S.Y. Palmer's Blog, page 7
March 4, 2015
Train like an astronaut
Michael May, the main character in my new children’s book May’s Moon, wants to be the first child astronaut!
He enters a NASA competition to be the first child into space and has to go through the same sort of tests and exercises that real astronauts do. These include trying to perform tasks in a giant pool wearing a spacesuit and being spun round in a g-force simulator to see if he will be able to withstand a space rocket launch.
Have you ever thought abo...
February 21, 2015
Reading to Write
My first attempt at a children’s novel was an unmitigated disaster and one I shared with about thirty literary agents and publishers! I admit that there were perhaps one or two holes in my plot, characterisation, setting, pace, structure, climaxes, dialogue and probably much more. I just hope they won’t remember my name when I send them my next manuscript! What I learned from that experience was that it’s all very well putting pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard to get your story down but,...
February 11, 2015
Rhyme, Rhythm and Rap
I was lucky to be able to attend a Brian Moses ‘Rhyme, Rhythm & Rap’ poetry assembly at Holy Trinity Primary School in Cookham yesterday. I remember my own children reading Brian’s book, ‘Trouble at the Dinosaur Cafe’ years ago, but yesterday was all about using percussion instruments to bring some of Brian’s 2500 poems to life. The children clapped and tapped and found their ‘wriggle room’ as Brian brought them almost to fever pitch with ‘The Budgie Likes to Boogie’, ‘I Go Ape’, and ‘Walking...
February 6, 2015
May’s Moon; an extract
Click. Michael May fastened the last strap on his space suit and lifted on his helmet.
‘Primary life support system secure?’ shouted the bald-headed man in front of him.
‘Check!’
‘Helmet secure?’
‘Check!’
‘Suit sealer secure?’
‘Check!’
Michael looked around the hangar. Forget Tom Hill’s dream of driving a Bugatti Veyron. Forget Darren Fletcher fantasizing about playing left wing for Chelsea. This had to beat the whole lot: for the first time in his life, Michael wished that eve...
February 5, 2015
The Castle of Galinsk
A synopsis of The Castle of Galinsk
(Fantasy for 9-12)
Evil King Salek has sprinkled withering dust on part of King Randor’s lands, hypnotizing his people, destroying all plants and creatures and ageing the King. If he can’t reverse the spell, his Kingdom is lost. Randor calls on his trusted solider, Moreo, to leave the Kingdom and find an answer.
