Melinda Szymanik

Melinda writes picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults.  Her second picture book The Were-Nana won the NZ Post 2009 Children’s Choice Award, was a 2009 CLF Storylines Notable Book and was shortlisted for the 2010 Sakura Medal.

Her most recent books are teen novel The Half Life of Ryan Davis and picture books, The House That Went to Sea and Made With Love.
When she is not writing Melinda likes reading, baking (especially with chocolate), going to the movies, and travelling to fun places with her family. She has three teenage children, a dog, a cat and a husband and lives in Mt Eden with a view of the mountain from her study.   

Melinda teaches creative writing workshops for adults and children, blogs regularly on writing and is one of 9 New Zealand writers who have participated in an innovative on-line writing experiment for children.
 

Selected bibliography:

• Clever Moo illustrated by Malcolm Evans (Scholastic NZ 2006).
• The Were-Nana: Not a Bedtime Story illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson (Scholastic NZ 2008).
• Jack the Viking (Scholastic NZ 2008).
• The House that Went to Sea illustrated by Gabriella Klepatski (Duck Creek Press 2011).
• The Half Life of Ryan Davis (Pear Jam Books 2011).
• Made With Love (Duck Creek Press 2012).

• Dare and Double Dare (Random House 2007).
• Short (Black Dog Books 2008).
• Pick 'n' Mix: Volume One (Scholastic 2010).
• Pick 'n' Mix: Volume Two (Scholastic 2011).
• Great Mates (Random House 2011).

Awards:
 

• New Zealand Post Children's Choice 2009 for The Were-Nana.
• Storylines Notable Books - Picture Book List 2009 for The Were-Nana.
• Sakura Medal 2010 Finalist for The Were-Nana.
   

Website:

• Melinda Szymanik website.
• Melinda Szymanik blog.
• Facebook:  Melinda Szymanik Children's Author.

Storylines thanks zeald.com for their ongoing support of the Storylines website.