A very special Feedback Friday this week – with pictures! In these cold winter months, a lot of schools have been warding off the winter blues by having special interactive workshops or residencies with our creative speakers.

This wonderful feedback was entitled “David Miller – a wonder!”

David’s contribution to the students’ learning has been amazing. Our students were amazed by his artistic talent and to see, up close and in 3D, the paper sculptures that illustrate his books.

The sculptures David had on display during his visits to our network of schools were exquisite. At Moulamein, these displays draw incredulous cries of joy from our students, and his skill in cutting and constructing sculptures in paper was truly mesmerising. All of our students were so thrilled to have a turn at making things with paper, and happily coloured, snipped and folded paper to create swimming and flying ducks, and some amazing mice and beautiful gum leaves. Students also had the chance to discuss ideas for writing based on some of David’s latest illustrations, and began the creative writing process that they are following on with now David has departed. It was a lot of fun for us all.

Our thanks go to David for a wonderful program of learning that we will now continue in our Reading, Writing and Visual Art units. David’s visit provided students and teachers with a renewed appreciation for the role of the author/illustrator and we were all inspired by his beautifully written stories and his stunning illustrations.

It was a fabulous two days of exceptional experiences. Thank you again for helping our schools to deliver experiences that are enhancing our students’ learning across the curriculum.

-C. Peach, Principal, Moulamein Public School

Or it may as well be, with the holidays and all of the exciting parcels stuffed with new books arriving on almost a daily basis at Booked Out HQ.

One very exciting piece of news we received recently was about the imminent launch of a brand new series by our very own ninja Tiffiny Hall! Back in Melbourne from the most recent season of “The Biggest Loser”, Tiffiny has been hard at work on the latest credit to her name, a brand new fiction series about ninja Roxy Ran and her best friend Jackson Axe.

White Ninja is the first book out in the series, due in September and combines all of Tiffiny’s passions – writing, courage and being a ninja! We’re also very excited to finally have her back in Melbourne so that she can visit schools to talk about the experience of writing these great books.

Tiffiny’s is one of many new books that has made its way to our metaphorical christmas tree over the last few weeks. Frankly there have been so many we don’t quite know what to read next. Any suggestions would be most welcome!

New/ Upcoming Releases….

• After – Morris Gleitzman (due late July)
• Vanguard Prime: Goldrush – Steven Lochran (due late July)
• No Sex In the City – Randa Abdel-Fattah (out now!)
• The Ink Bridge – Neil Grant (out now!)
• Welcome to Normal – Nick Earls (out now!)
• Andy Roid – Felice Arena (series out now!)
• White Ninja – Tiffiny Hall (due September)

At Booked Out, we are often speaking with teachers about programs they are just starting to run, or wanting to run, with their students. Many of these programs are focused on the use of Information & Computer Technology in the classroom—new online tools, interactive programs, and so on.

In addition, in a media-saturated world, reluctant writers need an extra level of encouragement to drop the game controller and pick up a pen. So how do we help to make writing a fun adventure, rather than a stressful challenge for these kids?

Tristan Bancks has devised a program that he is calling Story Scrapbook:

This free app for Mac and PC lets you bring together images, video, music, text and web grabs on virtual pages, making creative writing interactive and fun. It is based on my own multimedia-fuelled writing process, bringing the writing process alive for people who think visually, interactively and aurally, as well as textually. Story Scrapbooklets you tell stories your way. A contemporary story tool for contemporary learners / creators.

Check out the introduction video, and try the software for yourself by downloading it here.

Tristan is touring Melbourne schools from 6–10 August with Booked Out. Why not have him come and introduce this new set of tools to your students and staff?

Last weekend’s Herald Sun featured prominent Booked Outer Declan Fay in an article charting the rise of the podcast as a popular medium, and Fay’s The Sweetest Plum podcast in particular.

“We just needed to have an outlet, but it had this remarkable surge in popularity. iTunes put us as the podcast of the week and, it was amazing, people were kicking down the door to talk to us.”

Read the full article here.

From entertainment to education and environment, Ellen Sandell was published in The Age last week with her article Sustainable Australia Can Start in Schools.

“Rio+20 can be a success, but only if countries use the summit as a way to increase domestic action on environmental issues… Over the past few weeks I have been dismayed to receive emails from teachers across the country, as one environmental education program after another bites the dust.”

Read the full article here.

I don’t know about you, but these cold winter months always make me want to head for the nearest couch with a cup of tea and a book, losing myself somewhere warmer and more exciting.

If that’s not an option, and you have to go to work (or school) then surely the next best thing is to brighten up the drudgery of winter by creating something special and a little bit unusual. An artist in residence can be a great way to extend lessons beyond the classroom, and offer students that chance to work with a writer or illustrator over the course of a week to actually create something for the whole school to enjoy.

Recently illustrator Kevin Burgemeestre was invited to participate in a project just like this. Over the course of four and a half days Kevin worked with students to transform their work on iconic Australian author Miles Franklin into a permanent piece of artwork to be displayed on a new school building.

Staff and students give great feedback from these projects because the rewards are so long lasting, and from the wintery Booked Out office, we love seeing the pictures of the end result!

