Santa's Ex-Head Elf opens up about Allegations from Troll's Tall Tales Tales that he has gone High Tech this Christmas

Meet the Illustrator: Adyna Ferre talks about character creation and animation

Why talking to your kids will make them better readers

Vocabulary is extremely important to a child's literacy development, especially if they struggle to communicate. Having a broader range and understanding of what words mean and do can help even the most reluctant reader. Most people make the mistake of thinking that reading to kids and getting them to read aloud is the first place to start, but this is in fact the end goal. It starts with having a conversation with them on a daily basis.

 

When children see the purpose and priority behind where words fit in their day-to-day lives, they are more responsive to engaging with literacy activities that will foster a love of reading.

Why kids need authors as much as they need sporting stars

Our role models play an important role in shaping our dreams and ambitions. For many kids, the under-representation of the arts as a viable employment pathway, together with a lack of exposure to creative business owners from across diverse fields, makes it difficult for children who aren’t into sport to see themselves reflected in the people living their dream. Author and illustrator visits to schools play a large part in inspiring young children to not only believe in themselves, but to dare to expand their possibilities and take forward action on what they dream of doing. Until people in power respect the contributions and invest in the arts, the non-sporty kids will continue to miss out on finding their own heroes. 

Book Week is 17 -23 October

How to write a book for today’s children

Aspiring picture book authors are often already aware of the basics of writing stories for children but forget that what captivates modern children may not be the same as when they themselves were young. Today, there are many different formats of children's books, specific regulations around how to work with illustrators. Aspiring authors need to create stories that today’s children will enjoy by finding the right topic, language, and pace. International award-winning children’s author, Michelle Worthington, helps writers to find their own unique voice and to give them the why-for and know how to get published. 

It’s not as easy as you might think. 

Book Week is 17 - 23 October 2020

Book Review: All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton

 

It's 2.23am. I have just finished reading All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton and my first thoughts are, 'What. Just. Happened?' 

After not responding to knocks at doors, scrapes on knees and fire alarms at dinner time, I thought it was safer to finish reading it after the boys had gone to bed. My head was filled with white butterflies, white bones, hope, hate, love, life and death. Just as I became Eli Bell in Boy Swallows Universe,  growing up as a too smart kid in a shut your mouth Brisbane suburb, so was I Molly Hook, head full of words and infallibly optimistic, no matter what life threw at me. Only Trent Dalton can make you loose yourself in a book like that. 

I hate snot. The hardest page of the book for me to read wasn't when the gravedigger's daughter hid with her mother's bones in an open grave, got the beating or saw the rape, it was page 173. It was also the most incredibly moving and mind blowing piece of descriptive writing that I have ever read in my life. In that moment, snot was poetic and graceful. Only Trent Dalton can create characters like that.

The same suffocating pang that squeezed the tears from my eyes when I relived my childhood in Boy Swallows Universe were shed for Molly and Violet Hook. I talked to oceans instead of skies. I spat out pills instead of seeds. I had the monsters in my bed, after I had fed and cared for them all day until they became twisted by drink and darkness. I have carried all I owned and owned all I carried. Only Trent Dalton can see inside my soul like that. 

Now, as I check on my sleeping children under the dark sky, I speak softly to it. 'Please don't let anything happen to me so my kids don't end up like a character in a Trent Dalton novel.' 

When the blue sky returns, I will ask politely if one day I could write a book as honest and beautiful as a Trent Dalton novel, and I wouldn't even care if it lied.

Highly recommended. 

Is imagination an endangered species?

Modern children are very good at mimicry and mirroring instruction, but with the current curriculum’s focus on learning outcomes more so than learning pathways, are they losing the ability to think independently and inventively? The important role that imagination plays in creating engagement is being lost and forced literacy ignores the essence of critical and creative thinking: the need for questioning, exploration, and extended discussion around issues that are important to children. Without imagination, are our children equipped to be the leaders of tomorrow?

Putting the 'home' into home reading

With lockdowns and restrictions continuing across the country, it can feel as if we’ve had enough 'family time'. But are we actually spending quality time with our children or just going through the motions of home learning? When we sit to share a book, we’re creating a space to be together, to be available for our child and not distracted by anything else that's going on around us. The agreement to share a book allows us to tune in to what really catches their attention, their emotions, their sense of humour, even what they don't particularly respond to. We can, through the book sharing experience, get to know our children better. Taking only five minutes a day to share a book with your child can go a long way towards facilitating and nurturing your relationship and improving their mental health, as well as your own.

