Meredith Downes wins 2022 Short Story Competition
Congratulations to Meredith Downes who won the 2022 StoryLinks Short Story competition for adults aged 18+. Here is our spotlight interview with Meredith (before she was announced the winner). The judges declared her story, The Pop Girls, the winner at this
Spotlight on 2022 Short Story Shortlist: Marian McGuinness
Here is the second of our Spotlights on shortlisted writers. Marian McGuinness has been shortlisted for her story Queenie's jiggly-Jolly Holiday - Queen Clarabelle enjoys being alone at the Get Lost Caravan Park but then makes some new friends. Marian is
Spotlight on 2022 Short Story Shortlist: Meredith Downes
Here is the first of our spotlights on our shortlisted writers. Meredith Downes has been shortlisted for her short story 'The Pop Girls', a subtle story about a girl immersed in swimming but who still observes what happens around her
2022 Book Links Annual Lecture in Children’s Literature
This lecture by Dr Robyn Sheahan - Bright will survey a range of contemporary responses to social issues in children’s literature, and how social activism is reflected in texts by both Australian and international authors. It will canvas the concerns
May Book Links News
Read all about what is happening in the world of children's literature this month in the Book Links Newsletter out now May looks to be a very busy month, with Brisbane Writers Festival this week, Book Links Romancing the Stars at Coomera Anglican College on
2022 Long list Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction
Book Links is proud to announce the 2022 Shortlist for the annual Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction. Eight stories from Australia have been chosen from more than thirty entries for the award. Entries included picture books, middle grade
Shortlist for 2022 Short Story Competition for writers 18+
The art of the short story is alive and well. We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for this year's short story competition for writers aged 18+. This year we had a record 43 entries from which the judges chose
Ena Noël Award 2022
IBBY Australia Encouragement Award for a young emerging writer or illustrator . IBBY Australia and the panel of judges are proud to announce the winner of the 2022 Ena Noël Award is Gary Lonesborough, The Boy from the Mish (Allen & Unwin) Set in a contemporary Australia
WORLD WAR II Fiction & Memoirs: Resources for students in Years 10 – 12
World War II Europe for students in Years 10-12 Here is a list of fiction and memoirs about World War II suitable for students in the upper grades. Some of these accounts while ultimately uplifting, can be quite harrowing, so we
CBCA Notables Book Reviews
Book Reviews from StoryLinks for CBCA Notable Books Picture Books Blue Flower – Sonya Hartnett, Ill. Gabriel Evans The Boy and the Elephant – Freya Blackwood The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name – Sandhya Parappukkaran Christmas Always Comes – Jackie French, Ill. Bruce
Love and romance for St Valentine’s Day
Binge on romance (and maybe some chocolate) on St Valentine's Day with some of these delightful love stories, suitable for young and not so young adults. Love and Romance Novels for High School
New Reading List: World War II Fiction for Years 7 – 9
WORLD WAR II Europe fiction for Year 7 - 9 Here is a list of fiction selected and prepared by Dajo Finlayson, all set in Europe during World War II, suitable mainly for students in years 7 to 9, but as
2022 Short Story Competition for writers 18+ NOW OPEN
All writers of children’s stories aged 18+ are invited to enter the 2022 StoryLinks Short Story competition Entries should be a short story, maximum of 1500 words, suitable for children of any age up to 15 years old. NB this is an increase
Ena Noël Shortlist announced
The 2022 Shortlist for the IBBY Australia Encouragement Award for a young emerging writer or illustrator has been announced. In 1994, founding president of IBBY Australia, Ena Noël OAM , founded her own biennial prize – the Ena Noël Award
StoryLinks Best Children’s Books of 2021
The StoryLinks readers and reviewers have had a lot of fun choosing, arguing, proposing and discarding from all the wonderful books published this year. Here is our list arranged in alphabetical order by title. The suggested age range is always approximate
Poetry Books for Children of all Ages – A Sampler
A new resource list compiled by Mia Macrossan It is in poetry that the child discovers the possibilities of language – its range, its flexibility, its infinite variety, and these anthologies provide a broad range of the poetry experience. Here is
Australian Verse Novels Bibliographies
Exciting new resource lists from The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature An electronically linked team are delighted to advise of the completion of two new bibliographies on Australian Verse Novels. Verse novelists Sally Murphy and Kat Apel, and Centre volunteers, Ruth
Concealed wins Children’s Short Story Competition 2021
We are thrilled to announce that Merryana Day has won this year's competition with her exciting story, Concealed. Congratulations Merrayana. The judges found the story to be suspenseful and fast-paced, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Thanks to
Plagues & Pandemics Reading List
Plagues and pandemics are much discussed both at home and at school. Unfortunately there is nothing new in the situation the world is in now. Here is a list of titles about different plagues and pandemics that teachers, parents and
We Are Wolves wins Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction
The Winner of the 2021 Book Links Award for Children’s Historical Fiction is We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad, HarperCollins 2020 Three children find themselves in an epic struggle for survival, alone in East Prussia in the dying days of WWII. Katrina
Spooky Books for Halloween for Readers in Primary School
Reading Resources for parents and teachers Here are lists of recommended reading arranged alphabetically under headings that you will find useful when looking for books on particular topics. New To celebrate Halloween here are some titles that children in primary school may enjoy.
‘Born in history, immortalised in story.’ Six award winning writers reveal how they write historical fiction
The excitement and anticipation is mounting as we get to the countdown to the announcement of the winner of the inaugural Book Links Award for Children's Historical Fiction. The six writers on the shortlist have revealed the how and why
Pamela Rushby talks about writing historical fiction
The best, the strangest, the most riveting, heart-breaking, laugh-out-loud stories aren’t fiction. They’re real. Pam Rushby is an award winning Queensland writer who has worked as an advertising copywriter, a publicity officer and a pre-school teacher, as well as writing and
Katrina Nannestad talks about writing historical fiction
A well-written historical novel brings history alive and inspires young readers to ponder big issues - peace, justice, kindness and tolerance, to name just a few. Katrina Nannestad is an award winning Australian writer of distinctive middle grade fiction. This year
Claire Saxby talks about writing historical fiction
I let the facts sit on my shoulder as I insert my fictional characters. The facts give me a framework, the fiction fills the spaces between. Claire Saxby is a an Australian author of fiction, non fiction and poetry for children.
2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize shortlist CYA category
The Shortlist for the 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize – Children and Young Adult (CYA) Category is: The Grandest Bookshop in the World, by Amelia Mellor (Affirm Press) We are Wolves, by Katrina Nannestad (HarperCollins Australia) The Mummy Smugglers of
Afghanistan Reading Resources
People have been writing fiction and non-fiction about the plight of children living in Afghanistan for many years. Here is a timely collection of reading resources that cover a multitude of subject - the subjugation of women and girls, the
Great British Illustrators: their life and work in pictures
The Guardian newspaper does a wonderful series called Great Children's Illustrators. Here are some to enjoy: John Burningham over a long career has created much-loved characters such as the balalaika-playing mouse Trubloff and the mighty, bully-defying Avocado Baby Angela Barrett's striking and
New Historical Fiction
New this month Children’s Historical Fiction List For parents and teachers looking for recent novels to spark a child's interest in humanity's past here is the LONGLIST of the 2021 Book Links Children’s Historical Fiction Awards. All these books, written and published in
Junior Reviewers Wanted
StoryLinks is looking for new young reviewers. If you are a keen and discerning reader, enjoy talking about books and would like to have your views published then copy and paste the form below onto a word document. Fill it in
