{"id":1232,"date":"2016-07-16T09:50:58","date_gmt":"2016-07-15T21:50:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dnwfriends.nzl.org\/?p=1232"},"modified":"2016-07-17T16:06:11","modified_gmt":"2016-07-17T04:06:11","slug":"newsletter-53-june-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dnwfriends.nzl.org\/index.php\/2016\/07\/16\/newsletter-53-june-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletter-53-June-2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2016<\/p>\n

\"3\"<\/a>
Photograph: Outdoor rural studies’ class, Stratford District High School, ca.1910. Photographer: James McAllister. Alexander Turnbull Library Reference no: 1\/1-012529-G<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Society of Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection is being held on Tuesday 22 June 2016 at 5:30pm.<\/p>\n

Following drinks and nibbles Research Librarian, Children\u2019s Literature, Mary Skarott, will give a presentation Special Prize for Gardening: school and Sunday school prizes in New\u00a0Zealand during World War I: some examples from the Dorothy Neal White Collection. This will be followed by the AGM at 6:30pm.<\/p>\n

Venue: Tiakiwai Conference Centre
\nNational Library of New Zealand (use Aitken Street entrance).<\/p>\n

\u00a0We thank the 2015-2016 committee members for their work on behalf of the Friends.<\/strong>
\nThe Committee members for 2015-2016 have been:
\nPatron: Barbara Murison
\nPresident: Vacant
\nTreasurer: Jeff Hunt
\nSecretary: Corrina Gordon
\nNewsletter: Joan McCracken
\nResearch Librarian: Mary Skarott,
\nCommittee: Barbara Robertson, Chantalle Smith, Kathryn Walls, Tania Connelly
\nFull minutes of the 2015 meeting can be found on the Friends\u2019 website agm-minutes-20162.docx<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

FROM THE RESEARCH LIBRARIAN<\/h3>\n

Earlier in the year I spent some time emailing out information to promote the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection Research Grant which is being offered again this year. Details were sent to libraries, educational institutions and organisations around New Zealand, as well as being put on the FDNW and National Library websites and the National Library\u2019s Facebook page. Applications closed on 31 May.<\/p>\n

The display cabinet in the Level 1 foyer continues to be a popular attraction for visitors to the reading room. It is in a prominent position and people are often to be seen perusing the contents as they pass by. Each display also has a post on the Library\u2019s Facebook page, which includes photographs. This is an effective way of reaching an audience who may not be regular visitors to the library. The post for the Little Books for Little People display was particularly popular, receiving numerous \u201clikes\u201d (42 within the first few days). The next display will mark 150 years since the birth of Beatrix Potter.<\/p>\n

Mary Skarott<\/em>
\n Research Librarian, Children\u2019s Literature<\/em><\/p>\n

IN THE DISPLAY CABINET<\/h3>\n

#8 Summer Holiday Adventures
\nThis display ran from 15 December 2015 until 18 March 2016, and included books from both the Dorothy Neal White Collection and the National Children\u2019s Collection.
\n\u201cI do love the beginning of the summer holls,\u201d said Julian. \u201cThey always seem to stretch out ahead for ages and ages.\u201d \u201cThey go so nice and slowly at first,\u201d said Anne, his little sister. \u201cThen they start to gallop.\u201d
\n(from Enid Blyton\u2019s Five go off in a caravan)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Adventure stories for children became popular from the mid-nineteenth century and early examples, aimed at boys, often dealt with military and imperial subjects. However, after World War I and onwards into the twentieth century, there developed a trend for smaller scale adventures, including both male and female characters, with an intended audience of girls and boys.<\/p>\n

Many of these stories fell into the genre of \u2018holiday adventure\u2019, with Arthur Ransome and Enid Blyton being the most notable contributors. Parental absence was contrived by various means, leaving the children free for summer holidays filled with exploring, camping, sailing, detective work, and the occasional mishap.<\/p>\n

