BfK News: May 1995
OOPS!
BfK’s apologies to Viv Edwards and her team at Reading. When we published her article ‘Books and Bi-lingual Pupils’ in our last issue (BfK 91, pp 24-25), we’d intended to give details about the training packs she’d devised in support of the GEST 16 initiative. Alas, these were eaten by Gremlins. So here they are now:
The three training packs – Reading in multilingual classrooms, Writing in multilingual classrooms and Speaking and listening in multilingual classrooms – consist of a course leader’s handbook, overhead transparencies, handouts and teacher’s book (£85 each or £225 for all three). The teacher’s books contain clear and concise accounts of the main issues covered in the packs and are available separately (£5.95 each, or £14.95 for three). Packs and teacher’s books can be obtained from the Reading and Language Information Centre, The University of Reading, Bulmershe Court, Earley, Reading RG6 1HY (tel: 01734 318820).
Two book selections to support second language learners in the process of learning to read – Books for beginners and Moving on – are available from Badger Publishing Ltd, Unit 1, Parson’s Green Estate, Stevenage, Herts SG1 4QG (tel: 01438 356906).
Back Into IBBY
UK membership of IBBY, which was founded in 1953 to promote the belief that children’s books can play an important part in promoting tolerance and international understanding, foundered in 1991. This was partly owing to lack of funds and partly to a lack of people able and willing to take an active role in this world-wide network of writers, illustrators, publishers, librarians, teachers et al. Regular BfK readers may recall Alison Leonard’s article in BfK 77 (Nov ‘92) bewailing Britain’s exclusion from the international scene. Well, now we’re back – thanks to a group called UK Friends of IBBY formed in 1993. Following the group’s first conference in November 1994 and the many new members it generated, the corporate membership fee of £3,000 annually was met and an application for re-entry has been made.
That’s this year, though… unlike many countries, whose fees are paid by government and/or publishers, the UK depends on individual contributions for continuing membership. This costs £15 (£30 for corporations) and brings a regular newsletter plus the chance to nominate British writers and illustrators for the prestigious Hans Andersen Award and the IBBY Honours list. Plans for 1995 include a celebration at Book House in London on 21st June.
Well done, UK Friends of IBBY!
For information and membership details, please contact UK Friends of IBBY, c/o CLRC, Downshire House, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 4HT (tel: 0181 392 3008, fax: 0181 392 3031).
A PREVIEW FREE VIEW…
Two more freebies for BfK readers.
From Walker Books, a sample chapter from Martin Waddell’s new novel, Tango’s Baby. Send a postcard with your name and address on the back marked ‘Tango’s Baby – Books for Keeps Offer’ to Walker Books at 87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ.
And from Bodley Head, to the first 100 applicants, a sample chapter from Paul Zindel’s suspense novel, Loch. Again, a postcard with your name and address on it to ‘Loch Chapter Sample Offer (BfK)’, PO Box 1375, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA.
An In-House Howler
No, not one of our own – though doubtless this will happen some day. Our source is Writers News (March ‘95), which reports as follows on this year’s Public Lending Rights details:
‘John Cunliffe, Shirley Hughes and Jamie Suzanne were among the new children’s authors accounting for all but half of the total in the top category of over a million borrowings.’
Wow!
What happens when they really hit their stride?
Our thanks, and the usual crisp fiver, to Pippa Goodhart for passing on this gem.
Braille at Bramcote
When Caryn Welch, school librarian at Bramcote Park comprehensive in Nottinghamshire, met novelist Pete Johnson at last year’s Youth Librarians’ annual conference, she knew exactly what she wanted – permission to turn his latest book, Ten Hours to Live (Mammoth, 0 7497 1793 9, £3.50) into braille. Bramcote Park is also a focus school for blind and partially sighted pupils so Caryn was only too aware of how much mainstream reading they miss.
Pete agreed at once… and to Caryn’s delight, British Telecom, Courtaulds Textiles, Vision Express, Powergen, Severn Trent Water, GPT and Birds Confectioners all donated the necessary funds to cover binding costs.
Each braille copy of Ten Hours to Live runs into three volumes and takes as many hours to run through the translation programme on a computer. Undaunted by the task, however, Caryn said: ‘To me, working in a mainstream school, it’s very important that blind teenagers have access to the same fiction as their sighted friends are reading. I’m very pleased that our entry into this field has been with one of the most popular British authors writing for teenagers. If all goes well, we’re hoping to transcribe all of Pete Johnson’s books and then move on to another author.’
Obviously the main cost involved in producing these braille versions is the binding, but unit costs come down as the number of volumes to be bound goes up, which is a good reason to establish a network of users. Caryn is keen to do just this and if you’d like to know more about her initiative, contact Caryn Welch at Bramcote Park School, Bramcote, Beeston, Nottinghamshire NG9 3GD (tel: 0115 922 6816, fax: 0115 925 3400).
Guardian Children’s Fiction Award
This year’s winner, who received prize-money of £1,000, is Lesley Howarth for her fantasy novel Maphead, published by Walker Books (0 7445 2458 X, £8.99; 0 7445 3647 2, £3.99 pbk).
1995’s judges were Nina Bawden, Geraldine McCaughrean, Philip Pullman and Sue Limb.
July BfK will bring you
Dennis Hamley on crime-writing for the young
Adèle Geras on the pace of children’s fiction
Nick Tucker on the demise of the amateur writer
Bev Mathias’s O.P. Plea
Wendy Cooling’s round-up of Summer reading
Paula Danziger in Authorgraph
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reviews, reviews, reviews