News and events
(UPDATED) MEET ANDY–NATIONAL BOOKS ALIVE! TOUR DATES July-Aug-Sept 2008
BOOKS ALIVE 2008: 50 BOOKS THAT YOU CAN’T PUT DOWN is Australia’s largest annual reading promotion that aims to encourage all Australians to experience the joys of reading. ‘Treasure Fever’, the first book in Andy’s new ‘Schooling Around’ series has been nominated as one of the 50 Australian books in the Books Alive 2008 guide and he will be touring nationally throughout late July and August. For more information go to http://www.booksalive.com.au/ or email info@booksalive.com.au
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
MONDAY 28th JULY 2008 — Mount Gambier
6.30pm-8.30pm Mount Gambier Public Library Bookings and enquiries, please phone the Mount Gambier Public Library 08 8721 2540 http://www.mountgambier.sa.gov.au/library/contact.htm
TUESDAY 29th JULY 2008 — Adelaide
6.30-8.00pm Free at Nailsworth Primary School Gymnasium Balfour Street, Nailsworth Bookings and enquiries, please phone the Prospect Public Library 08 8342 8170 http://www.prospect.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=870&c=3134
WEDNESDAY 30th July, 2008 — Adelaide
7pm to 8.30pm Free, Domain Theatre, Marion Cultural Centre, Bookings essential on 8375 6855 (Box Office). FREE event
http://www.marion.sa.gov.au/Web/webmar.nsf/Lookup/Library+General+Information/
NORTHERN TERRITORY
TUESDAY 5th AUG, 2008 — Darwin
6.30 to 8.00pm Northern Territory Library, Booking and Enquiries, please phone 08 8922 0785 http://www.ntl.nt.gov.au/ntl_home
QUEENSLAND
FRIDAY 8th AUG, 2008 — Brisbane
9.30am to 10.30am, Chermside Library, 375 Hamilton Road, Chermside , Bookings and Enquiries, please phone 07 3403 7200
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
SUNDAY 10th AUG, 2008 — Perth
3pm-4.30pm, Dymocks Hay St: 705-707 Hay St Mall, Perth, WA 6000 Enquiries: 08 93213969
MONDAY 11th AUG, 2008 — Perth
6pm-8pm, City of Melville Library Service & Dymocks Garden City Enquiries: http://www.melvillecity.com.au/facilities/libraries or Dymocks Garden City 08 9364 7687
ACT
WEDNESDAY 13th AUG, 2008 — Canberra
10.30am-11.30am, Dymocks Belconnen & ACT library service
TASMANIA
THURSDAY 14th AUG, 2008 — Burnie & Launceston
9.00-10.00am, Angus-Robertson & Burnie Library, Burnie
4-5.30pm Stories Bookstore, Launceston
FRIDAY 15th AUG, 2008 — Hobart
10.30am-12.15pm Fullers Bookshop, Hobart & State Library of Tasmania, Hobart
1.00pm-2.45pm Angus & Robertson Hobart & State Library of Tasmania, Hobart
More detail: http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/
AUGUST 27TH-SEPT 13TH “SCHOOLING AROUND AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS TOUR!”
On this national book tour, presented by Booked Out Writers Roadshow
and Pan Macmillan to celebrate the publication of ‘Pencil of Doom’, the second in Andy’s exciting new Schooling Around series, your students have the chance to hear from Australia’s leading childrens author… for free!
That’s right, this is a free student event. Your students have the opportunity to
hear Andy, ask questions and even get their books signed! Places are limited. Click on the icon or contact Booked Out for more details on events and how to register: Ph: 03 9824 0177 Fax: 03 98240677 email: bookings@bookedout.com.au web: http://www.bookedout.com.au
VICTORIA
WEDNESDAY 27th AUGUST: Melbourne (Pakenham)
WEDNESDAY 27th AUGUST: Melbourne (Brighton)
WEDNESDAY 27th AUGUST: Melbourne (Clarinda)
From 6.30pm, Clarinda Community Centre, 8 Viney St, Clarinda (near Clayton) Bookings: 1300 135 668Flyer
THURSDAY 28th AUGUST: Melbourne (Ringwood)
THURSDAY 28th AUGUST: Melbourne (Lilydale)
FRIDAY 29th AUGUST: Geelong (Belmont)
SATURDAY 30th AUGUST: Melbourne Writers Festival
QUEENSLAND
MONDAY 1st SEPTEMBER (Yeronga,)
MONDAY 1st SEPTEMBER (Robina, Gold Coast)
From 6.00pm, Robina Library, Cnr Robina Town Centre Drv and and San Antonio Blvd Phone 07 5581 1600
TUESDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER (Arundel, Gold Coast)
TUESDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER (Southport, Gold Coast)
THURSDAY 4th SEPTEMBER (Spring Hill, Brisbane)
FRIDAY 5th SEPTEMBER (Redcliffe, Brisbane)
FRIDAY 5th SEPTEMBER (Woombye, Sunshine Coast)
SATURDAY 6th SEPTEMBER (Morayfield)
Signing at Angus & Robertson, 171 Morayfield Rd, Morayfield
NSW-NORTH
TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER (Balgowlah, Sydney)
WEDNESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER (Miranda, Sydney)
From 6.00pm, Greater Union Cinema, Westfield Shopping Centre, Kiora Rd, Miranda Bookings: 02 9525 9460, Registration form
THURSDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER (Strathfield, Sydney)
THURSDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER (Parramatta)
From 6.30pm, Parramatta Town Hall, 182 Church St, Parramatta Bookings: 02 9806 5159, Registration form
FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER (Wollongong)
SATURDAY 13th SEPTEMBER (Brookvale, Sydney)
From 11.00am, Dymocks, Shop 524, Level 1, Warringah Mall, Brookvale Phone 9938
For more details on events and how to register for these free events contact BOOKED OUT SPEAKERS AGENCY, phone 03 9824 0177, fax 03 98240677, email bookings@bookedout.com.au or visit www.bookedout.com.au
Posted on 16 July 2008 Permanent link to this post Comments (28)
TREASURE FEVER: more reviews
The book is simple, silly fun. Silly students, sillier teachers, a silly school, and a silly situation all add up to a silly story. Pretty much what you would expect from Andy Griffiths, but without the bum jokes. I am becoming quite a fan of Andy Griffiths and there is no denying that the kids (especially boys) love him.
