Audrey's Picture Book is Reviewed

'Bookseller Publisher' has published a review of Audrey's new picture book. It was written by Thuy On.

'It's a Miroocool features the same plucky protagonist, only this time the picture book is for younger readers. It is a lovely creation, from James' water-coloured drawings to Harris' simple yet effective narration ... The book uses iconic Australian terms ... The rural homestead is gorgeously illustrated through the vista of red earth, spinifex ... and windmill against a sunset ... this is a sweet book for preschoolers about a resourceful girl who does her best to help herself.'

'It's A Miroocool' Countdown

Hi
The countdown to the release of Audrey's picture book 'It's A Miroocool' has begun.

March 1 is the release date.

You can pre-order a copy from several different online bookstores including Boomerang Books.

There are also Activity Notes for fun, games and learning.

Happy Reading!
Christine Harris

Audrey of the Outback FAQs

Hi
I had a great list of questions from readers at Masada College, Lindfield.

I thought you all might like to read the answers too:

'... our class and would like to know the following:'

What inspired you to write the books?
I love books, reading and writing them. It's fun and I pretend to be the characters in my stories - it's like acting on paper. I hope my readers will be moved to laugh, think and sometimes cry.

What inspired you to write the Audrey series?
Audrey was a character in 'Outback: The Diary of Jimmy Porter' in the My Story series. People liked her and wanted to read more about her. She ended up with three books of her own.

What inspired you to write all different book series?
I like to try different things. I would get bored doing the same thing all the time. Writing a series allows me to spend more time with my characters. I hate saying Goodbye sometimes.

Where were you when it hit you when you wanted to write Audrey?
My publisher came up with the idea actually. I remember sitting at an internet terminal in Melbourne, reading an email and thinking, Mm. That's a good idea.

What did you feel when the book got published?
Happy for Audrey.

What is you most popular book out of all you have written?
That is hard to answer because it changes all the time. The Audrey series is very popular. It is right up there.

There is an Audrey competition going right now. Entries are open until the end of October 2011.

And remember there are lots of activities and information on the Audrey section of my website.

bye
christine harris

'Audrey's Big Secret' - New Competition

Hi
Here is a chance to win an autographed bindup volume of the three Audrey of the Outback novels.

What do you have to do?
Write the answer to this question (going from left to right):
On which pages of 'Audrey's Big Secret' can you find the three pictures?
(hint - they are from three different pages and they are only a tiny fraction of the whole picture that was drawn by Audrey's illustrator, Ann James. It is like trying to find where a jigsaw piece fits.)

When does the competition end?
October 30 2011

Who can enter?
Anyone up to the age of 12 years.

How do you send in entries?
Your answers can be addressed to 'Audrey competition' at either
christine(at)christineharris.com
or you can post to PO Box 478, Mount Barker, Sth Australia 5251.



Can you work out which drawings and on what page these come from in the book 'Audrey's Big Secret'?

I look forward to reading your entries,
Christine Harris

Goodbye Tom Kruse

Hi
Outback mailman Tom Kruse passed away last Thursday. He was 96 years old and the tenth of twelve children.
Tom was famous for driving his truck to deliver mail to Outback Australians.
He used to carry lollies in his pockets so kids raced out to meet him first when his truck turned up at properties.

The ABC website has a short article and photo of Tom. If you click where it says 'Video' you can see some great old film of Tom Kruse.

In 2008 former governor-general Major-General Michael Jeffery unveiled a bust (head and shoulders statue) of Tom Kruse at the Birdwood Motor Museum.

I was there that day.
The Governor-general left in a helicopter, which was exciting.
There was a large crowd gathered outside the museum.
And after the speeches, my friend Bill Marsh sang a few Aussie songs.

Bill Marsh wrote Audrey's song and recorded it with the help of Dave Hansford.

Have you heard Audrey's song?

There are also some fun activities connected to Audrey's song on my website.

To the right is a photo of Bill Swampy Marsh that I took at a Sunday afternoon barbecue.

Happy reading,
Christine Harris

'It's a Miracool" picture book

Hi

Audrey's picture book release has been delayed to the early part of 2011. This is because of a tie-in with a bookclub.

The artwork is wonderful and I have enjoyed spending time with Audrey again. So I look forward to seeing the whole book.

cheers,
Christine Harris

Swaggie shoes

Hi
Recently we drove from South Australia, through the Grampians to Sunbury in Victoria.

We stopped at Kaniva for a snack and found a cute little shoe museum in the back of a store.



