We’re pleased to present another fabulous set of activities created by the talented Ash Taylor: this time, the activities are around Two Fearsome Fairy Tales from France, by Adèle Geras and Fiona McDonald. The activity booklet can be downloaded from the link below. Enjoy!
Category: Announcements
We have acquired Lorena Carrington’s first junior novel!
Christmas Press is delighted to announce that we have acquired world rights in Leaf Letters, a unique interactive short novel for young readers that is award-winning creator Lorena Carrington’s first junior fiction title as an author-illustrator. With a background in fine arts, photography and design. Lorena has previously worked as an illustrator for story collections, anthologies and picture books, and has also created a number of cover illustrations and designs.
Christmas Press publishing director Sophie Masson said, ‘As soon as I read Lorena’s proposal for Leaf Letters, I was hooked. Told in words and pictures, this is a story of friendship, the pleasures of the natural world, and the pleasures of mystery! Plus it’s an invitation for young readers to join in the fun through coded messages and puzzles to solve. What’s not to love?’
From the beginning, readers are drawn into the world of nine-year-old Hazel Bird as she roams her neighbourhood bushland, photographing its tiny wild worlds. But then she meets Cole, a boy with a hundred pockets and a strange and marvellous way of talking. Together they find hidden treasure and a handwritten book of secret codes…Will they solve its mysteries?
Lorena Carrington said, ‘Hazel Bird is undeniably a young version of my adult self, happily lost in the tiny worlds of the undergrowth, camera in hand and twigs in her hair. She loves puzzles of all kinds, whether they involve constructing pictures, deciphering words, or figuring out the world around her. I’ve been wanting for a long time to create a story, told in words and pictures, that includes secret codes and a mystery. When Hazel and Cole popped into my head, I knew it was the perfect chance. I was so thrilled that Christmas Press felt the same way, embracing the idea of Leaf Letters. They are the perfect publisher for this book, and I am ever grateful to Sophie and the team for their enthusiasm and support. It means I get to dream up weird and wonderful enigmas, and spend a whole lot more time crawling around the damp mossy ground.’
Leaf Letters will be published by Christmas Press in July 2024.
Fantastic news for Wanderer!
We are absolutely thrilled to announce the very exciting news that Victor Kelleher’s extraordinary novel, Wanderer, which we published last year in our Eagle Books imprint, has just been shortlisted for the very prestigious Patricia Wrightson Prize, which is the children’s category in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards! This is absolutely wonderful news, and a very well-deserved major recognition of Victor’s magnificent book. Here’s what the judges said about the novel:
With danger at every turn and constant action that grinds to a dramatic climax, Wanderer by Victor Kelleher grips the reader from the start, never letting up on the drama, tension, and conflict. This novel stood out for its strong narrative voice and for its child protagonists who remain in control of their own destinies throughout. Theirs is a high-stakes, life-and-death struggle against the decaying, lawless world around them as they must battle and attempt to outwit adults, wild animals, and nature itself.
This middle-grade novel is set in a dystopian future where ocean levels have risen and society has crumbled. Young Dane and his new friend, Lana, must complete a perilous quest that focuses on special treasures: precious, rare books. And, yet, Wanderer is also much more than this. It’s a tale of friendship, courage, endurance, and a warning of what the future may hold for humanity.
Huge congratulations to Victor! We are so proud to have been able to publish Wanderer, and so delighted that the book has been honoured in this wonderful way.
Winners of the Awards will be announced at the State Library of NSW, Sydney, on May 22. It will also be the opening event for the Sydney Writers’ Festival. #NSWPLA
Tenth anniversary celebrations continue!
We love working with our wonderful authors and illustrators, and in this tenth anniversary year, have asked them about their experience of working with us. Over the next few weeks you will see their responses, and today we’re starting with some absolutely beautiful and affirming words from Victor Kelleher!
Our lovely intern Yasmin Paige has created the great tiles: on the first one is the short version of Victor’s words, on the second the full one.
