We are celebrating Jane Austen's birthday today!

Jane Austen turns 236 today. To celebrate we are giving away a $25 voucher for our online store with every copy of Mr Darcy purchased today.


Who can forget the first lines of Pride and Prejudice, published 198 years ago:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."


Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Your most eccentric Christmas family tradition

We have a fabulous Christmas picture book for this year.

To celebrate the release of Lily’s Wish we are giving away two copies today.

We just need you to tell us your most eccentric Christmas family tradition. The more eccentric the better!

We will select winners at the end of today.

Mr Darcy will be launched this Sunday at idyllic Marks and Gardner Gallery

We would love to see you on Sunday at the launch of Mr Darcy. 

If you feel like putting your creative skills to the test let us know your imaginative title for a new Pride and Prejudice mash-up. Leave your  creative titles here to win a copy of Mr Darcy. Winners will be announced next Wednesday.

Come and join us for the final Kids Book Swap of 2011

Come and join us for our Christmas themed Kids Book Swap this afternoon. We will be celebrating with our Christmas title, Lily's Wish.

Come and join us for the launch of Nancy Bentley @fullersbookshop in Tasmania

Three years ago we heard the story of Nancy Bentley, the first Australian female sailor. A former naval officer told the story to a group of children at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Tracey Hawkins made contact with Nancy’s grandson Allan and began writing the story of Nancy Bentley. Set in 1920 in Port Arthur, Tasmania, this story features beautiful illustrations by Jacqui Grantford reflecting the time and place.

Nancy Bentley will be launched on the 26^th November at Fullers Bookshop in Hobart.

Peter Carnavas goes on a blog tour

Peter Carnavas, the author of the Little Treasures, is about to begin his blog tour. Over the next couple of weeks you can catch up with Peter at the most brilliant blogs below.

Peter will be answering questions, giving some insights into being a published author and will even be doing a bit of illustrating.

24^th October Be A Fun Mum 

25^th October Books For Little Hands

26th October Sophia Whitfield's Blog

31st October Reading Upside Down

2nd November Squiggle Mum 

 3rd November Life In A Pink Fibro

 4th November  The Book Chook

 7^th November  Kids Book Review

8th November My Little Bookcase

Mr Darcy will be attending the Kids Book Swap this month

Kids Book Swap is hosting Alex Field, the author of Austen inspired Mr Darcy, at 3.30pm on Friday 28th October at Forestville Library.

Do come along for a sneak peek into the world of Pride and Prejudice before Mr Darcy is officially released on the 1st November.

We would love to see you there for our quintessential English tea party!

Hazel Edwards nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Award

Congratulations to Hazel Edwards who has been nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren award.



184 candidates were nominated for the award including Australian authors Jackie French and Morris Gleitzman. Hazel said she was ‘extremely honoured’ to be nominated.


Hazel is the author of Flight of the Bumblebee and Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop.

Artist by Artist with Peter Carnavas

Peter by Christine from ABC Open Sunshine Coast on Vimeo.

Peter Carnavas is about to embark on a blog tour to celebrate the release of Little Treasures

The Little Treasures have arrived and look spectacular.

Four of Peter Carnavas’ special books have been reduced in size and now come with an envelope for easy postage. Instead of sending a card you can now send a very special book.

Each one of the books has a special message to impart:

Jessica’s Box –Self Worth

Sarah’s Heavy Heart – Love

The Important Things – Family

Last Tree in the City – Environment

Peter is about to embark on a blog tour to celebrate the release of the Little Treasures. He would be thrilled to pop over and visit your blog. Here are a few options:

• ·      An interview. Peter will happily answer any of your questions.
• ·      Blog post. Peter will write a guest blog just for your site.
• ·      Competition. A pack of four Little Treasures could be given away free on your site.

Do drop us a line if you are interested in having Peter as a guest on your blog. 

ONCE UPON A TIME, IT WAS BOOK WEEK

ONCE UPON A TIME, IT WAS BOOK WEEK

Aleesah Darlison, author of the Totally Twins series, shares her story with children from her home town.

We are celebrating Book Week with a Book Swap

Do join us for a totally awesome Book Swap this Friday.
We will be celebrating Book Week.

Tropical Trouble is about to be released. Come and help us celebrate

The gorgeous Totally Twins series has a new addition. Tropical Trouble, the third book in the sparkling new series, has just arrived.
Here it is. It look fabulous!

On Friday August 19 we will be launching Tropical Trouble at Berkelouw Books in Balgowlah. Do come along. We would love to see you there.

