Tag: Scottish Book Trust

Read all about it: Edinburgh trio shortlisted for children’s book awards

Scottish Book TrustScottish Book Trust is delighted to announce today that Edinburgh-based authors Alexander McCall Smith, Gill Arbuthnot and William Sutcliffe have been shortlisted for this year’s Scottish Children’s Book Awards, celebrating the most popular children’s and young adult books by Scottish authors or illustrators.

Run by Scottish Book Trust with support from Creative Scotland, these are Scotland’s largest book awards, split into three age categories, with a total prize fund of £12,000.

Shortlisted authors and illustrators receive £500 per book, and the three winning books receive £3,000 each. Over the next five months, children across Scotland will be reading the three shortlisted books in their age category and voting for their favourite. The three winning books will be announced at a special award ceremony on 4 March 2015.

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Internationally renowned best-selling novelist Alexander McCall Smith (pictured above) is shortlisted in the Younger Readers (8-11 yrs) category for Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion.  Published by Birlinn, this is a delightful tale exploring how the young Precious Ramotswe became the loveable private investigator of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

McCall Smith, one of the world’s most popular authors, lives in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. After the success of No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency he wrote four more series including 44 Scotland Street novels and his most recent Corduroy Mansions series.

In total he has published 74 stories as well as a number of academic texts. Over 40 million copies of his books have been sold and he continues to produce an average of 4 – 5 books every year.  He has received numerous awards for his writing, including the British Book Awards Author of the Year Award in 2004 and CBE for services to literature in 2007.

Commenting on his nomination, Alexander McCall Smith said: “I am delighted that this book has been shortlisted for this award. I very much admire what Scottish Book Trust does to promote reading among children – that is where a lifetime’s involvement with books can start.”

gillGill Arbuthnot (above) is shortlisted in the Older Readers (12-16 yrs) category for her novel Dark Spell. Published by Kelpies and set in St Andrews, the book follows the adventures of teen witch Callie as she tries to come to terms with her powers and battles an unknown force.

Edinburgh born and bred, Gill Arbuthnot attended James Gillespie’s High School before leaving the city for St Andrews University. Here she studied Zoology and then completed teacher training. Despite having a career in science Arbuthnott never gave up her intention of writing, and when she witnessed the millennium clock in the museum of Scotland she was inspired to write The Chaos Clock for children. Now with a large back catalogue of published work including, Beneath, The Keepers Daughter and most recently Winterbringers, she lives in Edinburgh again, working as a writer and teacher.

Commenting on her nomination, Gill said: “I am thrilled to be shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards. It’s a particular pleasure to be in the running for an award which is going to be decided by the children and young people at whom the books are aimed, and a great honour to have made it onto the shortlist, especially looking at the range of tremendous books which have won in previous years.”

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William Sutcliffe is shortlisted in the Older Readers (12-16 yrs) for his novel The Wall. Published by Bloomsbury, it powerfully depicts the realities of life on the West Bank through the emotive coming-of-age story of thirteen-year-old Joshua.

London-born William Sutcliffe attended private boy’s school Haberdashers’ Aske’s in Hertfordshire. After leaving school he went on to study at Emmanuel College, Cambridge where he met his wife, novelist Maggie O’Farrell. He currently lives in Edinburgh.

William has published five novels prior to The Wall, including Are You Experienced?, New Boy, The Love Hexagon, Bad Influence and Whatever Makes You Happy. The Wall is his first children’s novel and has already received high acclaim, being longlisted for the Guardian Fiction Prize and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. William’s work has been translated into 20 different languages.

Commenting on his nomination, William said: “I am delighted to be shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards. It is an exciting prospect to know that my book will be read widely in schools across Scotland, and discussed, and voted on. It is vital that children read, and talk to each other about what they read. It’s fantastic to have your work embraced into that process.”

THE  SCOTTISH CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS SHORTLIST:

Bookbug Readers (3-7 years)

Younger Readers (8-11 years)

Older Readers (12-16 years)

Jasmine Fassl, Head of Schools at Scottish Book Trust said: “The Scottish Children’s Book Awards are much more than a celebration of Scottish literature – they are about expanding children’s horizons far beyond their physical boundaries and barriers.