Books included in the display:<\/strong>
\nEnid Blyton. Five go off in a caravan. Illustrated by Eileen Soper. (London: Hodder & Stoughton) 1946 (1952 reprint)
\nEnid Blyton. Five on a treasure island. Illustrated by Eileen Soper. (London: Hodder & Stoughton) 1942 (1954 reprint)
\nArthur Ransome. Swallows and Amazons. Illustrated by the author with help from Miss Nancy Blackett. (London: Jonathan Cape) 1931
\nEsther Glen. Uncles three at Kamahi. Illustrated by Percy Graves. (Auckland: Whitcombe & Tombs) 1926
\nPhilippa Francklyn. The mystery of the swamp. (London: Thomas Nelson and Sons) 1928
\nJanet S. Aldis. The campers. (Oxford: Humphrey Milford, Oxford University Press) 1926<\/p>\n

\"4\"<\/a>\"5\"<\/a>\"6\"<\/a><\/p>\n

#9 Little Books for Little People<\/h3>\n

This display ran from 19 March 2016 until early June 2016.
\nMiniature books first appeared in Europe during the Middle Ages. At that time they were usually prayer books, and their size allowed them to be easily carried and concealed. During the 19th and 20th centuries, books on all manner of subjects were made as miniatures, including fiction, dictionaries, bibles, prayers books and works like fishing guides that could easily be taken on an outing. Prized by collectors, a true miniature book is generally one that is less than about 7.5cm in width or length.<\/p>\n

The little children\u2019s books on display were commercially published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when publishers produced miniature libraries especially for children. While they are not all small enough to be true miniatures, they are perfect for small hands to hold.<\/p>\n

Another popular development in children\u2019s publishing at this time was the use of the die-cutting process to produce books in a variety of shapes such as animals, fairy tale characters, and even miniature countries.<\/p>\n

Books included in the display:<\/strong>
\nMarie de Bosgu\u00e9rard. Les amis de la maison; Bons camarades; Ch\u00e2teaux de sable; Poussins petits. (Paris: Nouvelle Librairie de la Jeunesse) 188-?
\nPuss in the palace. (London: Henry Frowde and Hodder & Stoughton) 1912?
\nBetty Blue. Illustrated by Rosa C. Petherick. (London: Humphrey Milford) 1921?
\nThe tale of a dog. Illustrated by W. Foster. (London: Methuen) 1979. Facsimile. Originally published: London: Ernest Nister, 1890.
\nLittle and good; A little love letter; Merry legs: the story of a gee gee; Quick march. (London: Ernest Nister; New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.) 189-?
\nCanada; South Africa. (London: Castell Brothers) 1892 (Illustrated below)<\/p>\n

\"7\"<\/a>\"8\"<\/a>
\nMary Skarott<\/em>
\n Research Librarian, Children\u2019s Literature<\/em><\/p>\n

NICOLA DALY AWARDED MARANTZ FELLOWSHIP<\/h3>\n

Members will remember that the most recent recipient of the Friends Research Grant was Dr Nicola Daly. We were delighted to hear that Nicola has been awarded a Marantz Fellowship by Kent State University\u2019s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS).<\/p>\n

The Marantz Fellowship was created by the late Dr. Kenneth A. and Sylvia Marantz to encourage scholars from the United States and around the world to use the resources of the Marantz Picturebook Collection in their research on the study of picturebooks.<\/p>\n

The 2016 recipients of the Marantz Fellowship are Nicole Cooke, Ph.D., University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science, whose project is titled \u201cSomething Beautiful: Social Justice, Empathy, and Cultural Competence in Children\u2019s Books\u201d; Nicola Daly, Ph.D., Te Toi Tangata Faculty of Education, The University of Waikato, New Zealand, \u201cLanguage Use in Dual Language Books in the Marantz Picturebook Collection\u201d; and Claudia Mendes, Ph.D. candidate and graphic designer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, \u201cImpacts of European Avant-garde in American Picturebooks: A Comparative Study between Brazil and the United States.\u201d
\nhttps:\/\/www.kent.edu\/slis\/news\/youth-services-research-fellows-announced<\/p>\n

