Pauline Cartwright

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cartwright, Pauline (1944 –) is a versatile writer who has published dozens of books, stories and poems for children.

‘Prolific Central Otago children's author Pauline Cartwright knows how to tell a good story whether it's fiction or non-fiction,’ writes Iona McNaughton.

Arthur and the Dragon, written by Pauline Cartwright and illustrated by David Elliot, received the 1991 Russell Clark Award for Illustration.

Her writing for children includes radio stories, novels, pictures books, poetry and many educational readers on topics from How Dictionaries Came To Be (1992) to All Sorts of Trucks (1998).

Some titles that have been short-listed for New Zealand Book Awards have included: Grow a Gift (1991); What! No TV? (1993); The Reluctant Pirate (1993); Saved by Ryan Kane (1994); and All Sorts of Trucks (1998).

Of All Sorts of Trucks, six-year-old Kelsie Brown writes in the Marlborough Express: ‘This story is good for children my age to read to little brothers and sisters. I think the pictures are brilliant.’

Cartwright's first book is What Is It Like To Be Old? (1988). Instead of a Car was published in 2000.

Cartwright says, ‘Most children will have discovered my titles in their classroom reading. I write books for emergent readers, The Praying Mantis [1993] through to novels Inside the Game [2009] for older readers. For some children, the classroom is the only place where they see books and I want my stories there to be enticing and stimulating. I love to think I am helping to create readers and that at least some of those readers will extend their ability into a life-long passion.’

Big Farm Machines (Bridge Hill, 2000) as its title suggests, explores the big machines and equipment used to help New Zealand farms operate.

Pauline Cartwright was the Robert Lord Writer in Residence from March-May 2003.

Finding Father: The Journal of Mary Brogan, Otago, 1862 (Scholastic, 2004), which appears in the My Story series depicting historic events in New Zealand’s history, tells the story of 13-year-old Mary Brogan’s adventures during the 1862 gold rush to the Dunstan Diggings. The novel was completed in 2003 when Cartwright was Writer in Residence at Dunedin Teachers’ College from March–May.

Survive: Night Rescue (2005) was published by Scholastic.

The Cross Feeling (Scholastic, 2007) is written by Cartwright and illustrated by Annabel Craighead.

MEDIA LINKS AND CLIPS

• Cartwright on Christchurch Libraries' site — Interviews with NZ Children’s Authors
• Saved by Ryan Kane review