3 Books that are clearly works of non-fiction are not eligible.
4 The award is R5 000.00 for the writer and R5 000.00 for the illustrator.
5 If the writer is also the illustrator, the award is R10 000.00.
6 If there are two or more writers or two or more illustrators, the respective award is shared equally.
7 The writer and illustrator must be South Africans, whether living in South Africa or not; or non-South Africans living and working in South Africa.
8 The book must be an original work written in any of the official South African languages.
9 The book should not be a re-issue or a re-working of a previously published book.
10 The book must have been published in South Africa.
11 The award is given to a book that is recognisably South African in character.
12 The award is made every second year, from 2007 onwards.
13 The two-year period for eligibility shall be the previous two calendar years.
14 The sponsor of the award is Exclusive Books, and the judging of the award is entirely in the hands of IBBY SA.
15 The jury will ideally consist of a non-practising publisher of children’s books, an academic in Fine Art with specialisation in design and book illustration, the Chairperson of IBBY SA, the IBBY SA Executive members responsible for the awards portfolio, and any members co-opted from the areas of design, public and school libraries, academic librarianship, and book-selection for children.
16 The jury is to be convened and chaired by a member of the IBBY SA Exec.
17 No staff-member of a participating publisher may sit on the jury; no writer or illustrator of a book that is entered may sit on the jury; no one who has contributed in any way to the production of a book that is entered may sit on the jury.
18 No correspondence concerning the adjudication or the award may be entered into.
19 A shortlist of five (or fewer) titles may be published some weeks before the final award is announced.
20 The award will be announced at an Exclusive Books event in September or October in a major South African city, the date, venue and details of the event being at the discretion of Exclusive Books.
21 Exclusive Books will invite all South African authors, illustrators and publishers to submit two copies of eligible titles between 1 February and 30 April of an awarding year.
22 The publisher of the winning book must be prepared to donate a minimum of ten copies for review and promotional purposes.

20 April 2007 / Updated 26 March 2009 / Updated 13 January 2011

Interview with Mirirai Moyo Winner of the 2010 Golden Baobab Award

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 01 Dec 2010   |   

Mirirai Moyo, a promising emerging writer from Zimbabwe, is one of the winners of the 2010 Golden Baobab Award, which features African stories for children anywhere. Moyo is not new to awards. In 1996, she was the Harare Region Winner for the Randalls National Essay Competition. Her short stories have featured in The Sunday Mail, Fascinating Tales and Parade as well as Drum Magazine’s fiction segment. Her radio play, Belonging, was awarded Honourable Mention in the BBC African Performance 2008 and published in Rory Kilale’s collection In the Continuum and Other Plays (Weaver Press). What I find fascinating so far is how Mirirai Moyo features animal characters in her stories to deal with the realistic issues that concern humans. As the interview below shows, Moyo appreciates the power of the traditional story-telling tradition, but she puts a new twist to her story-telling to address contemporary issues affecting humans everywhere.

• Read the complete article

Golden Baobab Prize Winners Announced

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 10 Nov 2010   |   

Accra, November 9, 2010- The 2010 winners of the Golden Baobab Prize, a leading African literary award, have been announced. This year Lauri Kubuitsile of Botswana, Mirirai Moyo of Zimbabwe and Ahmed Farah of Kenya were selected as the distinguished winners by a prestigious panel of judges. They join the growing circle of promising authors chosen by The Golden Baobab Prize, which is the only prize of its kind: it is awarded annually to inspire the creation of quality African literature to be enjoyed by youth readers all around the world. The prize offers a monetary award to its winners and connects outstanding stories with an array of African and international publishers.

This year, Kubuitsile’s Mechanic’s Son won her the Golden Baobab Prize for the best story written for ages 12-15 years. Moyo’s Diki, the Little Earthworm was named the Golden Baobab Prize for the best story written for ages 8-11 years and Farah’s Letters from the Flames, earned him the Golden Baobab Rising Writer Award which is given to young writer 18 years and below who shows exceptional literary promise for his/her age.

