Some lockdown readings for your young bookworms!
Crikey, what happened? Covid who? We're seeing the phrase 'unprecedented times' an unprecedented number of times right now - and yet it isn't hype. The vast majority of us have never lived through times like these.
Keeping ourselves safe and distanced is also a big part of how we can look after others, to stop this vile disease from spreading as much as is possible. Many of us are shielded and at home, therefore, and many are turning to books.
I've been making an effort to write when I can - Book Three is underway, plus some script ideas. Partly just to try to stay positive and creative, but also because I do believe that stories are more important than ever in a time like this. Not just as escapism, though that can help. They are a way to inspire hope - courage - a reminder of our shared humanity - fun - adventure - laughter.
Writing itself didn't seem enough, though. I felt, back in mid March when some kind of lockdown looked inevitable, that I wanted to carry on engaging with children directly. The situation we are in makes it crucial that kids should feel encouraged, enthused and secure, with chances to connect beyond their households.
My book JAIRUS'S GIRL covers the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and I normally do some public readings around Easter. I didn't see why Coronavirus should stop that, so I took tentative steps to organise a series of live Zoom readings throughout Holy Week, followed by Q&As with the children. Even more cautiously, I started looking into YouTube.
It's been quite a ride, and the results are technically very homespun! - but it's about the story, right? (What am I saying? You're part of the Goodreads community, you know it's about the story!)
The Zooms went amazingly, with participants as far afield as Africa, and the children chatting to each other as well as with me. Plus I did get my head around YouTube - so here we are. Some content, in the hope it might encourage you too.
JAIRUS'S GIRL is a 'funny, imaginative and moving' kids-eye view of the Jesus story. The excerpts last around 2 hours, if you want to follow them through a bit at a time - or you can just pop in for one episode (I've put in the notes which Bible event each one relates to).
I hope they might be useful as an RE resource for online teachers, or parents unexpectedly having to homeschool? Alternatively, they might simply provide some enjoyment for preteen bookworms who like having a story read to them - or anyone, really. Adults seem to enjoy my books too!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Then I was invited to take part in The Big Kidlit Q&A with other children's authors and illustrators, so here are my answers, in case you have any budding writers in the family who might be interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIhOO...
(You can ask me questions here on Goodreads too, of course)
And I'm about to do the readings all over again with prequel JOSEPH'S BOY (about the births of Jesus and John the Baptist), so keep a look out for that too.
Meantime, look after yourselves and each other, and keep enjoying stories. We'll get through this together.
Keeping ourselves safe and distanced is also a big part of how we can look after others, to stop this vile disease from spreading as much as is possible. Many of us are shielded and at home, therefore, and many are turning to books.
I've been making an effort to write when I can - Book Three is underway, plus some script ideas. Partly just to try to stay positive and creative, but also because I do believe that stories are more important than ever in a time like this. Not just as escapism, though that can help. They are a way to inspire hope - courage - a reminder of our shared humanity - fun - adventure - laughter.
Writing itself didn't seem enough, though. I felt, back in mid March when some kind of lockdown looked inevitable, that I wanted to carry on engaging with children directly. The situation we are in makes it crucial that kids should feel encouraged, enthused and secure, with chances to connect beyond their households.
My book JAIRUS'S GIRL covers the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and I normally do some public readings around Easter. I didn't see why Coronavirus should stop that, so I took tentative steps to organise a series of live Zoom readings throughout Holy Week, followed by Q&As with the children. Even more cautiously, I started looking into YouTube.
It's been quite a ride, and the results are technically very homespun! - but it's about the story, right? (What am I saying? You're part of the Goodreads community, you know it's about the story!)
The Zooms went amazingly, with participants as far afield as Africa, and the children chatting to each other as well as with me. Plus I did get my head around YouTube - so here we are. Some content, in the hope it might encourage you too.
JAIRUS'S GIRL is a 'funny, imaginative and moving' kids-eye view of the Jesus story. The excerpts last around 2 hours, if you want to follow them through a bit at a time - or you can just pop in for one episode (I've put in the notes which Bible event each one relates to).
I hope they might be useful as an RE resource for online teachers, or parents unexpectedly having to homeschool? Alternatively, they might simply provide some enjoyment for preteen bookworms who like having a story read to them - or anyone, really. Adults seem to enjoy my books too!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Then I was invited to take part in The Big Kidlit Q&A with other children's authors and illustrators, so here are my answers, in case you have any budding writers in the family who might be interested:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIhOO...
(You can ask me questions here on Goodreads too, of course)
And I'm about to do the readings all over again with prequel JOSEPH'S BOY (about the births of Jesus and John the Baptist), so keep a look out for that too.
Meantime, look after yourselves and each other, and keep enjoying stories. We'll get through this together.
No comments have been added yet.
