Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award

I'm excited to announce that I have won the Storylines Tom Fitzgibbon Award for my junior novel about Slime, to be released early next year with Scholastic NZ. Watch this space!

For more info visit: 

https://www.storylines.org.nz/Awards/Storylines+Tom+Fitzgibbon+Award/Storylines+Tom+Fitzgibbon+Award+winners.html

New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults Announcement

I'm super excited to share the news that The Day the Plants Fought Back has been named a finalist in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, for the 'Best First Book' Award!

Read more about the awards at http://www.nzbookawards.nz/new-zealand-book-awards-for-children-and-young-adults/2020-awards/shortlist/

#NZCYA #BooksAlive #ReadNZ

Paparoa Street School Visit

Last week I was invited to Paparoa Street School for their 'Caught Reading Club' Fish & Chip evening. Thanks so much for having me — I had a great time!

Breens School Visit

I had a great time visiting Breens Intermediate School today, to introduce The Day the Plants Fought Back, and to talk about writing. I brought some vegetables along to see if the kids could identify them and I was pretty impressed! A couple of the weird-looking veges had the students stumped (and some of the teachers too!). Thanks for having me!

Vege Quiz - Prizes to be won!

All sorts of weird and wacky veges can be found in our grocers and supermarkets, and also in my book, The Day the Plants Fought Back! See if you can identify these ones below. The first people to email the correct answer to belindaokeefe1@gmail.com will receive a prize. Be sure to include your full name and school in the email!

These little chaps grow on a stalk,

What would they say if able to talk?

"We're packed full of iron and Vitamin C,

But many don't like to cook us for tea.

Dress us in butter and fresh lemon zest,

Then you'll agree we're simply the best!

Who can identify this little guy?

He's knobbly and bobbly, a strange-looking kai!

Bake him or boil him or mash him with spice,

Or roast him with meat and serve him with rice.

He's lumpy and bumpy and orangey-pink,

He looks like a thumb - what do you think?

This chunky dude's from a sturdy root crop,

Cream on the bottom and purple on top.

Grown in the winter, he doesn't like heat,

Mash him with cream for a scrumptious treat.

Bake him, roast him, turn him into chips,

Dip them into sauce and lick it off your lips!

KIDSFEST SCORPIO BOOKS

Free in the second week of the school holidays? Come along to the amazing Scorpio Books bookshop!

Russley School Visit

Last week I had the pleasure of introducing Russley School to The Day the Plants Fought Back. What a great bunch of kids!
I brought along some unusual vegetables to see if the kids could identify them. We had some 
interesting answers!

Thanks so much for having me, I had a blast!