INTRODUCING\u2026CHANTALLE SMITH<\/h3>\n

\"9\"<\/a>Chantalle joined the FDNW Committee at the 2015 election. Here she introduces herself to you all. You will also find a book-review by her on page 9.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Chantalle. I work as a Librarian in the Research Enquiries team at the Alexander Turnbull Library. I wanted to get involved with the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection because I have a passion for children\u2019s books. I would love to be a children\u2019s librarian one day, whether at a public library or in a school library. I think it is important that children read (whether it is the classic stories or the more recent books). My best memories of being a child are of reading all the time. And even as an adult I still thoroughly enjoy children\u2019s literature. I have just recently finished reading Morris Gleitzman\u2019s series of Felix, the Jewish boy during WWII.<\/p>\n

FROM THE DOROTHY NEAL WHITE COLLECTION \u2013 Budget Books for Boys and Girls<\/h3>\n

While perusing the shelves of the Dorothy Neal White collection, Mary Skarott and I stumbled on some books called The boys\u2019 budget, The girls\u2019 budget and \u2018Prize\u2019 versions of both (pictured). I was intrigued. Were these books advising children on the virtues of budgeting? Far from it. These were ripping yarns for boys and girls. The reason for \u2018budget\u2019 in the title referred to the quality of the paper used, no doubt reducing the cost of the book.
\n\"10\"<\/a>They were published in the 1930s by Blackie and Son Ltd, London and Glasgow. This publishing house was founded in 1809 by John Blackie, snr. (1782-1874) as a partnership with two others and was originally known as ‘Blackie, Fullarton and Company’. It began printing in 1819 and was renamed ‘Blackie and Son’ in 1831, becoming a public limited company in 1890. The business had quarters in London; Glasgow, Scotland; and Edinburgh. They also opened offices in both Canada and India. The company ceased publishing in 1991.<\/p>\n

Blackie and Son initially published books sold by subscription, including religious texts and reference books. Later the firm published single volumes, particularly educational texts and children’s books, taking advantage of compulsory education from 1870.<\/p>\n

\"11\"<\/a>
\u201cBuck\u2019s colt whirled from his grasp\u201d illustration by D E Walton for The sherriff of Tuscarora County by Allan Fairhurst. Frontispiece from The prize budget for boys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Notable books from The Kennett Library, a graded series of classics retold for schools, include: Kidnapped, Little Women, Westward Ho!, The Black Arrow, Wuthering Heights, and Ben-Hur. The firm also published the many Flower Fairy books of Cicely Mary Barker beginning in 1923.
\nNaturally, the boys\u2019 yarns were slightly more ripping than the girls\u2018at this time. Although very rarely dated, these books were published in the 1930s, probably as an \u2018Annual\u2019, though more as a collection of stories to amuse middle readers.<\/p>\n

Luckily in terms of dating the books, some of them have been lovingly inscribed as \u2018prize\u2019 books or presents from relatives. Looking through the stories I would guess that they appealed to boys of about 8 years to 12, with stories set in the wild west, aboard ships and sometimes closer to home. Gold seekers, cowboys and farms were the dominant themes. The stories are peppered with nicknames like Butch, Spike and Indian Gant and it was not unusual to feature circuses, gold and silver mines and mad people.<\/p>\n

\"12\"<\/a>
\u201cSomething to keep him busy\u201d illustration by Thomas Henry, for Haphazard Henry by William Bailly, in The prize budget for boys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Illustrators and writers of the time were employed to contribute to the books. One illustrator I was pleased to come across was Thomas Henry who was the illustrator for the more well-known \u2018William\u2019 books by Richmal Crompton.<\/p>\n