“By simply reading just one of the shortlisted novels in their category, a 5 year old can imagine what it’s like to have rampaging robots as babysitters, a 10 year old can hop aboard a pirate ship, and a 15 year old can be transported into the mind of a teenager in a war zone.

“We hope that children, teachers, parents and librarians across Scotland will take this journey with us and get lost in these nine wonderful stories.”

Jenny Niven, Portfolio Manager for Literature at Creative Scotland, commented: “Literacy, and access to books for Scotland’s children and families is absolutely critical for our capacity to learn, to develop and to imagine. The work of Scottish Book Trust is fundamental in this.

“The next step beyond access is to provide the means for children and young people to develop an independent love of books and reading, and the Scottish Children’s Book Awards play an enormous role in making this possible.

“By voting for their own reading choices they are taking steps in their journeys as independent readers – steps which will have an impact on their education, their wellbeing and their imaginations far into the future. Creative Scotland is delighted to support this work, and is encouraged to see such a strong shortlist of Scottish books for our voters to choose from.”

The Scottish Children’s Book Awards also encourage budding authors or journalists to put pen to paper: the popular Book Review Competition offers pupils the chance to win book tokens for themselves and an author visit for their school.

Budding film makers can enter the book trailer competition to entice their peers to read the books too and win book tokens for their school. Scottish Book Trust provides extensive learning resources for teachers on how to create book trailers.

The Bookbug Primary 1 Family Pack is part of Bookbug, Scotland’s national book gifting programme, funded by the Scottish Government and run by Scottish Book Trust.

CALL Scotland has again worked with Scottish Book Trust and the authors and publishers to create accessible digital versions of the nine shortlisted books for children and young people with physical, visual and reading or dyslexic difficulties, who can’t read the paper books. The accessible digital versions of the shortlisted books are available free of charge from CALL Scotland. You can request books by going to http://www.callscotland.org.uk/Home/.

Pictures: Rob McDougall

Circle’s storytellers ‘writely’ pleased with new book!

‘No-one really knew what it was. People walking past stopped and stared …’

DSCF0059Children and parents from Circle’s Haven project created their own book, ‘The Sandpit Volcano’, during Haven’s Storytelling Week project, which ran from 28 July – 2 August.

The Sandpit Volcano tells the tale of brave kangaroos, crabbit crustaceans and creepy castles with flags made from used underpants – delightful!  Children who were involved in the creation of the story read it in public for the first time on Friday and it really is a fantastic tale!

The Haven Project group was assisted by Edinburgh-based author Mike Nicholson (pictured below with ten-month old ‘helper’ Caleb!), who writes children’s fiction. He has two novels published; mystery adventures packed with past secrets, colourful characters and fiendish plots! Based on his writing experience, Mike runs events for all ages in schools and at book festivals, often based on encouraging children to create their own story ideas. Mike worked with the Circle project on a similar project last year – a swashbuckling tale of pirates on the seven seas – and he was delighted to return for what it’s hoped may become an annual event.

DSCF0033It was an intensive week for all involved – from a day of ideas and discussions following a trip to Cramond, working with Mike to develop story ideas and then producing artwork and storyboards – but it was both interesting and fun for all involved.

One mum said: “It really was good fun and we’re all looking forward to seeing the book when it’s printed – oh, and the bairns enjoyed it all too!”

North Edinburgh Arts Angela Austin worked on the artwork with the group. “This was a great group to work with – everyone was really enthusiastic and there was lots of energy and ideas”, she said. “Lots of people are really good at art and being creative without realizing the talent they have, and I think this project has shown that”.

The artwork is now off to the printers and it’s hoped the Circle storytellers will see the The Sandpit Volcano in book form within the next 2-3 weeks.

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Secondary school students to hear the John Muir story

john muir story

‘One day’s exposure to mountains is better than a cartload of books’, said John Muir, who nevertheless understood the power of the pen and wrote prolifically about wild places and the need to protect them. This month a cartload of books about Muir’s life will go out to every secondary school in Scotland to tell the story of his life and legacy.

