Dunedin Public Libraries News & Reviews Blog

The New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults reward and recognise authors and illustrators contributing to New Zealand literature for children and young adults.

Twenty great books were short listed in February this year, with the announcement of the overall winners for this annual event happening on Wednesday 21 May at 6pm.

Many celebrations are held throughout New Zealand to observe these awards and Dunedin Public Libraries are proud to be associated, partnering with the University Bookshop, to bring you a programme to be proud of - we hope to see you there!

Opening Event:

Come celebrate the opening of New Zealand Post Book Awards and meet our special guest award winning author Kyle Mewburn, Author of Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!. Kyle will be launching his latest children’s picture book, Duck’s Stuck.

Suitable for children under 8 years. Limited numbers. Collect your tickets from the University Bookshop or the Dunedin City Library.

• Monday 12 May 6.00pm
• 4th Floor
• Dunedin City Library
• FREE EVENT

Happy Birthday Hairy Maclary:

Come along and celebrate Hairy Maclary’s 25th birthday! Lynley Dodd will be reading and signing books.

• Friday 16th May 1.30p.m.
• Storypit
• Dunedin City Library
• FREE EVENT

Limited numbers - telephone 474 3670 or collect tickets from Dunedin City Library.

Character Hunt:

Join us in having lots of fun finding some of your favourite book characters hiding around the Library.

• Sunday 18 May 2.00pm - 3.30pm
• Dunedin City Library

Bubbles Storytimes:

Join us for a special bubbly New Zealand Post Book Awards storytime reading of “The King’s Bubbles” by Ruth Paul.

• Friday 16 May 10.30am Port Chalmers Library and Blueskin Bay Library
• Tuesday 20 May 11.00am Waikouaiti Library and Mosgiel Library
• Wednesday 21 May 10.30am City Library

The twenty finalists have been announced in this years NZ Post Book Awards.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday May 21st.

The categories and finalists are:

Picture Books

• The Kings Bubbles - Ruth Paul
• Out of the egg - Tina Matthews
• Rats! - Gavin Bishop
• Tahi: one lucky kiwi - Melanie Drewery
• To the harbour - Stanley Palmer

Junior Fiction

• Dead Dan’s Dee - Phyllis Johnston
• The dumpster saga - Craig Harrison
• The mad tapdpole adventure - Melanie Drewery
• Sitting on the fence: the diary of Martin Daly - Bill Nagelkerke
• Snake and Lizard - Joy Cowley

Non Fiction

• A mini guide to the identification of New Zealand’s land birds - Andrew Crowe
• Reaching the summit: Sir Edmund Hillary’s story - Alexa Johnston
• Weather watch New Zealand - Sandra Carrod
• What is a fish? - Fena Tu’akoi
• Which New Zealand spider? - Andrew Crowe

Young Adult Fiction

• Salt - Maurice Gee
• The sea-wreck stranger - Anna Mackenzie
• Tomorrow all will be beautiful - Brigid Lowry
• The transformation of Minna Hargreaves - Fleur Beale
• Zilla - Penelope Todd

Yet another great read from Ms Walters. This treat follows an army officer who is lucky to be alive after experiencing an horrific tour of duty in Iraq. Although severely disfigured facially, it are his personal conflicts and traumas that are at the heart of this book. An interesting array of characters with demons of their own all make for a thoroughly interesting read. Forget black and white; this is all shades of grey; just the way I like it. Enjoy

Recommended by Debbie

The Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction celebrates the achievements of female authors. The winner will be announced on the 4th June, 2008 at the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction Ceremony

The shortlist for this literary competition has been released:

• Nancy Huston - Fault Lines
• Sadie Jones - The Outcast
• Charlotte Mendelson - When We Were Bad
• Heather O’Neill - Lullabies for Little Criminals
• Rose Tremain - The Road Home
• Patricia Wood - Lottery

The new writers shortlist is:

• Lauren Groff - The monsters of Templeton Heinemann
• Joanna Kavenna - Inglorious Faber
• Lauren Liebenberg - The voluptuous delights of peanut butter and jam

Don’t Judge a book by it’s cover!! This is so true about Last Resort.  The cover is appalling. 

A Missing child: Carissa Cooper, twelve, vanishes near her home - abducted, possibly by someone close to her.

A woman in crisis: Noelle Cooper comes back home to help search for her cousin and steps into a web of secrets. A man of faith: Nathan Trask, Noelles childhood friend, will do anything to protect Noelle from danger.

A lot happens in this book, but it keeps you on your toes.  A great read, I really loved reading it and can’t wait to read another by this author. 

reviewed by Dianne

For the men who enjoy Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum, there is a new writer of that genre, James Phelan. Patriot act is a fast-paced action-filled story.

September 11 changed how the world reacts to acts of terrorism. The U.S. Patriot Act gives greater authority to surveillance of individuals suspected of acts of violence.

Ex-navy operative and investigative journalist Lachlan Fox uncovers a trail of lies and corruption and cover-ups at top level government. It is a race against time.

This is a book which would translate onto the big screen, and is well worth a read.

A prisoner of birth  by Jeffrey Archer. This is Archer at his best. It was in the “Kane and Abel” and “Sons of fortune” vein.

Danny Cartwright is wrongfully convicted of the death of his best friend on the day he celebrates his engagement to Beth Wilson.

Facing 22 years of prison, he despairs for his future. He is befriended by his cellmate and learn to read and write and this opens up a new world to him.

The novel is split into the five stages of Danny’s life. From incarceration to release, to revenge and then finally redemption.

This 500-page novel was a real page-turner and I thoroughly recommend it.

Reviewed by Fiona

Whether the title shocks or amuses you, this book is well worth reading. This really entertaining Australian adventure won the 2003 Australian Popular Fiction competition and though it does stretch the boundaries of reality at times, it is about a man having a mid-life crisis!!!

Martin Carter has a complete meltdown on his 50th birthday. Redundancy, danger, bitter truths, intrigue and romance, this book contains aspects that appeal to any adult reader.

Fat, Fifty & F***ed includes philosophical ideas about coffee, truck stop breakfasts, brown suede shoes, cancer and relationships. I feel this is a story written for film.

Grab a rare opportunity to hear this classy chick-lit UK author talk to a live audience.

Jill Mansell’s books have sold over three million copies and her titles include: Making your Mind up, Fast Friends, Good at Games, Sheer Mischief and Solo, among many others.

• Sunday 6 April 2.00pm
• 4th Floor
• Dunedin City Library
• Free Event

The latest issue of Childrens Choice has been published and contains a good list of books for kids spanning fiction, non-fiction, picture books as well as news updates from staff working in the childrens area.

Read the latest issue (.pdf) online today.