Tauranga authors finalists in national awards

Launch of Debbie McCauley's children's book Motiti Blue. Author Debbie McCauley. Photo/file

Tauranga authors Debbie McCauley and Susan Brocker have been named as finalists in the LIANZA Children's Book Awards.

Two bilingual children's books by Ms McCauley, who is also a librarian, were announced as 2015 Elsie Locke Non-fiction Award Finalists. The award was established in 1986 and recognises a distinguished contribution to nonfiction for young people.

Children's author Susan Brocker. Photo/file

Her book 'Motiti Blue and the Oil Spill: A Story from the Rena Disaster' has been shortlisted. It tells the story a little blue penguin caught up in Rena's oil spill and has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. A review of the book by John McIntyre featured on National Radio's Nine To Noon program. Central TV News also interviewed Ms McCauley about the book.

Her second book in the awards is 'Taratoa and the Code of Conduct: A Story from the Battle of Gate Pa' which was produced for the battle's sesquicentennial in April 2014.
"It was created under an enormous amount of time pressure" said Ms McCauley, who was also helping to organise the Tauranga commemoration. Her fifteen-year-old daughter Sophie illustrated the book.

Longlisted in the LIANZA Young Adult Finalists is '1914: Riding into War' by Tauranga author Susan Brocker. The story is the first in Scholastic's 'Kiwis at War' series produced to commemorate the first World War. There will be five books in the series, one released each year (2014-2018) whilst the 100th commemorations of World War I take place.

The award winners will be announced on June 15, 2015 during an awards ceremony at The National Library in Wellington.