The 2010 Golden Baobab Prize shortlist for Category A (stories targeted at readers 8-11 years) features:

* Dorothy Dyer (South Africa), War Stories
* Gothataone Moeng (Botswana), The Rainmakers of Botalaote
* Lauri Kubuitsile (Botswana), Lightning and Thunderers

The 2010 Golden Baobab Prize shortlist for Category B (stories targeted at readers 12-15 years):

* Jenny Robson (South Africa/Botswana), Only the Stones Still Cry
* Patrick Ochieng (Kenya), Neighbours

Among the renowned Golden Baobab Prize panel of judges sit esteemed Ghanaian publisher Nana Ayebia Clarke, critically acclaimed Kenyan author Muthoni Garland, two-time former President of the Hans Christian Anderson Award jury Jay Heale, multi prize-winning children’s author and illustrator Meshack Asare, highly regarded Nigerian publisher Bibi Bakare-Yusuf and Global Fund for Children Books Director Cynthia Pon.

This is the second time Kubuitsile has won the Golden Baobab Prize: in 2008/2009 she was selected to be the winner for her story Lorato and her Wire Car. Last year Ivor W. Hartmann won as well for his story Mr. Goop. Vivilia Publishing in South Africa has since published both of these winning stories. In that same year, 18 year-old Kenyan Aisha Kibwana won with her story The Strange Visitors That Took Her Life Away, earning her the Golden Baobab Rising Writer Award. She shares the honor now with fellow Kenyan, 16 year-old Farah.

For further information, photos or to arrange interviews, please contact: Deborah Ahenkorah via deborah@goldenbaobab.org. Visit website: www.goldenbaobab.org

The Baobab Prize is now the GOLDEN Baobab Prize

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 25 Oct 2010   |   

I had the pleasure of meeting co-founder of The Golden Baobab Prize, Deborah Ahenkorah during the Cape Town Book fair this year, infact she stayed with me for a bit and I really got to find out more about this amazing project she founded a few years ago. She is very passionate about African children’s literature and is really taking the Golden Baobab Prize from strength to strength. I really wish her all the best and encourage all of you to visit the beautiful new website and see how you can add or make a difference in creating more African children’s books for all of the children of the world to share. Read more here.

Golden Baobab Prize at a Glance:
* An African literary award established to inspire the creation of the best kinds of African stories that children and young adults all over the world will love.
* Invites entries of unpublished short stories written by African citizens irrespective of age, race or geographical location.
* Awards a monetary prize and connects outstanding stories with publishers all over the world.

Vision: to identify the African literary giants of the next generation and produce classic African stories that will be appreciated for years to come!
The Golden Baobab Prize is an African literary award established in July 2008 to encourage the writing of African literature for children and young adults.

Our dream in ten years is to see bookstores all over the world overflowing with beautifully- written and illustrated African books for children and young adults. Join us in making this a reality, find out how (link to get involved page).

* Supported by The Global Fund for Children and the African Library Project. Founding support provided by Bryn Mawr College.
* Run by passionate team of volunteer from all over the world.
* Non-profit initiative registered in Ghana.
* Co-founders: Ghanaian, Deborah Ahenkorah and Senegalese-born, Rama Shagaya.

Submission Guidelines

Contestants and entries must comply with ALL of the following criteria. Works that do not conform to the rules will be disqualified.*

* Submitted stories should fall into either Category A (stories for readers aged 8-11 years) or Category B (stories for readers aged 12-15 years).
* Entry should be a work of fiction between 1,000 to 5,000 words. The category a story falls into may influence its length.
* There are no restrictions on themes but stories must be set in Africa or have a very evident African content.
* Stories should be in written in English and should not have been previously published elsewhere, in part or in full.
* Pseudonyms may not be used. Entries must be submitted under entrant’s real name.
* Entrants may enter up to five stories.
* All entries must be the unaided work of the entrant.
* Previous entrants and winners of the Prize are eligible to enter in subsequent years.
* The title page of submissions should state the category and title of the story. All biographical information should be sent in the body of submission email.

