Category Imprints

Announcing our next Second Look title, coming May 2018

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We are very pleased to announce that our next Second Look title will be a brand new edition of Pamela Freeman’s fun space adventure novel for children 7-10, The Fastest Ship in Space. 

The new edition, out in May 2018, features lively new cover and internal illustrations by Yvonne Low. Cover reveal coming later!

About the book:

For Katie, exploring the far reaches of the Solar System in her family spaceship is just ordinary life – but living on Earth, now THAT would be exciting! There seems no way she and her brother, Sam, will ever see Earth, until they accidentally end up on the fastest Ship in space, on its way to the Moon. But will they ever get there? Space Station security, smugglers, space pirates – not to mention their parents – all see ready to stop them. Katie and Sam aren’t going to be pushed around. Neither is their gran…

 

Originally published under the title of Ship-Born by Koala Books in 2002.

About the author:

Pamela Freeman is an award-winning author of more than 30 books for both adults and children. Her children’s books include the much-loved Victor’s Quest and its sequel Victor’s Challenge (Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Fantasy) and the Princess Betony series which is set in the same universe, as well as science fiction, family drama and non-fiction picture books. Her most recent children’s book, Desert Lake, won the ASO Librarian’s Choice Award, was highly commended in the Educational Publishing Awards, and was shortlisted for four other awards. Pamela also writes historical fiction for adults as Pamela Hart.

About the illustrator:

Yvonne Low is an illustrator, writer, and award-winning artist. Her book illustrations have featured in Sophie Masson’s Jack of Spades(Eagle Books), and in the anthology A Christmas Menagerie(Christmas Press), edited by Beattie Alvarez. Her work has also featured in The School Magazine, she has illustrated for ABC Commercial and her work can be seen at http://www.scbwi.org, http://www.thestylefile.com
and on her website http://www.yvonnelow.com.
Website: http://www.yvonnelow.com
Twitter: @YLcreate

 

 

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New Second Look title coming in September!

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Author Ian Irvine

We are very pleased to announce that our next Second Look title will be an omnibus volume of bestselling fantasy author Ian Irvine’s fabulous Sorcerer’s Tower quartet for young readers, to be published in September. The book will be launched at the Sorcery to Spaceships speculative fiction festival in Armidale, NSW on Friday September 15.

Cover reveal coming soon, but here’s a bit about the book:

Illustrator DM Cornish

Join orphan Tamly and his best friend Kym as they embark on a dangerous mission to save their home from the evil forces that threaten it at every turn! Packed with magic, adventure, and unexpected twists and turns, bestselling author Ian Irvine’s exciting fantasy quartet for younger readers, fabulously illustrated by D.M Cornish, is a treat for readers aged 8-12.

This new omnibus edition, published in the Second Look imprint of Christmas Press, contains all four books in the series: Book 1, Thorn Castle; Book 2, Giant’s Lair; Book 3, Black Crypt; Book 4, Wizardry Craig.

This edition with a new cover illustration by David Allan.

‘It has all the things that turn reluctant readers into avaricious readers – fast moving plot, big grabby monsters and really cool illustrations.’ (Reading Time)

Lovely review of Eleanor Elizabeth in Reading Time

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A lovely review of Libby Gleeson’s wonderful novel, Eleanor Elizabeth, in the new Second Look edition, has just been published in Reading Time. Here’s a short extract:

Truth be told, I loved this book. Once in, I couldn’t put it down. The slightly unusual way in which Eleanor thought intrigued me. Random thoughts are scattered throughout the book- things that she has heard, read or said that, although jarring for the first few occurrences, soon fit in like the missing pieces of a puzzle. The story flows easily, a quick but extremely enjoyable read.

The new edition of the book also includes the occasional line drawing in black and white, sketches of scenes and landscapes that carefully accentuate the novel and storyline in beautiful simplicity.

You can read the whole review here.

Excellent review of Eleanor Elizabeth on Read Plus

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We are delighted to report that the new Second Look edition of Libby Gleeson’s extraordinary first novel, Eleanor Elizabeth, has just received an excellent review on Read Plus.

Here’s a short extract:

Readers will readily identify with Eleanor’s loneliness, her curiosity and her sense of adventure, and follow along with her as dramatic circumstances force her to assume a role of great bravery and courage. The story still holds strong today and this new edition with line drawing illustrations by Beattie Alvarez should be a popular read in any school library.

You can read the whole review here.

Interview with Libby Gleeson, about Eleanor Elizabeth

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Libby GleesonIt’s the official release week for our new edition of Libby Gleeson’s wonderful first novel, Eleanor Elizabeth!

To celebrate, we spoke to the author about the novel and what’s it like seeing it back in print.

