New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults - the final Choices

And here they are- the judges (Fiona Mackie, Kathy Alonui and Melinda Szymanik and the children in the Children’s Choice section) have decided the final winners for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2016 held at Circa Theatre Wellington shall be:

Book of the Year:

ANZAC Heroes Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco Ivancic Scholastic NZ

TE REO MAORI  (Te Kura Pounamu Award)

Whiti te ra Patricia Grace    Huia Publishers

BEST FIRST BOOK

 Allis the Little Tractor Sophie Siers, illustrated by Helen Kerridge Millward–Heritage Productions

PICTURE BOOK

The Little Kiwi's Matariki  Nikki Slade Robinson.  Duck Creek Press

JUNIOR FICTION (The Esther Glen Award)

 From The Cutting Room of Barney Kettle  Kate De Goldi Penguin Random House

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Battlesaurus Rampage at Waterloo  Brian Falkner Pan McMillan, Australia

NON FICTION AWARD

ANZAC Heroes  Maria Gill, illus Marco Ivancic  Scholastic NZ

ILLUSTRATION

Much ado about Shakespeare Donovan Bixley    Upstart Press

 CHILDREN’S CHOICE AWARDS

TE REO MAORI

 Te Hua Tuatahi a Kuwi  Kat Merewether  Illustrated Publishing

PICTURE BOOK

The House on the Hill  Kyle Mewburn illustrated by Sarah Davis Scholastic NZ

JUNIOR FICTION  

The Girl Who Rode the Wind  Stacy Gregg HarperCollins

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

 Stray Rachael Craw  Walker Books

NON FICTION

First to the Top  David Hill Illustrated by Phoebe Morris Penguin Random House 

Has there ever been better coverage post a book awards event than today's? It seemed every time I tuned in to the radio a writer from the Awards was speaking, some one was being interviewed or the list of winners was being read out once more.

Circa Theatre proved to be an ideal venue – for once we were close up and personal with the action – we could see and we could hear.

Fifi Colston was the ideal MC. She looked spectacular. She kept her cool throughout and she was engaged the whole time in what was happening. Congratulations Fifi  - you needed an Award of your own.

I only have one quibble over the whole event. I thought the catalogue was excellently designed – easy to find your way through and to follow as the events unfolded. But. There seemed to me to be a rather startling omission. We had the title of the book, the creator(s) either writer or illustrator and a brief run down on what the book was about. But where were the publishers without whom there would be no books…?

Photo of the event to follow tomorrow…
Apologies for the issues with the font sizes.....