Sally Murphy's Blog, page 32

Teacher Tuesday: Do Not Forget Australia for Year 5 Classrooms

Welcome to the second edition of Teacher Tuesday, where I match one of my books to a year level, and offer some activities for sharing the book in the classroom.

This week I’m focusing on one of my picture books: Do Not Forget Australia, With the centenary of the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux to be marked on ANZAC Day 2018, this is a good time to connect with this book if you haven’t yet, or to revisit it if you have.

Using Do Not Forget Australia in a Year Five Classroom

Do Not Forget Australia, text by Sally Murphy, illustrations Sonia Kretschmar  

Published by Walker Books, 2012

ISBN: 9781921529863 (Hardcover)/ 9781922077097 (Paperback)

Format 32 page Picturebook, RRP $29.99 (Hardcover)/$16.99 (Papaerback)

Available from good bookstores or here.

Blurb: Henri lives in the French village of Villers-Bretonneux. Billy lives in Melbourne, Australia. These two little boys, who live thousands of miles away from each other, share one story that unites Villers-Bretonneux and Melbourne in history.

Sample Pages HERE

Publisher’s Teacher Notes HERE

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 1-10, but these suggestions focus on Year5

Themes/Topics:

War
ANZAC Day
Friendship
Family
France
Australia
Victoria
Compassion
Mail

Curriculum Links:

Year 5 English

Identify aspects of literary texts that convey details or information about particular social, cultural and historical contexts (ACELT1608)


Before Reading: Make predictions on time period and setting of the book based on title and front over.
During and After Reading: Focus on aspects of text and illustrations which show that the book is set in 1918 – including colour palette, clothing, transport, communication methods.
Questions: Why can’t the two boys meet in person?

What is the connection between Henri and Billy?
Use internet sources (such as The Schoolhouse Museum) to compare school life today with that of 1918. Create a table which compares aspects including  classroom setup, size of classes, subjects taught, school attire, school rules, stationery used and more.
Writing: Rewrite your existing class rules as if it was 1918


Recognise that ideas in literary texts can be conveyed from different viewpoints, which can lead to different kinds of interpretations and responses (ACELT1610)


During Reading (and on rereading): Discuss the changes in viewpoint – from Henri to Billy and back again. What visual cues are there for these shifts?  For example, examine the colour palette used in the illustrations
After Reading: Discuss why the author might have chosen to use two viewpoints rather than one?  Why use third person voice rather than first person? Why tell a war story from the viewpoint of children rather than from, say, a soldier, or adult from the village.?
In Groups: Each group to work through the text, focussing on how we learn what the adults are feeling. – half the groups to focus on Billy’s Dad, the other groups on Henri’s Mum.  Report back and discuss.
Writing: Tell the story from the point of view of one of the adult characters OR in the first person voice of one of the children.
Write the postcard that Billy receives from his father. There is a printable stencil for this activity HERE.


Use comprehension strategies to analyse information, integrating and linking ideas from a variety of print and digital sources (ACELY1703)
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive print and multimodal texts, choosing textstructures, language features, images and sound appropriate to purpose and audience (ACELY1704)


Recap: From reading the story, what do students know about the battle of Villers-Bretonneux and the rebuilding of the school?
Give students a blank table, or have them create one, with three columns: Story, Back of Book Notes, Video.  Provide some subheadings: Dates, Key Events etc. Have them note what they know about the key events of 1918 from the fictional story. Then read the back of book notes, with students using the second column to note any new facts. In groups, students can then examine the back of book notes themselves and add any facts they may have missed. Lastly, have them watch a video about the events – there are several on Youtube, including this one  , which is made by a young researcher.  Again, have students complete the table.
Discuss: Which source provided the most information? Which was the most entertaining? Which one helped them to connect with the people involved?
Writing Ideas: Write a recount of the events of  the battle of Viilers-Bretonneux, OR the destruction and rebuilding of the school, using notes.
Write two news reports which Billy might have read: One reporting on the Battle, and the other reporting on the reopening of the School

Other suggestions for using Do Not Forget Australia in your classroom include:

Explore transport and communication – comparing 1918 to 2017/18 – look at items including time to travel between Australia and France, modes of transport, forms of communication (telephone/email/mail/internet/television/telegram)
Life stories: research the story of one Australian soldier in WW1
Art:  Experiment with using different colour palette for different moods and time periods.
Writing: Tell the story of another historical event through the eyes of a fictional child character
Email the author (that’s me!) Your students can write to me through this website, and share their responses or ask questions.