In contrast, the girls\u2019 stories seem more subdued in theme, with school stories and occasional stories of girl sleuths being prevalent. One story called \u2018The peculiar behaviour of Great-Aunt Priscilla\u2019 follows the daring adventures of two girls solving the mystery of the missing Persian cat, belonging to said great-aunt. Names of the characters reflect the popular ones of the time \u2013 Marion, Audrey, Emily and Priscilla. Phrases such as \u2018an untold brick\u2019, \u2018a good sort\u2019 and \u2018hard lines\u2019 abound.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"13\"<\/a>
\u201cIs that the chap we\u2019re after?\u201d illustration by W Bryce Hamilton for The peculiar behaviour of Great Aunt Priscilla by Irene Boyd. Frontispiece from The prize budget for girls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"14\"<\/a>
Illustration facing Contents page of The prize budget for girls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Common to all the books was a colour plate illustration from one of the stories within. Blackie and Sons often employed their own artists for theses watercolours in addition to the ones used for black and white pictures. Judging by the inscriptions written to the books\u2019 recipients, these were given as school prizes and birthday and Christmas presents.<\/p>\n

Annuals in the form of books are sadly not really seen these days. The short story genre for children lives on though, but themes have become more sensational \u2013 the child of today looks more to fantasy, space and historic tales rather than tales of school escapades and the Wild West. One thing does not change though – and that is the child-like yearning to escape this world in an adventure.
\nCorrina Gordon
\nSecretary, FDNW Committee
\nCHILDREN\u2019S BOOK AWARDS<\/p>\n

In the last FDNW newsletter (52, December 2015) we brought you the news that the LIANZA Children and Young Adult Book Awards were to merge with the equally prestigious New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.<\/p>\n

The May 2016 LIANZA Newsletter included the following update:
\nAs you know we merged our illustrious children’s book awards with the New Book Awards Trust’s awards because it made sense to combine the two and we wanted to ensure that these awards would continue on regardless of sponsorship. We’re thrilled with how things are going, but we want to celebrate the incredible work that LIANZA did with the CBAs over 70 years. So we’re writing a book!
\nThe LIANZA Anthology of Children’s Literature will be a compilation of judge’s notes, interviews with winning authors, vintage posters and more. We’ve already been in touch with most of the winners who have agreed to participate in the PledgeMe campaign we’ll be launching shortly. Want to help? We’re looking for librarians to help us interview authors. Anyone out there love proof-reading? Well, let us know as we’ll need a few sets of eyes to help us put this together. Once we launch the campaign we’re hoping you’ll help us promote this great project!<\/p>\n

\"15\"<\/a>
Illustration by Peter Gouldthorpe of’The boy felt water swirling about his feet’, published in First light by Gary Crew (Lothian Books, 1993)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you are interested in contributing to this project please contact the LIANZA Communications Manager Ines Almeida ines@lianza.org.nz
\nIF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, BEFORE 20 JANUARY 2018<\/p>\n

From 10 June 2016 the State Library of Victoria in association with the Public Libraries Victoria Network is featuring illustrations from the Scholastic Dromkeen Children\u2019s Literature Collection at 12 public libraries throughout Victoria over 18 months.<\/p>\n

Story Island: an adventure in pictures is designed to promote the development of literacy skills by encouraging a child\u2019s sense of discovery, play and exploration.<\/p>\n

Details can be found on the State Library of Victoria website http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/haqa3yq
\nThe Scholastic Dromkeen Children\u2019s Literature Collection is an archive of original artworks and manuscripts from many of Australia\u2019s best loved children\u2019s books. The collection was developed by Joyce and Court Oldmeadow in the 1970s and housed in their home \u201cDromkeen\u201d in Riddells Creek, Victoria. In 1978, Scholastic Australia took over the responsibility of maintaining the collection. In 2012 the Dromkeen Foundation and Scholastic Australia gifted that entire collection and archive to State Library Victoria.
\nhttp:\/\/www.slv.vic.gov.au\/about-dromkeen
\nROBERT DESSAIX ON ENID BLYTON<\/p>\n

I was treated to an extraordinary talk by Robert Dessaix on the influence of Enid Blyton. This was held on March 12 2016 as part of the Writers Week in Wellington. As I looked around an audience mostly consisting of women (which was a shame for all those men who missed it) I was pleased to see a few members of the Dorothy Neal White society.<\/p>\n