On World Environment Day, the winners of the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature were announced.

The Wilderness Society’s annual Environment Award for Children’s Literature is designed to encourage children to take an interest in nature and to feel a sense of responsibility for our wild places and unique wildlife.

Winner’s of the non-fiction category, Lester and Tulloch’s One Small Island tells the story of Macquarie Island – a remote and precious World Heritage site. The book explores the island’s unique geological beginnings, its discovery and degradation at the hands of humans, and attempts to protect and restore it today.

Ah it’s a cold rainy Monday in Melbourne Town, and the only thing that’s keeping the Booked Out Office running like the well oiled machine it is, is a bag of mixed lollies.

Well that, and there are some other exciting things that have sparked a few conversations over steaming cups of tea.

1. Festival season is upon us! The Emerging Writers Festival is in its last days. I hear the discussions are enough to warm the cockles, so if you’re looking for something bookish to do this week, check out the program on the EWF website.

We’re sad to be missing this tonight, but fear not! There are more storytelling sessions coming up at the Moat over coming months. If you’re house is cold and you want a hot toddy and a warm story, I recommend heading into the Moat after work to listed to Booked Outer Meg Mundell, who always delights.

And for anyone busting to find out what wintery delights await us on the MWF program this year, don’t forget that the schools program is already out! Did you know that the majority of readers of YA books are actually adults? So don’t be shy, head down there and see the numerous Booked Outers (too many to mention really) on the bill and share in some YA lit love.

2. The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards…

Awards make us happy and proud of the people receiving them, giving them, and nominated for them. Who doesn’t feel warmth for being told that they’re doing something so well??

So a special shout out to this year’s Booked Outer’s on the Julia’s awards list.

For YA Fiction “Pan’s Whisper” by Sue Lawson “When We Were Two” by Robert Newton “Alaska” by Sue Saliba

and for Children’s Fiction “Come Down, Cat!” written by Sonya Hartnett and illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

3.New things… We also love shiny new things, like a new scarf, a new piece of cake, a new toaster for our cheese toasties. Last week we had a visit from the lovely Sue deGennaro whose recent book “The Pro’s and Con’s of Being a Frog” is so beautiful that if it doesn’t warm every bit of you then you’re destined for a lifetime of chillblains and who also recently celebrated the launch of “The Emperor’s New Clotheshorse” that she illustrated for Tony Wilson.

Great for snuggling and quiet winter reading.

Hopefully this will keep you toasty until next time, and we hope you’ve got enough marshmallows to keep the hot chocolates sweet. See you at the festivals!

David Miller is one of a number of authors & illustrators visiting Tasmania this year for The National Year of Reading, organised through Catherine Woodberry and Marist Regional College in Burnie. The others traveling there are Catherine Bateson, Marc McBride, James Moloney, Archie Fusillo, Catherine Jinks and David Metzenthen. Many of these speakers are touring further around Tasmania whilst they are there.

On May 14th ABC Local Radio Northern Tasmania interviewed David Miller, and the short interview provides a great outline of David’s sessions. He also discusses the way he tackles complex themes in ways children can relate to. You can listen to it online here.

The first thing I discovered when I opened my computer yesterday was that Maurice Sendak had passed away at 83. He was immediately and deeply mourned by readers, writers and members of the literary community, and also by every child (even grown up ones) who ever imagined themselves as Max, who ever let loose with a wild rumpus of their own, or who gathered all the sheets that they could to build the most extraordinary fort known to man (or mum).

Yesterday my facebook was awash with posts, tributes and links by people who had experienced that magic of Maurice Sendak’s books. People everywhere shared articles and quotes or pictures of themselves hosting celebratory readings of Where the Wild Things Are Felice Arena drew his own wild thing (left). Leanne Hall wrote the beautiful Maurice Sendak: a bookseller’s tribute here.

One of my favourite quotes, now rapidly making the rounds was this, in an interview with Terry Gross, host of National Public Radio‘s “Fresh Air”. When asked what his favourite piece of fan mail had been Maurice replied

“Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters, sometimes very hastily, but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, ‘Dear Jim: I loved your card.’ Then I got a letter back from his mother, and she said, ‘Jim loved your card so much he ate it.’ That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.”

Finally, and so fittingly, many farewelled Maurice by echoing his own wild things. “Oh please don’t go. We’ll eat you up. We love you so!”

You might imagine that Maurice had this in mind when he spoke of his own feelings about death and loss. “I cry a lot because I miss people. They die and I can’t stop them. They leave me and I love them more.” – Maurice Sendak. Let the wild rumpus begin!

Next week we take the What’s Happening to Our Girls/Boys show on the road to Queensland.

In the lead up to the event, ABC Local Radio Qld will be running a series of interviews over the next few nights. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg leads the charge tomorrow night (Tuesday 17th) at 8pm, followed by Steve Biddulph at 7.30pm on Wednesday 18th and finally Maggie Hamilton at 7.30pm on Thursday 19th.

Tune in! And don’t forget to book in via our events page.

Update: You can listen to the audio files of Michael’s interview here and Steve’s interview here.