Judges announced for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards 2009

A senior academic will lead the judging panel in the country’s most prestigious book awards this year. Mark Williams, author and professor of English at Victoria University will judge the 2009 Montana New Zealand Book Awards together with award-winning writer, reviewer and editor, Jane Westaway and literary critic, journalist and editor, Margo White.

This year’s judging panel say the field is rich with established and new writers and there is an especially large number of beautifully produced books to consider.

‘We are looking for excellence across the whole range of New Zealand books dealing with subjects as various as art, cooking, war, gardening, and gay lifestyles. With around 215 books to read and 15 separate prizes to award, we have full reading schedules. We are advised by experts in each of the eight main categories: fiction, poetry, history, biography, reference and anthology, lifestyle and contemporary culture, illustrative, and environment…The judges’ responsibilities are collective and we shall all read and, together with our advisors, debate our judgments across the whole range of books submitted,’ says convenor, Mark Williams.

In selecting finalists and winners, judges take into account each book’s enduring literary merit and overall authorship; quality of illustration and graphic presentation; production values, general design and the standard of editing and the impact of the book on the community, with emphasis on issues such as quality, topicality, public interest, entertainment, cultural and educational values and life span of the book.

For more information about the judges and advisors.

2009 Newberry & Caldecott Medal Winners

The winners of these Awards, made annual by the American Library Association, for 2009 are:

Newbery Medal Winner - For best writing in a children's book
The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman

Newbery Honor Books
The Underneath – Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom – Margarita Engle
Savvy – Ingrid Law
After Tupac and D Foster – Jacqueline Woodson

Caldecott Medal Winner - For best illustration in a children's book
The House in the Night – illustrated by Beth Krommes and written by Susan Marie Swanson

Caldecott Honor Books
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever – Marla Frazee
How I Learned Geography – Uri Shulevitz
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams – illustrated by Melissa Sweet and written by Jen Bryant

For further information, go to the American Library Association website.

PLEASE PLEASE

Please. This is a plea on behalf of all those many people on the waiting list for any of the "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer.

Although we have bought more supplies of the books, we still have an incredible demand and the waiting list continues to grow (Yes - it is BIGGER than Harry Potter).

So if your patience has run out and you have actually gone out to buy the book or books, can you please let us know to cancel your request. At the moment we have books sitting on our shelves waiting to be collected, only to discover that they are no longer needed because you have become an owner (or have borrowed a copy from someone else to read).

Thank you (again on behalf of, among others, the 1800 people around Auckland who were on the waiting list for book 3 yesterday)

Summer Reading Programme Finales

The Rodney Libraries Summer Reading programme Finales are being celebrated as we speak. Yesterday the children who had participated and completed in Wellsford, Mahurangi East, Warkworth and Whangaparaoa were awarded their certificates and rewarded with the Finale Party.

Local author and storyteller Stu Duval entertained the crowds of old and young with his mix of art and creative tales. One lucky child at each library got to take away a piece of his artwork.

Today is the turn of Orewa, Kumeu and Helensville libraries. Congratulations and well done to all who took part in the Programme. If you couldn't make the party to pick up your Certificate check with the library where you registered for the programme. Thank you to those organisations which supported the programme.

Rock Camp Rodney'09: Recruits Wanted to Rock Rodney

Talented young musicians from across Rodney are being given the opportunity to audition for an exciting training camp which will develop their skills.

‘Rock Camp Rodney’ is an innovative five day musical training programme which will offer places to between 50 and 80 young people living in Rodney. The programme is open to participants between 8 and 18 years old and applicants have until the 13 February to audition for the camp.
The Camp will be run by Nick Roberts and Mike Trent of Helensville based REAL MUSIC, who have successfully run other training projects such as "Groove Factory" (for 5 - 13 year olds) and "Band Factory" (for 11-16 year olds) for the previous 2 years. Mike and Nick also ran the very successful "Rodney Live '08.”

“Rodney Live demonstrated that there is a huge depth of young talent here in Rodney, and this has been confirmed by the fact that a number of the performers from Rodney Live have gone on to be part of Christmas in the Park,” says Mike Trent. “Through Rock Camp Rodney we want to tap into that local talent and offer participants a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop their skills by working with top professionals in the New Zealand music industry.”

The camp will offer musicians the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills, such as presentation skills and how to analyse performances. Training will be carried out by tutors at the MAINZ studios (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) and the participants will be placed in bands with other students at the camp, as well as meet New Zealand music legends. The camp will culminate with the musicians demonstrating their skills through a series of live shows at various locations throughout Rodney on the 24th and 25th April 2009.

The project is being supported by Rodney District Council and funded through the Auckland Regional Services fund. The funding has been held in trust by Rodney District Council since the Auckland Regional Services Trust was disbanded in 1998. Under the Local Government Act the fund can only to be used for significant art or cultural projects in Rodney.

“Rodney District Council is pleased to be able to support Rock Camp Rodney as it will provide a fantastic opportunity for our young people to develop their musical skills and help them in achieving their potential,” says Paul Green, Council’s Community Development Manager. “We are particularly pleased that the project can be supported without affecting rates as it is funded from the Auckland Regional Services fund,” he adds.

Rock Camp Rodney is also supported by Times FM with regular air time being given, and opportunities for Rodney’s young musicians to feature on-air.

Auditions should be submitted in the form of a video tape or DVD to:

Rock Camp Rodney

PO Box 119 Helensville

by 3.30pm, 13th February. The submitters name, address and age should be clearly identified.

For further information please contact:

Kiri Trent, REAL MUSIC,Ph: 021 119 1643Email: rockcamp09@gmail.com