the reading hour event

Next Thursday, 14 September, is the Australian Reading Hour. What is it, you ask? Well, you choose one hour of your day to snuggle up on the couch or run a deep bath or jump on the treadmill or sit under a tree, and read a book!

You can read it to yourself. You can read it to a child. The child could read it to you. Or someone could read a book to a teddy bear. The choices are endless!

To celebrate The Reading Hour, seven authorly friends and I--all SCBWI members--got together at Woden Library in Canberra (thanks, Pam and Sam!) for a wonderful event--two hours of stories with a bunch of fabulously engaged kids.

Things kicked off with Kerry Malone, reading two books, including her gorgeous You Can Do It, Joey!

The Reading Hour Picture Book Photo Challenge 2013 Wrap-up

Yippee! We just had the funnest Reading Hour, reading through a grand total of 13 books, snuggled together on the couch. It's SO much fun. So annoying we have to stop to make dinner!

Have a peek at the books we read... some of my very faves. Did you partake in The Reading Hour?

Book Week Wrap-Up 2013

Followed by Christmas (yes, I said followed) Book Week is my favourite week of the year. It's a time to really celebrate the glorious children's book scene we enjoy in Australia, and of course, internationally.

From 17 to 23 August this year, Aussie authors and illustrators were on the hop all over the county, visiting schools, running workshops, presenting, interacting and sharing their books and talent with children, from preschool to Year 12. The energy is bookishly high, and it's just so much fun to see kids amp up their reading and book enjoyment (not to mention the fabulous costumes--see the last photo of this post).

This year's theme was Read Across the Universe, and, as they do every year, the local CBCA chapter here in Canberra ran a children's seminar, with 60 kids, plus parents and teachers, joining in some after-school fun. Here we are signing certificates for the kids (above) and below are this year's participants: back row: Pauline Deeves, David Murphy, Katrina Nannestad, Tamsin Ainslie, Emma Allen, back row: Tania McCartney, Katie J Taylor and storyteller extraordinaire, Mollie B.

It's so wonderful to engage with the kids in this way. I talked about my past books, showed them sneak peeks of my upcoming books, answered questions and listened to their own thoughts on books and writing.

We then joined forces in a panel discussion for the very first time, with Julie Long (centre) of the local CBCA, facilitating. It was great to hear about the processes of other authors and illustrators, and the kids really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Rachel and the team at Brindabella Christian College in Lyneham for this sensational venue (and to Rachel for the fab photos!). It warms the heart to see so many teachers, librarians and parents placing reading and books so highly on the curriculum.

I must admit, I also absolutely LOVE the way kids react during Book Week, and was privvy to many costume parades throughout the week. There were so many sensational costumes, but below is my favourite of the lot - two Oompa Loompas at St Francis of Assisi primary school, made by a very talented mum.

Happy reading all, and don't forget the Kids' Book Review The Reading Hour facebook photo challenge is still on and ends tomorrow night--you could win some books from Random House. And I'll be instragramming each picture book we read on Saturday 24 August during The Reading Hour - 5pm to 6pm. Join me with your own photos! @taniamccartney

The Reading Hour Event at Civic Library

We had such a gorgeous evening at Civic Library this last night, listening to a line-up of local writers reading some pretty sensational works, from picture books to poetry. I loved every minute of it, and my daughter Ella did, too. I read Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo (it's so nice that adults appreciate picture books!) and it was so much fun to bring Jumpy Roo herself along and have the kids give her a cuddle.

My friend Irma Gold was also be there, reading from Megumi and the Bear, and what a thrill it was to see a seven-year-old read an excerpt from Diary of a Wimpy Kid! One of my favourite pieces was by local author Kaaron Warren.

What a truly wonderful way to pass a Monday evening, complete with coffee and tea and nibbles. Thank you to Sylvia Alston and the ACT Writers Centre team for organising such a delectable night out, in celebration of The Reading Hour.

Don't forget, The Reading Hour is this Saturday 24 August from 5pm to 6pm. I'll be posting what we read on Instagram. Join me! @taniamccartney Use hashtag #readinghourPBchallenge and also #readinghour and #love2readAU!

Kids' Book Review's Facebook Photo Challenge for The Reading Hour

Love to read? Love to snap photos?

From Saturday 17 to Saturday 24 August, Kids' Book Review invites you to post your reading-to-kids photos* on our facebook page.

Every day, we will choose our favourite photo for inclusion on our website.

On the evening of 24 August, after The Reading Hour, we will announce three winners, who will each win a four-book pack from Random House!

The three winners will be:

• our favourite overall photo
• our most creative photo
• the person who posts the most photos over the week

And each winner will score a four-book pack valued at $57.80.

• Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco
• Lulu Bell and the Moon Dragon
• Colour for Curlews
• Bear Grylls: Mission Survival: Tracks of the Tiger

*Competition is open to Australian residents only and entrants must have full ownership of every photo posted. Photos will be moderated.

The Reading Hour

5 pm - 6 pm

Saturday 24 August 2013

KBR is proud to be a partner of The Reading Hour, an initiative that hopes to encourage parents and carers to share a book with a child for 10 minutes a day, an hour a week. It's not always possible for parents to share a book at bedtime with their children, but if you can manage 10 minutes most nights, your child will have the best chance of becoming a good reader, with all the social and educational benefits that brings.

See KBR's exclusive interview with The Reading Hour ambassador, Andy Griffiths! And if you're an instagram aficionado, check out KBR Founder Tania McCartney's IG photo challenge, which will run during The Reading Hour proper.

Happy reading and happy snapping!

Proudly supported by Random House Australia

The Reading Hour Instagram Picture Book Challenge

Come join me! Post your photos on IG during The Reading Hour. Use hashtag #readinghourPBchallenge and also #readinghour and #love2readAU!

The Reading Hour - Saturday 24 August 2013

The Reading Hour is an annual initiative held on the Saturday following Book Week (each August). Designed to encourage parents and carers to read to children, it's a great excuse to grab a pile of books and get reading (not that you need one).

Children who are read to from an early age have real life advantage.
Developing a love of books expands the hearts, souls and minds of our children, and is vital for full literacy.

I'm thrilled to be both a Friend of The Reading Hour and an ACT Community Champion (Libraries ACT). In the above video, I talk about how much fun books can be, and how important it is for kids to develop a love of reading.

I'll be reading with my kids during The Reading Hour on 24 August, and will be posting each book we read, live on Instagram. I wonder what we'll be reading? You'll have to link to my feed to see... followgram.me/taniamccartney or check back on my blog for all the photos, after 8pm. Won't you join me? You can also post your own Reading Hour photos - use hashtag #readinghourPBchallenge and also #readinghour and #love2readAU.

Also, don't miss our fabulous week-long KBR Reading Hour Photo Challenge on Kids' Book Review's Facebook page from Saturday 17 August, 2013. You could *win some books from Random House! Stay tuned for more.

If you haven't already joined in, My Little Bookcase (@mylittlebookcase) is running their Instagram book-a-day photo challenge. If you need some book inspiration (not that you do!), follow along or join in the challenge. The hashtag is #mylittlebookcase, and you can find out more here.

The Reading Hour. Saturday 24 August 2013, from 5pm to 6pm. Come along and join people from all over Australia as we read to our book-loving children. Reading is a very good thing.

See www.thereadinghour.org.au for more.

*available to Australian residents only.