The shearers' mocassins (above) are made from bags.



How would you like to wear this pair of swaggie's shoes?

cheers,
Christine Harris

'Audrey of the Outback' news April 2011

Hi

It's a Miroocool picture book
I have just seen the layout for Audrey's picture book and it's wonderful.
Ann James has done a wonderful recreation of Audrey and the wide land where she lives.
Audrey loses a tooth and is worried about that the tooth fairy won't find her way out in the bush. What can she do?


Audrey ebooks
Also, the three Audrey books are now available as e-books.
The publisher tells me that they also plan to put the Audrey e-books with Amazon, Google and I-tunes library.
But for now, they are on Kobo.

• Audrey of the Outback - ebook
• Audrey Goes to Town - ebook
• Audrey's Big Secret - ebook

Click to see which are the current supported readers for Kobo files.

There are also smartphones on which you can read about Audrey. There are Kobo apps for android tablets.


Audrey of the Outback series review
'One of the best new series of the past year has got to be Audrey of the Outback. Audrey is a girl who would get along famously with Anne Shirley and Pippi Longstocking. Aside from the fact that they all have red hair, they are all plucky, imaginative girls who aren't going to let anyone tell them what they can't do. In Audrey's case, this would be going to live as a swaggie, pack on her back, with only her friend Stumpy to keep her company. What choice does she have when her older brother has decided he is too old to play games anymore, and her younger brother spends most of his time pretending to be a bird.
In the second book, Audrey Goes to Town, our heroine is excited to visit the Town of Beltana, mainly because of the fact that there is a shop that sells only lollies! But then Audrey's mum gets sick and she and her brother Dougie have to stay in town with Mrs Paterson, a horrible old lady with a nose sharp enough to open a can of peaches. Audrey didn't ever think that she would dread staying in town for a month... but that was before she met Mrs Paterson.
Audrey's Big Secret is the third book out in this fabulous series. In the middle of the night, Audrey looks out into the dark and sees a pale hovering shape. Is it a ghost? An angel? A bunyip?! You will have to read the books to find out.
The Audrey of the Outback series, set in 1930s Australia, has been shortlisted for numerous awards including the Children's Peace Literature Award and the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Younger Readers. It is easy to see why when you read the books - Audrey is a fantastic heroine and role model for young girls, and her adventures will keep you enthralled!'
Amelia Vahtrick, Kids Buzz Editor


happy reading
Christine Harris

The Lyrebird and the Chainsaw!

Hi
Yesterday friends of ours told us a story about frequently hearing a chainsaw when they moved to Eastern Victoria.
After a while they investigated and discovered the 'chainsaw' noise was made by a lyre bird.
Then they told us about a lyre bird at Adelaide Zoo that was inspired to mimic the noise of workers building the new panda enclosure.
The following short video (courtesy of YouTube) was on Channel 7 News.



You'd have to hear it to believe it!!
cheers,
Christine Harris

www.audreyoftheoutback.net

Australian Music Songs

Hi
I was listening to Bill Swampy Marsh's song for 'Audrey of the Outback'
and it led me to a search on the Internet for Aussie songs.

All Down Under website has a heap of Aussie song lyrics and you can play a simple version of the tune - to give you an idea of how it goes. And you can sing along -if no one is listening!

I thought I knew the lyrics of 'Click Goes the Shears' and other favourites, but I was surprised to see the exact words. I guess I didn't know it as well as I thought.

Check them out - you might get a surprise too.
bye

Christine Harris

Audrey's Hardback Collection Release

Hi
Here is the cover of the 'Audrey of the Outback' collection.
It's lovely. I've seen an advance copy. Cloth bound, all three novels in one. With Ann James' wonderful drawings throughout.
The release date is 1 March 2011. Only a couple of weeks away.
There are lots of places to order it, but Booktopia (online) has a special.
Click here for ordering details.

I have also seen some of the sketches for 'It's a Miracool', due out later this year. Audrey will have her own picture book. Ann James is working hard and, as usual, she has captured Audrey's personality with her artwork.
I look forward to seeing the coloured artwork soon.

bye
Christine Harris

Lissssten to Thissss

Hello

I like stories. No surprise there.

And I've read a couple lately that did surprise me.

The Australian Outback is home to a variety of animals, including snakes. Now, I admit, they are not my favourite living creature, but I know a couple of ripper yarns about snakes I'd like to tell you.