\"16\"<\/a>Robert began by saying “Enid Blyton knew the secret places children like to escape to”, and admitted that he had never quite found his way home. He spoke of the theme of adventuring which thrilled children for decades, and especially focussed on the Famous Five and The Faraway Tree adventures. However at the end of each adventure was the comforting thought that the adventurers would return home, and all that meant to a child, in the way of soft beds, warm fires and something to eat (although food was one theme Robert did not explore).<\/p>\n

Other themes which Robert explored were those of friendship, loyalty, love, happiness and belonging. Interestingly, Robert said, to be in a group of friends was seen as the best state, whereas being alone was to be pitied, as with George from the Famous Five.<\/p>\n

\"17\"<\/a>Robert Dessaix (born 17 February 1944) is an Australian novelist, essayist and journalist. He does not write children\u2019s books, but is known instead for his mostly autobiographical books, including A Mother’s Disgrace, published in 1994, which concerns his journey to an alternative sexuality after twelve years of marriage and his meeting with his birth mother Yvonne. Other books he has written have been novels and also philosophical works.<\/p>\n

Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 \u2013 28 November 1968) was an English children’s writer whose books have been among the world’s best-sellers since the 1930s. She wrote on a wide range of topics including education, natural history, fantasy, mystery, and biblical narratives and is best remembered today for her Noddy, Famous Five, Secret Seven, and Adventure series.<\/p>\n

The crossover is easily seen by the dates. Robert brought humour and perceptive insights into his very erudite oration on Enid Blyton. It was a highly entertaining evening with a wonderful speaker. For those of you who missed this event you can listen to the audio recording on Radio New Zealand Robert Dessaix on Enid Blyton<\/p>\n

Corrina Gordon
\nSecretary, FDNW Committee<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: The Dorothy Neal White and National Children\u2019s Collections do not include any original editions of Enid Blyton\u2019s \u201cFaraway Tree\u201d series. If you should have these, and would consider donating them to the collection, please contact the Mary Skarott, Research Librarian Children\u2019s Literature
\nmary.skarott@dia.govt.nz
\nTWO OF A KIND<\/p>\n

Belinda Murrell: Lulu Bell and the fairy penguin, 2013 (and others, Random House, Australia
\nHilary McKay: Lulu and the hamster in the night, 2013 (and others), Scholastic Children\u2019s Books, UK<\/p>\n

Series of stories about the same character, or group of characters, have long been popular with children. Even in the Computer Age, the shelves of bookshops and children\u2019s libraries are lined with sets of junior paper backs, each one devoted to the exploits of a favourite individual and his or her cohorts. Many of these publications are cheaply produced and of dubious literary quality but a few are worthy of mention.<\/p>\n

Two \u2018girl\u2019 series with considerable appeal to emergent readers, share the curious distinction of being remarkably like one another! Written by different authors and published on either side of the world, both are concerned with animal welfare and both have a seven-year old protagonist called Lulu (who has a best friend called Molly in one series and Millie on the other!) While it is easy to suspect some cross fertilization to have taken place, this is not acknowledged in any of the books.<\/p>\n

\"18\"<\/a>Author Belinda Murrell\u2019s Lulu (Random House, Australia), is the daughter of a vet in a coastal Australian town. The family occupies a house adjacent to the veterinary clinic and this situation provides an ideal opportunity for Lulu (with and without Molly!) to get some great first-hand experience with Dr Bell\u2019s animal patients. In the course of the series, Lulu helps to round up a pony who has strayed onto a busy motor way, saves a blue penguin chick from the clutches of an out of control dog and assists with the delivery of eleven Labrador puppies etc.<\/p>\n

The Lulu in the British series (Scholastic Children\u2019s Books, UK) has a weakness for adopting small creatures from other children after they have lost interest in their pets. Each book in the series deals with a different animal rescue and Lulu\u2019s original and amusing strategies for improving the life of the animal after she has intervened. In one story she takes on a neglected rabbit and runs a rabbits\u2019 party in her bedroom, complete with a vegetarian cake and leafy party decorations! In another story, Lulu and Millie bring along a hamster to the unsuspecting grandma\u2019s for a sleep-over, in order to make up for the boredom of \u2018Ratty\u2019s\u2019 former existence!<\/p>\n

