Waiau Pa School has won the 2010 Storybook Competition

Congratulations to the Year 7 and 8 students from Room 15, Waiau Pa School who are the winners of the 2010 Storybook Competition. They have won the chance to turn their story idea into a published book, which will be sold with every cent raised going directly to the Starship Foundation.

Room 15’s entry, entitled Paul and the Permanent Propelling Pencil, was one of six finalists chosen from more than 150 entries submitted by primary and intermediate school classes from around Auckland and Northland.

The calibre of all the entries was high, and the students that participated deserve to be very proud of what they achieved. The finalists’ story ideas were selected not only for their imagination, but for the way the students translated their idea into a real story.

The other finalists were:
• The Lonely Picture Book from Diocesan School for Girls;
• The Zoo by Dominion Road Primary;
• Inside the Closet from Lincoln Heights School;
• The Magic Mirror also from Lincoln Heights School; and
• The Pencil from Kohimarama School.

The winning story idea from Waiau Pa School was selected by a panel of judges, including renowned children’s author John Parker, rugby star Keven Mealamu, Starship Foundation Chief Executive Andrew Young and Barfoot & Thompson Chief Executive Wendy Alexander.

Room 15 will now develop their story idea into a manuscript with the support of John Parker, and amateur artist Keven Mealamu will lend his hand to illustrate the book.

Previous titles, Room 22 and Jumbo, the Monster Caterpillar, by the inaugural winners from Colwill School in West Auckland, and The Weather Fish by the 2009 winners from Ahipara School in Northland, each helped raise $30,000.

A portion of the books are also provided to Starship Children’s Health and Whangarei Hospital’s Children’s Ward to be given to young patients that stay overnight to read and take home.