ALL entries will be acknowledged with an email to the address from which the entry was sent.

* The Golden Baobab Prize administration reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not conform to set rules. No correspondence will be entered into in this regard.

For all queries visit our FAQ page or contact info@goldenbaobab.org

• Visit the Golden Baobab here

Four Nominees from SA for World's Largest Children's Literature Award

by Bontle on 11 Oct 2010   |   

Writer/illustrator Niki Daly, and the organisations First Words in Print, PRAESA and Biblionef from South Africa are all nominated for the 2011 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. These South African nominees are being nominated for the second year in a row. Candidates from around the world have been selected by experts from many different countries. On the list is a variety of authors, illustrators, oral storytellers, children’s literary organisations and promoters of reading working in various literary traditions and languages.

Other African nominees include illustrator Véronique Tadjo from Côte d’Ivoire and the organisation Planète Jeunes in Burkina Faso. On March 29 the winners of the Astrid Lindgren Award will be announced at the birthplace of Astrid Lindgren in Vimmerby, Sweden.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) is the world’s largest prize for children’s and young adult literature. The award, which amounts to SEK 5 million, is awarded annually to a single recipient or to several. Authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and those active in reading promotion may be rewarded. The award is designed to promote interest in children’s and young adult literature, and in children’s rights, globally. An expert jury selects the winners from candidates nominated by institutions and organisations worldwide. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is administered by the Swedish Arts Council.

• Read the complete list of candidates here

The Winners of the 2010 Maskew Miller Longman Literary Awards

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 25 Aug 2010   |   

Note! This is an update from my previous post, Maskew Miller Longman actaully has quiet a few winners this year since the awards were open to all eleven South Africa languages. There are winners in the Afrikaans, English, IsiXhosa, Sepedi and Xitsonga categories. Read press release from MML here:

Maskew Miller Longman Literature Awards 2010 winners

Maskew Miller Longman is delighted to announce the winners of its Literature Awards 2010 for Children’s Stories in all official languages. The finalists include both well-known authors such as Carina Diedericks-Hugo, Jelleke Wierenga, Conny Lubisi and Gail Smith, as well as new authors. This year’s competition also included an illustration category.

Maskew Miller Longman places great emphasis on developing new writers and promoting indigenous literature. The Maskew Miller Longman Literature Awards, now in its fourth year, is the only competition to call for entries in all official languages.

To assist new writers in creating stories they could enter in the competition, Maskew Miller Longman ran workshops in several provinces presented by prominent writer Rachelle Greef.

The quality of many of the past winners is shown by the fact that several of them have gone on to win other awards, for example the novel Katy of Sky Road was nominated as an Honour Book by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) for 2009 and novels by Conny Lubisi and Mafori Charles Mphahlele won 2008 MNet Awards.

The judges of the Literature Awards 2010 included well-known writers and literary experts such as: Niki Daly, Sindiwe Magona, Marita van der Vyfer, Prof. M.J. Mojalefa and X.E. Mabaso.

In 2010, prizes were awarded in five of the eleven language categories and in the illustration category. The winner in each category receives a prize of R7 500, while the finalists receive R3 500. The winning stories were published by Maskew Miller Longman in July 2010.

Afrikaans

Winner: Kat in die pan vir die Fransman – Jelleke Wierenga

Finalist: Die Groenmambas en Shaka se spies – Carina Diedericks-Hugo

Finalist: ‘n Bosluis red die koningshuis – Jelleke Wierenga

English

Winner: Bongani’s Secret – Gail Smith

Finalist: Three Blind Dates – Pamela Newham

IsiXhosa

Winner: Unyanelizwe – Sivuyile Mazantsi

Sepedi

Winner: Kgetha Nna – Norman Mahlanya

Xitsonga

Winner: Lembe Lerintshwa – Conny Lubisi

Illustrations

Winner: Lizette Duvenage, Finalist: Dale Blankenaar

Ends

Bruno, ’n slimkop-boekwurm, sy beduiwelde rooikop-tweelingsuster, Bronnie, en hul maat, Ben, moet die misterieuse verdwyning van hul geliefde kat, Kattebol, oplos. Het die onderonsie tussen hulle ma en die sjef by die Volkskombuis dalk ’n rol gespeel in die hele drama? Hierdie is ’n opwindende avontuurverhaal wat behendige speurwerk vereis.