Related Books

Australia’s Great War: 1915, by Sally Murphy
Australia’s Great War: 1918, by Libby Gleeson (to be released in 2018)
Lighthouse Girl and Light Horse Boy, by Dianne Wolfer and Brian Simmonds
In Flanders Fields, by Norman Jorgensen and Brian Harrison-Lever
Meet the ANZACS, by Claire Saxby and Max Berry
Simpson and His Donkey, by Mark Greenwood and Frane Lessac

Mostly, I’d love to remind you that while I love to see my books used in classrooms, I also love to see kids just enjoying them. Reading a book should be pleasurable – whether it’s being used in the classroom or not.  So allow your students to enjoy reading Do Not Forget Australia.

If you find this useful, or have any suggestions or comments, do leave a comment. And, if there is a particular book or year level or topic that you would like covered in a future edition of Teacher Tuesday, let me know.

Teacher Tuesday: Looking Up Ideas for Year 3 Classrooms

In a new feature I’m planning on running regularly here on my website, I am  matching my books with curriculum links. Each week I will feature one of my books, with curriculum links for a particular year group  and ideas for how that book can be used to address them.  If there’s a particular book or year group or curriculum area you’d like to see covered, drop me a line and I will see what I can do. First up, I’m featuring one of my newest books, Looking Up. Here goes:

Using Looking Up in a  Year Three Classroom

Looking Up, by Sally Murphy, with illustrations by Aska 

Published by Fremantle Press, 2017

ISBN 9781925164572

Format, Paperback 72  pages, RRP $14.99

Available from good bookstores or here. Also available as an ebook.

 

Blurb: Pete is hoping – desperately hoping – for a telescope. There’s nothing he wants more for his birthday. But when a mysterious card arrives in the mall, what Pete wants is turned upside down.

Sample Chapter HERE

Publisher’s Teacher Notes HERE

Sally’s Recommended Grade Levels: Year 2-6, but these suggestions focus on Year 3

Themes/Topics:

Grandparents
Family
Stars
Astronomy
Telescopes
Family
Forgiveness
Friendship
Empathy
Mysteries
Birthdays

Curriculum Links:

Year 3 English

Understand how different types of texts vary in use of language choices, depending on their purpose and context (for example, tense and types of sentences) (ACELA1478)
Understand that verbs represent different processes, for example doing, thinking, saying, and relating and that these processes are anchored in time through tense  (ACELA1482 )

Chapter Two 

In groups, identify the verbs used in this chapter. Use different colours to identify each of doing, thinking, saying and relating.  As class brainstorm to build a word bank of verbs – for example ‘Listening”’ (p. ) could lead to ‘hearing’.  In groups, or individually, have students change selected verbs to past tense and/or future tense.

Writing: Rewrite a scene in present tense. How did the language change? Which did students prefer?

Rewrite the same scene as a news report. How did the language change? Was it more formal? Did it require additional information? Were some parts of the scene left out?

Compare the language and sentence structure of the original scene with that of a news report. Look at differences in sentence complexity, language choice etc.

 

Draw connections between personal experiences and the worlds of texts, and share responses with others (ACELT1596)

Before reading, discussion questions can focus on children’s experiences with grandparents or great-grandparents, as well as on birthdays, wishlists and receiving mail.:

How many grandparents do you have?
Do any of them live far away?
Do you have grandparents you have never met?
What is your favourite memory with a grandparent?
What’s the favourite birthday/Christmas/other present you have received?
What kind of letters does the postman/postwoman deliver?
Have you ever received a letter addressed to you?

During reading

Chapter Two –p. 11 stop and have students guess what might be in the envelope

p. 14 After he removes the card, but before we find out who it is from, have students’ make predictions.

After Reading the Chapter:

Discuss: Why might Pete not know he has a grandfather?

Chapter 9

p. 58  Stop at the arrow. Make predictions. Will Pete get the telescope? Why/why not.

After the chapter:

How do students feel about Pete not getting the telescope – and his reaction?
Have they ever not got something that they really wanted?

Writing suggestions:

Write  a recount of a visit to a grandparent, or a favourite birthday memory.
Write a wishlist of things students would like to receive for their next birthday/Christmas. Then use the internet or catalogues to work out how much their list might cost.