When I was hiking in Borneo two years ago, the guide pointed out a jungle green tree snake. He said, 'When it flicks out it's tongue, that means it has seen you.'
Just when I was hoping to sneek past him!
The guide also said to be careful when we put our hands on railings if there was a walkway as snakes like to lie there as it was smooth and comfortable for them.

When I was holidaying on Brampton Island, in Queensland, a faremer who lived in central Queensland told me he and his wife heard a tremendous noise in his ceiling. He and his wife thought there was a possum up there. He was too busy to check just then, but the next day he got a ladder and climbed up into the ceiling and found a massive snake skin.
But no snake.
The noise had been the snake shedding its old, dry skin.
They never found the snake.
(Snakes shed old skins because the old ones only stretch so far.)

Fishermen have their stories too.
A man at Corny Point, South Australia, told me that he was out fishing from the shore, alone, and had to 'go kick the bushes' so he took off his thigh-high waders and went into the bushes.
He came back a little while later and just as he reached out to pick up his wading boots, a big brown snake slithered out of them.
So always check your shoes or boots before you put them on when you are out bush.
Audrey points this out to her cousin, Jimmy, in 'My Australian Story:Outback'.

What got me thinking about these stories was the account on the ABC website about a student in Darwin who was surprised by what was in his sports bag. Check it out.

Just as strange, from 2008, in Queensland read what a vet. found inside a snake.

I sometimes think writers are like vacuum cleaners, we go around sucking up stories, listening, taking notes, repeating yarns.


'The universe is made of stories, not atoms' - Muriel Rukeyser

The first law of storytelling. … Every man is bound to leave a story better than he found it. - Mrs. Humphrey Ward

Happy story telling, Christine Harris

rattler cartoon: Wizard of Draws

Letters from 3Blue, Stella Maris, Shellharbour

Hi

I had some great letters from readers in 3Blue, Stella Maris Primary School, Shellharbour, New South Wales.

Here are some of the comments:

'When it comes to a chapter, we beg Mrs Honey to read the next chapter. You might think that is funny because I think it's funny too. The one I like best is Audrey's Big Secret because Audrey is keeping a secret from her family ...'
Chloe

'I like your Audrey books because at the end of each chapter, you make us want to read more! My favourite book is Audrey Goes to Town because Audrey begs to go to the dance with Boy. It is a very funny book.'
Connor

'... I loved listening mainly because they are funny and have lots of funny sayings that make me laugh. My dad says lots of these sayings as well. I love Audrey because she has a great imagination ... '
Mitch

'I like the Audrey seris because it sounds like it will happen in real life. I also like the names you gave the characters ...'
Giulia

Thanks for some great feedback 3Blue. I like Audrey's sense of humour too. And many of her sayings are ones that my dad says too.

There were a couple of questions included:


How long did it take to write the books?

That is hard to answer directly because the research takes some months. I visited Beltana where Audrey Goes to Town is set and did a couple of trips to the north of South Australia to take lots of photos. The first draft is not the end. Just the beginning. There were many drafts of each book. Altogether, I guess each one took about a year to write and rewrite - and rewrite again.

Are you going to write other books about Audrey and her family?

There is a picture book coming out in 2011. Ann James is working on the pictures now.
In April 2011 there will be a very nice bindup of all three books released.
But for now, sadly, there won't be other novels in the series.

I am working on a mystery series right now, which is different but very exciting.

Hope that answers your questions.

And remember, the Audrey part of my website has activities and latest news.

Oh, and My Australian Story:OUTBACK has more about Audrey when she is a little younger than in her own series. This book is written from the viewpoint of cousin Jimmy.

Thank you, 3Blue and Mrs Honey.

Christine Harris

www.christineharris.com

cartoon: Wizard of Draws

An Audrey bindup is on the way

Hi

I've just heard that the three Audrey novels will be published in one beautiful hardback cover as a large volume in April 2011. The retail price should be $24.95.
As Audrey would say, 'That's sesiting.'

Meanwhile, Ann James is busy working on the art for the picture bk, which should also be out in 2011.

bye
Christine Harris

Audrey and the WA Premier's Book Awards

Hi

'Audrey's Big Secret' has just been shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.

To be eligible, the work must have been published or produced in either the years 2008 or 2009. Authors must be citizens or permanent residents of Australia or the work must have Australia as its primary focus.

There were 404 entries, so I'm very proud of Audrey.

Winners are announced on 1 September 2010.

Happy reading,

Christine Harris

Winter 2010 Newsletter with Competition

Hi

There is a brand new Audrey newsletter available to download from my website.

