The Whizbanger That Emmental Built

Last updated

The Whizbanger That Emmental Built
AuthorReuben Schwarz
LanguageEnglish
Genre Children's
Published2006
Publisher Puffin Books
Publication placeNew Zealand

The Whizbanger That Emmental Built (2006) is a children's novel written by New Zealand author, Reuben Schwarz. The novel tells the story of Emmental Baker, daughter of famed writer Niall Baker, and her adventures with the bizarre inventor Chaida Manning. [1] The Whizbanger That Emmental Built was published by in 2006 by Penguin Books, under the banner of Puffin Books. [2]

Contents

Reuben Schwarz

Reuben Schwarz (12 December 1978) was born in New Zealand, but moved to Canada as a child. Raised in Alberta and West Vancouver, British Columbia, Reuben earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of British Columbia. After failing to be accepted to medical school, Schwarz enrolled at the University of Toronto. There he was the editor of the student newspaper, The Independent Weekly.[ citation needed ]

In 2004 Schwarz returned to New Zealand, earning a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Upon graduation, Schwarz began reporting for The Dominion Post in Wellington. [3] Schwarz is the winner of two Qantas Media Awards. [4]

Synopsis

The Whizbanger That Emmental Built tells the story of Emmental Baker, a bright but shy girl. Emmental's mother has recently died and her father, infamous writer and recluse Niall Baker, has relocated the family to the imaginary town of Dropsham in the hopes of curing his writer's block.

Emme struggles to fit in her new surroundings, persecuted by her teacher Mrs. Hanlin and bullied by class brute Rory Blunt. With her father despondent and detached, Emme finds friendship with her neighbor, bizarre inventor Chaida Manning. As Emme's friendship with Manning grows, she learns to accept her creativity and individualism, gaining self-confidence.

Themes

Typical children's literary themes are expressed in Whizbanger. The main character, Emmental Baker, is vulnerable, and oppressed by society (her school teacher Mrs. Hanlon and classmate Rory Blunt). This theme is consistent throughout children's literature, from the fairytales of the Cinderella genre to J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.[ citation needed ]

Characters

Emmental Baker

Emmental, or "Emme" is the protagonist of the story. She is shy and gentle, yet creative and bright. Suffering the death of her mother and the neglect of her author father, she finds strength in her own imagination.

Niall Baker

Emme's father, Niall is the author of eleven acclaimed novels and three not-so-acclaimed ones; he struggles from writer's block. His wife, Emme's mother, is recently deceased.

Chaida Manning

Chaida Manning is the bizarre inventor of atrocities, such as the Wooshraker and Pitchaptchapitcha. Ultimately Chaida is Emme's salvation, teaching her to trust her imagination.

Rory Blunt

Rory Blunt is the violent antagonist and Emme's classmate. Typical of a bully, he picks on defenseless Emme. He is also prone to bouts of violence and paranoia. Rory takes pleasure is bashing things, at times returning home to retrieve his best bashing boots.

Awards

In 2007, The Whizbanger That Emmental Built was shortlisted for Library Association of New Zealand's (LIANZA) Esther Glen Award. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngaio Marsh</span> New Zealand crime writer and theatre director (1895–1982)

Dame Edith Ngaio Marsh was a New Zealand writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Mahy</span> New Zealand childrens writer (1936–2012)

Margaret Mahy was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up. She wrote more than 100 picture books, 40 novels and 20 collections of short stories. At her death she was one of thirty writers to win the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal for her "lasting contribution to children's literature".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Hager</span> New Zealand writer

Amanda Hager is a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children, young adults and adults. Many of her books have been shortlisted for or won awards, including Singing Home the Whale which won both the Young Adult fiction category and the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year in the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2015. She has been the recipient of several fellowships, residencies and prizes, including the Beatson Fellowship in 2012, the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship in 2014, the Waikato University Writer in Residence in 2015 and the Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award in 2019.

