The annual announcement of the CBCA Children’s Book of the Year Notables list is just days away, and I make a tiny appearance in this video to celebrate the announcement.
I won’t comment on how difficult it is to get a kitten to cooperate for the taking of a photo, especially when there is no one else available to take the picture! Perhaps the magic is that we got there in the end 🙂
Yesterday I was lucky enough to meet and chat with young readers and their families at the Young Readers’ Day Out, an initiative of SCBWI West and the State Library of WA.
This event offers young readers the chance to hear from and see some of WA’s best creators of children’s books and I was awed by the readings, drawings and entertainment offered by luminaries including Julia Lawrinson, Cristy Burne, Renee Treml, Sean Avery and more. And of course, I got to trot out the tiara and get the audience to help me with some enthusiastic Narelling.
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This year I was privileged to play a small role in the Premier’s Reading Challenge WA – as a Challenge Cheersquad member. My job was to cheer on the readers across the state who did an amazing job of reading for pleasure – with more than 360 000 books read and logged in 16 weeks.
Yesterday I attended a ceremony at Parliament House where prizes were given to the readers in each age group who read the most books, as well as to four readers who were randomly drawn (a lovely initiative because while quantity is wonderful, simply participating is equally wonderful), and then also to the schools in different enrolment categories who had the greatest participation.
What I loved about yesterday’s event was the joy in the room from everyone from the
young readers, to the educators, members of the challenge staff, politicians, including the Premier and the Minister for Education, and other MPs who came along because a child from their electorate was there. A real recognition that reading matters – and, specifically, that reading for pleasure matters. It was also lovely to join fellow cheersquad members, Chenee Marapodi , who did an awesome job as event MC, and Norman Jorgensen.
You can see some lovely official photos on the Premier’s Facebook post about the event.
And if you are not sure why I am SO excited about the Challenge being back in WA, not only do I love reading and seeing children read, but as an educator I know that there is evidence backed research evidence that Reading for Pleasure is more significant than a raft of other factors in a child’s educational success. That is reading for pleasure leads to better outcomes not only in literacy, but across all subjects (yes, even science and maths). And, of course, not only does reading make you smarter, but it makes you nicer – ie it builds emotional regulation, empathy and more.
So, the Premier’s Reading Challenge is not just about counting books, and feel good moments like yesterday’s – it is an investment in the future of our young people, and thus in our whole society.
It’s September. The start of Spring here in Australia – although the more accurate season where I live is Djilba, one of the six Noongar seasons. If you read about it here, you will learn that Djilba (second spring) is marked by the appearance of yellow and cream flowers – and I have seen those on a daily basis, the yellows of the wattles being especially lovely.
September also marks, in my world, the end of what is always the busiest month in a children’s author’s year, because Children’s Bookweek ® is always in August, and many events happen not just during that week but in the weeks around it.
I was lucky enough to visit Rockingham and Bunbury libraries and schools during Bookweek – and managed to not get a single photo of myself presenting, which is a shame, so you’ll just have to imagine me at the front of the room, with my crown, sharing Queen Narelle, and, more importantly, a love of reading and writing, with classes from local schools. We had fun trying to decide what cats think, and then, also, what dogs might think, or swans, or even quokkas. I suspect there might be a few animal-themed stories being written in those classrooms 🙂
One really special moment was when the Bunbury library took me to visit Djidi Djidi Aboriginal School where not only was I made to feel very welcome, but was also reminded and thanked profusely for a small contribution I made. Several years ago, the school’s library burnt down and I used Facebook to ask fellow creators to donate books to ensure the students still had plenty of reading materials. And, as I hoped, the books came and were enjoyed. On this visit I was taken on a tour of the incredible new library built since then. So thoughtfully planned for the needs of the whole school community – but I must confess that my favourite feature was a child-sized door into the junior part of the library, which I just had to try for size.
Thanks Djidi Djidi school for making me feel so welcome.
I was also lucky enough to speak at the Make Your Own Story Book award ceremony where I also helped present prizes to very talented young creators from across the state who had written and illustrated some top quality books of their own. After the ceremony they stayed for a Masterclass with moi, which was more fun than this photo of me looking VERY stern would suggest.:
Also in Bookweek ® I visited Maidens Park Primary School as a Rolemodel for the Books in Home charity, a wonderful program where children in participating schools each get a pack of books, which they have selected, to take home and keep. I was there with staff from Mainfreight, who are sponsoring the school’s participation, and we were treated to a circus themed assembly, the school’s Bookweek dress up parade, and a really warm welcome. I love being part of this program, and was especially happy that is now being rolled out close to home.