Kids, change, and the power of picture books

 Kids, change, and the power of picture books

Picture Books can be great tools for you to use to help your child understand change and new or frightening events, and also the strong emotions that can go along with them. When children are able to think about the text and make connections between the new information presented in the story and their store of background experiences, it allows them to be active and thoughtful about their own anxiety. Children can use picture books to make connections between familiar knowledge and incoming information in order to make predictions and inferences about characters, their motives and actions, as well as story events in order to learn that change is a natural and normal part of life. 

Reading to Your Child Doesn't Have to be at Bedtime

 Reading to your child doesn’t have to be at bedtime

It only takes 3 to 5 minutes a day to significantly improve your child’s vocabulary and communication skills. Introduce young children to the value of books by incorporating one book a day into playtime instead of the bedtime routine. Often when we wait until the end of the day, both parent and child are too tired to actively engage. Reading while playing builds a foundation of communication and word structure for your child by helping them to become familiar with common sounds, words and language that you use throughout the day. The time of day doesn’t matter, it’s the connection that counts.

Reading is Reading, No Matter the Medium

Reading is reading, no matter the medium

Waging a war to get your child to read can never be won; the only true victory happens when you lay down your arms and befriend the fact that for some children, reading is like having to eat their vegetables...they only do it because a parent says it’s good for them or a teacher makes them do it before they can move on to something 'fun'. The more we treat reading like a chore or homework, the more children are going to become disengaged from the true purpose of books; to give the gift of another world, a new friend or a mirror to celebrate what makes us all truly unique. Fun online reading games, reading apps and read along with animations on YouTube videos all have their place in modern literacy. Books have always come in all shapes and sizes, so reading is reading, no matter the medium.

Reading Picture Books to Improve Children's Mental Health

Studies show that when we read, the brain does not make a real distinction between reading about an experience and actually living it. Whether reading or experiencing it, the same neurological regions are stimulated. Children can show a significant increase in mental health from reading picture books as evidence suggests that the comprehension process stimulated by predicting, relating and questioning that occurs with young readers provides guidelines about how to talk about issues they feel strongly about and an opportunity to share their own views about what is happening in the world around them. It is not just the words or pictures we are sharing; it's a lifeline for their mental health. 

Reconnecting with books embraces the old and the new

Studies show that no previous generation has had to adapt to the amount of technological, economical and global change that our kids will have to do in their lifetime - they’ve come to rely on technology for communication, companionship and self-regulation. Books often come second to the immediate, individualised and integrated programming of the internet. If I had a choice between reading a book or internet when I was their age, I would have chosen internet, and I love books. The lure of technology comes from smart marketing, inadequate arts funding from the government, and a lack of imagination and foresight required to embrace what could be an amazing partnership between the new and the old. Connection with our kids is what's missing, and that's where we’re failing them - not the other way around.

Mind Kind Your Child's Mental Health with Dr Joanna North

Tell us about yourself, Joanna.

I am a Psychotherapist and Chartered Psychologist working with children, adults and families. I have worked in the field of mental health and personal development for thirty years. I work as an Expert Witness for the family court in the United Kingdom and am an Ofsted Registered Adoption Support and Intermediary Tracing Agency. I meet with families and children every day in my work and talk about their lives.

What inspired you?

Working in Child Mental Health for 30 years I realised that parents need support and have many questions about Child Mental Health. This book aims to answer these questions. It doesn’t help when parents get anxious about their child’s anxiety.

What has been your journey up to this point?

I have been a mum, a step mum and a Grandmother. These roles have all been important to me. I have been in the field of personal development for forty years with thirty of these in mental health.

What is the most important thing about what you do?

Helping people to understand their own mind as well as their child’s mind.

What are the challenges you face?

I love writing and I love my work with my clients. I have to manage my time really well. My diary is the main challenge of my life.

What advice can you offer to parents?

Don’t overfill your timetable. Try and remain calm and resolve one problem at a time. Remember that Minds matter and given time we can respond mindfully and effectively to resolve things that get in the way of family harmony and a productive life.

What is your definition of successful parenting?

Being mindful that every minute counts and that you are the source of learning for your child. Taking care of yourself so that your child absorbs mindfulness and calm from you.

What is your ultimate goal?

My contribution to my world is to support parents to raise children who contribute to a society that is more kind. I have to practice what I preach. This is a complex task. Sometimes we have to be tough and be kind. My goal in writing is that this information reaches out to more people more quickly and can help them change behaviour.