The new graphic novel, ‘John Muir, Earth – Planet, Universe‘,  – a story told in illustrated format with a combination of Muir’s words and a carefully crafted narrative – has been created by Scottish Book Trust, Creative Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage as part of Year of Natural Scotland and John Muir legacy celebrations. It aims to share the story of the conservation visionary with new audiences, and invites discussion, reflection and action.

“The book and its online resources really brings out the adventurous spirit of John Muir from his childhood in Dunbar to his wanderings around America, and shows the origins of his campaigning zeal and passion for wilderness,” said Rob Bushby of the John Muir Trust who sat on the steering group for the development of the novel.

“The Scottish Book Trust is to be congratulated for capturing this in a way that’s already inspiring and engaging pupils, teachers and adults alike. It has the potential to be a game changer in bringing this often-neglected champion of wild places to a whole new audience.”

JMplague

Written by award-winning author Julie Bertagna and illustrated by Glasgow-based artist William Goldsmith, the novel is based on the key moments and life adventures of John Muir and is intended to help children develop a deeper understanding and awareness of the natural environment and the importance of protecting wild places.

With the assistance of Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Eco-Schools Scotland programme, a class set of 24 copies will be distributed to every secondary school in Scotland this month to coincide with the opening of the John Muir Way by the First Minister on 21 April.

The novel was developed in partnership with John Muir Trust, Creative Scotland, Education Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage and in consultation with teachers and school pupils. It combines environmental studies with literacy in an innovative way that hasn’t previously been implemented in Scotland, and is supported by accompanying online resources for teachers.

Commenting on the use of graphic novels as a way of engaging pupils in learning, Marc Lambert, Director of the Scottish Book Trust, said: “The importance of taking care of the planet for future generations is one of the most vital lessons our children can learn.

“Telling the story of John Muir’s life and thoughts through the highly accessible and entertaining form of a graphic novel allows us to reclaim a Scottish hero and helps children to develop a deeper understanding of the key environmental issues he campaigned for, in a creative and enjoyable way.”

You can download the PDF version of John Muir, Earth – Planet, Universe from the Scottish Book Trust

JM1

The John Muir Festival got underway last night with the official opening of the magnificent Kelpies sculptures at Falkirk’s new Helix Park. The Festival runs until 26 April – to find out what’s on go to www.johnmuirfestival.com

FREE PIC- John Muir Festival 2014 Launch 01

Forthview kids launch Reading Rainbows

reading-rainbows

Children from Forthview Primary School nursery were the first to be enthralled by tales of pirates and flying carpets when Reading Rainbows, a new scheme to get pre-school children reading, was launched at Muirhouse Library yesterday.

Around 1200 four-year-olds across the capital will each receive two brand new books, specially chosen to inspire youngsters to read and share stories. Reading Rainbows, launched in Edinburgh last year, aims to spark a love of reading among under-fives, giving them the best start when they begin school. The project is also designed to support parents and carers to share books and stories with their children, encouraging them to think about the tales together and to visit libraries more often.

The Forthview Nursery pupils visited Muirhouse Library yesterday to celebrate the launch of the new Reading Rainbows programme, which will feature literacy events, book sharing and craft activities in libraries and early years settings. The four-year-olds were the first to receive this year’s books, The Pirate House by Rebecca Patterson and My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone and Christopher Corr.

pirate house

Culture Convener Councillor Richard Lewis said: “This initiative is clearly incredibly beneficial to Edinburgh’s youngest learners and it’s fantastic to see such enthusiasm from those involved. Literacy is a key priority for the city and by inspiring a shared love of stories amongst children and their carers we hope to encourage a new generation ready to read, write and learn.”

Reading Rainbows was introduced last year by City of Edinburgh Council’s Library and Information Service and Children and Families Service and focuses on areas of disadvantage across the city.

The initiative addresses the fact that, in Scotland, children receive free book packs between birth and the age of three and once they turn five from the Scottish Book Trust, but nothing when they are four. By supplying free literacy gift packs, including two books, a white board and marker and a literacy advice pack for parents and carers, as well as story and craft events, project leaders hope to impact children’s literacy development.

The scheme received an overwhelmingly positive response last year with feedback showing participating parents were encouraged to read more to their children and to take part in library activities.

my granny