Four Australian authors to share with your kids…

by on March 21, 2012 in Books

Today’s post is from the team at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne, a Victorian Government initiative and the centrepiece of Melbourne’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature.

The Wheeler Centre is dedicated to the discussion and practice of writing and ideas. Through out each year it has a programme of talks and lectures, readings and debates.

You can follow them on twitter and keep up to date with events and news via facebook too.

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A recent study in early childhood development found that reading with kids is a great way to improve their literacy levels and speech in later years. A great way to do this as a family is at the Children’s Book Festival in Melbourne, where kids will have the chance to make their own books, meet their favourite authors and illustrators and get lost in the magical world of reading.

Four  brilliant Australian authors that are taking part in the Festival are Boori Monty Pryor, Andy Griffiths, Alison Lester and Graeme Base. From Animalia to The Day My Bum Went Psycho, there’s something for all ages and reading levels. Enjoy one of the classics below or even find a new favourite.

Boori Monty Pryor

Pryor, Boori Monty Pic
Boori Monty Pryor is an indigenous Australian born North Queensland. His father is from the Birri-gubba Nation of the Bowen region and his mother is from Yarrabah (near Cairns).

He has written several award-winning books with Meme McDonald including Maybe Tomorrow, My Girragundji, The Binna Binna Man and Njunjul the Sun. His picture book collaboration with Jan Ormerod, Shake a Leg, won the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Children’s Fiction in 2011.

Boori’s stories are about finding strength within to deal with life’s challenges and help to create positive visions of the future for all Australians.

Book recommendation: Shake a Leg

Andy Griffiths

andygriffiths_headshot

Andy Griffiths is the author of over 20 books. Over the past 15 years, Andy’s books have won over 40 children’s choice awards, been adapted as a television cartoon series and sold over four million copies worldwide.

Andy is best known as the author of the much-loved Just! series and The Day My Bum Went Psycho. Andy has a long-standing collaboration with the multi-talented illustrator Terry Denton. Together they have produced theJust! series, the wildly popular The Bad Book, and What Body Part is That?

Book recommendation: The Day My Bum Went Psycho

Alison Lester

al shot
Alison Lester is one of Australia’s most popular authors. She has written and illustrated over 25 picture books including The Quicksand Pony, the Bonnie and Sam series, When Frank Was Four, Magic Beach and Are We There Yet? Alison’s sure sense of colour and design, her humour, and her keen observation of the details of children’s lives make her books lasting favourites.

Book recommendation: Magic Beach

Graeme Base

Graeme Base is one of the world’s leading creators of picture books. His alphabet book Animalia, received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986, and has achieved classic status with worldwide sales approaching three million copies. It has now inspired an animated TV series.

Other favourites by Graeme Base include The Eleventh Hour, My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch, The Sign of the Seahorse, The Worst Band in the Universe, Jungle Drums and Uno’s Garden. Graeme lives in Melbourne with his artist wife, Robyn, and their three children – James, Kate and Will.

Book recommendation: Animalia

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You can actually meet all of these wonderful authors – Boori, Andy, Alison and Graeme from 11am – 4pm at The Children’s Book Festival this Sunday the 25th of March in Melbourne.

The Festival is a free event for kids and their families with workshops, facepainting, a Teddy Bear’s picnic and plenty more! Presented by the State Library of Victoria and the Wheeler Centre, click here to find out more details about the day, including times to see your favourite authors and illustrators.

We love all these authors here at the house of PWK, my personal favourites are Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo by Alison Lester, The Eleventh Hour from Graham Base and The Cat on the Mat is Flat by Andy Griffiths (super beginner reader text) and Shake a Leg from Boori Monty Pryor.

What are your faves from these authors?

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  • Sally

    Ohhhh Ernie and his didge was a gift to my son, then three, to help him understand our planned move for work to Darwin. Now 9 yrs later, back in Melbourne after 4 years up north Aluson Lester’s books are still treasured favourites.

    • http://planningwithkids.com/ PlanningQueen

      Ernie would have been the perfect book for that – did you like Darwin?

