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ANZAC Heroes by Maria Gill wins Margaret Mahy Book of the Year
- WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE
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| Left: Judge Fiona Mackie, Scholastic publishing manager Lynette Evans, illustrator Marco Ivancic, author Maria Gill, TV personality and MP Maggie Barry, at the NZ Book Awards for Children & Young Adults |
“Simply stunning, with gold-standard production values,” say the judges
of the winner of this year’s Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award in the
prestigious New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. ANZAC Heroes is also the winner of the
Elsie Locke Award for the Best Book in the Non-Fiction category.
Maria Gill’s book ANZAC Heroes, illustrated
by Marco Ivancic and published by Scholastic New Zealand, is a collaboration
between writer and illustrator at its best. From nurse and pilot to soldier and
spy, this book offers a beautifully arranged cast of ANZAC heroes from World
War I and World War 2, and includes lifelike illustrations with maps, a medal
room, fact boxes, index and a glossary. Each hero has a personal story and
timeline.
Fiona Mackie, convenor of the judging panel says, “ANZAC Heroes was impossible to put down. The book brings to life the people who risked everything, left
everything and lost everything as they participated in World Wars 1 and 2.
There’s carefully chosen material, never overwhelming the reader, but not
skimping on detail either. The meticulous research brings these heroes to life
creating the perfect book package. Readers will learn an amazing amount about
the people who represented, fought and, sometimes, died for us.”
The 2016 judging panel was convened by teacher-librarian,
Fiona Mackie; librarian, Kathy Aloniu; and author Melinda Szymanik. In
addition, English academic, Professor Martin Salisbury was
the advisor for the Russell Clark Illustration Award. Professor Salisbury is
the Professor of Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK; he
leads its MA Children’s Book Illustration programme that he established in
2000. He has been a member of the international jury for a number of
illustration and picture book awards.
The te reo Māori entries
were judged by librarians Te Rangi Tangohau and Lawren Matrix, and Auckland
Museum’s Senior Outreach Programmer, Mereana Taungapeau. The convenor of the te
reo Māori panel was University of Auckland Kaitiaki Māori librarian Riki-Lee
Saua.
The winners of the 2016 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young
Adults and HELL Children’s Choice Awards were announced at a ceremony at
Wellington’s Circa Theatre on the evening of Monday, 8 August. The Awards are a
unique celebration of the contribution New Zealand’s children’s authors and
illustrators make to build national identity and cultural heritage.
The Best First Book Award
winners are Sophie Siers and Helen Kerridge for Allis the little tractor. A perfect blend of text and illustration,
the judges thought this book had a nostalgic feel without being old-fashioned.
“The book is understated, gentle and warm.”
Patricia Grace wins the Te
Kura Pounamu Award for the best book in te reo Māori with Whiti te ra! Translated by Kawata Teepa, this book shares the history behind New
Zealand’s most famous haka, Ka Mate. The judges acclaimed this book: “Its stunning artwork and simple
language are used to convey an inspiring message of overcoming challenges.
Suitable for all ages, this book is a riveting read that will capture hearts
and minds.”
The Little Kiwi’s Matariki, written and illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson, is the winner of the
Picture Book Award. Little Kiwi takes the reader on a rapid journey, rousing the forest
creatures from their slumber as she urges them to come and see the most
wonderful sight. English and te reo Māori are blended together naturally and
comfortably in this winning book.
Wellington author Kate De
Goldi wins the Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction with From the Cutting Room of Barney Kettle. “Surprising,
gripping, heart-breaking and ultimately incredibly moving, this novel stood out
right from the start. This book is packed with warmth, wonderful language, rich
and witty observations, compelling characters and layers of message and
meaning,” the judges commented.
Brian Falkner’s Battlesaurus: Rampage at Waterloo is the
winner of the Young Adult Fiction Award. This book draws the reader into a world
both familiar and unfamiliar – a battle between England and France, at
Waterloo, with a plot-altering twist – dinosaurs as weaponry! The judges said
that the convincing plot made them believe that Napoleon actually had saurs at
the battle of Waterloo, and the cliff-hanger ending left them desperate to find
out more.