First of all, Libby, congratulations on the release of the new edition of Eleanor Elizabeth! We are so thrilled to be bringing this wonderful novel back to a new generation of readers. In your new introduction to the book, you wrote about how the book came about. How does it feel like, revisiting your first novel?
It’s a strange experience. I feel so proud to see it back in print. It was my first attempt at writing a novel, I didn’t know if it would ever be published and so revisiting it brings back all the pleasures of creating it while at the same time fearing it would never see the light of day.
One of the striking things about this novel is the sense the reader gets of the natural environment, which has a real role to play in the story. How did you build up that vivid background?
I wrote the book while I was living in Europe so I was missing my homeland at the same time as wanting to place my characters there. I spent a lot of time focusing on my own memories of landscape and the difference between where the story starts and where the family moves and lives. The new environment helps shape the main character. It’s almost a character in the story.
Elizabeth’s diary is almost like a kind of time-travel device, plunging Eleanor back into the past. How did you recreate Elizabeth’s world?
I knew enough about rural life in the late nineteenth century – that’s the story of my mother’s family.  I had to spend time looking at the kind of language Elizabeth would use. Diaries were a great help – especially Ethel Turner’s, despite it being about twenty years later.Eleanor Elizabeth final cover
You have gone on to become one of Australia’s most acclaimed and popular authors. What role do you think Eleanor, Elizabeth played in that?
The success of Eleanor, Elizabeth gave me confidence to keep going. I had written it while I was a member of a writing group in London and that group was very demanding in terms of finding the right image and language and sentiment. It encouraged experimentation. I still have that in my head as I write. I think I have also been lucky.

 

The Second Look edition of Eleanor Elizabeth is available in all good bookshops.  ISBN: 9780994234070, RRp $18.99.

Excited to announce imminent release of our new title!

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Eleanor Elizabeth final coverOur upcoming Second Look title, a brand new edition of multi-award winning author Libby Gleeson’s fantastic first novel, Eleanor Elizabeth, will be released in mid-August and we are very excited!

With a new introduction by the author, and sensitive black and white internal illustrations by Beattie Alvarez (who also created the eye-catching cover), this will be a real publishing milestone. We are thrilled and honoured to be bringing back this gripping, vivid novel by one of Australia’s most loved and well-known authors, to a new generation of readers.

The book will be available through all good bookshops and online, worldwide.

Booksellers and libraries, please order through our distributor, Dennis Jones and Associates.

Interview with Duncan Ball

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Duncan Ball author picIn this interview, we talk to Duncan Ball, author of our fabulous launch title, This School is Driving Me Nuts and Other Funny Plays for Kids.

First of all, Duncan, congratulations on the publication of This School is Driving Me Nuts! We are delighted that it’s the launch title of our Second Look imprint. Can you tell us something about the process you went through, updating and revising the original plays from Comedies for Kids?

Authors rarely get to re-write their work after it’s published. It’s all set in stone once it’s a book. After Comedies for Kids was published I read and re-read the shorter plays out loud in schools.  I could see that some of the jokes needed changing because either the kids didn’t get them or they just needed little changes to get bigger laughs. And when I saw some of the plays performed I could see how they could be improved. When Second Look agreed to re-publish the plays I had lots of notes about how to make the plays better and that’s exactly what I did.

You wrote a new play, ‘The Teeth of a Vampire’, for the new edition. What was that like, going back into the spirit and atmosphere of the collection to create something new?

I really enjoyed it. All I had to do was to re-read the other plays and I was back in the groove again. Writing comedy is very challenging but, when it works, it’s the best.

Class performance of Perils of Prince Percy Australia 2009

Class performance of Perils of Prince Percy Australia 2009

Plays suitable for children to perform–especially funny plays!–are not easy to find. Why do you think that is?

Kids love to read plays. I discovered this when I worked at the School Magazine at the NSW Department of Education. I think the reason for this is because plays don’t have all the (sometimes boring) description that other writing has. They also like the novelty of having the story all in dialogue. I think that many publishers avoid publishing plays for kids is that they’re afraid that parents won’t buy them. They’re wrong, of course.

What are your top tips for writing plays kids will enjoy?

It’s important to write what you enjoy reading. If you enjoy it there’s a good chance that others will too. When it comes to writing for kids an adult (like me) has to try to become a kid again. When I sit down to write I become the twelve year old I was many

Performance Perils of Prince Percy Canadian northern Drama Festival 2010

Performance Perils of Prince Percy Canadian northern Drama Festival 2010

many years ago.

Tell us about some of your favourite anecdotes regarding these plays.

There are so many things that have happened regarding these plays. Here are a couple of them that spring to mind:

Three of these plays were performed by First Nations kids (Cree Indian high school students) in Northern Saskatchewan in Canada. They took their productions to provincial and national competitions and won themselves a number of prizes. I was sent videos of the plays but I wish I could have been there to see the actual performances.

Recently, a woman contacted me to say that when she was in primary school she and her cousin acted out one of the plays, “Yak Attack” for their grandmother. Last month her grandmother was having her 90th birthday and said that she loved the play so much she wanted the women to act it out again—which they did.

Performance Murder at Muckup Mansion Canadian Northern Drama Festival 2009

Performance Murder at Muckup Mansion Canadian Northern Drama Festival 2009

Performance Waiting for John Doe Canadian Northern Drama Festival 2012

Performance Waiting for John Doe Canadian Northern Drama Festival 2012

Welcome to Second Look Publishing!

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Second Look Publishing is a new imprint from Christmas Press, and is dedicated to republishing great Australian children’s books that have been undeservedly out of print. We will be publishing them in both ebook and high-quality print-on-demand formats.

With a very heartfelt thank you to Australia Post for an Our Neighbourhood small business grant, we are able to bring you two fabulous titles this year, starting with This School is Driving Me Nuts, a collection of hilarious plays for children by popular author Duncan Ball, with pictures by well-known illustrator Craig Smith. It will be published in March 2016.

Our second book, out in July, will be an illustrated new edition of Eleanor, Elizabeth by Libby Gleeson, this multi-award-winning writer’s first novel, and will feature an introduction by the author.

The third book, to be contracted in 2016 and published in early 2017, is still being negotiated–watch this space!