Three fun poetry workshops at PLK CKY!
November 24, 2017 at 12:01 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools, Poetry Workshops for kids | Leave a commentTags: Introduction to Poetry Workshop, PLK CKY School
On Tuesday I visited the fabulous Year 4s at PLK CKY school in Piper’s Hill, Kowloon with my Introduction to Poetry Workshop! We had great fun exploring different styles of poetry, then breaking out into groups to complete that crazy poem Let’s Destroy the School! Warmest thanks to Joli Moore, librarian, who hosted me again! It’s always such a pleasure to see you all!
A Fabulous Friday at St Stephen’s Preparatory School in Stanley!
November 21, 2017 at 4:00 pm | Posted in workshops | Leave a commentTags: Books are a Brain's Best Friend Workshop, Reading vs. Digital Games and Social Media, St Stephen's Stanley
Last Friday I had a fabulous time at the famous St Stephen’s Preparatory School in Stanley, where I was hosted very warmly by Yolanda Chong (above left) and Claire Braithwaite, and also had the pleasure of meeting the principal Dr Agnes Wai (above right) and deputy principal Mr S. T. Wong. I gave all the students from Year 1 right up to Year 6 my talk about why Reading is a Brain’s Best Friend. We explored how the human brain changed as reading and writing developed over millenia, until it became the sophisticated brain it is today. I told them all about the latest science, which indicates that as children (and adults!) stop reading lots of books in their leisure time in favour of digital games and social media, their brains simply cannot develop in the same way, resulting in a tragic loss of imagination, sophisticated vocabulary, empathy, general knowledge, and the ability to focus and concentrate. These five essential qualities develop naturally over time in the brains of people who read books constantly for leisure and pleasure, but cannot thrive when people spend lengthy periods on digital screens. And to my great pleasure, just about everyone agreed by the end but we must switch OFF our digital screens as much as possible, and read LOTS and LOTS of print books instead! Here are some more great photos, with a big thank you to the St Stephen’s Prep photographer!
Meeting the wonderful Jung Chang
November 10, 2017 at 12:41 pm | Posted in Being an Author, children's literacy, Literary Festivals, Room to Read | Leave a commentTags: Hong Kong International Literary Festival, Jung Chang, Room to Read
On Wednesday I was lucky enough to meet the wonderful Jung Chang, author of Wild Swans and other extraordinary books about China, at the luncheon in her honour (and in honour of Erin Ganju of Room To Read) hosted jointly by the Hong Kong Literary Festival and Room to Read at the China Club in Hong Kong. Jung spoke with passion about her experiences as a child growing up in China, then later as a best-selling author in London, and the large crowd was simply mesmerised by her eloquence and dignity. And before Jung’s talk, Erin Ganju spoke of the essential work of Room to Read in developing countries in bringing literacy to literally millions of children, especially girls. Read more about their tireless work here. A big thank you to my friend Jennie Orchard of Room To Read for inviting me!
Wow! Storm Whale is nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 in the UK!
November 7, 2017 at 9:01 am | Posted in Book Awards, Buying my books, Storm Whale | Leave a commentTags: books about environment and sustainability, Books about whales, Jane Tanner, Kate Greenaway Medal 2018, Old Barn Books, Storm Whale
I’m so thrilled! Storm Whale has been nominated for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 in the UK! Our beautiful book was released by Old Barn Books in the UK in August and since then has received many wonderful reviews there. Last night I was advised that Jane Tanner’s exquisite illustrations have been nominated for this major award! Here’s just a taste above! Now we have to wait till February 2018 to find out if the book will be long-listed, March for the Shortlist and June for the finalists! I’ll keep you informed! And if you want to buy your own copy, you can order it from your local bookshop now, or here (UK) and here (Australia).
A Riveting Story Time at PLK CKY!
November 3, 2017 at 9:23 am | Posted in Hong Kong Schools, PLK CKY School, workshops | Leave a commentTags: How to Write a Riveting Story, Storm Whale, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster
A big hello to two of my favourite Hong Kong librarians Tammy Ng and Joli Moore, at Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School in Piper’s Hill, Kowloon, pictured with me above. Joli (to my left) was my wonderful host yesterday for 3 fabulous workshop sessions with the gorgeous Grade 3s, who enthusiastically joined my How to Write a Riveting Story workshop! We had lots of fun thinking working with our five senses to describe different settings and imagining great characters, and the kids all enjoyed my famous adventure story (about the missing dog and the alien abductors) and mystery story (about the missing teachers at PLK CKY :)) as we talked about correct story structure! And I showed them all my latest Chinese Calendar Tale, The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster, and my beautiful new book Storm Whale I can’t wait to meet the Grade 4s with my Poetry Workshop in 3 weeks’ time! More photos to come!
