KOALA 2009 Winners

The winners of KOALA 2009 have been announced!

Picture Storybooks
Winner
Rex - Ursula Dubosarsky & David Mackintosh
Honour Books
Are We There Yet? - Alison Lester
Jungle Drums - Graeme Base

Fiction for Younger Readers
Winner
Zac Power: Series 1 - H.I.Larry
Honour Books
The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow - Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton
Go Girl! Two sides: #1 Track Stars! - Kathy Castle & Danielle McDonald

Fiction for Older Readers
Winner
Garden of the Purple Dragon - Carole Wilkinson
Honour Books
Give Peas a Chance - Morris Gleitzman
Ranger's Apprentice: Series - John Flanagan

Fiction for Years 7-9
Winner
The Wizard of Rondo - Emily Rodda
Honour Books
Then - Morris Gleitzman
Tales of Deltora - Emily Rodda & Marc McBride

KOALA Winners

I spent a wonderfully exhausting day today out at Blacktown Library for the 2008 KOALA Awards Day. I got to meet (and have lunch with) Duncan Ball, Ursula Dubosarsky, Anna Fienberg, Kim Gamble, Catherine Jinks, Chris Milne and Emily Rodda. I also got to meet all the students from across the state who attended Awards Day.

It was a great day despite the miserable and wild weather. Val the KOALA Secretary commented 'it is the first time that authors have had to come through snow to attend Awards Day!'

The 2008 Kids Own Australian Literature Awards were announced and the winners are:
Picture Book Winner: Annie's Chair by Deborah Niland
Honour Books: Where is the green sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek and Rex by Ursula Dubosarsky and David Mackintosh

Younger Readers Winner: Just Shocking! by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Honour Books: Tashi & the mixed up monster and Selby Shattered by Duncan Ball and Allan Stomann

Older Readers Winner: The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
Honour Books: Boy Overboard by Morrris Gleitzman and Spookiest stories by Paul Jennings

Fiction Years 7-9 Winner: Mao's Last Dancer by Lee Cunxin
Honour Book: Dragon Moon by Carole Wilkinson

Here are a couple of pic's Yvonne took today.

Ursula Dubosarsky, Catherine Jinks, Duncan Ball and Emily Rodda

Anna Fienberg and her Tashi doll.

Did you know? Anna invented the Tashi stories with her mum, and Kim Gamble invented the way Tashi looks. Kim had this little doll made for Anna so he could keep her company while she writes, but Anna's little boy liked the tashi doll so much Anna gave it to him.

Kim Gamble and the artwork he created in front of our eyes.

Kim's artwork was won by Wollondilly Public School on Awards Day. Kim was inspired to create a dragon for Tashi after Lee Castledine told the assembly a story about a great dragon and a magic golden snail.