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and has undertaken assessments for the Margaret King Spencer Writer’s Trust which involves assessing an open range of unpublished manuscripts that includes material written for children.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.