Today it is has been raining in my town and instead of putting on raincoats and putting up our umbrellas to go to school we are staying in our homes doing our best to help beat the COVID pandemic…
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Teachers who Make a Difference
Today I got a request for help from parents in Spain for ideas and support as they cope with homeschooling. Instead of sending lists of teacher manuals or student workbooks online, I thought back to my own experience of homeschooling during…
Lockdown Looms
As London Book Fair 2020 goes into lockdown thanks to the rising pandemic on COVID_19 many of us due to participate in the annual book fair took are already in London preparing. With the same grit and determination, this city has seen over the course of many crises, we took to sheltering and working in […]
World Book Day 2020: The One Thing You Need to Know About School Visits
Meeting young readers and sharing stories and ideas about writing with them is one of the highlights of being a children’s author. However, I truly believe that I learn as much form them as they do from me. This week many schools are celebrating World Book Day. As such, I am one of the many authors who […]
Author Interview – Valerie Bolling
In 250 words or less, who are you? I have been an educator for 27 years and a writer since age 4. When I taught elementary students, it was difficult to find diverse literature for them. Thus, I’m passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel valued and heard. I […]
CBCA National Conference 2019
The other week I attended my first national CBCA conference. Not only was it attended by some of the children’s literary world royalty such as Leigh Hobbs, Morris Gleitzman, Susanne Gervay, Bruce Pascoe and so many more but there were librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, agents and anyone who has a stake in Australian children’s […]
Mothers’ Day – A Gift
This Mother’s Day I was in Canberra. It was a perfect autumnal weekend. The trees changing colour and the chameleon array of their canopies add a special beauty to the capital city. Being the capital there’s always a lot to do my priorities were watching an ANU med review and spending time with my family. […]
Sydney Writer Festival 2019
Wow! What a week! From lectures to conversations, to fire alarms and deluges of rain and much much more. This year’s theme ‘Lie to Me’ brought fascinating angles to light and raised as many questions as it answered. By last night I found myself agreeing with a fellow writer who confessed to being exhausted with […]
A Celebratory Star-Studded Afternoon with the CBCA
As its website states: ‘The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) is a not for profit, volunteer-run organisation which aims to engage the community with literature for young Australians. The CBCA presents annual awards to books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature.’ For me and many other children’s book creators, CBCA […]
SCWBI Bi-Annual Conference
The other week I attended the bi-annual SCWBI conference here in Sydney. It was an action-packed few days of pre-conference launches, master classes, plenary sessions and networking with other creators. I heard famous authors speak, watched talented illustrators compete in a live auction ‘draw-off’ and witnessed the euphoria and tension during public pitching sessions. When […]
Writing about the Unthinkable
I was in New Zealand at the weekend when tragedy struck Christchurch on such a scale that the world is still reeling. No amount of words or flower tributes or tears can reflect the sorrow and pain that the victims, the families and the wider communities are experiencing. As a writer and as someone who […]
Writing The Forever Kid
The Forever Kid is an important picture book narrative that deals with the issues of grief and remembrance. I got the idea for this book when I was thinking about my uncle who I never met. He died when he was a teenager before I was born. My father often spoke about him and described […]