Book Giveaways - Competitions for LOST! A Dog Called Bear

I've been working on the Rainbow Street series for so long I absolutely have to do something to celebrate the release of the first of the six books. And since the book is coming out in North America on August 2, and I'm going to be on a little island in Denmark that day, I decided the best thing to do was a couple of book giveaways. Both end August 31.

There are two: one on goodreads.com, which hasn't been listed yet - I'll try to post when it does, but as I'll be traveling, it's worth checking the Giveaway section of Goodreads in a couple of days. Because this is a more official giveaway, it's just for USA and Canada, as that is where this edition of the book is being released.

The other is on the Rainbow Street Shelter Series FaceBook page: http://tinyurl.com/3psrasx
Since I'm organising this one myself, anyone can enter. Just Like the page, and post a favourite animal picture on the wall. It doesn't have to be a traditional pet, doesn't have to be yours, doesn't have to be a photo. The winner will be chosen by a random number from the uploads - it's about enthusiasm, not artistic merit or cuteness of pet, because they're all beautiful to the people who live with them. 

Defending our Libraries

My local paper asked for my thoughts on funding cuts to public libraries (Wonder how they guessed I'd have a view on it?)

Libraries are not a book warehouse, though they are a lifeline for omnivorous readers. Our library holds regular book talks, where keen readers meet authors to hear the story behind the book. Holiday programs offer children writing workshops and other creative outlets. Adults can learn to use, or access computers.

And anyone can do their own research, asking for help when they need it – the library staff facilitates ongoing learning, whether formal or informal. The acquisition of new books is essential for a library to be relevant, but just as important is the interaction. When I needed a photo that I was sure I’d once seen, of a sea lion teasing a marine iguana, one of our local librarians helped me track it down. They advise on reading tastes, as well as factual information, in a non-threatening atmosphere. They’re a place where passionate children’s librarians help parents to match a child with the right book at the right time.

When I arrived in Australia as a 21 year-old migrant, I turned to my local library for insights into my new culture. I would hate to see new migrants today deprived of that benefit.

The budget cuts seem especially grave to me considering the March 2011, Softlink follow-up survey to the 2010 Australian School Library Survey, which found that four out of five school libraries have experienced a budget decrease, or no change, compared to the previous year.

It’s a grave outlook for the future, not just for our children, but for all of us, if public library services are cut back as well. 

LOST! A Dog Called Bear

I'm waiting anxiously for the advance copy of LOST! A Dog Called Bear. When I finally get it, I guess it will seem funny that it's been lost in the mail.

However, it'll be out, in the USA and Canada, on August 2 so readers there may see it before I do! (Australian readers, unless they win the Facebook competition, will have to wait for a compilation book to be published by Allen & Unwin next June. It will probably be called Rainbow Street Pets.)

This little book (10,000 words) has been a long time coming, as it's the first of a series of six in the Rainbow Street Shelter series, and we wanted to have them all well underway before the first came out.
It's published by Henry Holt and illustrated by Susan Boase.

This first story is based on the adventures of two dogs we owned at different times in our lives - both were Border Collie crosses and working dogs. Jack jumped the five foot fence when he came to live with us in Albury before we bought our first farm; he headed down the highway and jumped into the back of the first ute he saw, ending up in Yackandandah, about 25 km away. Many years later, when we moved into Rosebud for a while, Bear jumped out of the back of my husband's ute, raced across the highway, and ran up and down the beach for a few hours. People kept telling us they'd seen him, and pointing different directions, but we never saw him. (It's okay, we did get him back eventually!)

Here's the cover: 

PeopleQuiz - Nim's Island - Trivia Quiz

A Nim's Island Quiz! (No, I didn't make it - found it at PeopleQuiz through my google alert) Thanks to PeopleQuiz!

Interview at Screen Futures YouthFest

Screen Futures YouthFest was a great event at Fed Square on Monday.  I went to a panel discussion with Fiona Woods, Doug McLeod, Bernadette O'Mahony and Holly Tossi; a highly informative, great session - they were all very generous about sharing their experiences.