The Music Box series continues to impress

Our awesome Music Box series continues to impress.
Deb Abela reviews the latest book in the series - The Sorcerer's Apprentice written by Tom Skinner & illustrated by Annie White.

Deborah Abela - Sorcerer's Apprentice by New Frontier Publishing

Special books

The Important Things is a special book by Peter Carnavas.

Christopher has lost his father (we are not told how or why). Carnavas highlights the need for a child to be given the time and space to grieve in their own way.

The Important Things is a beautifully perceptive book.

John McIntyre from The Children's Bookshop captures the essence of The Important Things. He also chats about a couple of other fabulous books. It's worth lsitening to.

The Great Expedition comes to Mount Tamborine

This Sunday we will be celebrating the release of a fabulous picture book -The Great Expedition by Peter Carnavas. Our friends at Marks and Gardner Gallery in Mount Tamborine will be hosting the launch.

Do come along. We would love to see you there - the kids will be entertained with music, history and brilliant storytelling. Parents can relax with coffee and cake!

Peter Carnavas, the author and illustrator, will be signing copies of his books and his original artwork will be on display. 

The Great Expedition will be launched by Sophia Whitfield, publisher at New Frontier.

New Frontier congratulates Peter Carnavas

New Frontier congratulates Peter Carnavas on the shortlisting of The Important Things for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award 2011.

Last Tree in the City has also been shortlisted for the Environment Award for Children's Literature.
A big week for Peter Carnavas!

Hazel Edwards visits The Children's Bookshop in Beecroft

Yesterday Hazel Edwards and I visited The Children’s Bookshop in Beecroft.

35 teacher librarians joined us from the Sutherland Shire as we discussed the future of the book, the preservation of shared reading and ideas for Book Week.

Hazel Edwards discussed the challenges involved in writing a non-boring history for children.

Many of the teacher librarians were interested in Hazel’s offer to conduct a web chat with their students. Using Skype students can have a conversation with Hazel and ask her questions about her latest book, Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop .

We had a brilliant day thanks to our enthusiastic and hospitable host Paul MacDonald from The Children's Bookshop.

Photos are thanks to the lovely Susanne Gervay. It is always a pleasure to catch up with Susanne.

Join us for Kids Book Swap this Friday

On the last Friday of every month we throw a party at Forestville library.
We share a book with the kids and invite an author or illustrator to attend.
This month Sophia Whitfield, publisher and author, will be the guest at Kids Book Swap.
Come along and join us for this fun filled event. There will be cake!

Celebrating Dame Nellie Melba's 150th Birthday

The first great Australian diva, Dame Nellie Melba, celebrates her 150th birthday today.

Born Helen Porter Mitchell, she changed her name to reflect her Melbourne heritage. In 1887 Melba made her operatic debut. She went on to sing in all the great opera houses of Europe.

During World War I Melba worked tirelessly for the war effort organising fundraising concerts across America.

Dame Nellie Melba is one of our great Aussie heroes.

Aussie Heroes: Dame Nellie Melba is written as a narrative for children 7+. There are coloured illustrations throughout the book reflecting Melba’s glamorous, colourful life. It is also available as an ebook from Booki.sh. Here is a sneak peek.



A book by Booki.sh

The Great Expedition is launched in style

On the weekend The Great Expedition, written and illustrated by Peter Carnavas, was launched in style by Kelly Dunham, the festival director of Voices on the Coast. Guests were treated to music, a little history and some fine storytelling.

Krissy and Fiona from Avid Reader were most hospitable hosts. Krissy presented Peter with a birthday cake insisting that we all sing Happy Birthday to The Great Expedition.

The Carnavas band opened the event with a rendition of Botany Bay on the accordion, ukulele and guitar.

Peter then worked his illustration magic. He informed us that his Google searches for Burke and Wills had shown them to be Don Burke and Prince William. With a good deal of skill Peter turned these two famous individuals into two other famous Australians – the Australian explorers Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Wills. The Great Expedition is loosely based on the adventures of these two characters.

The Great Expedition is a humorous tale with an underlying Peter Carnavas message for kids, which makes every one of his books so special. We can’t tell you any more – you will have to read the book.

Hazel Edwards shares a poignant moment in her writing career

As an author you never know how far your book will travel. Nor possible effects it may have on others’ lives. Occasionally there’s special moment, when a reader contacts you. Or even a potential reader.

I had one of those significant moments this week. It was about relating to a hero, who was a relative.Fact evokes different responses from fiction.

Poignant e-mails arrive about fictional picture books and YA novels with which readers empathise. Parents write to me about the psychological importance of the ‘Guess What, There’s a Hippopotamus on the Hospital Roof Eating Cake’ picture book in helping a child patient adjust to hospital. Or about ‘f2m;the boy within’, the YA novel which has evoked genuine responses of relief because of the subject matter of transitioning gender has been portrayed in an approachable way in fiction.

