CON-NERD

At the Younger Sun, we love Oliver Phommavanh. His first book:

...was hilarious and fabulous. Lengy's parents own the local Thai restaurant but Lengy just wants to eat normal food. But when he starts year seven all his new mates think it's really cool that Lengy's Thai.

And now! Introducing:

IT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR NERDS, ONE GIANT LEAP TO BEING COOL.

Mama tells me I'm gifted and talented. But I know the truth. I'm just a nerd.

Kids call me Con-nerd - half Connor and all nerd.

I'm supposed to become a doctor but i have this deep, dark secret: I want to be a cartoonist.

And all of a sudden my mega-cool comics are getting noticed at school - I might even get into a special art class . That would sure impress this girl I'm keen on . . . and it might just be my chance to show the world my true destiny.

But I'm not sure Mama will see it quite that way . . .

Randa Abdel-Fattah Event!

Randa Abdel-Fattah at Hobsons Bay Library Altona

Tuesday 24 May from 9.30am to 11.00am

Randa Abdel-Fattah is the award-winning author of young adult novels, 'Does My Head Look Big in This', 'Ten Things I Hate About Me' and 'Where the Streets Had a Name.' She is also a human rights activist and practicing lawyer and has appeared on television programs such as the ABC’s Q & A, First Tuesday Book Club, SBS’s Insight and Channel Seven’s Sunrise. With her writing she '[hopes] to empower and inspire people of all faiths and backgrounds to embrace their identities and feel strong enough to assert themselves in the face of other people’s expectations and pressures.'

Celebrate Library Week with this multi-talented author, lawyer and human rights activist who will inspire and engage teens and adults alike.
For bookings or enquiries please see contact details below.

LOCATION: Altona Theatre, 115 Civic Parade
CONTACT NAME: Children's and Youth Team
PHONE: 9932 2303
EMAIL: libraryevents@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au

Teen Review : Where She Went

Where She Went, Gayle Forman (Doubleday)

Gayle Forman's first book If I Stay really was mind blowing. It made the reader really think about loneliness and what comes after death.

The sequel, Where She Went is set three years after Mia's accident.
’It’s been three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life. And three years he’s spent wondering why.’

The story is written in Adam's perspective as he struggles with his fame and his memories. When Adam and Mia's paths cross in New York, they have a second chance. But can one magical night be enough to answer all their questions?

I love the way Gayle Forman makes you feel like you are part of the book, not reading words off a page or looking on to a scene. It's like you are there, Mia's and Adam's closest friend, their confidant.

While reading the book (and after!) I felt sad, frustrated and anxious – sometimes all at the same time! But eventually I was jumping up and down in excitement and joy!

After reading If I Stay I never would've thought a sequel was possible but I think the way Gayle Forman did it is brilliant!
'Where She Went' is a truly memorable book: when you're not reading it, you're thinking about it, and when you're sleeping, you're dreaming about it...

All up 'Where She Went' breaks your heart, fixes it, breaks it, and fixes it again.

So uplifting! I rate it 5/5

Fantine

~~Fantine is a member of the Younger Sun Teen Bookclub~~

2011 NSW Premier's Literary Awards

Winner of the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature:

My Australian Story: The Hunt for Ned Kelly, Sophie Masson (Scholastic)

Winner of the Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature:

Graffiti Moon, Cath Crowley (Pan Macmillan)

Congratulations to both winners! Especially Cath, because she is a special local author and beloved by the Younger Sun. We even launched Graffiti Moon last year. We love it so.

Pics from launch:

That's Cath on the right.

And here's a Graffiti Moon cake:

And we cannot forget to offer our best Younger Sun congratulations to Libby Gleeson, who received the special award for all her amazing contributions to children's literature since 1985's excellent novel Eleanor, Elizabeth, which was one of my favourite and best books growing up.

Libby's latest book I am Thomas (illustrated by Armin Greder) is in stock now:

You can see all the other winners and find more information here.

BOOK LAUNCH TODAY!

Be there, or be square.

