For the next two months, the judges will read
over 100 books published in New Zealand in 2011. They will select the best
junior fiction, young adult fiction, non fiction, illustrated works and books
written in te reo Māori.
The finalists will be announced on June 1 2012.
Introducing the Judges
Pene Walsh, Convenor
Pene (left) is the Library Manager for Gisborne District
and has always maintained a strong and active interest in children’s
literature. Her library delivers a literacy programme for young people
including; weekly preschool programmes, curriculum based lessons for all
school levels and active participation with children’s authors when possible.
Pene has been a judge for the Goodman Fielder
Wattie Book Award (now Montana Book Awards) and the LIANZA Children’s Book
Awards, and has undertaken assessments for the Margaret King Spencer
Writer’s Trust which involves
assessing an open range of unpublished manuscripts that includes material
written for children.
Pene believes reading and good books are the code
to unlocking any child’s hidden potential and that good people who work
in libraries, bookshops and schools are often the ones who are able to share
that code with children.
Kathy Aloniu is a Librarian at Dunedin City
Libraries and has a passion for picture books.
Kathy has hosted and organised author tours
around Southland for the NZ Post Book Awards, and run library programmes around
the winning books.
For many years Kathy organised the Summer Reading
programme in Invercargill and restarted a children’s book club for the upper
primary and high school age.
Kathy loves the kind of children's fiction which
stays with a child.
“I love turning
a child who says they're not interested in books into a reader,” she says.
Colleen Shipley began her career as a special
librarian at the New Zealand Wool Board. She moved to working in school
libraries after her children started school and has worked as Librarian at
Marlborough Girls’ College in Blenheim for the last ten years.
In a College Library the big challenges
faced are hooking reluctant readers into reading and helping them to maintain the
reading habit as they face NCEA wide reading assessments,” she says.
Colleen is impressed with the standard of young
adult literature that is produced by New Zealand authors and has several
favourites that she recommends to reluctant readers with success. She says the biggest satisfaction in her work
is seeing students come back for another recommendation as they develop their
own selection skills.
Alice Heather (Panel Convenor for the Te Kura
Pounamu award)
Alice has worked as Māori Advisor for School
Services at the National Library in Auckland for the last eleven years. Alice
works part-time at the National Library and also teaches part-time. This
year she is teaching social studies in the Māori immersion unit, Ngā Puna o
Waiorea, at Western Springs College. Alice is also an active member of
Te Rōpū Whakahau and Te Hikuroa (Māori Librarians in the Auckland Region).
Key dates
Friday 16 March 2012 Submissions closed
Friday 1 June 2012 Finalists announced
Monday 6 August 2012 Awards
Ceremony, Wellington
LIANZA Children's Book Awards
LIANZA Esther Glen Award
For the most distinguished contribution to
literature for children aged 0-15.
LIANZA Russell Clark Award
For the most distinguished illustrations in a
children's book.
LIANZA Young Adult Fiction Award
Recognises the distinguished contribution to
literature for children and young adults aged 13 years and above.
LIANZA Elsie Locke Award
For a work that is considered to be a
distinguished contribution to non-fiction for young people.
Te Kura Pounamu Award
Awarded to the author of a work, written in Te
Reo Māori, which makes a distinguished contribution to literature for children
or young people.
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