http://bookboy.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/treasure-fever-by-andy-griffiths/
I enjoyed Treasure Fever so much that I almost missed my lift. I was supposed to be looking out of the window for my friend Elwys, but got carried away with the book. Elwys said it must be a good read so I lent it to her. She enjoyed it too.
Dulcie Groves, 85, Golden Square
Andy Griffiths is already such a big name in children’s literature. His work continues to entertain and amuse, his most recent novel is no exception. I really enjoyed this book and kept reading sections out loud to my co-workers! For now, I’ll leave you with Mr Brainfright’s important lesson no. 1: When you’re breathing, it’s very important not to fall out the window!
http://www.robinsonsbooks.com.au/
Posted on 1 June 2008 Permanent link to this post Comments (7)
ME AND TERRY working hard on our next book …
… well, that’s what we tell everybody, anyway.
Posted on 30 May 2008 Permanent link to this post Comments (11)
SHORT — a collection of interesting stories and other stuff
Our best-loved writers, alongside our newest and youngest authors, present to you Short — a collection of interesting stories and other stuff from some surprising and intelligent people including Carole Wilkinson, Andy Griffiths, Michael Panckridge, Michael Gerard Bauer, Karen Tayleur, Tessa Duder, Scot Gardner, Alicia Sometimes, Michael Pryor, Sue Lawson, Julia Lawrinson, Chris Miles, Pat Flynn, Trudy White, Bill Condon and Simmone Howell. Edited by Lili Wilkinson.
All royalties from the sale of the book will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters www.bigbrothersbigsisters.org.au
Posted on 26 May 2008 Permanent link to this post Comments (7)
TREASURE FEVER: Latest reviews
I loved Treasure Fever! so much I finished it in a day.
–Andrew, Age 10
Treasure Fever!, the first book in a series called Schooling Around, makes no attempt to be moralistic or educational. It’s simply fun; a rambling series of events that entertain from the first to last word. The action is fast-paced, with quick dialogue, short chapters and some zany characters.
The tale is told from the point of view of Henry McThrottle, a fifth-grade student whose class has a new teacher. The outrageous and nonsensical Mr Brainfright uses teaching methods as unlikely as his name. “Mr Brainfright’s important lesson No.1: When you’re breathing, it’s very important not to fall out the window.”
It’s no accident that the truly batty characters in Treasure Fever! are adults; it’s empowering for kids to encounter seniors they can make fun of and feel superior to without fear of reprisal. It’s joyously subversive. There’s Mrs Cross, the angry disciplinarian; Principal Greenbeard, the wannabe pirate who speaks in pirate catchphrases; Mr Shush, the edgy librarian; and Mr Brainfright, whose introduction sparks a series of events that has Henry and his classmates searching the school for buried treasure.
That Henry and his friends are victorious in the end is also satisfying for young readers. The kids team up to overcome and outsmart the school bully, Fred Durkin, and the interfering teachers (who display varying degrees of insanity). It’s an adventure set in familiar territory (school), with a great sense of urgency and anticipation.
For a change, Griffiths steers clear of the scatological (poo/bum/fart stuff) but there’s plenty of nonsense, which he does well. Treasure Fever! actually shares some features of Roald Dahl’s work. For example, Mr Brainfright jumps off the page with a similar absurdity that made Dahl’s chocolate-maker, Willy Wonka, an eternal favourite (perhaps incidentally, Brainfright also wears a purple jacket.)
Griffiths is popular because his readers don’t see an ulterior motive at play in his work. His stories, including Treasure Fever, are easy to read, entertaining and silly. Unlike some more critically acclaimed, award-winning books, reading them is not a chore for kids – it’s a LOL, LMAO pleasure. And the fun is set to continue in September with the release of the second book in this new series: Pencil of Doom.
–The Sydney Morning Herald
Posted on 1 May 2008 Permanent link to this post Comments (4)
TREASURE FEVER! Now available with free pencil case!
Treasure Fever is the first in Andy Griffiths’s highly anticipated new Schooling Around series: a set of four novels chronicling the amazing goings on at Northwest Southeast Central School. Imagine a novel length treatment of one of the short stories from the JUST! Series and you’re getting warm. Imagine one of the BUM trilogy novels without the bums… and you’re getting even warmer. Imagine a funny, charming and exciting novel set in a most unusual school… well you don’t have to imagine it because SCHOOLING AROUND is already here! Along with stunning cover artwork from world renowned artist Nathan Jurevicius, they are sure to appeal to both confident and emerging readers of all ages. They are also ideal for both parents and classroom teachers to read aloud.