Born behind bars by Padma Venkatraman

You might like to begin with my discussion of The Bridge Home also by Padma Venkatraman. Born Behind Bars is not a sequel but it has the same setting and themes. 

Kabir has spent his whole life in jail. In the months before he was bor,n his mother was accused of theft from the house where she worked as a maid. A new warden arrives and Kabir, who only nine years old, is sent out alone to live in the community. A man arrives at the jail claiming to be Kabir's uncle but he is one of the people another jail inmate - Grandma Knife - has warned him about:

"All I know it your mother's a good judge of character - and that's a gift she passed on to you. So if something doesn't feel right, trust yourself and run as fast as that mouse."

When the man tries to sell Kabir - he runs away and luckily his running takes him to Rani. Rani is another street kid. She is wise. She is kind. She is a survivor. With her help Kabir now needs to find his grandparents and then find a way to set his mother free.

This compelling novel develops at a brisk pace, advanced by evocative details and short chapters full of action.  A gritty story filled with hope and idealism. Kirkus Star review

This is a story about finding where you belong, the wonder of family, and the desperation of so many children on the streets of India.  Here's our chance to walk in someone else's shoes, to be grateful for our good fortune, and perhaps to ask the question, "How can we help?" A book and a hug

Hear the author read an extract from her book here. In this interview Padma talks to Nerdy Book Club. In this video (4 minutes) Colby Sharp talks about Born Behind Bars.  He says, and I agree wholeheartedly, "I love all of the white space."  It makes this book so easy to read. In this video Padma reads the first page of her book. 

Companion reads:

The Warden's Daughter

A Cardboard Palace - Young Adult book

Girl of the Southern Sea

Highlights of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award shortlist (ALMA)

Children have the right to great stories

To lose yourself in a story is to find yourself in the grip of an irresistible power. A power that provokes thought, unlocks language and allows the imagination to roam free. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to promote every child’s right to great stories. This global award is given annually to a person or organisation for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. With a prize of five million Swedish kronor, it is the largest award of its kind. Above all else, it highlights the importance of reading, today and for future generations.

Nominated candidates 2022

Have a look through the complete list of nominees for the 2022 award—a full 282 names from 71 countries including some of the world's foremost creators of literature for children and young people, as well as reading promoters.  In this post I highlight a few book creators that I have featured in my blog.

We are so proud here in Australia that two of our book creators have previously won the ALMA - Shaun Tan (2011) and Sonya Hartnett (2008). You can see other winners from past years here. 

Note the names I list here under each country heading are all incomplete (this post would be too long if I listed all 282 names) - these are just links to blog posts - you can see the full list of nominations for each country by clicking the link above. 

Australia

Jeannie Baker, Illustrator

Ursula Dubosarsky, Author

Susanne Gervay, Author (external link)

Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Organisation (external link)

Robert Ingpen, Author/Illustrator/Storyteller

Margo Lanagan, Author

Brazil

Roger Mello, Author/Illustrator

Canada

Isabelle Arsenault, Author/Illustrator

Deborah Ellis, Author

Robert Munsch, Author/Illustrator/Storyteller

Canada/Iran

Nahid Kazemi, Illustrator

Colombia

Ivar Da Coll, Author/Illustrator

Croatia

Dubravka Kolanović, Author

France

Timothée de Fombelle, Author

Ireland

Marie Louise Fitzpatrick, Author/Illustrator

PJ Lynch, Illustrator

Italy/France

Beatrice Alemagna, Author/Illustrator

Lithuania

Kęstutis Kasparavičius, Author/Illustrator

Russian Federation

Julia Gukova, Illustrator

Switzerland

Albertine, Illustrator

United Kingdom

Allan Ahlberg, Author

Malorie Blackman, Author

Quentin Blake, Author/Illustrator

Anthony Browne, Author

Frances Hardinge, Author

Shirley Hughes, Author/Illustrator

Katherine Rundell, Author

United Kingdom/South Africa

Beverley Naidoo, Author

United States

Laurie Halse Anderson, Author

Kate DiCamillo, Author

Nikki Grimes, Author (external link)

David Macaulay, Illustrator (external link)

Yuyi Morales, Author/Illustrator

Kadir Nelson, Author/Illustrator

Jason Reynolds, Author (external link)

Rick Riordan, Author

Raina Telgemeier, Author/Illustrator (external link)

Zimbabwe

Ken Wilson-Max, Illustrator (external link)

The Hans Christian Andersen Jury recommends

 

In addition to recommending books from the winners and the shortlist nominees, the Hans Christian Andersen Jury has created a list of outstanding titles from other 2022, 2020 and 2018 Award nominees that they felt were important enough to merit translation everywhere so that children around the world could read them.

How exciting to see an Australian book on this prestigious book list.  What a great year we are having - our Australian author Margaret Wild also made the HCAA short list. 