Thank you Kowloon Junior School!
October 30, 2017 at 6:28 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools, Kowloon Junior School, Story Readings | Leave a commentTags: Chinese history, Chinese Zodiac, Storm Whale, The Tale of Chester Choi, The Tale of Pin Yin Panda, The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster
Today I had the great pleasure of visiting my old friends at Kowloon Junior School! My lovely host was librarian Carrie Davison, above, who organised a fun-filled day of story readings! I saw four big year groups: the Grade Ones met my hungry dragon in The Tale of Chester Choi; the Grade Twos heard all about the Legend of Lord Buddha’s Race – and why pandas aren’t in the Chinese Zodiac, in The Tale of Pin Yin Panda; the Grade Threes heard my lyrical story Storm Whale and fell in love with Jane Tanner’s gorgeous illustrations of the grand old whale, and the Grade Fours got a fabulous history lesson all about the end of imperialism in China … as well as a fun story reading of The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster and a talk about the symbolism in the Chinese Zodiac! Phew! It was a busy day, but a fun one! More photos to come soon!
A Whale of a Time at Glenealy School!
October 26, 2017 at 9:11 pm | Posted in Glenealy School, Hong Kong Schools, Story Readings | Leave a commentTags: Storm Whale, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster
Today I had a fabulous time at Glenealy School in Hong Kong, introducing the Grade 5s and 6s to my noisy Rickshaw Rooster (and some REALLY juicy Chinese history), and the Grade 1s to Grade 4s to my beautiful Storm Whale! The kids were so full of interesting comments and questions, and I think we can conclude that just about everybody loves whales…and roosters! Huge thanks to my wonderful host, the lovely Gisele Stones (holding Storm Whale, above) and to her fantastic library assistants Stephanie Mathyssek and Elaine Pullinger to our left and right! Afterwards I had the great pleasure of meeting Gavin Coates, the author of the fabulous Earthy series! Here we are above, to the right! More photos below!
The Results are Out in my Wonderful Whale Haiku Competition!
October 12, 2017 at 9:28 am | Posted in Poetry competitions for children, Writing competitions for kids | Leave a commentTags: Clever Competition, Storm Whale, Wonderul Whale Haiku Competition
Wow! What fun I’ve had judging all the entries in my Wonderful Whale Haiku Competition! There were 104 entries from 16 different schools in 6 different countries around the world! And they were, indeed, all truly wonderful! But winners there must be, and I’ve just posted the 23 best haikus on my Clever Competitions page here !
Special congratulations to Sophie Zhai of Victoria Shanghai Academy in Hong Kong for winning First Place in the Grade One to Three Category, and to Madeline Painter of Dryden Elementary School, Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA for winning First Place in the Grade Four to Six Category! They each win a FREE signed copy of my beautiful new book Storm Whale, published by Allen and Unwin and illustrated by Jane Tanner! I’ll be writing to all of your schools very soon to let them know how you all got on. A huge thank you for all your hard work, and I look forward to seeing your writing again in my next Clever Competition!
I’m having a whale of a time judging your haikus – please bear with me!
October 5, 2017 at 8:43 am | Posted in Poetry competitions for children | Leave a commentTags: Clever Competitions, Haikus for kids, Poetry competition, Wonderful Whale Haiku Competition
Hello all you fabulous poets out there who entered my Wonderful Whale Haiku Competition! There were entries from 15 schools from 9 different cities in 6 different countries around the world – Australia, Hong Kong, India, China, Singapore and the United States! So I’m judging as quickly as I can – but you’ll have to bear with me! And I’m having a WHALE of a time – your entries are fabulous!
It’s a small world…and it goes round in circles!
September 29, 2017 at 7:17 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
On Wednesday at QSI Zhuhai I met a lovely young man, Henry (above right), who asked me to sign a 2nd edition The Tale of Run Run Rat, which had been given to him back in 2009, when he was living in Portland, Oregon, USA, by his friends Lillian and Courtney Lee (with me above left) who at that time were living in Hong Kong! Now, Lillian and Courtney live in Seattle, Washington, USA, and Henry, who lives in Zhuhai, has bought them a copy of The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster as a return gift! It all goes to prove that it’s a very small world…and that life sometimes goes round in circles!
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