The British series is the better written of the two. The characters are sharply defined, the dialogue is crisp and the little stores are convincing and funny. The Australasian Lulu is rather more of a stock heroine and the background characters equally \u2018flat\u2019. These disadvantages are counter-balanced to some extent by the familiarity of the setting and life-style of the participants. What New Zealand child won\u2019t warm to stories where the first day of the school year is in summer and mother walks the kids down to the beach for a swim after they get out of class?<\/p>\n

However questionable the relationship between Hilary McKay\u2019s Lulu books and the Lulu Bell stories by Belinda Murrell, these are series that deserve their popularity with beginning readers. The chapters are short, plots interesting, vocabulary natural and the subject matter appealing to the relevant age group. All the stories advocate responsible pet ownership without being \u2018preachy\u2019 or resorting to descriptions of horrifying cruelty and abuse.<\/p>\n

Tania Connelly
\nFDNW Committee<\/p>\n

BOOK REVIEW \u2013 The house of the hill by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Sarah Davis (Scholastic NZ, 2016)<\/h3>\n

\"20\"<\/a>I can see why this book has been nominated in the categories \u2018Picture Book Award\u2019 and \u2018Russell Clark Illustrations Award\u2019 in the 2016 New Zealand books awards for children and young adults. It is a story about two little ghosts making their way to the house on the hill. The way the author has cleverly written the first three lines in each paragraph as rhyming, it gives a bit of a sing-song feeling as you read. They then finish each paragraph with the words \u2018the house on the hill\u2019. You get this anticipation as you read of wanting to know why these little ghosts are heading to the house on the hill.<\/p>\n

The illustrator also plays into this anticipation by using various shades of brown and black all the way through. This is until\u2026. The little ghosts make it to the heart of the house on the hill. Here she has used a wider variety of colours for some details, but has kept the scenery the same brown shade. Even with the lack of colours there was great detail included in every page.<\/p>\n

Chantalle Smith
\nFDNW Committee
\n\"21\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

IBBY CONGRESS AND BOOKBIRD<\/h3>\n

Children’s literature in New Zealand and Australia becomes the special focus of Bookbird in July 2016, in honour of New Zealand’s hosting of the IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young people) congress in Auckland this year. The issue is edited by Victoria University\u2019s Anna Jackson who also provides an overview of the literature discussed.<\/p>\n

The journal Bookbird has been running since 1963, and runs academic, peer-reviewed articles alongside informative, and more informal, articles about children and their books. In this issue there are contributors with connections to the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection. Kay Hancock, looks at the Ready-to-read series as she did in her presentation to the Friends in February 2016, and our research grant recipient Nicola Daly examines Dual picturebooks in English and M\u0101ori. In addition Paula Green writes about her work bringing poetry to children and children to poetry; Angelina Sbroma interviews children’s novelist Tulia Thompson; and Belle Alderman writes about the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature. Academic articles include work on Anzac narratives, Australian YA fantasies and their use of fairy tale motifs, and Australian children’s classics.
\n\"22\"<\/a>The 35th IBBY congress will be held at the Aotea Centre, Auckland, from 18 to 21 August 2016, and has the theme \u201cLiterature in a multi-literate world\u201d. Speakers include Joy Cowley, Kate De Goldi, Markus Zusak (Australia, author of the international bestseller The book thief), Meshack Asare (Ghanaian author \/ illustrator), Julia Eccleshare (UK, children\u2019s book editor for The Guardian), and many more. The annual Storylines Festival will coincide with the Congress. http:\/\/www.ibbycongress2016.org\/<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PAULA GREEN<\/h3>\n

In early April this year I was fortunate to be among a group of Turnbull Library staff who participated in the presentation of a tokotoko to the Poet Laureate, C K Stead, at Matahiwi Marae, near Havelock North. As part of the ceremony Karl invited three of his poet friends to read on the marae, and later the same day to be part of the Poets Night Out held in Havelock North. One of the poets reading was Paula Green who is mentioned above as a contributor to Bookbird.<\/p>\n