Develop criteria for establishing personal preferences for literature (ACELT1598)

Before reading: Looking at the cover, have students predict whether or not they will enjoy this book. Why/why not? In writing books, have them write their predictions regarding enjoyment of the text

During Reading:  After each reading session, discuss students’ reactions to the text. Are they enjoying it? DO they think that what happened is interesting/scary/boring? Are they keen to know what will happen next? How do they feel about Pete? Mum? Grandad?

After Reading: Discuss students’ reactions to the ending. In writing books, write about their responses to the book and how these differ from their feelings before.

Extension: Write a book review. (For examples, see www.aussiereviews.com)

Identify the point of view in a text and suggest alternative points of view (ACELY1675)

During reading:

After Chapters 4, 6 and 8, discuss Pete’s reactions to these events, and how Mum would be feeling.  Draw a picture of Mum (or teacher can provide) with thought bubbles for what Mum might be thinking but not saying.
After Chapter 5, discuss how it might be for Grandad to meet Pete for the first time. What is he thinking and feeling?

Writing: Rewrite one of these scenes from the point of view of the other character.

 

Other suggestions for using Looking Up in your classroom include:

Make birthday/Christmas cards

Make origami stars – instructions here.

Make a Constellation Projector like this one here. 

Email the author (that’s me!) Your students can write to me through this website, and share their responses or ask questions.

Related Books

Featuring Grandparents

Pearl Verses the World, by Sally Murphy

Grandpa and Thomas, by Pamela Allen

Granny Grommet and Me, by Dianne Wolfer and Karen Blair

Love From Grandma, by Jane Tanner

 

Mostly, I’d love to remind you that while I love to see my books used in classrooms, I also love to see kids just enjoying them. Reading a book should be pleasurable – whether it’s being used in the classroom or not.  So have fun with Looking Up!

 

I’d love to know if you found these notes useful, or if you have any other suggestions, or if there’s a different book you’d love to see featured in this way. Leave a comment!

 

Submissions Tips: Is Crossing Your Fingers the Best Way to Get Published?

I had an email today from a new writer who is trying to get published (aren’t we all) and, in replying to one of their questions, I realised it was probably a good topic for a quick blog post. SO, here goes.

First, the question:

In terms of submitting your work to different publishers, do you have an approach or strategy? (I.e. to increase your chances of getting noticed?) Or is it just a matter of submitting to the most appropriate publishers and crossing your fingers?

And now, my answer  – a longer version of my email reply.

Yep, cross your fingers, hold your tongue at the right angle, sprinkle fairy dust, or salt, or glitter over your right shoulder, then turn around three times, tap your feet together and make a wish.  Then post that submission and you WILL land a publishing deal.

Okay, maybe I’ve never done all of those things, but sometimes it feels like getting accepted is such a lottery that I might as well do that routine, as anything else I’ve tried seems just as hit and miss.

But really, in my experience, publishers mainly want only a few things. The number one thing they are looking for is a well written book, and the next most important things are your easiness to work with and whether you (as well as your story) will be marketable.

So, assuming that you DO have a well written book (that could be a whole nother blog post or ten) here are a few things I’ve gleaned over the years that maybe, just maybe, will increase your chances just a tiny bit of having your manuscript accepted.

