sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Teacher Tuesday: Worse Things

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Welcome to a new school year. If you are in Australia, and are a teacher, chances are you are busily greeting your new students this week. So it seems a good time for me to reintroduce something I used do regularly pre-covid, a weekly feature called Teacher Tuesday.

How it works is that each Tuesday I will endeavour to share something that will help teachers to use one or more of my books or poems, or perhaps books and poems more broadly, in the classroom.  Sometimes it will be brand new content. Other times it will be helping you to discover – or rediscover – content that has been shared elsewhere.

To kick things off, this week I want to share an excellent unit of work developed by PETAA for my verse novel Worse Things (published by Walker Books and illustrated by the amazing Sarah Davis).

You will find this unit of work, aimed at year 5 and 6 English curriculum outcomes, here.  What does it offer? Lots of big picture ideas, close reading, word knowledge, ideas for writing and creating, and more. While you are there, I encourage you to browse the rest of the PETAA site and, if you aren’t already a member, to consider joining.

Not familiar with Worse Things? Here’s a taste – me reading chapter one during the first Covid lockdown back in 2020.

As well as the above unit of work, Worse Things is suitable for reading aloud to classes from about year 4 through to junior high, as well as for individual reading. You’ll find more ideas here, at the Walker Books website.

Have you read or taught http://sallymurphy.com.au/worse-things/? I’d love to know how you went, and if you have any ideas for sharing. Leave a comment.

A Cover Reveal: Queen Narelle is coming

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Can you hear the trumpets sounding?

Da da da daaaaaaa.

Can you hear the drums drumming?

Bom bom bom bom bom bom bom bom

Can you hear the people cheering?

Hurrah hurrah hurrah hurrah hurrah

(You can’t? Well you’ll just have to imagine then!)

Please rise and welcome…

Queen Narelle!

Who is Queen Narelle? Well, as well as being the title of my upcoming verse novel, she is also a rather delightful, clever, and very regal cat. And today she is here because it is cover reveal day!

And, rather than keeping you (and Queen Narelle) waiting, here it is:

Isn’t it lovely? Simon O’Carrigan has done a beautiful job of bringing my little cat to life. And the design team at Walker Books have then worked some extra magic to make the cover simply scrumptious.

You do have to wait a little longer to find out what’s inside that cover – release date is June 3 – but I look forward to sharing Narelle’s story, as well as that of her human, Maddie, with readers of all ages.

It’s extra fitting that I am revealing the cover today, because Queen Narelle is a verse novel, and, of course,  today is Poetry Friday.  So, to top off the celebration, I thought I’d share a couple of cat poems. One of my own –  Marmalade and Marmaduke – published in the School Magazine and then brought to life with a reading by Geoffrey McSkimming, and artwork by Matt Ottley.

 

and another, a favourite from my childhood, by Eleanor Farjeon

Cats Sleep Anywhere

Cats sleep anywhere,
Any table, any chair
Top of piano, window-ledge,
In the middle, on the edge,
Open drawer, empty shoe,
Anybody’s lap will do!
Fitted in a cardboard box,
In the cupboard, with your frocks-
Anywhere! They don’t care!
Cats sleep anywhere.

by Eleanor Farjeon

I do love cat poems – and, while my dog George is less impressed, I cannot wait to share Queen Narelle with you, in paperback and in ebook format   in June.

Want more poems? Come with me – I am off to pounce on the delights of Poetry Friday, with the Roundup hosted by Jan at Bookseed Studio.

Out and About in January

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One of the absolute joys of being an author is the chance to meet and engage with young people.

In January I have two such chances and am still smiling when I think of them.

First, I went up to Perth and, for the first time ever, presented in the Hay Street Mall, a part of Perth I have always loved, as it holds many memories, usually around shopping with first my mum, then my friends and, as an adult, with my husband, children, or by myself. But this visit was special – because in a previously vacant shop space, the Centre for Stories has set up a Story Lounge – and I was invited in, courtesy of the Literature Centre.

I ran a writing workshop for upper primary aged writers, and we had a lot of fun exploring the contents of a Writer’s Toolbox.  I didn’t get any photos, but the Lit Centre posted this lovely story about it, also showcasing the two other writers who were part of the line-up.