Paula is well known, not just for her books of poetry, but also for her websites. One of these, NZ Poetry Shelf, she describes as \u201ca poetry page for reviews, interviews and other things\u201d https:\/\/nzpoetryshelf.com\/ Paula\u2019s other site is NZ Poetry Box, a poetry website for children. Each month she offers her readers a challenge \u2013 in June the challenge is to write a poem about a thing. Paula selects some of the poems to publish on the webpage and also replies to all those who contribute a poem telling them \u201cwhat I loved about your poem in my letter to you.\u201d This commitment to encouraging children to read and write poetry is also reflected in her regular visits to schools and her poetry books for young people. The most recent of these was The Letter Box Cat and Other Poems (Scholastic, August, 2014). She also edited A Treasury of New Zealand Poetry for Children (Random House, 2014).
\nhttps:\/\/nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com\/author\/paulajoygreen\/
\nIt was a delight to meet Paula and to hear her poetry. Look out for her new collection New York pocket book.<\/p>\n

For more about the Poet Laureate event at Matahiwi Marae see the Poet Laureate\u2019s blog of 20 April 2016
\nhttp:\/\/www.poetlaureate.org.nz\/
\n\"23\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Joan McCracken
\nFDNW newsletter editor<\/p>\n

WRITING FROM THE HEART BY JOY COWLEY\"24\"<\/a>
\n(from the Storylines website)<\/h3>\n

New Zealand’s celebrated children\u2019s author Joy Cowley distils 40 years of experience as an author in her book Writing from the Heart.<\/p>\n

Writing from the Heart is essential reading for practising or intending children\u2019s writers. Joy’s warmly written content covers plot development, discipline, dialogue, humour, presentation and editing, with chapters on the special genres of early readers, fiction for children and teenagers, poetry and plays.<\/p>\n

The witty cartoon-style illustrations are by the well-known Auckland artist Fraser Williamson.<\/p>\n

Writing From The Heart was published by the Storylines Children\u2019s Literature Charitable Trust as a fund-raising venture in 2010. There is also an American edition. All proceeds go to assist Storylines in its work to promote New Zealand children’s books and literature and support New Zealand children’s writers and Illustrators.<\/p>\n

Joy Cowley is internationally recognised for her more than 800 early readers, along with novels and poetry for children, and her work for more than three decades as a teacher of creative writing for children in more than ten countries. She has won many awards and also critical acclaim for her adult novels and short stories.<\/p>\n

Print copies of Writing from the heart are available for $20 each for Storylines members or $25 each for non-members (excludes postage and packaging). Or you can purchase the e-book ($10 members or $15 non-members). Orders can be placed through the Storylines website http:\/\/www.storylines.org.nz\/ or from
\nStorylines Children’s Literature Charitable Trust of New Zealand, PO Box 96 094, Balmoral, Auckland 1342.<\/p>\n

OBITUARY<\/h3>\n

Terry Pratchett<\/strong> (excerpts from the Telegraph UK biography 2015)
\nA belated, but nonetheless sincere, acknowledgment of the death of Terry Pratchett.<\/p>\n

Sir Terry Pratchett, who died aged 66, on 12 March 2015, was Britain\u2019s best-selling novelist of the 1990s. His immaculately written, wildly imaginative brand of comic fantasy breathed new life into a largely forgotten form of humorous writing and enabled him to connect with readers not usually attracted to the science fiction and fantasy genres.<\/p>\n

\"25\"<\/a>Most of his more than 70 books were set on the Discworld (a flat Earth supported by elephants on the back of a giant turtle), a creation which proved enduring and flexible enough to allow Pratchett the scope to change direction and evolve as a writer without losing touch with his core audience.<\/p>\n

