Australian author and literacy ambassador Chris Cheng was recently awarded the 2009 Lady Cutler Award, given by the Children’s Book Council of Australia, for his services to children’s literature. One of the ways in which Chris has gone/goes above and beyond his call is by bringing literature to children himself, both through scheduled school visits and more informal, spontaneous connections. His commitment and enthusiasm can be gleaned from the following notes, sent per my request, about reading Christmas stories to children these past few weeks:

One of the joys of being a children’s book author (and a teacher by profession) with a wife who is a teacher librarian, is that I am able to drop in to her school on a regular basis to read to the children. One of my favourite classes to read to is Kindergarten. Reading to little ones daily is one of the things I miss about not being a fulltime classroom teacher.

This year I have visited them quite a few times, simply to have the thrill of reading aloud and getting their reactions to the books. I love the fun of making the characters’ voices (if the text says ”he screams”, I will scream!), of making the sounds to accompany the text, of “reading” the pictures with the children… In the past few weeks I have spent a few afternoons there, reading Christmas stories. Since it’s a Catholic school, it is very easy and appropriate to share the religious significance of Christmas with the children through books. Some books focus on the traditional story of the birth of Jesus; some are told from the viewpoint of the animals in the manger; others celebrate the more secular Christmas images—the reindeer, the present laden sack; Santa Claus; snow…

In some Australian Christmas books Santa Claus appears not in a red thickly lined suit, but in board shorts and sun hats (there is definitely no snow Downunder at Christmas time!). He drives a car, instead of a sleigh, pulled not by reindeer but by kangaroos. I like to expose children to both traditional and non-traditional Christmas books.

In addition to reading the stories aloud, I talked to the students. I asked for their impressions, opinions, perceptions, interpretations. We talked about the illustrations and the words used in the books. This year they talked much about presents. Not just receiving presents, but giving mums and dads presents. I really loved it when, inspired by the books we read, the children started talking about their own experiences and plans:

“We go to church the night before Santa comes.”
“I’m giving a present to my mum.”
“We light candles.”
“I’m getting my dad a present.”
“I’m making my own present and it’s a secret, but I can tell you.” (It’s a wonderful privilege to be let in on their secrets!)

Now the school year has ended in Australia. The classrooms are all packed, along with the Christmas decorations. The children are home on holidays—and busy, I imagine, making those secret presents. And it’s a nice, comforting thought to know that, through books, they will continue to learn about the joys of Christmas in all its widely different interpretations—and when it comes to helping spread the joy of reading these and other books, they know they can count on me!

For more on Chris’ work and his reaction to receiving the award, check out his website, and Susanne Gervay‘s (winner of the award in 2007) post about this year’s award dinner, which Chris “attended” via skype from Hong Kong.

60 Australian Poems, edited by him, came out this year by Random House Australia.

The prolific and voluble Australian writer Chris Cheng has published 16 books for children. Five came out in 2007, by 5 different publishers, on topics ranging from Australian historical fiction to unusual pets. Chris writes about the forces of nature and people, in other words, and he’s also a force of nature himself, as his website indicates.

His tips for young writers is chock full of other interesting information, all in a lively kid-friendly voice. And here’s a personal views article Chris wrote for PaperTigers about the Australian environment in children’s books.

The July update of the PaperTigers website focuses on literacy, one of Chris Cheng’s passions. When Australia’s Literacy and Numeracy Week comes up in September, 2008, Chris will be an Ambassador for the fifth year. Seems like the sunburnt country couldn’t have a better bloke on the team!

After writing six adult novels, Tim Winton, named a Living Treasure by the Australian National Trust, wrote his first book for children, Jesse, in 1988. Winton has since been shortlisted twice for the Mann Booker Prize for his adult fiction. But other children’s books also followed, including three silly-wise coming-of-age books (1990-1997), about 13-year-old Lockie Leonard that were recently made into an Australian television series. The first book in Winton’s series, Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo (1990), won the Western Australia Premier’s Award for Children’s Fiction. It was adapted for theater and had a successful national tour. Here’s an article about Tim Winton and his home town of Albany, in Western Australia, where the series is set and was filmed. (Winton is known for his lovingly depicted Western Australia settings and characters.) In addition to the two books mentioned, Winton’s other books for children are The Bugalugs Bum Thief, 1991 (yes, this thief steals human derrieres!); Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster, 1993; Lockie Leonard, Legend, 1997; and The Deep, 1998 (illustrated by Karen Louise).

At PaperTigers, Chris Cheng recently took a larger look at Australia’s environment through children’s books, including Winton’s Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster.

I’ve just come back from one month in Brazil (where I was, unexpectedly, pretty much incommunicado) to find that I missed the Australian stop of the multi-blog event One Shot World Tour, organized by the same group that put together the Summer Blog Blast Tour and this week’s Recommendations from Under the Radar. Some of the dishes served up at the several-course (Vegemite and all) Australian meal were: interviews with Margo Lanagan and Queenie Chan at 7 Imp Things and the YA YA YAs, respectively, and an exploration of John Marsden’s Tomorrow Series at Jen Robinson’s Page (see full OSWT schedule here).

I’d like to add my contribution, late as it may be, by pointing folks to award-winning Australian writer Susanne Gervay’s latest ya book, That’s Why I Wrote This Song, a cutting edge story set against the rock music scene, about sixteen year old girls connected through music as they search for identity. In a recent article contributed to PaperTigers, Gervay tells us: “[The book] embraces other mediums and technologies, in a collaborative work with my songwriter and musician daughter, Tory, who wrote the lyrics and rock music that are integral to the story (…). The story also has the dimension of film, as a young producer translated Tory’s song ‘Psycho Dad’ into a film clip.” The song and the video are available for downloading from the author’s website.

For more Aussie kidlit talents, check out the following: interview with Hazel Edwards, ‘personal views’ article by Chris Cheng, and Caroline Magerl and Shaun Tan online galleries.