Research publishers. Note that my emailer used the term ‘most appropriate publishers’. She’s already well on the way to getting it right. Because not every publisher is appropriate for your book.Save yourself time by spending time before you submit on finding out which publishers publish the kind of book you have written. If they don’t publish picture books, don’t send them one. If they don’t publish poetry, don’t send them your collection. But even more specifically, if you’ve written a middle grade fantasy, and their list has no fantasy on it, maybe it’s not something they’re interested in.
Follow submission guidelines. Every publisher has guidelines, even though sometimes they are hard to find on their websites. You may have to look into the deepest darkest recess of the site before you find them – sometimes under the ‘contact us’ page, sometimes on an ‘faq’ page, sometimes somewhere even trickier. (nb if there ARE no guidelines, you might take the hint, OR you might send an email through the contact form to find out if they have any).  Once you find the guidelines, stick to them. If they say ‘send one manuscript’, send one, not three, not five, and certainly not ten. If they say double spaced, 12 point font, do it. Do they only want a synopsis? Send that.  Show the publisher that you are easy to work with, and can follow instructions.
Show that you are marketable. What is it that YOU bring to the table? Lots of writers (of all levels of experience) find this one challenging. After all, isn’t it the publisher’s job to market your book (and again, I could write a billion blog posts about this). If you are accepted, the publisher will do some marketing. But, if they know that YOU are also going to be promoting your book, then you become a great proposition.  So, do you have a social media presence? A website? A teaching background? Anything that shows you are going to be able to promote your book. This is not where you tell the publisher about your wonderful idea for them to produce a stuffed toy/computer game/movie trailer. This is where you show what you can do yourself. And it doesn’t have to be a hundred different things – just a few things done well.
 I said that I’m presuming you have a wonderful manuscript, but before you hit send, make sure it is absolutely as best it can be. Proofread it. Compare it to other books you’ve read – you have read books in the same genre/format/age group that you are targeting, haven’t you?  It’s easy to be so excited by your creative genius that you don’t take the time to get it perfect (I know I have made this mistake!)  There really is no rush. If your work is brilliant, it will find a home somehow.
Lastly, if you really really really want to get published, don’t set all your hopes on one book or one publisher. You can expect to get rejected. It’s part of the game. And the book you are so certain will be the one, often isn’t.  Think of rejections as a badge of honour. There is no plot against you. There are no ‘gatekeepers’ wanting to keep you out. What there are are publishers who want to publish books to make money, and  an almost unlimited number of manuscripts coming their way. They have to choose.  It isn’t personal, but it is a game of persistence, and of working hard to tip the odds in your favour, by doing things like one to four above.

And, of course, it can’t hurt to cross your  fingers. I’d avoid the glitter, though. It’s hard to vacuum up.

 

 

 

 

 

A Monday Quote

What I Read in September

Another month has flown by, and lots more reading has been done. This month I got through 25 books, everything from gorgeous new picture books (I only count ones which I have read AND reviewed for this monthly list) to an book called The 5 Second Rule[image error], from Mel Robbins, a leading motivational speaker in the United States (and internationally). I can see why her book and her presentations – on Youtube and in-person are so popular. She has inspired me to get out of bed earlier and get stuff done this month. So thanks Mel – after reading the book, I even visited the dentist, which I’d put off for years.

Anyway, here’s what I read this month.

Picture Books

One of the Murphling grandbabies loved this one.

Nanna’s Button Tin, by Dianne Wolfer & Heather Potter

Pea Pod Lullaby, by Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King

My Meerkat Mum, by Ruth Paul

Boy, by Phil Cummings & Shane Devries

The Cat Wants Cuddles, by P. Crumble & Lucinda Gifford

The Very Cranky Bear, by Nick Bland

I Want to Be in a Book, by Narelle Oliver

 

Younger Readers

Polly & Buster: The Wayward Witch & the Feelings Monster, by Sally Rippin

Chook Doolan: On the Road, by James Roy

Chook Doolan: Un-happy Camper, by James Roy

Chook Doolan: Up and Away, by James Roy

Chook Doolan: Let’s Do Diwali, by James Roy

Twin Trouble, by Jacqueline Wilson

Blossom, by Tamsin Janu

Miniwings: Glitterwing’s Book Week Blunder, by Sally Sutton

Miniwings: Whizz’s Internet Oopsie, by Sally Sutton

Charlie and the Karaoke Cockroaches, by Alan Brough

You Just Wait: A Poetry Friday Power Book, by Sylvia Vardell & Janet Wong

The Beach Shack Cafe, by Belinda Murrell

Young Adult

Bro, by Helen Chebatte

Nothing, by Annie Barrows

My Lovely Frankie, by Judith Clarke

Losing It, by Julia Lawrinson

Adult

The 5 Second Rule, by Mel Robbins

The Story of Our Life, by Shari Lo

Have a great October. Two months till summer!

Two Panels, and Five Panelling Tips

I was lucky enough to be part of two panel sessions in the past month. First, I was on a panel discussing writing children’s poetry at the Queensland Poetry Festival and, more recently, I was part of a panel discussing empathy in fiction as part of Research Week at Edith Cowan University.

I love speaking about books and writing and while I absolutely love talking about my own books, the opportunity to be on a panel offers a different opportunity, which I love. While both panels allowed me to apply my own work and experience to the topics at hand, they also offered the opportunity to learn and consider how other people work, and particularly how other writers, sometimes working in different genres or for different audiences, approach similar challenges.

