Children's Book Council Award Winners

On the subject of prizes - check out the winners of the Children's Book Council Awards for Older Readers.

Older Readers Book of the Year:

Winner: Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Honour: Into White Silence by Anthony Eaton

Honour: A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French

The Inky's Longlist

If you are ever sitting around thinking 'what do I read next', take a look at the website insideadog (http://www.insideadog.com.au/) - created by The Centre for Youth Literature, State Library Victoria - which promotes reading as an active, pleasurable and essential activity for all young people. The site contains reviews, a writer in residence and heaps of info about Australian and overseas books for young people.

They have also created the Inky Awards. The Inkys are international awards for teenage literature, voted for online by the readers of insideadog.com.au. There are three awards: the Golden Inky for an Australian book, the Silver Inky for an international book, and the Creative Reading Prize, won by a young person for a creative response to a book they love, in any format they choose.

The Longlist for the Inkys has just been released:

The 2009 Inkys Longlist

Broken Glass by Adrian Stirling

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

Exposure by Mal Peet

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Into White Silence by Anthony Eaton

Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne La Fleur

My Candlelight Novel by Joanne Horniman

Paper Towns by John Green

Screw Loose by Chris Wheat

Skim by Mariko & Jillian Tamaki

Ten Mile River by Paul Griffin

The 10pm Question by Kate de Goldi

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Beginners Guide to Living by Lia Hills

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Two Pearls of Wisdom by Alison Goodman

Where the Streets Had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Worldshaker by Richard Harland

Youth Cafe Launch @ Dubbo Branch Library

Great fun was had at the debut of the Dubbo City Youth Council Youth Cafe - held in the meeting room at the Dubbo Branch Library. The Youth Cafe is a place for youth to go that is fun, safe and a great place to meet up with friends, have a coffee and a snack and play the PlayStation 3. Youth Cafe is on Friday afternoons from 4.00-6.00pm and young people aged 12-24 are welcome.

Somebody's Crying by Maureen McCarthy

A murder in a country town is the backdrop for the story of three young people, Alice, Tom and Jonty, who are bound together because Alice's mother was murdered and Jonty is the suspect.

I really expected to enjoy Somebody's Crying because I loved McCarthy's Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude get a life. Unfortunately I was a little disappointed. I found the storyline a little slow, and the main character of Tom somewhat bland. I felt that McCarthy's depiction of Tom was not authentic - he simply didn't resemble any 22 year old guy that I have ever known.

I did enjoy the character of Alice - McCarthy is extremely good at writing female characters. The storyline was far more entertaining when being presented from Alice's point of view.

The mystery component of the story does keep you reading and the twist at the end is surprising, but by the end of the book I felt neutral - not particularly affected by this book.

A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin

What do you do when your best friend is dying?

Sam and Jules have been best friends forever. Now in the summer before senior year, Sam and Jules are certain they are ready for whatever the future brings. From college to professional dance careers, they'll share the triumphs and the tears together. But nothing could have prepared them for Jules's sudden illness and the discovery of its cause - cancer. Now both Jules and Sam must learn to accept the unacceptable - that Jules's cancer may not go away.

Calling all Graphic fans!

The Dubbo Branch Library has some great new Young Adult graphic novels.

Here is a sample:

Battlestar Galactica: Echoes of New Caprica by Emily Salzfass (Tokyopop)

The colonial fleet continues its perilous journey toward Earth and the hope of a brighter future, but the brutal Cylon occupation of New Caprica continues to impact the lives of everyone.

Star Wars Omnibus: Rise of the Sith

During the time of the Republic, the Jedi Council guided the Jedi Knights as they upheld their values of peace and justice throughout the galaxy - and the Sith waited in hiding for the right time to reveal their existence and take revenge...

Star Wars Omnibus: Emissaries & Assassins

It is the beginning of the end of the Galactic Republic. The Jedi just don't know it yet...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus - Volume 6

Volume Six of the Buffy omnibus series delves further into the lives of Buffy and her closest friends - Willow, Xander and Giles.

Wolverine: Logan by Brian K. Vaughan (Marvel)

Wolverine travels to a mysterious hill in Japan to come to terms with the ghosts of a long-forgotten incident in his past, a moment that re-forged him in the flames of love, death and destruction.

The Eternal Smile: three stories by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

Meet Duncan. Charming and brave, he's the Princess's favourite - and he's on the way to winning the throne. But lately, the walls of reality in Duncan's kngdom are wearing a little thin...

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: Treachery by Robin Furth (Marvel)

Everyone knows treachery is defined as someone doing you wrong when they ought not be. So now you want to know how to spot it? Well then, welcome to Gilead...an' take your pick of sights to see.

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son by Chuck Dixon

In the nineteenth century, Dr. Victor Frankenstein brought his notorious creation to life, but a horrible turn of events forced him to abandon it and slip away from the public eye. Two centuries later, a serial killer is on the loose in New Orleans, gruesomely salvaging body parts from each of his victims, as if trying to assemble a perfect human being.

The Jeans Go to Gaol (and do not collect $200...)

The Jean Genies continued their tour of Dubvegas and headed to the Old Dubbo Gaol. They hung around at the gallows, got pilloried, went through the wringer and inspected a very uncomfortable looking gaol toilet - but they had an excellent time. They made a flying visit to the Dubbo Visitors Centre and then went back to the library to relax.