Taupo illustrator Donovan
Bixley wins the Russell Clark Award for Illustration in Much Ado About Shakespeare. The judges commended this book for its
tremendous achievement. “Each illustration tells a story that rewards close
examination, providing a rich experience for readers, with the added bonus of a
lovingly curated lesson in art history. These illustrations are a technical
tour de force.”
The full list of winners of the 2016 New Zealand Book Awards for
Children and Young Adults is:
·
Margaret Mahy Book of the Year and winner
of the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction
Prizes: $7,500 for the Margaret Mahy Book
of the Year and $7,500 for the Non-Fiction Award
ANZAC Heroes by Maria Gill, illustrated by Marco
Ivancic; Scholastic New Zealand
·
Best First Book Award: Prize $2,000
Allis the little tractor by Sophie Siers, illustrated by Helen
Kerridge; Millwood-Heritage Productions
·
Te Kura Pounamu Award for the best book in
te reo Māori: Prize $7,500
Whiti te rā! by Patricia Grace, translated by Kawata
Teepa, illustrated by Andrew Burdan; Huia Publishers
·
Picture Book Award: Prize $7,500
The Little Kiwi’s Matariki written and illustrated by Nikki Slade
Robinson; David Ling Publishing (Duck Creek Press)
·
Esther Glen Award for Junior Fiction:
Prize $7,500
From the Cutting Room of Barney Kettle by Kate De Goldi; Penguin Random House
(Longacre)
·
Young Adult Fiction Award: Prize $7,500
Battlesaurus: Rampage at Waterloo by Brian Falkner; Pan Macmillan Australia
(Farrar Straus Giroux)
·
Russell Clark Award for Illustration: Prize $7,500
Much Ado About Shakespeare illustrated by Donovan Bixley; Upstart
Press
New Zealand children enthusiastically voted for their own specially
selected finalists’ list for this year’s HELL Children’s Choice Awards. Each
book wins $1,000. The winners are:
·
Te reo Māori
Te
Hua Tuatahi a Kuwi written and illustrated
by Kat Merewether, and translated by Pānia Papa; Illustrated Publishing
·
Picture
Book
The House on the Hill by
Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Sarah Davis; Scholastic New Zealand
·
Junior Fiction
The Girl Who Rode the Wind by Stacy Gregg; Harper Collins
·
Non-Fiction
First to the Top by David Hill, illustrated by Phoebe Morris;
Penguin Random House (Puffin)
·
Young Adult Fiction
Stray by Rachael Craw; Walker Books
HELL general manager Ben
Cumming says HELL is delighted at the response to this year’s HELL Children’s
Choice. “As sponsors of the Children’s Choice Awards, and champions of child
literacy, we are really encouraged to see how invested young readers are in
Kiwi literature. Getting kids excited about books is exactly why we’ve been
involved with the Awards for the past three years, and why we continue to drive
our Reading Challenge through schools and libraries across the country.
“We’d like to thank
everyone who voted this year, and to congratulate the winners picked from what
was a rich and varied group of shortlisted titles. Creativity is at the heart
of what HELL stands for and, more importantly, it is what drives young readers
to keep picking up books and be inspired.”
Fiona Mackie says the judges were heartened by high quality of books,
and the number of first-time authors and illustrators who submitted their books
for the awards. “We were also impressed with the high standards of publication from
smaller or niche publishers who are creating material that rivals the
well-established publishers. On behalf of the judges, I want to say that being
able to read, appreciate and enjoy the best literature in New Zealand for
children and young adults is an amazing privilege. With increasing sales of
books for children and young adults over the past year, the New Zealand book
industry is in fine fettle.”
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults could not
exist without the generosity, commitment and vision of its sponsors. The New
Zealand Book Award Trust is grateful to all these organisations for their
support: Creative New Zealand, HELL Pizza, Copyright Licensing Limited, Book
Tokens (NZ) Ltd, Wellington City Council, Nielsen Book Services and the
Fernyhough Education Foundation.
The New Zealand Book Awards for Children
and Young Adults are administered by the New Zealand Book Council on behalf of
the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.
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