sallymurphy.com.au

Sally Murphy, Australian author

Pemberthy Sightings

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With no new Pemberthy sightings for a while, I’ve done some more online digging and found him at more libraries. I love thinking of Pemberthy being available at libraries, where kids can discover him and take him home for a week or two. Anyway, Pemberthy can be found at the Woolgoola and Coff’s Harbour libraries (though the latter is on loan) – these are the burgundy and lime green maps in the north of NSW. In Melbourne, the Bentleigh and Caulfield libraries each have one copy whilst the Carnegie Library has two. These four dots have been added to Melbourne, which is getting nearly as dotty as Brisbane!

And, for the first time, I’ve found Pemberthy in the Northern Territory. In Darwin, he’s in the Casuarina and City libraries, and he’s also in the Palmerston and Katherine libraries. Those are the four new dots in the Northern Territory – that’s the state in the middle of the map in the north.

So, with the ten new dots added, the map now looks like this:

I’d love to see more and more dots showing where Pemberthy can be found, so if YOU have seen Pemberthy – in your home, your local library or in a bookstore, be sure to let me know and I’ll add a dot!

Lots More Pemberthy Sightings

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I’ve been surfing the net and have spotted lots of copies of Pemberthy in libraries. How wonderful!


The Bayside Library Service in Melbourne has not one but THREE copies – two in the Beaumaris Library and one in Brighton. And, joy of joys, my search of their catalogue showed they are all on loan.


The Brisbane City Library Service has FIFTEEN copies of Pemberthy. The Ashgrove Library, Bulimba Library, Coopers Plains Library, Everton Park Library, Grange Library, Indooroopilly Library, Sunnybank Hills Library and the Sandgate Library have one copy each, whilst the Carindale Library, Fairfield Library, Grange Library and Inala Library have two copies each. Nine of the copies are out on loan.

I’ve added the new dots around Melbourne and Brisbane. They’re both looking pretty colorful and very dotty now.

In Western Australia, I found Pemberthy in seven libraries. In Perth it’s in the Battye library, the Bayswater Library and the Dianella Library. In country Western Australia it’s in the Busselton, Katanning, Mount Barker and Kojonup libraries.

It’s wonderful to see so many spots in my home state. Come to think of it, Pemberthy is also in the school library in my town, so I’ve added a dot for that, too. It’s pretty cool to see my students borrowing my books from the library.

I’ll be checking out more libraries to see where else Pemberthy can be seen, but in the meantime if YOU have seen Pemberthy, drop me a line or leave a comment and I’ll add a dot. If you’ve just tuned in and am wondering what I’m on about you can read about my quest to record Pemberthy sightings here.

A Good Day

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Some days are so good you wish you could bottle them. Today’s been one of those days. I started with a buzz when I read my weekly Pass It On newsletter.

First, there were two little articles in there that I’d written. Of course I knew these would be there, but it’s still nice to see stuff you’ve contributed appearing in your favourite newsletter.

Then, in the reviews section was a glowing review of Pemberthy Bear, by the newsletter compiler Jackie Hosking, who said, in part:
Sally Murphy has written a lovely tale in rhyme that is complimented by Jacqui Grantford’s exquisite illustrations. New Frontier certainly have a knack of matching writers with illustrators to produce gorgeous picture books.
Wow! That had me singing.

Then there was a message in the newsletter from Moira, responding to my search for Pemberthy. She has seen Pemberthy no less than three times – in her home, in the Chatswood library (where, she reports, it was looking well-loved), and at a bookstore called Book Review, in St Ives! Moira, it turns out was also the proofreader for Pemberthy Bear, and loves Pemberthy so much that she recently brought a Pemberthy look-alike bear which sits on the shelf with her copy of the book. How cool is that?

So, with Moira’s three new dots added, the map now looks this:

The new dots are the pink, lime green and purple ones on the east coast, part of the cluster around Sydney.

With that kind of start to the day, I found myself singing and humming and working hard. I’m always more productive when I feel good. Today I finished a batch of marking, wrote two new reviews and a new article (about getting going after a slump), prepared and posted a new submission and did a few other odds and ends. I also managed some housework and spent time with my kids, who are still on their mid year holiday.

I also did some random browsing of some other writers’ blogs. I love seeing the variety of styles and formats and even subject matter.

All in all it’s been a good day.

Pemberthy Spotted in Warrnambool

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How wonderful – yet another Pemberthy sighting has been reported, this time in Warrnambool where Pemberthy was seen at Collins Bookstore. Thanks so much to Corinne for reporting this sighting after reading about by search in Pass It On newsletter.

Warrnambool is in Victoria, east of Melbourne. The new dot is the orange one on the south east coast.

Don’t forget to let me know if YOU have seen Pemberthy.

Rhyming Bear

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My friend Pemberthy has written a new poem – this time a diamante. Check it out!

I have said it before, but I’ll say it again. Writing in different poetic forms is good discipline for developing writing skills, and it’s fun, too.

Why not write a diamante of your own?

A Sighting

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Pemberthy has been spotted again! Monica emailed to say that her daughter Alexie has seen Pemberthy in her school library in Kalgoorlie. Kal is a gold mining town in Western Australia – the new orange dot on the map. Pemberthy is certainly a well-travelled bear.

Thanks Monica and Alexie, and hello to everyone in Kalgoorlie.

Here’s the new map:

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for Pemberthy and let me know where you see him.

sallymurphy.com.au