Click here to go directly to the page. Look for the red *new* newsletter.

bye
Christine Harris,

Print your Own Audrey Bookmark

Hi

See Audrey's bookmark?
If you click here you can print your own to mark your place in your Audrey books.
If you cover the bookmark with laminate or clear contact, it will last a long time.

bye
Christine Harris


ps. Audrey's illustrator is Ann James.

Discover More About 'Audrey of the Outback'

Hi
This is the cover of 'Outback' where Audrey first appeared in print in 2005. This year, 2010, the book was released with this brand new cover in paperback.

If you have read the three 'Audrey' novels and want more, then you can look for this book in shops or ask at your local or school library.

'Outback' is set in 1928, two years earlier than the three Audrey novels and tells about the time cousin Jimmy comes from the city to stay in the Outback with the Barlow family.

There is currently a film option by well-known Australian, Lisa McCune, on the 'Outback' novel. It is up to the second script stage, so you never know, you may just see a young Audrey on screen some time in the future.

Click here to read a short excerpt from 'Outback', which is written in diary form by Jimmy.

bye,
Christine Harris

An Interview with Audrey of the Outback: Part 2

Hi
Here is part two of the long interview I did with Audrey to help me write the books.
I had to think of the questions, then listen to Audrey as she answered in her own voice.

Who is your best friend?
Stumpy.

What is your fondest memory?
Blowing up the dunny with my brother, Price.

Do you have any hobbies?
Playing hide-and-seek with Stumpy. My cubby houses.

What is your favourite weather?
Rain. I don’t get to see it much, and when I run in the rain I don’t have to bath. I also like clear night with stars for wishing on.

What is your favourite time of day?
The evening – just after we eat tea but before we go to bed. Our family is all together and we talk and read and play. It’s comfortable.

What is your favourite food?
Mum’s fresh bread with plum jam. It smells like home. I like Mum when she smells like bread. The cooked bread, not the dough because that’s sticky and then crusty.

What is your least favourite food?
Kangaroo. It’s chewy and strong and I reckon it’s a bloke’s food.

What is your favourite drink?
Tea with sugar because it makes me feel grown up when I have a cup of tea with Mum at the table with proper plates, and when the bread is really hard you can dunk it in the tea so you can chew it.

What do you find relaxing?
Sitting on a kero tin with Dad, watching the sun go down and waiting for the first star.

What is your favourite animal?
A kangaroo. I like them when they’re in the bush, just not when they’re cooked. I like the way kangaroos turn their ears when they hear you. Stumpy isn’t an animal. He’s only a camel on the outside. Inside, he’s my best friend.

If you missed part 1 of the Interview, click here.


Audrey's picture was drawn by Ann James.


For more fun Audrey information, puzzles, crosswords and printables, click here.


bye,
Christine Harris

An Interview with Audrey of the Outback

Hi

I am often asked for advice about writing and one of the things that can work well is to interview your character and let them answer in their own voice.

From this, you - the writer - can get many ideas about what to put in your story.


I did this last year with Audrey of the Outback. We sat down for a long chat. So long, in fact, that it will take several Blog entries to tell you it all.


Here are the first questions and answers.

Audrey, what about you is heroic?

I see the good side in people and things. I care about other people’s feelings. I won’t give up. My joy in life. Endless curiosity.

What do you like about people?
The surprising, strange things they do and say. I like it when visitors come to our place.

How do you dress most of the time?
In my brother Price’s old trousers, with rolled cuffs and braces And I have two dresses, one blue, and the other is yellow.

What is your best feature?
My family.
Your family isn’t a feature.
It’s my feature. It’s my question so I can answer it however I want. I choose family.

What is your most prized possession?
I haven't won any prizes. We don’t do prizes in the bush. Is that a city thing? I’d like to see a prize one day. But I do have an emu egg and a book that are special.

Describe yourself in one word.
One word is not enough. I need lots of words for describing. But my mum says I’m imaginative.

What is your first memory?
Dust hissing in a storm.
My mum’s voice. It makes me feel warm, like I’ve always heard it.


What is your favourite game?
Pretend. Cubby houses. Sometimes I’m a lady, sometimes a swaggie. Depends which cubby house I’m in and if I’m wearing a dress or trousers.

What is your favourite toy?
A sardine tin. I used it for a train until I realised that trains have wheels. Then the tin didn’t work. Sometimes things go away when you realise them.

Check out Audrey's Interview Part 2.


The drawing of Audrey is by Ann James.

p.s. If you have any questions you would like to ask Audrey, leave a comment on this Blog and I will ask her to tell you.