In Queensland, I the panel consisted of myself, June Perkins (who also convened the panel), and JR Poulter – all of us children’s poets who write in other genres as well – and  chair Dr Virginia Lowe, a children’s literature expert.  We discussed topics including how children’s poetry differs from that written for adults, why poetry is important, and our own writing processes. This was followed by a reading session, where we each shared from our own work, as well as questions from the audience (including both adults and children).

In Bunbury, the panel consisted of myself, Dr Vahri McKenzie  (a creative arts  academic and writer, and also the supervisor of my recent PhD studies) and Lesley Thiele (a fabulous up and coming writer, whose short fiction has had much success) , and chair Narelle De Boer, a PhD candidate and lecturer in the creative arts. We each read from recent works, and discussed the topic of empathy and how we develop it in our writing, as well as answering lots of thought provoking questions on a range of topics from the audience.  For me, this was a different opportunity because I was the only panelist who specialises in writing for children, so it was interesting to be able to see (and demonstrate to the audience) similarities and differences in the way we work.

Although the two panels were quite different, they both ran well, I think because of the strength of the organisation behind them. Although I can’t take credit for that, my observations of how to make a panel work might come in handy if you are appearing on one yourself – or planning one for a literary event:

A strong, passionate, moderator is essential. Both Virginia and Narelle knew their stuff, had lots to contribute, and kept the conversation going.
Diversity of panellists makes for interest. Unusually, both panels I was on were all female, but we came from a range of backgrounds, and had different publishing, professional and personal experiences. If panellists match too closely there may not be enough to discuss – too much “me too-ing”. This wasn’t a problem on either panel I was on.
Promote the event to ensure you have an audience. Neither panel had a huge audience, being niche events, but the people who were there were there because they were keen to hear what we had to say. Some had come through word of mouth, others through social media links. Neither session had a big advertising budget, but enthusiastic sharing drew people in.
Don’t over prepare. Let the conversation flow depending on interactions of the panellists and according to audience input. Both panels seemed to flow organically, although there was good ground work laid before the event to ensure we knew what we would/could discuss.
Lastly, try to relax and enjoy it. Sometimes things go wrong – sound systems don’t work, IT seems like it won’t function, you forget to make a point – but generally, the audience doesn’t notice. And if they do, they are very forgiving. Remember, they are there because they are interested in what you have to say: not because they want to judge you.

If you have any tips for successful panels, leave a comment. I’d love to hear what works for you!

Bookmonth Wrap-up

I wanted to sit and write a post about all the awesome schools and libraries I visited during August, and into September,  for Bookweek – which actually stretches over the whole month. But somehow, my post turned into a poem, which I hope captures what I do and why I do what I do. So here it is:

A Book Week Poem

Bookweek comes but once a year

Visiting schools both far and near

To tell the world that’s reading’s fun

And spread the joy to every one.

I read my books and talk a lot

Answer questions on the spot

Laugh and cry and laugh some more

And meet young readers by the score.

Give clues for writing for keen minds

And share some favourite literary finds

Not minding (too much) early morns

Leaving home before day dawns

And driving driving to get where

I need to be to chat and share

Or flights that take me far from home

I love to travel and to roam.

My voice struggles to get through

But lozenges and water too

Keep me going every day

To say the things I want to say.

And as one week stretches to four

And back and eyes and feet grow sore

I still feel pumped by what I do

And draw such energy from you

The readers who I get to meet

On this awesome Bookmonth beat.

 

Thanks to every school and library which hosted me over August, and into September. And a special thanks to the hundreds of young readers who engaged so enthusiastically in my sessions.

 

I love my job!

 

Attack! Attack! Do you know the symptoms of a heart attack?

This post is not about books or writing, but it IS about a topic very important to me right now, and which I want everyone to know about.

See, this week, I almost lost someone very dear to me, to a heart attack. Before I continue, I’ll let you know that she is fine. After an angiogram and the insertion of two stents to remove blockages and maintain blood flow, she is at home and in reasonable health.

But she nearly wasn’t. And that’s why I’m writing this post – with her permission.

Because my amazing mother-in-law, who has worked most of her life as a healthcare professional, didn’t recognise the symptoms of a heart attack, and as a result delayed taking action.

She’d had a few health issues this year, and had seen a cardiologist as well as her GP, and had a stress test and other investigations. Then she had felt off-colour for the last few weeks and so on Monday she booked an appointment to see her GP – whose first available appointment was Wednesday. No rush, so that was fine.