Surface Tension

Surface Tension, Meg McKinlay (Walker)

The day that I was born, they drowned my town.

The town of Old Lower Grange was flooded to become a catchment on the day that Cassie was born. The town's Mayor pulled a lever, let the water in, and now all their houses are at the bottom of a lake and they all live in New Lower Grange in new houses that look just like the old ones.

Cassie is twelve now and she has to swim laps of the pool every day to help her lungs, which didn't develop properly on account of being born too early. One day, sick of swimming in the town pool (after a particularly disgusting "seven-bandaid swim") she goes down to the lake, to a spot that no one goes to - so she can swim in peace.

Liam, about the same age as Cassie and with a past that also distances him a little from people in their town, joins her at the lake and the two of them form a fast friendship and act as sounding boards for one another's theories when strange truths start to appear from the murky depths.

For the water level is dropping - revealing dead trees, forgotten objects and one humdinger of a mystery. Cassie is smart, she questions things, she has insight and listens to what isn't said - more so than any adult within these pages.

This is an eerie tale, a real page-turner and a wonderful read for anyone about ten and up.

Little Sister Blog Tour --- Aimee Said

Local author Aimee Said is getting ready to launch her second novel Little Sister for young adults this week in Sydney (and in Yarraville at the Sun Bookshop next week for a second party) and she's been on a virtual tour of some great young adult blogs this week, arriving today at the Younger Sun blog, to put to rest that funny little question authors get asked all. the. time.

Al is not me (but we do have a few things in common)

When you write a book, the first question a lot of people ask is, ‘How much your main character is based on you?’ Although I try very hard not to let too much of myself creep into my books, Al - the main character in Little Sister - and I do have a few things in common, namely:

• We’re both little sisters (but where Al and Larrie only have two years between them and could be mistaken for twins, my sister and I were born four years apart and look nothing alike).


• We’re both messy. (As Al puts it, ‘people who keep their rooms immaculate do it because a) they’re avoiding something they don’t want to do and cleaning is an acceptable form of procrastination, or b) they’ve got nothing else to occupy their time because they have no life’.)


• We both love cheese. (I’m particularly fond of a stinky washed-rind and make a mean fondue.)


• We’re both baffled by scientific theory. (Researching genetics and sibling inheritance was as tough for me in real life as it is for Al in the book – it reminded me why I was so relieved to give up Science at the end of Year 10!)


• We both have a love/hate relationship with Facebook (but for very different reasons).


• We both like to use a lot of brackets.

Thank you Aimee!

Visit the other blog tour posts for more about Little Sister and its author:

Monday:inkcrush

Tuesday: My Girl Friday
Wednesday: Literary Life
Thursday: In The Good Books

Little Sister is in stock now at the Younger Sun! Come and pick up your copy today. See you all at the launch: Saturday 14 May at 3pm.

Little Sister Blog Tour

To celebrate the launch of her second novel for young adults - Little Sister - Aimee Said has departed on a Book Tour of some great blogs where she'll be chatting about her book over the course of this week. Check it out:

Monday: inkcrush
Tuesday: My Girl Friday
Wednesday: Literary Life
Thursday: In The Good Books
Friday: right here at The Younger Sun blog!

Little Sister:

There are just thirty-eight days until Al's smark, pretty, popular and perfect-in-every-way sister Larrie finishes Year Twelve.

Thiry-eight days until everyone at Whitlam High will stop seeing Al as Larrie's little sister and start appreciating the real Al Miller.

But when rumours about Larrie start spreading, Al discovers that having a sister everyone is talking about can be even worse than having one everybody loves.

We've read it now, and we love it. Al is funny and ever-so hard done by, desperate to shine like she's never shone before! Maybe even go out with the gorgeous Josh Turner... But when the rumour mill starts churning, people are gossiping about Larrie, Al has to work out what to believe and how to deal with it. You'll love it.

Then, on Saturday 14 May, Aimee will be at the Younger Sun (well, actually, over in the Sun Theatre) to have a bit of a party to celebrate. We'd love everyone to come along and join us!

RSVP on 9680 0661 or info@sunbookshop.com