Trailer Tuesday: Nation

November 10, 2009

After ten years of Discworld, Terry Pratchett (Sir Terence Pratchett) has created a very different world in Nation (2008). Set in n a parallel universe rather like our 19th century South Pacific this is a multi-faceted disaster-survival / coming-of-age story that explores many themes.  There is no book trailer as such for this title, so here is Terry Pratchett talking about how Nation came to be  (the US cover is featured):

Dig deeper

The author

The text

Reviews

Articles and interviews

Awards

Read more disaster fiction

  • A list from the CMIS database

What would the children think?

October 18, 2009

The Vulture column at online arts ezine New York Entertainment has collated a slideshow of clips from twelve children’s films that have caused, or could now cause, controversy. They include:

  • The new kid on the block – Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
  • The Black Cauldron (1985) adapted from Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain
  • Little Buddha (1993)
  • A Disney trio: Dumbo (1941), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Peter Pan (1953)
  • North (1994)
  • Song of the South (1946) adapted from Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus stories
  • The 5000 Fingers of Dr T (1953)  – a Theodore Geisel affair, later disowned by him
  • The Thief and the Cobbler (1964) – based on stories from the Arabian Nights
  • Babe : Pig in the City (1998)
  • The Brave Little Toaster (1987) adapted from a novel by Thomas M. Disch

More here about the brouhaha that Wild Things is generating, but for the rest, see the annotations on the slideshow.

The link to this fascinating piece of film history was first spotted on the educating alice blog.


TrailerTuesday: Mao’s Last Dancer

October 13, 2009

With the arrival in cinemas this month of Li Cunxin’s story of peasant to international ballet star,  TrailerTuesday this week focuses on Mao’s Last Dancer – the books, the picture book and the film.

Dig deeper


The man

  • Li Cunxin’s website
  • Biography (from the website)
  • Interview (ABC RN’s Life matters – podcast, 2007 )
  • Interview (Radio New Zealand National – podcast 2007)
  • Interview (Ballet Magazine UK, 2003)
  • Interview with Peter Thompson, Part 1 (Talking Heads 2006, ABC TV) Transcript only
  • Interview with Peter Thompson, Part 2 (Talking Heads 2006, ABC TV) Transcript only
  • Article – Dance of the peasant prince (SMH 2003)

The texts

Adult edition (2003)

9780670040247

Awards

Young readers edition (2005)

9780143301646

Awards

The Peasant Prince, with Anne Spudvilas (2007)

9780670070541

Published in US as Dancing to Freedom (2008)

Awards

The film

The history


Minchin’s Matilda

October 1, 2009

Musician-comedian Ti9780141314563m Minchin will be bringing Roald Dahl’s Matilda to the stage – a project he has aspired to for the past ten years.

In news today, it has been announced (Tim Minchin Goes Rock’n'Roald, according to The Guardian) that The Royal Shakespeare Company has commissioned an adaptation of the dark tale, with the blessing of the Dahl Estate:

Roald Dahl’s widow Felicity Dahl is thrilled to see the story become a reality on the stage.

“We are so proud that Roald’s stories continue to be met with such excitement and joy by children all over the world. And with this project, thousands more children will engage with his magical world yet again, but this time as a wonderful theatrical experience.”

Royal Shakespeare Company artistic director Michael Boyd said Matilda was a magical and darkly funny book he had wanted to bring to life for years.


You go girl

June 24, 2009

Buffy is way more interesting than Bella. Six clever remix minutes:

Sell it to your discerning readers.


Not before time

June 18, 2009

It has been a while since John Marsden’s Tomorrow series was first published. Since 1993, when the first title shocked readers with a ‘what if Australia were to be invaded’ scenario, several generations of readers have enjoyed the exploits of Ellie and her friends in many volumes, many languages and even Ellie’s own series.  It is a storyline begging to be filmed.

Now it seems that the cameras will be rolling soon. And we wouldn’t have known if the Read Alert blog hadn’t told us. So thanks, Centre for Youth Literature.


World premiere

May 8, 2009

Matt Ottley must be feeling very chuffed that his award-winning Requiem for a Beast is being adapted for the stage. Matt’s workshops at the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre towards the end of 2007 highlighted the dramatic potential of this work. After all the subtitle is ‘a work for image, word and music’. The music adds yet another layer to the multi-layered text, so for the first time all three components will be brought together and the work experienced as a whole in this world premiere.

So: who, where, when?

Who: redfoot youth theatre

Where: Hale School, Wembley Downs, Perth, WA in the John Inverarity Music and Drama Auditorium

When: May 20-22, 7.30pm

The work has been adapted by Danny Parker and Warwick Doddrell

Here’s what the press release has to say:

Larger than life puppets stalk the stage- actors create the horses and cattle with the use of physical theatre and mask – the production uses a wide range of theatrical devices and a complex technical support to help communicate the intricacies of this story.

Using Matt Ottley’s original musical score and compelling performances from an exceptional ensemble cast, this premiere production of Requiem for a Beast vividly comes to life.

Visit the website to find out more.

Exciting stuff.


If you’re on a good thing …

March 19, 2009

First there was Conan Doyle and the original sleuth. Then many screen adaptations, including Young Sherlock Holmes. Followed by the Baker Street Boys and Enola. Now Macmillan has announced a new series:

The estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has authorised a series of books detailing the life of the teenage Sherlock Holmes, which will see the budding detective falling in love for the first time, learning the deductive skills that serve him so well in his adult life, and making the acquaintance of a certain Dr Watson.

If it’s good enough for Young Bond


Lost in Austen

March 9, 2009

Did you catch Lost in Austen on ABC television last night? What a lot of fun for readers of Pride and Prejudice. Although the ABC1 site has a synopsis, the UK ITV site has much more information such as interviews with the cast, a photo gallery of the locations and bonus videos. It’s not hard to see this particular ‘period drama’ being used in English classrooms. And many of us will be rushing to the bookshelves to re-read the original.


Pride and Prejudice from A to Z

February 11, 2009

Austen to Zombies that is. Hmmm