On Wednesday, she got up and went about life as normal. But after she’d pegged a load of washing on the back line, she felt a slight chest pain and a little bit of pressure. Nothing major, and she wondered if it might be some muscle soreness from the repetitive action of reaching up to the line.

Back inside, she felt a little light headed and breathless, but she’d had this before, so she sat down for a few minutes to let it pass, then got ready to go to her doctor’s appointment. While she was getting ready she had a few small pains up the side of her neck, and into her jaw and ear – but again, nothing major.

As she was leaving home to go to her appointment, my father in law arrived home, and offered to go with her, but she thought she was fine, and the surgery was only a few minutes’ drive away. So she drove herself, noticing though that now she had a bit of pain in her right arm.

At this point she started to wonder if something more sinister was happening. She parked at the surgery, went in and took a seat to wait for the doctor. Although she broke out in a sweat, she waited her turn. When she was called she went into the room, and asked the doctor if she wanted to hear what had led her to book the appointment, or about what was happening today. The doctor suggested she start with today.

When she explained how she felt, the doctor sprung into action and called an ambulance, recognising instantly that her patient was experiencing a ‘cardiac incident’ (ie a heart attack).

The rest, of course, is a good story: she got promptly to an emergency department where they were able to assess and stabilise her, before she had an angiogram next day and two stents inserted. And, as I said, was then released home to resume life.

BUT if she had not have that GP appointment booked, the result could have been a whole lot worse, because at home she may have waited longer before calling an ambulance. The reason: each symptom was isolated, and none seemed as dramatic or major as she had expected a heart attack to be. And, as I said, she was a nurse and midwife for many many years.

So, here are my questions:

Do YOU know the symptoms of a heart attack?

Do YOU know that they may be different for women, and that women are generally slower to get help?

Do YOU know what to do if you are experiencing a heart attack?

Do YOU know what to do if someone near you seems to be having a heart attack?

If not, and even if you think you do, please take a few moments to read up on heart attack symptoms.

Here’s a link to the Heart Foundation’s site, which is an easy, straightforward read. Know the signs, and know when and how to take action. Please.

And please, feel free to share this story. Widely. The more people know, the more ‘lucky’ stories of survival there will be. As the Heart Foundation says – don’t be scared of calling for help in case you are wrong.

Love to you all, and thanks in advance for sharing. Oh, and hug the people you love.

What I Read in August

Although August was a super busy month I managed to read 21 books. Actually, it was the busyness which helped reach this total, as several of this months reads were audio books – including The 10PM Question by Kate De Goldi, which had me sobbing as I drove. I love to listen to books as I drive, and with many hours spent travelling for Bookweek gigs, it was a perfect time to read some treasures I hadn’t previously read. I also managed to read three books in airports and on planes as I travelled to Brisbane and Townsville.

So, here’s my list for August. Would love to hear what you’ve been reading, or if you’ve read any of these. As always, if I’ve reviewed them, the link is to the review.

Picture Books

Through the Gate, by Sally Fawcett

I’m Australian Too, by Mem Fox and Ronojoy Ghosh

Say Yes, by Jennifer Castles & Paul Seden

Younger Readers

The 10PM Question, by Kate De Goldi

The Year My Life Broke, by John Marsden

Our Race for Reconciliation, by Anita Heiss

Super Con-Nerd, by Oliver Phommavanh

Young Adult

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl, by Melissa Keil

So Much to Tell You, by John Marsden

Finding Nevo, by Nevo Zisin

The Underdog, by Markus Zusak

More Than This, by Patrick Ness

Hold My Hand – Or Else, by Margaret Clark

Adult

The Engagement, by Chloe Hooper

The Merry-Go-Round In the Sea, by Randolph Stow

Troubadour, by Isolde Martyn

Girl In Between, by Anna Daniels

The Scent of You, by Maggie Alderson

The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor

Ache, by Eliza Henry Jones

Forgotten, by Nicole Trope

 

 

A New Book: Literary Launch is Literally Launched

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you, Happy Birthday Sage Cookson book fiiiiive –  oh, hang on. Yes, it is the book birthday for the fifth book in my Sage Cookson series, BUT, as the title is Sage Cookson’s Literary Launch, and as the book features a book launch, singing happy birthday seems not quite on the money. And Sage does like to do things right.

 

So, instead, I think I will pass over to Sage herself to officially launch her latest adventure into the world.

 

Well done Sage. I love the wand! every book is a  little bit magic