Bill McDonough features in ‘The 11th Hour”, the new film by Leonardo DiCaprio that is discussed on TED.com blog. He is an architect who is tackling sustainability with intelligent design. TED is a great place to watch amazing thinkers from all over the globe.
Melbourne Writers Festival
On Monday I’m travelling with some year 9 and 10 students to the “Melbourne Writers Festival – Schools Program”. I look forward to this for a number of reasons. I always enjoy taking the students on excursions, because they are always engaged and at their best. We can only take a small number of students, so only those who are really passionate about reading and writing have gone to the effort, or been selected by their English teachers. I expect this will make for great conversation on the 2 hour + bus trip. I will also enjoy listening to the authors speak about their books. I’m not sure yet, which sessions I will be attending, but I will be sure to tell you after I’ve been.
For those who live a little closer, “Melbourne Writers Festival” is for adults also and there are plenty of sessions to cater for all. Check out the program on the webpage.
CBCA Winners 2007
2007 Winners
I am delighted that ‘Red Spikes’ has won the Older Readers category. Although I totally enjoyed each book that was shortlisted and we are considering using ‘Don’t Call Me Ishmael’ for our year 9s, my favourite’s were ‘Red Spikes’ and ‘The Red Shoe’. Margo Lanagan is an amazing writer and I have another of her earlier books to enjoy when I have completed two others I have began.
Catherine Bateson has taken out the Younger Readers book of the year with ‘Being Bee’. I am yet to read the rest of this category, but I can say I really enjoyed this one.
I am even less familiar with the other categories the CBCA Award Winners for 2007, I enjoyed Shaun Tan’s ‘The Arrival’, which won the Picture book category as well as the Honour books for the 2007 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books.
Sally Murphy at Scribblings has a great post on the CBCA Junior Judges Project. She has also created a list of 12 books to read before you turn 12. I want to create my own and will attempt it on the weekend perhaps.