Mary-anne Scott facts for kids

Mary-anne Scott is a talented writer, singer, and musician from New Zealand. She is known for her exciting books, especially those for young adults. Her book Snakes and Ladders even won a special award called the Children's Choice Award in 2013! Mary-anne lives in Havelock North, New Zealand, and has a big family with four sons and five grandchildren.

About Mary-anne Scott

Mary-anne grew up in a large family with nine children. Music was a very important part of their home life. Each child was encouraged to learn two musical instruments. For Mary-anne, these were the cello and the guitar. Practice time was always taken seriously!

Mary-anne's father wrote songs for school musicals. Her mother, Joy Watson, who is also a famous children's author, wrote the words for these songs.

Her Journey as a Writer

After many years of writing short stories, Mary-anne decided to take a creative writing course. This helped her learn more about writing books. She also had a special mentor, author David Hill, who guided her writing.

In 2011, she studied for a diploma in creative writing at Whitireia Polytechnic. Her teacher there was the well-known author Mandy Hager.

Mary-anne has shared her writing journey at many book festivals. She spoke at the Hawke's Bay Readers and Writers Festival in 2013. She also attended Featherston Booktown in 2016. In 2018, she was a judge for the Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Awards.

Family Life and Inspiration

Mary-anne Scott and her husband Paul live in Havelock North, Hawke's Bay. They have four sons and two grandsons. Besides writing, Mary-anne is a singer and teaches guitar.

Her experiences as a mom have greatly influenced her books. She listens to her sons and their friends. She also teaches cello and guitar to high school students. All these experiences help her write stories that feel real to young adults.

For example, her book Coming Home to Roost explores family challenges. It shows how teenagers and parents deal with difficult situations. The book was special because it looked at these challenges from a father's point of view.

Awards and Book Recognition

Mary-anne Scott's books have won several important awards.

• Her book Snakes and Ladders won the Children's Choice Award in 2013. This was in the Young Adult category of the New Zealand Children's Book Awards. It was also a finalist for the LIANZA awards.
• Coming Home to Roost was named a Storylines Notable Book in 2017. It was also a finalist for the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
• Her short stories have also been recognized. They were finalists for the National Flash Fiction Awards.
• In 2018, her book Sticking with Pigs was a finalist. This was in the Young Adult category of the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.