Contact Joanna North

Website:  www.joannanorth.co.uk

            Facebook:   Joanna North.

            Twitter:  Joanna North 23

         

The book is available at good retailers and online, including Amazon and at

https://exislepublishing.com/product/mind-kind/

Kids can write and publish their own books, with some help!

Is your child an Anne 'with an E'

Kids Can Create Books Workshops 

This workshop is for school aged children who have an idea for a story that they would like to publish.

Whether it is a picture book or longer story, kids can bring their ideas to life, giving style and colour to a story solely created by them.

Award winning international author of empowering picture books for children of all abilities, Michelle Worthington, will give aspiring authors and illustrators the information they need to decide what genre they would like to focus on, how they can create engaging stories and the process involved in publication.

You can find out more about Michelle at www.michelleworthington.com

Julieann Wallace, director of Lilly Pilly Publishing, will give real life examples of the children she has worked with to help them share their stories with the world. Visit www.lillypillypublishing.com for more information.

To get the most out of this workshop, children are required to have a project in mind they would like to work on so they get relevant and constructive feedback and can have their specific questions answered.

Bookings essential as places are limited. Parents are welcome to stay during the event, or take some time to read in the library while the workshop takes place, but we require all parents to stay on site.

For any further information, contact Michelle at mworthington.author@gmail.com

Date and Time

Sat. 11 August 2018

12:30 pm – 3:30 pm AEST

Location

Wynnum Library

145 Florence Street

Wynnum, QLD 4178

Book now: Kids Can Create Books Workshop Booking Link

Tom and Mum's Book Review: Pug's Don't Wear Pyjamas

Tom and Mum's Book Reviews on iTunes

Michelle Worthington is an award winning author, international guest speaker and publishing coach, but the star of this show is Tom. Tom loves chocolate, cuddles and construction. 

He's also the smartest, most honest and best reviewer in the world.

Pugs Don't Wear Pyjamas is written by Michelle Worthington, illustrated by Cecilia Johannson, 

published by New Frontier Publishing.

When Tom visits his aunt he meets her pug Ellie.
Ellie is no ordinary pug. Wherever Tom's aunt goes, her pug must go too. His aunt dresses Ellie up for every outing.
Tom finds Ellie strange but she makes friends wherever she goes. Tom makes no friends.
He realises something has to change.

Click here to listen to the Podcast

Is Imagination An Endangered Species?

Last week, I was speaking with some author friends and we all agreed that in our recent author visit experience, children were struggling with the concept and practical application of imaginative play. And we asked ourselves the question, "Is imagination in danger of becoming extinct?"

Modern children are very good at mimicry and mirroring instruction. The excel at engaging in guided learning but with the current curriculum and focus on learning outcomes, more so than learning pathways, are they loosing the ability to think creatively, independently and inventively?

The important role that imagination plays in creating engagement in more than just rope-learning and forced literacy reflects the essence of the need for questioning, exploration and extended discussion around issued that are important to children as individuals. Here are my top three reasons why we need to save Imagination from dying out all together.

1. Imagination is learned.

Children are not born with imagination. Imagination is a learned strategy that is modelled and used by a caregiver or peer in an attempt to construct meaningful interpretations of the seen and unseen world in which we live. The importance of creating an environment in which children learn to and feel free to use their imagination can be undervalued in a technologically advanced culture that lends itself to children becoming passive, unresponsive and unable to engage with any medium that required individual interpretation, namely, books. We need to teach the next generation to use their imagination if we hope to have the inventors, the dreamers and the big idea makers that will take them into the next century and beyond.

2. Imagination is a tool.

The context and culture of imagination influences engagement in many areas of children's lives and is a tool for experimentation and learning. Children use their imagination as a tool in their interactions with the world around them as they attempt to make sense of it or craft their own interpretations. The act of imaginative play itself becomes the environment from which information is gathered which is evidenced by their non-verbal cues as well as their overt responses. They also become more motivated to participate in learning as a result of the engaging properties of the use of imagination as a teaching tool.

3. Imagination is contagious.

The reflexivity inherent in the use of imagination is that when the culture of the learning environment permits children to question, explore and invent, not only are individuals cognitively engaged, but their use of imagination elicits engagement in their peers as well.  Children can also use imaginative play as a way of safe space sharing of thoughts, feelings and ideas, modelling the behaviour for their peers and allowing age appropriate conversations of important topics that are relevant to their life and learning. More than any of that...it is so much fun.

If you have any other reasons why we need to save Imagination, especially in schools, please let me know in the comments.

www.michelleworthington.com