‘But ‘Weary’ in the factual New Frontier Aussie Heroes series has been evoking responses from the ‘parent’ and ‘grandparent’ wanting to share a ‘hero’ with their young ones who are caught up with ‘celebs’ and in need of heroic, historic role models.

With a factual book, chances are that others knew the subject. And the readers have their stories to share too. I’ve had a few calls from those who knew ‘Weary’ or ‘Fred Hollows’ and each time, I wait to see if I got a fact wrong. But usually, it’s overwhelming praise from the reader, that the subject has been acknowledged in an accessible way for younger readers. And for the opportunity to provide historic ‘heroes’ who have actually done something for others rather than just been fashionably photographed as a ‘celeb.’ e.g. superficial socializing in front of camera.

I had a poignant moment today when Weary's former secretary Valda Street contacted me to get an autographed copy of my 'Weary' book for Sir Edward’s grandson Edward with whom she retains frequent contact.

A charming lady, who has close contact with the grandson, 'who is just like Weary' and regards him as his hero , but whose father Alexander is hospitalised with dementia. We shared anecdotes.

It's conversations like this which make the writing worthwhile.(I did notice she always called him Sir Edward, not ‘Weary’.)

I told her about being asked to speak about 'Heroes' and Weary to teenage Sudanese and Somali males at the Coptic Christian school and she said the grandson is hungry for stories of his grandfather and also wants to be a surgeon and is interested in the peacefulness of Buddhism.

Valda said Weary forgave, but never forgot his POW experiences. Agreed about the flaws such as road rage but also said at the time you don’t realise you are working for a hero. A 'big' man . And now his medical and rugby charities continue this compassion.
I've posted an autographed copy today.

Further resources for the Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop book are available on Hazel Edwards' website.

It's a book launch and you are all invited!

We are so excited! In two weeks we will be in Brisbane to launch Peter Carnavas' latest book, The Great Expedition.
The launch will be held at Avid Reader bookshop on Sunday 15th May at 10am.
Come along and say hello. Peter has a few surpirses in store.

Peter Carnavas visits Sydney

Peter Carnavas is the author and illustrator of four books, Jessica's Box, Sarah's Heavy Heart, The Important Things and Last Tree in the City. The Great Expedition will be released on the 1st May. 

Last year Peter withdrew from teaching full time to concentrate on writing and illustrating. He still teaches occasionally, but now runs workshops for children in schools on illustration techniques and visual literacy. He is highly sought after as a workshop presenter and last week visited six schools in Sydney over three days.

He now has a huge following of primary school aged fans.

Many thanks to Judith Ridge, Western Sydney Young Children's Literature Officer and Paul Macdonald from The Children's Bookshop in Beecroft, both of whom assisted with the coordination of the school visits.

Aussie Heroes series is now available from Readings in eBook format

The first two books in our non-fiction Aussie Heroes series are now available from Readings in eBook format.

We are excited! You can now purchase Dame Nellie Melba and Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop from Readings. All the internal illustrations are in colour and look fabulous on an eReader device.

The next book in the series, Fred Hollows, will be released in both print and eBook format later this year.

Little Treasures are a hit in Bologna

The first news is in from Bologna and it seems this gorgeous Little Treasures collection of Peter Carnavas’ work is ever so popular.

Our creative designer Nick has given Peter’s books a clever new look. Each book has a logo to reflect its simple but important message – Love, Environment, Family and Self Worth. Peter’s fifth book, The Great Expedition, is about resilience. Nick is still working on a logo for this one!

The Great Expedition will be released on the 1^st May.

The Bologna Book Fair 2011

We have been frantically busy over the last few weeks in preparation for the Bologna Book Fair.

Posters, bookmarks and dummy books have all been created in anticipation of the next four days. After ten years in the business we can confidently say we are experts at cutting and pasting!
The boys have now arrived in Bologna after their gruelling flights and have just completed putting the finishing touches on our fabulous stand. They are now asleep, but this is what they did before they slept.
Rod Hare is cheerily looking forward to the prospect of creating the ALC stand!

Peter Whitfield adds a poster to get in his wife’s good books after leaving her behind!

Applause! They are doing a good job.

As always we are in good company. A sneak peek at our neighbours:

There stand is a tiny bit bigger than ours. Sigh!

If you are in Bologna pay a visit to the Australian Licensing Corporation stand. We are next door to Bloomsbury. Rod and Peter will delight you with a mass of brilliant Australian books.