It’s our 10th anniversary year!
Happy new year, everyone! We hope everyone had a great festive season.
We’re very excited because this year, 2023, is our 10th anniversary year! Yes, our little press started ten years ago with a big dream and a lot of hard work…and this year, we’ll be celebrating the achievements of the last ten years, the fabulous books, the wonderful creators–authors and illustrators–and brilliant professionals–editors, designers, printers, distributors–who work with us. And we’ll be celebrating the fact that our books have found their way into the hands of so many young readers, thanks to the dedicated booksellers, reviewers, families, teachers and librarians who have supported our books and our ‘small press with big ideas’ over those ten wonderful years!
We’ll have all sorts of things going on this year to celebrate and highlight our books, including giveaways, interviews, free downloadable activities, competitions, and more. And today, we’re kicking off the celebrations with a short video outlining the story of Christmas Press. Enjoy–and thank you!
Season’s greetings!
To all our authors, illustrators, friends and supporters:
And see you next year, our 10th anniversary year: we’ll have lots of exciting things happening to celebrate! Meanwhile, have a look at our 2022 books below: lots of great holiday reading!
Our 2022 catalogue, frontlist and backlist
We’re happy to present our 2022 catalogue, with all this year’s fabulous books, plus an overview of all our earlier wonderful titles. Download from the link below–and enjoy!
Introducing our new creative and social media assistant
We’re delighted to introduce our fabulous new creative and social media assistant, Yasmin Paige. Yasmin, a University of New England student majoring in publishing and writing, is doing an internship with us for the next couple of months, concentrating on coming up with great social media campaigns and posts, and creating fun activities around our books. We’re delighted to welcome her to Christmas Press! Watch for her posts and stories on Instagram and Facebook, starting from today.
And read on for more from Yasmin herself.
Hey there, I’m Yasmin (but I usually go by Yas)! I am currently studying my Bachelor’s degree of media and communication, majoring in writing and publishing, at the University of New England. I am so excited to be working with Christmas Press and look forward to showing you what I can do!
A little about me:
I live with my partner Jarrod, and our three cats (Eddie, Lily and Daisy), which means I’m always covered in cat fur. Our apartment is overrun by books, plants, painting supplies and little knick-knacks I pick up from thrift stores and traveling. I love art, fashion history and romance novels, and will often be found curled up on the couch with a mug of Milo, reading a book or watching a video essay on Renaissance fashion.
I chose Christmas Press because of their dedication to both their authors and their audience, which is very important to me! And I hope during my time here I can further boost this connection as well as gain knowledge from those more experienced in the publishing industry. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but hopefully I will be helping the writing dreams of others come into fruition and encouraging younger generations to take up reading ♡.
A fun little video set in the world of the four friends
For the enjoyment of our readers and supporters, we’re delighted to present to you a fun little video, Four friends at the vintage vehicle show, which is a standalone mini-episode set in the world of the four fabulous friends who just happen to have wheels: Fergie, Maxie, Lady and Flash.
The ‘Four’ series of chapter books for young readers is written by Sophie Masson, illustrated by Cheryl Orsini, and published by Christmas Press. Together, the books form a fantastic, funny and action-packed little series full of vivid vehicle characters, exciting adventures and lots of fun. And they make perfect little stocking fillers for Christmas!
In order, the books are:
Four on the Run(2020)
Four All At Sea(2021)
Four Up In Lights (2022)
Our new merchandise store on TeePublic!
We have a new merchandise store on TeePublic–offering all kinds of things, from Tshirts to phone cases, stickers to cards, bags and more, which feature gorgeous illustrations from some of our books. Below you can see just a couple of the fabulous designs you can choose from–‘Bear in the Woods’ by David Allan, from Two Trickster Tales from Russia by Sophie Masson and David Allan, and ‘Selkie seal kingdom’, by Fiona McDonald, from Two Selkie Stories from Scotland, by Kate Forsyth and Fiona McDonald.
Check out the store here.
Christmas Press 