YABBAs and KOALAs

Dear Friends,

It's been a very exciting week for my best grown up friend, Jacqueline Harvey and me as last Wednesday we learned that Alice-Miranda At School received the YABBA (Young Australian's Best Book Award) in the Younger Readers category in Victoria this year.  http://yabba.org.au/2012/11/2012-award-winners/ 

Today Alice-Miranda At School received an Honour Book Award at the KOALAs (Kids' Own Australian Literature Awards).  http://www.koalansw.org.au/2012-awards-day/  Tashi and the Golem by Anna Fienberg and Kim Gamble was announced the winner.

There were so many incredible authors and illustrators on the shortlist, including Andy Griffiths (who won loads of awards at both the YABBAs and KOALAs and is an icon of Australian children's literature), Oliver Phommavanh (who received an Honour Book award in the Older Readers category today) and Chris Morphew who won the YA category at both events for his fabulous Phoenix Files.  Belinda Murrell, Deb Abela, Frances Watts, Moya Simons, Duncan Ball, Gabrielle Lord, David Legge were all at the KOALA awards ceremony today with books in the running.  And not forgetting Sarah Davis whose gorgeous book with Colin Thompson, Fearless In Love won the Picture Book category in both states too.

Have a great week.

Lots of love,
Alice-Miranda xx

Look what's coming next - March 2013 Alice-Miranda In Paris!

A lovely review for Alice-Miranda Shows the Way

Review Blog

Oct 18 2012

Alice-Miranda shows the way by Jacqueline Harvey

Random House, 2012. ISBN: 9781742751177.
Highly recommended for ages 8 and up. As the delightful Alice-Miranda celebrates her eighth birthday, excitement is building for both the girls and the staff of Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy. The village show is about to occur, complete with events for everyone, as well as providing an extra day off of school. Whilst Alice-Miranda and Millie are practicing their horse riding skills, others are completing needle work pieces and perfecting their baking skills. When Evelyn Pepper, the trainer of Rockstar, the Queen's favourite horse, is admitted to hospital, Alice-Miranda becomes involved. Her pony, Bonaparte, is the only thing which can calm Rockstar and encourage him to race, thereby leaving open the Aunty Gee's chances of winning the Queen's Cup. Into the mix, add the carnival people, who are much maligned by the locals and held accountable for anything which goes wrong or missing during their time in the Village.
Harvey has created some eminently likeable characters, almost certainly too good to be true, yet whom one would be happy to class as friends. Similarly, any child reading these books would undoubtedly fall in love with the idea of attending Alice-Miranda's school. The girls seem spend little time in class but many hours on pursuing their own interests. They appear to have a great deal of freedom, allowing them to visit various other people and locations, seemingly without restrictions. As with the other titles in this series, there are some predictable turns of events for older readers, yet younger children may not find this to be the case. The key characters are believable and demonstrate the ability to change and grow. There is the inevitable 'baddie' as well, yet, thanks to the ingenuity of Alice-Miranda, the reader knows that there will always be a happy ending.
Jo Schenkel