Fifi Colston is a writer, illustrator, poet, wearable arts designer, costume and props maker for the film industry and television presenter. She has written or illustrated over 30 books and is also a veteran entrant, finalist and winner in the World of Wearable Art Competition. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elsie Locke</span> New Zealand writer, historian, and activist

Elsie Violet Locke was a New Zealand communist writer, historian, and leading activist in the feminism and peace movements. Probably best known for her children's literature, The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature said that she "made a remarkable contribution to New Zealand society", for which the University of Canterbury awarded her an honorary D.Litt. in 1987. She was married to Jack Locke, a leading member of the Communist Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tania Roxborogh</span> New Zealand writer

Tania Kelly Roxborogh is a New Zealand author who currently lives in Lincoln, Canterbury. Roxborogh is of Māori, Irish and Scottish descent. She is the author of over 30 books, including Third Degree, Twenty Minute Shakespeare, and Fat Like Me and The Banquo's Son Trilogy. She also teaches English at the local high school. In 2021, her novel Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea won the supreme award, the Margaret Mahy Book of the year.

Ken Catran is a children's novelist and television screenwriter from New Zealand.

Alice Esther Glen, known as Esther, was a New Zealand novelist, journalist and community worker. She was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she also died. She was the first notable New Zealand author of children's books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Bishop</span> New Zealand childrens book writer and illustrator

Gavin John Bishop is an author and illustrator, from Invercargill, New Zealand. He is known for illustrating books from prominent New Zealand authors, including Joy Cowley and Margaret Mahy. Bishop's first published picture book was Mrs McGinty and the Bizarre Plant, published in 1981 by Oxford University Press.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Green (poet)</span> New Zealand poet and childrens author

Paula Joy Green is a New Zealand poet and children's author.

Rachael King is an author from New Zealand.

Tina Shaw is a New Zealand author.

Mary-anne Scott is a writer, singer and musician. Her books have been shortlisted for awards and Snakes and Ladders won the Children's Choice Award in the Young Adult category of the 2013 New Zealand Children's Book Awards. She lives in Havelock North, New Zealand, and has four sons and five grandchildren.

Rachael Craw is a New Zealand writer of fantasy, romance and YA sci-fi cross-over books. She is an English and Drama teacher and lives in Nelson with her husband and three children.

Alison Robertson is a New Zealand writer and journalist. Her manuscript Knocked for Six won the Tom Fitzgibbon Award in 2000 and was published the following year.

Melinda Szymanik, born 1963, is an author from New Zealand. She writes picture books, short stories and novels for children and young adults and lives in Auckland, New Zealand.

The LIANZA Young People's Non-Fiction Award was established in 1986 by the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA). It aimed to encourage the production of the best non-fiction writing for young New Zealanders. The award was renamed the LIANZA Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award in 2002, and that award became the Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award in 2016.

The Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award was first awarded in 2002 by the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA). It aimed to encourage the production of the best non-fiction writing for young New Zealanders. The award was previously known as the LIANZA Young People's Non-Fiction Award, before being renamed in honour of Elsie Locke. The LIANZA Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award became the Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award when the LIANZA Awards merged with the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2016.

Pauline Cartwright is a writer of novels, picture books, stories and poems for children. She was awarded the Choysa Bursary in 1991 and the University of Otago College of Education / Creative New Zealand Children's Writer in Residence Fellowship in 2003. She lives in Alexandra, New Zealand.

Helen Elizabeth Beaglehole is a New Zealand writer, editor and historian. She is known for her children's books including Two Tigers (1993) and War Zones (2005), and her historical books about New Zealand's lighthouses and rural fire-fighting.

References

  1. ↑ "The Whizbanger That Emmental Built by Reuben Schwarz". booktopia.com.au.
  2. ↑ "The Whizbanger that Emmental Built". www.pindar.co.nz. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Cool Kit". www.stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 13 March 2009.
  4. ↑ "Reuben Schwarz - Graduate and Student Profiles - University of Canterbury - New Zealand". www.canterbury.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006.
  5. ↑ "LIANZA announces its shortlist for the Children's Book Awards 2007". www.lianza.org.nz. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.