  • http://www.mylittlebookcase.com.au Jackie@My Little Bookcase

    Is most certainly going to be a brilliant day.

    • http://planningwithkids.com/ PlanningQueen

      We have other commitments I can’t change so won’t be able to be there :( .

  • Jacquie

    I’ve never read any of Boori Monty Pryor’s books so we will definitely be looking out for them now. I always love book and author recommendations. Jungle Drums (Graeme Base) has been one of my 9 year old son’s favourite all time books for quite a few years now. He also LOVES the Just Tricking books and all 3 of my boys love The Cat on the Mat is Flat also by Terry Denton. We had it on Audio CD as well but it’s been played and handled so much it’s all scratched! My favourite is Are We There Yet (which the boys all really enjoy as well) as it is such a beautiful book about Australia and a trip I have always wanted to do. It brings back so many happy memories of all the places I have been around Australia (and the kids also recognise many places they have been) and makes me want to go to all the other ones! Wish I lived in Melbourne so I could take the kids to this!

    • http://www.mylittlebookcase.com.au Jackie@My Little Bookcase

      Jacquie, not sure where you are but in hope that you are based in Sydney, the Norman Lindsay Festival of Children’s Literature is taking place on the same day but in the Blue Mountains. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/305257136198600/

      And if you’re in Perth, the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre regularly run family days and you can meet authors there too.

    • Andrea Jenkins

      Boori changed my life and hundreds (if not thousands) of other young people around Australia. He is the only person I know that I can say is single-handedly changing the face of this nation. Read every book of his, buy them for all your friends. Spread the word, the love, and the wisdom. There is no room for anything but inspiration and hope! The negativity that so much of the Australian political system is based on melts away for the shortest, most joyful time.

      • http://planningwithkids.com/ PlanningQueen

        Thank you for uplifting comment Andrea – has made me want to read more of Boori’s work.

  • Jacquie

    Thanks Jackie – I’m in Perth so I’ll look up the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre – thanks for the info :-)

  • http://www.mumsgone2aus.com Sarah@Mum’s gone 2 Aus

    Hi, some great recommendations, thank you. Magic Beach is a favourite in our house, we enjoyed it in London and love it even more now we’re in Sydney, living at the beach! We regularly send copies around the world as gifts.

    • http://planningwithkids.com/ PlanningQueen

      I love giving Australian books as gifts – A Year On Our Farm by Penny Matthews is another we gift frequently.

  • http://www.beautifulsouth.com.au Jo McComiskey

    Graeme Base was always a favourite…of course can’t go past Mem.
    Our favourite at home, although not Australian is Julia Donaldson and the fab illustrator Axel Scheffler..the gruffalo, the smartest giant in town, monkey puzzle..I’ll stop now.
    jo

  • http://mummycando.wordpress.com/ Elissa

    We just met Andy Griffiths yesterday! He was fantastic & my Mr 7 adores his books. Favourites are The Bad Book & the new Just Doomed! Of course I pretend to be grossed out and he thinks they’re fabulous :) Mr 7s other favourites are Christopher Milne and Paul Jennings.

  • Joanne

    Thank you for the recommendations. We love Anna Walker! Looking forward to Sunday – bring on some sunshine Melbourne : )

  • http://taniamccartney.blogspot.com Tania McCartney

    I was fortunate to both meet and see Monty perform with kids at the NYR12 launch at the National Library last month – he is truly brilliant and his work is so important for Australian children.

    Of course, Andy and Graeme are iconic Aussie talent, and Alison’s work is a joy – make sure you try to catch a glimpse of her Are We There Yet? visual book tour that’s visiting capitals all over Australia (currently in Canberra) in association with NYR12 – it’s brilliant.

  • Lila

    FYI The former Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre is now called simply “The Literature Centre”.

  • http://www.stuffwiththing.com Marita

    Annie (8yo) and I are currently reading Little Fur by Isobelle Carmody, another of my favourite Aussie authors.

    Fairly sure we have everything Graeme Base but I will have to go check out the others.