One of the fans\u2019 favourite recurring characters in the Discworld novels is the Librarian, a wizard permanently transformed into an orangutan by a workplace accident at the magical Unseen University. (He is not, however, unduly distressed by this, since long arms and prehensile toes now allow him to reach all the Library\u2019s top shelves, and life\u2019s difficult existential questions have been supplanted by thoughts about bananas). The character\u2019s popularity led Pratchett to develop an interest in orangutans and later to campaign for their protection and survival. He became a trustee of the Orangutan Foundation UK.<\/p>\n

In 1968, Terry Pratchett married Lyn Purves. Their daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, is an award-winning video-game writer and journalist.<\/p>\n

\"26\"<\/a>In 1998 he was appointed OBE for services to literature, and later observed: \u201cI suspect the services to literature consisted of refraining to try and write any.\u201d The amazing Maurice and his educated rodents won Pratchett the 2001 Carnegie medal for the best children\u2019s novel. In 2003 five of his books appeared in the top 100 chosen in the BBC\u2019s Big Read survey; 15 of his books were listed in the top 200. He served for a year as chairman of the Society of Authors, and in 1997 he chaired the judging panel for the Rhone-Poulenc literary awards.<\/p>\n

Terry Pratchett\u2019s approach to writing was business-like. He would start work around 10am, and would often still be at his keyboard at midnight, although he preferred to do something else for a few hours in the afternoon. In later years, as the effects of posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) left him unable to type, he relied instead on computer software and a personal assistant to take dictation for each novel. He compared the act of writing to woodcarving: \u201cYou start cutting the shape you want it to be. But you find, if you do it right, that the wood has a grain of its own. If you\u2019re sensible, you work with the grain and, if you come across a knot hole, you incorporate it into the design.\u201d Asked why he chose to write fantasy, he would recall Chesterton\u2019s view that the purpose of fantasy is to show the reader the everyday world from an entirely different perspective.<\/p>\n

He was knighted in 2009.
\nSir Terry Pratchett, born April 28 1948, died March 12 2015.
\nCorrina Gordon
\nSecretary, FDNW Committee<\/p>\n

Note: Terry Pratchett\u2019s The Shepherd\u2019s crown (Doubleday Children\u2019s) was shortlisted for the British Book Industry Awards\u2019 \u201cBook of the year\u201d 2016. The Award winners were announced on 9 May with My brother is a Superhero, by David Solomons, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson (Nosy Crow, 2015) taking the honours.<\/p>\n

CONTACTS LIST \/ SUBSCRIPTIONS<\/h3>\n

Thank you to everyone who has responded to subscription renewal requests – we are delighted with the number of renewals we’ve received. We would still like to hear from you if you haven’t been in touch as yet. If you are able to provide an email address that certainly helps with event and subscription notification, though we will continue to post out the newsletter to those who are unable to collect it at a meeting, so we do also need a mailing address. The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March.<\/p>\n

If you want to contact the Society about subscriptions, contributions to the newsletter, or any other matters, please email friendsdnw@gmail.com or write to us at PO Box 12499, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
\nThe contents of this newsletter will be published on the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White website where you will be able to see the images in colour http:\/\/www.dnwfriends.nzl.org\/
\nSUBSCRIPTIONS \/ MEMBERS ADDRESSES
\nThe annual membership subscription for the Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection is $20:00. Whether you want to be active in a friendly group supporting the promotion of children\u2019s literature, or just want the satisfaction of being associated with a valuable community group, we value you. Members might also like to make a contribution to a special Research Grant fund that will allow us to continue and \/ or increase the amount we are able to offer a student doing research based on the collections supported by the Friends. A separate line has been included on the form for those Friends who would like to make such a donation.<\/p>\n

The Treasurer will be delighted to receive your subscription payment at the next meeting, or by post to:
\nThe Friends of the Dorothy Neal White Collection
\nPO Box 12499
\nWELLINGTON 6144<\/p>\n

If you prefer to pay by internet banking then this is encouraged. Please include your name as reference.
\nBank details are Society of Friends D N White BNZ 02-0585-0045879-000<\/p>\n

Please indicate any changes to your address details when you complete the form. We are now able to send notification of meetings by email. If you would like to receive information in this way please include your email address.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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