Dianne Imison (TL) has asked for this info to be shared...
Do you know any self-published authors of children's fantasy and sci-fi books? You may be one yourself! It can be very difficult for self-published authors to find publicity as they don't have a big publishing firm behind them.
There is a graphics team which is preparing a website to bridge the gap between author, book and public, and is being touted as top-ranking in Google search engines. This team is also looking at the huge potential of the downlaodable book with the advent of the iPad. Amazon sells more of these than physical books.
The new website is being launched in time for Christmas, and would certainly create world-wide interest in books presented there. Authors would still have the ability to sell their books elsewhere - the website would be another avenue for exposure of book and author to improve sales.
I myself have no interest, pecuniary or otherwise, in this venture. I am a friend of Roslyn Motter, self-published author of The Doofuzz Dudes series, who mentioned this to me - she is already participating herself.
Those of you who are familiar with her books will recall the marvellous new covers of her first 7 books - these were created by the same graphic artists involved in this website. The first book in Roslyn's series, "The Doofuzz Dudes rescue Moondar", was shortlisted in the KOALA and YABBA Awards in 2009.
The Doofuzz Dudes books are a "delightful children’s adventure book series" according to the Fremantle Herald.
The Doofuzz Dudes Rescue Moondar is a cute little story that has all the elements to entertain seven to ten year old kids. It's a nice mixture of reality (bullies and coughs and getting wet in the rain) with the kind of fantasy children will get lost in. I noted something that will slip kids by, although it'll influence them: in this story, Toby always finds a way to use kindness to conquer enemies. This book is the start of a series. I can recommend it to every young reader.
Dr Bob Rich (Psychologist, conservationist and writer)
For more details please email Roslyn directly, and do feel free to pass this information to anyone you think would be interested.
Her email is:rozlyn@iprimus.com.au
Grammy-winning singer and storyteller Bill Harley composed a song especially for the Kids! @ your library® Campaign. Sing along in your community! Here are links to several versions of the song, titled At Your Library," for you to download. Lyrics and sheet music are also available!
The Designed for Learning:School Libraries video on BlipTV, aims to contribute to the design and development of visually stunning, fit-for-purpose libraries that support 21st century learning in extended school settings.
It shows the contribution an effective library can make to the educational, creative, emotional & reading development of children and young people, and the aspects of design that can enable this.
Chartered Institute of
Library and Information
Professionals
Funded by CILIP School Libraries Group
and MLA (Museums Libraries and Archives Council), the DVD features Stephen Heppell, Les Watson (Education Adviser), students, Head Teachers and senior managers from diverse schools and settings.
Each has a different viewpoint, but all are convinced of the role of the library to support learning and argue convincingly for the library to have a fair share of the footprint.
"Book based libraries are still very important.... "
Mirror is a wordless picture book. It depicts two families- one in Sydney and the other in Morocco. Jeannie Baker presents beautiful collaged illustrations again in this unusual book.
The idea for this work came from my delight in travelling in a country very different from my own. At the time in my own country there was much political poisoning of attitudes towards foreigners and foreignness. But travelling alone in remote Morocco, a woman stranger myself, I was met with much friendliness and generosity from strangers. The idea for the work was right there: that outward appearances may be very different but the inner person of a stranger may not be a stranger at all. We all live to be loved by family and friends and to be part of a larger family, a community. Inwardly we are so alike that it could be each other we see when we look in a mirror.
The settings I chose for the families in the story are the Valley of Roses in southern Morocco and my home in Sydney, Australia. The images started as drawings. Using these drawings as a guide, I then made collages. These were constructed layer by layer on a wooden baseboard using a combination of natural and artificial materials such as sand, earth, clay, paints, vegetation, paper, fabric, wool, tin and plastic. The natural materials were preserved and fresh colouring added.
There are a set of 6 posters from the book, with teaching ideas on the back, available for $10.00 ISBN 978-1-921482-20-5 .
Copies of the kit are available from Books Illustrated :
Tel. +61 3 95347751
Fax +61 3 96960893
info@booksillustrated.com.au
Teaching notes for Mirror are available from Walker Books.
The Mirror exhibition was recently launched by the NSW Governor Marie Bashir, and
has a long list of tour dates but will be on at Museum of Sydney until 10 October.
Thanks to Jenny Connolly for sharing this information.