Bongani is a smart, funny, loveable young teenager, who is struggling to manage his tricky life. Someone in his class has discovered his terrible secret and Bongani must find him and silence him. This fast-paced, humorous story from established writer Gail Smith examines serious issues with wisdom and sensitivity. It will entertain and provoke even the most reluctant readers.

This fun and fantastical story will absorb young readers, making it easy for them to engage with the important moral and social values it addresses. Readers will relate strongly to this story, and will recognise many aspects of their own everyday and emotional lives. It will give rise to discussions of very current and crucial issues to do with human and social values, making this an excellent choice for young readers. Contains activities that can be done individually and groups.

All young readers will be fascinated from the very first page by this charming tale of hope, striving and celebration. Tsakani feels she missed out at last year’s New Year’s celebrations, so she starts preparing and saving. In the end she manages to celebrate her year end in a very special way, showing that money is far less important than our own happiness. Contains individual and group activities that can be used for assessment.

Book details

• Bongani’s Secret by Gail Smith
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112056
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• Kat in die Pan ir die Fransman by Jelleke Wierenga
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112223
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Unyanelizwe by Sivuyile Mazantsi
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112254
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Lembe Lerintshwa by Conny Lubisi
  Ages 10 to 13
  EAN: 9780636112278
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

Registration for 2011 Angolan Children Book Award Opened

by Nonikiwe - Editor on 22 Jul 2010   |   

Luanda – The registration for the literary award dubbed “Jardim do Livro Infantil” (Children’ book garden) will be open until 11 February 2011, disclosed Tuesday the National Institute of Cultural Industries (INIC).

According to a press release made available to ANGOP, the annual prize aims at encouraging the creation of children-youth literature, as well as promoting reading habits and the emergence of new writers in the children’s literature sector.

The contestants are expected to send their books in an envelope signed with their pseudonym, present complete identification, ID photocopy.

The books need to be sent to the address “Jardim do Livro Infantil”, Institute of Cultural Industries, PO Box 1248, Cirilo da Conceição Silva Street No 7, 2nd floor Luanda, reads the document.

The literary award “Jardim do livro Infantil” was created by the National Institute of Cultural Industries to honour the forerunners of Angolan children’s literature.

• Read the complete article at Portalangop

Reviews of the 2010 Children's Africana Book Awards Nominees

by Bontle on 12 Jul 2010   |   

Nominee for Best Book for Young Children:

Pharaoh’s Boat
(Houghton Mifflin)

With poetic language and striking illustrations, David Weitzman tells the story of how one of the greatest boats of ancient Egypt came to be built and built again. In the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the most skilled shipwrights in all of Egypt are building an enormous vessel that will transport Cheops, the mighty pharaoh, across the winding waterway and into a new world. But no one could have imagined just where the journey of Pharaoh’s boat would ultimately lead.

Nominee for Best Book for Older Readers:

Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book
(W.W. Norton)
Created by The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Umlando Wezithombe, this graphic novel is, as the title suggests, a visual representation of the life and times of Nelson Mandela also affectionately known by his clan name, Madiba. First released in South Africa as a series of nine separate comics, the international one-book version unfolds in beautifully drawn graphic images accompanied with narrative text.

The 2010 awards will be presented on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the National Museum of African Art Washington, DC.

• Read the complete review

Book details

• Pharaoh’s Boat by David Weitzman
  Ages 4 to 8
  EAN: 9780547053417
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Nelson Mandela: The Authorized Comic Book by Nelson Mandela Foundation
  Ages 8 to 12
  EAN: 9780393070828
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!