And, lastly, my final Bookweek ® event (last, but not east) was at Paperbird Books in Fremantle, where Dianne Wolfer and myself joined the after school bookclub to discuss our books. So much fun spending an hour with keen young readers, and a lovely way to finish Bookweek ®
Like lots of authors and illustrators, I always get to the end of August pretty tired – but it is possible, I know from experience, to feel simultaneously exhausted and elated. The absolutely best part of being an author is getting to spend time with young people, talking about books and writing and, hopefully, inspiring them to read and write even more. And, with requests for next year’s Bookweek ® already arriving, I can’t wait!
I am feeling very grateful that I get to do what I do, and especially grateful for the librarians, teachers, bookshops and others who arrange these visits – they have a far harder job than mine. And, even more especially grateful to the Children’s Book Council of Australia, who ‘invented’ Children’s Bookweek ® and keep making it happen, and to the WA Branch who make it happen locally. Thank you for all you do.
And, lastly, thanks to every young reader who reads, not just one of my books (though that of course makes me happy) but ANY book, and, by doing so, makes the world a better place.
What a wonderfully busy month it has been, celebrating the release of Queen Narelle. Thank you so much to all who have taken the time to tell me – in person or via messages – that they have read and loved my little book.
It feels a little like I have been on a royal tour, with events for Narelle, and other bookish and speaking wonders, keeping me on the go. And, while I have been sharing these via my Instagram and Facebook posts, I thought I might pause for a moment and share here what I have been up to.
Firstly, on the day of its release, I was down in Albany, where I presented two masterclasses as part of The Literature Centre‘s Talented Young Writer’s Program. It was cold and wet outside – but inside it was warm and cosy – and my heart was filled with delight at the willingness of these teens to write poetry with me.
In the evening I teamed up with the amazing Dianne Wolfer, friend and author extraordinaire, for a double book launch.
What were the chances that we would be in the same town on the same day that we BOTH had a new book released? And that one book (mine, of course) was about cats, and the other ( Scout and the Rescue Dogs) about dogs? So we had to have a party in the form of a launch. There was plenty of fun, book signings and, of course, cake.
The next week I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Fairview Primary School in my childhood home town of Collie. It is always lovely to visit Collie, but I had no idea how delightful my visit would be, with all the staff and students really welcoming and the year five/sixes, having read Worse Things, filled with awesome questions and even breaking into song when I mentioned Jolene, one of the characters (I bet you can guess what the song was!). That’s never happened before and was a highlight. And I can’t wait to go back next term and do some writing with those classes.
Then off to Fremantle to the Literature Centre for a Behind the Walls event. This was really special – because I got to share the stage with one of my literary heroes, Steven Herrick. We chatted all things verse novel, under the expert mc-ing of Anna Hardy, who managed to wrangle us well. Steven is one of the stars of the verse novel form, and his work certainly inspired me to get started as a verse novelist, so this was a real bucket list experience for me.
Lastly, but no means least, last weekend I was part of an incredibly inspiring day at my old school, Iona Presentation College. I was a keynote for the Empower Me, Inspire Her symposium and was really humbled to be sharing the stage with amazing speakers including Paralympian Priya Cooper OAM and Catherine Kolomyjec, founder of The Kindness Challenge and someone who I felt an instant bond with., which you can almost feel in this photo. 
My own speech at this event was really well received which was lovely – because the focus was all about what I have learnt about myself in the past year and how, while the stories we read can be super empowering, often the stories we tell ourselves ( in our heads) can be less helpful. The feedback I’ve had is that I touched a chords with a lot of the audience – which is wonderful – because my goal in sharing was exactly that.
That’s it for June events – but tomorrow is July and, I am pleased to say, I have TWO school holiday events/book launches coming up.
If you are in or near Bunbury, you can come along to the Bunbury library on June 6th for a launch with story time and craft. You might even spot me dressed in my royal gown and tiara 🙂 This is a free event, and you can register here
And, if you are in Perth, you can come along to the Dianella library on July 12 for another free event, where the book will be launched by Jan Nicholls and again there will be craft and story fun. Registrations are at this link
I look forward to seeing you there , but, if you are further afield, I’ll share some of the fun here and on Instagram.
If you are a children’s literature lover, or a poetry lover, or just ever wanted to have an evening behind the walls at the Fremantle Prison, you are in luck.
On June 15 The Literature Centre are hosting an in-conversation event where you can hear ME chatting to Steven Herrick, arguably Australia’s finest verse novelist.
I’m excited because I adore Steven’s work – and, in fact, he is one of the reasons I fell in love with the form before I started writing my own verse novels.
If you are keen, you will find all the details at this link, and you can book now! See you there.