2022 HCA Jury recommends...

1.The Astronaut’s Cat, illustrated and written by Tohby Riddle (Australia). Published by Allen & Unwin

2. Der König und das Meer (The king and the sea), written by Heinz Janisch (Austria), illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch. Published by Hanser Verlag.

3. Die kleine Waldfibel (The little forest primer), illustrated and written by Linda Wolfsgruber (Austria). Published by Kunstanstifter.

4. Bjorn le Morphir (Bjorn the morphir), written by Thomas Lavachery (Belgium). Published by l’école des loisirs.

5. A Moça Tecelã (The weaver girl), written by Marina Colasanti (Brazil), designed by Demóstenes Vargas. Published by Global Editora.

6. Benjamina, illustrated and written by Nelson Cruz (Brazil). Published by Editora Miguilim.

7. 小石狮 (The little stone lion), illustrated and written by Xiong Liang (China). Published by Tomorrow Publishing House.

8. Sirli, Siim ja saladused (Sirli, Siim and the secrets), written by Andrus Kiviráhk (Estonia), illustrated by Ilmar Trull. Published by Kirjastus Varrak.

9. Kōv (Ear), illustrated and written by Piret Raud (Estonia). Published by Tánapáev.

10. Τάτα (Tata), illustrated and written by Iris Samartzi (Greece). Published by Ikaros Books.

11. A nyúlformájú kutya (The rabbit-shaped dog), written and illustrated by Dániel András (Hungary). Published by Tilos az Á Köyvek.

12. (Western Seventh Floor), written by Jamshid Khanian (Iran). Published by Ofoq Books.

13. AHOI! Plūdi Daugavā (Ahoi! Floods in the Daugava), illustrated by Aleksejs Naumovs (Latvia), written by Juris Zvirgzdinš. Published by Zvaigzne ABC.

14. الفتاةُ†اللَّيلكيةُ (The lilac girl), illustrated by Sinan Hallak (Lebanon), written by Ibtissam Barakat. Published by the Tamer Institute for Community Education.

15.  (1945, Cheolwon), written by Yi Hyeon (Rep. Korea). Published by Changbi Publishers.

16. Svetilnik (The lighthouse), illustrated and written by Damijan Stepančič (Slovenia). Published by Miš založba.

17. Libro de Lluvia (The book of rain), illustrated and designed by Elena Odriozola (Spain), written by Juan Kruz Igerabide, music by Oihane Igerabide. Published by Cénlit Ediciones.

18. Farfars mammas sofa (Granddad’s mother’s sofa), illustrated and written by Anna Bengtsson (Sweden). Published by Alfabeta bokförlag AB.

19. Les yeux de Bianca (Bianca’s eyes), illustrated by Catherine Louis (Switzerland), written by Marie Sellier. Published by Éditions Loisirs et Pédagogie grandir.

20. Prairie Lotus, written by Linda Sue Park (USA). Published by Clarion Books.

Take a look at previous lists here.

I was excited to see this terrific book listed:

n’ Goeie dag vir boomklim (A good day for climbing trees), written by Jaco Jacobs (South Africa).

Children's Book Council of Australia Younger Readers Notables

 

Dreaming with Eyes Open 2022 Slogan

On Tuesday this week (22.2.22) the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) announced the 2022 book award notable titles in five categories.

Here are a few things you need to know:

• Notables are like a long list.  This year there are over 100 books on the list.
• To be eligible for this award a book must be published in the year prior to the announcement. So books that win the award in 2022 were published in 2021. The book must also be Australian. Here is the full and official list of criteria. 
• There are six categories for these awards - Older Readers; Younger Readers; Early Childhood Picture books: Picture Books; Eve Pownall (non fiction); and New Illustrator
• The New Illustrator list does not include a set of notable titles
• The Notables were announced this week; the next step is the short list - or the top six books in each category. These will be announced on 29th March. (check back here later for details of the NSW event on this date)
• For the 2022 awards there were  total of 553 entries Older Readers: 62, Younger Readers: 129, Early Childhood: 111, Picture Book: 179, Eve Pownall: 72.  (New Illustrator had just over 40 entries)
• The February issue of Reading Time has a list of all the Notables with links to the Reading Time reviews where these have been completed. On this page you can also see the full bibliographic details for each book (Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN). 
• For 2022-23 I am a judge in the Picture Book and New Illustrator categories so I am unable, at this time, to talk about those books. You can be sure I will share them with you once the winners etc are announced in August. 

