A Book in the Hand

Books, great for indoor use but what about in the Great Outdoors? From the Publishers Weekly comes the amazing and remarkable story of Michael Auberry, a 12-year-old who recently disappeared from his Boy Scout troop in North Carolina. Subsequently found alive it was claimed a YA book might have helped him survive.

Auberry read Gary Paulsen’s novel Hatchet, (a classic wilderness survival tale) a few years ago, and his relieved father said "I think he’s got some of that book on his mind,"

Author Pausen was quoted as saying, "The boy in the book learned that you can't panic, you have to stay sensible and calm. If that was part of what helped Michael I would be extremely glad."

International Children's Book Day

Monday 2 April is International Children's Book Day (ICBD). A mini-festival to celebrate ICBD will run over three days from Saturday 31 March to Monday 2 April 2007 with the festival launched at the annual Margaret Mahy Day in Auckland on 31 March. There’s a great creative range of celebratory activities around the country from the picture book launch of Guji Guji by Gecko Press at Wellington Central Library, (Saturday 31 March at 11.OO) to Waitakere City Library where local schools will listen to four different legends from around the globe then complete a giant jigsaw. For more info check the Storylines website for activities in your local area.