But in all the sessions, including my own, what really impressed me was the audience. They were so passionate, intelligent and reflective; some questions could have set up great topics for debates and further study.

I was interviewed by a couple of different groups afterwards; here's the interview with Tori from SynMedia.

From Screen Futures To BookGrove

Busy week coming up, with a "Page to Screen" session tomorrow at the SCREEN FUTURES YOUTHFEST at BMW Edge at Federation Square. My session is 2:00 to 2:30; see the site for the full details. www.screenfutures.com/?page_id=285 

There's no bookstore at the festival but I'm happy to sign books that people have bought elsewhere to bring.

Then, Thursday I'm at BookGrove bookshop in Ocean Grove:
1/73 The Terrace 
Ocean Grove Vic 3226
p 03 5255 5973


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Book-grove/175105942522210

Reading, slow and savoury

After procrastinating for years, I'm finally reading Proust in French: Du cote de chez Swann, (Swann's Way) the first book of Remembrance of Times Past - the one in which the famous madeleine is dipped into tea to bring back a flood of memories, almost reliving, of his childhood. It's not an action book, to put it mildly. It's a rich and sensuous book, about sensuous experiences - including reading. It swept me back into remembering the way I read as a child, with such total, visceral immersion that I still associate different smells or tastes, as well sounds or images, with different books.

And some of the reason that I'm identifying so profoundly, or stopping to smile and savor the beauty of a phrase (despite being occasionally overwhelmed by the length of a sentence) is because I'm reading slowly.

I learned to read and write in French before English, but that was a long time ago. Reading something as dense as Proust,with paragraphs that may extend for a couple of pages of small print,and occasional words that aren't in my dictionary,needs concentration. There's no point in bolting through it to find out what happens, because not very much does. The point is in the reading itself.

And that reminds me why I write, as well as why I read: the passion of totally immersing myself in another world, and being lost in the music of the words that take me there. I'll try to remember that when I start Caleb's Crossing for book group, instead of gulping it down in a couple of evenings,rushing to finish in time as I'm often guilty of doing.

Invitation to Screen Futures Youth Fest

I'll be speaking on Book to Screen at this festival: 

SCREEN FUTURES YOUTH FEST

BMW EDGE- FEDERATION SQUARE

Monday July 11 2011, 9.30am- 4pm.

 Do you want to write/ direct/ produce movies or already do?
Do you like Facebook or want to create your own social networking space?
Love games – want to play better and maybe make some?
Could you be a DJ or digital music producer?
Want a future in media or want to find out more about it?
Do you think twitter, blogs and citizen journalism will change the world?
Do you want to change the world?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then the Screen Futures Youth Fest is for you. What kind of job will you have in your media future? Come and hear animators, music video directors, e publishers and bloggers talk about what they do and how you can do it too.

I am one of the presenters at this fantastic event. Come along to see:

    Paul Verhoeven from 3JJ is the MC

    Panels of senior TV and multimedia producers will discuss where TV and multimedia are going today and careers in media.

    Wendy Orr, international award winning author of youth fiction will present the book and film versions of Nim’s island and her role as author and collaborator in the film.

    Youth radio announcers will speak about radio and how to forge a career in it.

    There will be a panel featuring animation artists and another focussing on games.

    Award winning game producers will discuss the industry and how to become a game creator.

Production Workshops

    The Digital Learning Hub at the Victorian Arts Centre will be conducting workshops to produce soundtracks for film and music video clips.

    Matt Blackwood from the City of Melbourne Laneways Stories project will be working with groups on digital stories about Federation Square.

    Class TV, Channel 31 will work with young people to video vox pops in the Square and then present them late afternoon on the screen.

    Signal- Create an interactive video “toy”.

Go to this website to book or turn up at BMW Edge at 9.00am Monday July 11.

Tickets: Tickets are valid for the full day – $30 each or $100 for 5. Tertiary students $20
For bookings, click here. Bookings may only be paid for with Mastercard or Visa.

Like us on Facebook for updates, information and competitions as they arise.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Screen-Futures-Youth-Fest/146470228751734

For more info Conatct Augusta Zeeng Tel: 0405 432 866

Email: augusta@atomvic.org