For this post I will share links to my reviews of the Younger Readers Notables:

Always Morris Gleitzman 

Are You There, Buddha? Pip Harry 

Cranky Chicken Katherine

Cuckoo’s Flight Wendy Orr 

The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel Nicki Greenberg 

Dragon Skin Karen Foxlee 

The Edge of Thirteen Nova Weetman 

Eliza Vanda’s Button Box Emily Rodda

Elsewhere Girls Emily Gale & Nova Weetman

Exit Through the Gift Shop Maryam Master Astred Hicks 

Footprints on the Moon Lorraine Marwood

Fozia and the Quest of Prince Zal Rosanne Hawke 

A Glasshouse of Stars Shirley Marr 

The Good Times of Pelican Rise: Save the Joeys Samone Amba 

Huda and Me H. Hayek 

Listen, Layla Yassmin Abdel Magied

Little Gem Anna Zobel 

Mim and the Baffling Bully Katrina Nannestad and Cheryl Orsini 

Mina and the Whole Wide World Sherryl Clark Briony Stewart

My Brother Ben Peter Carnavas 

Night Ride into Danger Jackie French 

Pawcasso Remy Lai 

Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief Katrina Nannestad

The Right Way to Rock Nat Amoore 

Seven Wherewithal Way Samantha-Ellen Bound

Wednesday Weeks and the Tower of Shadows Denis Knight & Cristy Burne

Here is a further, more detailed explanation of each CBCA award category:

CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers

Entries in this category should be books for young people aged between 13 and 18 years (secondary school level). Readers require a degree of maturity to appreciate the themes and scope of emotional involvement. Books in this category may be fiction, drama, illustrated text, poetry or graphic novels.

CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers

Entries in this category should be books published for children in the age range from 7 to 12 years (lower to upper primary school level). Books in the category may be fiction, drama, graphic novels, illustrated text or poetry.

CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Entries in this category should be books suitable in content and style for pre and beginning readers for children in the age range 0 to 6 years (pre-school and infant level). This include works of fiction, poetry, wordless, board and concept books. The illustrations reflect all the text on the page and often do not add extra meaning to the storyline. 

CBCA Picture Book of the Year

Entries in this category should be books of the genre in which the text and illustrations achieve artistic and literary unity and the story, theme or concept is enhanced and unified through the illustrations. A picture book can be written and illustrated by a sole creator or a collaborative effort between two or more creators. The text and illustrations work cohesively. The illustrations are an integral part of or extend the meaning on the page. The age range for this category is 0 to 18 years.

Eve Pownall Award 

Entries in this category should be books with the prime purpose of documenting factual material. Consideration should be given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style. This includes works of non-fiction, autobiographies and biographies. This does not include activity books, text books or procedural texts. The age range for this category is 0 to 18 years.

CBCA Award for New Illustrator 

Entries in this category are for books where the illustrator is emerging or new to the field of children’s book illustration. The entry must be the illustrator’s first children’s illustrated book published where illustrations form a significant part of the book’s narrative or information content. The age range for this category is 0 to 18 years.

IBBY Australia congratulates Margaret Wild

 

Image source: Allen and Unwin

'I feel very lucky to be a writer. As long as I have pen and paper, I can write anywhere, anytime - for me, it's the best job in the world.'

Today IBBY announced the names of the international authors and illustrators who have been short listed for their prestigious Hans Christian Andersen award for 2022.

Authors: Marie-Aude Murail from France, Maria Cristina Ramos from Argentina, Fatima Sharafeddine from Lebanon, Peter Svetina from Slovenia, Annika Thor from Sweden, and Margaret Wild from Australia

Illustrators: Beatrice Alemagna from Italy, Ryoji Arai from Japan, Iwona Chmielewska from Poland, Gusti from Argentina, Suzy Lee from the Republic of Korea, and Sydney Smith from Canada.

The members of the Jury assess the complete body of the candidates’ work. All the candidates nominated for the Award have made outstanding contributions to children’s literature in their countries and are selected by the IBBY National Sections. You may have read some of my previous posts where I explored some of the nominated illustrators. 

The two winners will be announced at the IBBY Press Conference on Monday, 21 March 2022 at the Bologna International Children’s Book Fair. The medals and diplomas will be presented to the winners during the 38th IBBY Congress in Putrajaya, Malaysia during theIBBY World Congress, 5-8 September 2022. 

The books submitted to the HCAA jury written by Margaret Wild were:

Fox

Lucy Goosey

See some pages here

Shortlisted Picture Book of the Year, CBCA Awards 2019

Short-listed CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers 2002

If you have a Story Box library subscription or can use the subscription from your school there are nine books by Margaret Wild for you to enjoy. 

In 2013 Margaret spoke to Kids' Book Review. 

The amazing thing you will notice about books by Margaret Wild is her range of audiences from very young children (babies and preschool) right up to books that are perfect to share with a senior Primary or High School group. There would have been long and interesting discussions here in Australia when our IBBY committee were selecting the five books to submit to the HCAA Jury.   Here are a few of her picture books for older readers:

Kirkus review: An outstanding book, filled with reverent awe at the nobility of the human spirit.

Space Travellers

Kikus Star review: A simple and deeply discussable message about hope and faith.

Robber Girl

Kirkus star review: Provocative reading

And this is the newest book by Margaret Wild - The Amazing Meals of Martha Maloney illustrated by Donna Rawlins.