Then, just yesterday, I was lucky enough to be invited to a Teddy Bears’ Picnic, hosted by the City of Bunbury Libraries, and held at Maidens Park, not too far from where I live.

 

With Jono and Penny from the Bunbury Library

What fun! I took my trusty old teddy bear, Pandy, who I have had for as long as I can remember, and we read, sang, spoke and laughed to and with lots of children, parents and teddy bears.  The library staff had asked me to read  my first two picture books –  Floatingest Frog (which is still in print) and Pemberthy Bear (which, sadly, isn’t), and it was a real joy to bring these books out for a new audience.

You can see here just how much fun I have reading – I am reading the line “aaaaaaalll the way over here” while Penny and Tanya look on:

 

A park is always a lovely place to share – but this park was extra lovely, with towering gum trees, plenty of shade and – a bonus – a kookaburra laughing along to some of the lines. Pandy had a lovely outing too, and I have promised him he’ll be taken along again one day.

Now I’m back at my desk writing more, reading more, but looking forward to more lovely outings in 2023.

A Dog, a Book and a Dog in a Book

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If you follow this blog, or my social media accounts, you might have noticed that I love beaches and dogs almost as much as I love poetry. A couple of years ago I was walking on the beach when I snapped a photo of one of my favourite beach dogs, Flo. Soon afterwards, I posted that photo and a poem here on my blog in a Poetry Friday post.   Then, last year, I included both the photo and the poem in my poetry book, Teaching Poetry for Pleasure and Purpose.

Although I told Flo’s owners of this, and have seen them lots of times since, it has always been on the beach and, of course, I didn’t have a copy with me. But this week, finally, I was able to present Flo and her lovely people with their very own copy. And here is Flo, admiring herself and her poem.  Isn’t she lovely?

 

 

Happy New Year and My One Little Word for 2023

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Happy New Year!  This is my favourite time of the year because it’s summer and I can visit the beach, and swim, and because I have fewer commitments in my day job, meaning more time for family and friends – and reading.

Receiving my medal from the Governor

It’s also a good time to take stock. 2022 was a really busy year for me, personally and professionally. Perhaps the biggest thing was a bit of both – the recognition I received in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, with an OAM for my services to children’s literature and education. This was the most unexpected honour, but what was so wonderful wasn’t the medal, or the letters after my name, or the fancy reception. It was being blown away by all the love I felt – from friends and family, but also from peers, colleagues, readers and complete strangers.  I had no idea that so many people would be happy for me, or see me as worthy of such a thing. As a result, I have been left with a stronger sense of what I do, and what I still want to do, in my work life, as well as a personal sense of being seen.   It was also a wonderful reminder to me of the value in letting people know when you are happy for their achievements, or when you value what they have done, big or small. I still don’t know who nominated me, and maybe I never will – but whoever you are, thank you.

Lots of other stuff happened in 2022. I worked hard, spent time with my husband, children and grandchildren, and with friends and extended family. I swam (not as much as I’d like, but enough to keep moving), walked on the beach and welcomed my gorgeous new puppy (George) into my life.  I wrote – including finishing a verse novel and having it accepted, and also finalising work on a previous one – meaning I have one coming out in June this year, and another early in 2024.    I spoke at festivals and at schools and other events.  I read lots of wonderful books. We had a wedding in the family and, like every family, lots of highs and lows/challenges.

And now it’s a new year, and I have been thinking about what it might hold, and how I’d like it to look. I used to write lists of resolutions or goals – and I think these can be useful. But I prefer to try to narrow those goals down to a theme – or, as I’ve heard it described – one little word. This year, my word came easily – and here it is (presented on my new toy, a lego dots noticeboard):

 

That’s right – my word is healthy. And what it means to me is that I would like to focus on all areas of my my health – physical and mental health of course, but also making healthy choices about boundaries, and time, and the way I treat myself, others and the planet.  I started the year with a few niggling little physical things – back pain, fatigue left over from a bout of Covid, some stress and sleep problems, a feeling that there are things left undone in my writing and academic work, a sense that I sometimes don’t commit fully to being present with people I love – and  a hope that I can do more to change the world, in small or bigger ways. I feel that my word can serve as a direction for the choices I make and the things that I do and I have propped my sign next to my desk so that I can see it and be reminded on a daily basis.

So here’s to a healthy year – for me, for you and for the whole world.

sallymurphy.com.au