Lorraine Orman facts for kids

Lorraine Orman, born on November 24, 1948, is a talented writer from New Zealand. She has also worked as a librarian, a writing teacher, and a judge for writing competitions. Lorraine is well-known for writing exciting books for children and young adults. Many of her short stories have been collected in books with other authors' stories. Her book Cross Tides won a special award in 2005 for being the best first book by a new author. Today, she lives in Christchurch.

About Lorraine Orman

Early Life and Education

Lorraine Orman was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on November 24, 1948. She went to the University of Auckland to study for her Bachelor of Arts degree. After that, she earned a special diploma in librarianship in Wellington. This helped her work in different libraries, including the National Library and libraries in schools and colleges.

Starting Her Writing Journey

When Lorraine had a young family, she started writing short stories for kids. Her very first story was published in the New Zealand School Journal in 1982. Since then, her stories have appeared in many collections of short stories. Some of her stories have even been read aloud on National Radio.

Helping Young Readers and Writers

Lorraine was a big part of the Storylines Foundation for many years. This foundation helps connect young people with books and authors. In 2007, she worked with another writer, Tessa Duder, to create a collection of short stories. This book celebrated International Children's Book Day, which is a special day for books and reading around the world.

Lorraine has also helped choose winning books for several awards. She was a judge for the New Zealand Post Children's and Young Adults' Book Awards in 2004. She also judged for the LIANZA Awards, the Tessa Duder Award, and the Tom Fitzgibbon Award.

She used to write reviews about children's books for different writing websites and Magpies magazine. Lorraine also taught many classes and workshops to help other people learn how to write for children.

Life in Christchurch

After living in Warkworth for many years, Lorraine Orman moved to Christchurch in 2018. She moved with her husband to be closer to her family. Lorraine has five grandchildren.

Awards and Recognitions

Winning the Best First Book Award

Lorraine Orman won a big award in 2005 for her novel Cross Tides. It was called the Best First Book Award at the New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards. This award celebrates new authors who write amazing books.

Notable Books

Several of Lorraine's other books have been recognized as Storylines Notable Books. This means they are considered some of the best books published for children and young adults in New Zealand.