Betty Gilderdale Award goes to Christchurch reviewer.

 
Christchurch reviewer Trevor Agnew, a tireless advocate and promoter of children’s and young adult literature, is the recipient of the 2013 Betty Gilderdale Award for distinguished service to children’s literature. Beginning as a teacher, Agnew was one of New Zealand’s first qualified Teacher-Librarians. More recently he has been an insightful reviewer for the Christchurch Press and for the Australasian journal Magpies in which he has promoted New Zealand books and authors both by reviews and by many articles and interviews with authors and illustrators.

In 1993 the Canterbury Reading Association awarded him the Nada Beardsley Literacy Award for ‘services in the promotion of literacy’.

Trevor maintains a children’s book blog Agnew Reading and in 2010 was a judge for the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards.

Trevor will receive his award on November 28 at a function at the Children’s Bookshop, Christchurch.

The Betty Gilderdale Award honours Betty Gilderdale’s service to New Zealand’s children’s literature. Betty was a Foundation member of the Children’s Literature Association, as well as a lecturer, reviewer and writer.