Nomination Time!

If you are reading this we know you are keen to encourage your students to read and enjoy Australian Children's Literature.

If you are a current or past member of KOALA then we hope you’ve had the opportunity to collect nominations from your students to contribute to the 2015 Shortlist. Not a member yet? Do the paperwork and get cracking!

The closing date for all nomination submissions is Thursday, 2nd April at 3pm. There is still time to nominate so please check the Nomination Kit for helpful tips and resources. Then fax or email your nomination tally sheet: fax 02 9327 9133 •email contact@koalansw.org.au

Encouraging Nominations

In the photo above (right click and open in a new tab to examine more closely) you can see the Librarian has made a list of Australian authors to prompt memory or spur curiosity; a list of KOALA winners from the last ten years; nomination forms and a cute letterbox to post them. And there's a sweetener, too, in a prize draw for those who nominate. The artwork (by Sarah Davis in this case) is from the KOALA website. There's more in the Gallery.

Other Ideas

Introduce the students to the concept of KOALA – Kids Own Australian Literature Awards: it is their chance to say what THEY like to read. The Children’s Book Council Awards are selected by adults, KOALA is by kids for kids!

Look at previous KOALA winners and compare with CBCA winners.

Copy and decorate the Nomination Poster from the KOALA Kit for each classroom.

Set up a display of eligible Australian books and pop a nomination form in each one.

Discuss favourite Australian books with classes or groups of students.

Show students ways of identifying Australian books and authors.

Older students can read aloud extracts of favourite books to the class, write reviews, ‘booktalk’ their favourites titles.

Give teachers a bulk loan of Australian picture books to read to the class. Be sure to include some of last year’s new titles not just the old favourites.

REMEMBER Nominations must be for a specific title e.g. Selby Surfs not Selby books. It’s first past the post so every nomination counts!

Blasts from the past: A Powerful Way of Getting Reluctant Students Reading ; St. Philomena's Joins Koala