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Peni Griffin | Author |11,000 Years Lost | Moss Green Children’s Book

Monday, February 8th, 2010 | Author: Mark

Would you please tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind your most recent publication?

Author: Peni R. Griffin

Author: Peni R. Griffin

“Inspiration” sounds so simple and surprising compared to what really happens!  First of all, you’ve got to remember that I’m always going to be writing something, so nothing comes out of the blue – I exist in active search mode, examining the story potential of practically everything that comes within my notice.  Also, my biggest financial success in the 20th century was with Switching Well, a time travel story picked up by Texas history classes, so I was attuned to ideas that were both storyworthy in their own right and with potential to tie in with school curricula.  That was my state of mind at the time I picked up a book by Bjőrn Kurtén, illustrated by Margaret Lambert Newton and Hubert Pepper, called Before the Indians.  Kurtén is a palaeontologist and the book is basically an art book about the last three million years or so of American palaeontology.  Which is always cool.  So it occurred to me that what I needed to write was a time travel book with a mammoth on the cover.

Then I researched, and researched, and researched some more.  I read archaeology journals and talked to some archaeologists and went on newsgroups and visited a dig.  It’s been my experience that, once you’ve done sufficient research, your plot and characters form

themselves in your head, and all you have to do is bring them up to consciousness to write the story.  So I wrote a book, couldn’t sell it, couldn’t sell it,

11,000 Years Lost by Peni R. Griffin

11,000 Years Lost by Peni R. Griffin

couldn’t sell it; and suddenly realized I had made a serious error in Chapter 7 – at about the time that Susan Van Metre, who had the manuscript, was saying she’d like to buy it.  I told her she couldn’t have it with that error in it, took it back, and realized that the error in chapter 7 served, I think, three plot and two thematic functions.  Meantime, between 1996 and 2001, vast and astonishing work had been done on the late American Ice Age, controversies had erupted, and I had to research it again.  At that time, I had a day job, and you can’t work fulltime and research properly, so I talked my boss into letting me have Mondays off.  I researched till blood came out my ears, visited more sites, rewrote almost from scratch, and finally let Susan have it back, a whole new and much better book.

I’m going to write another Pleistocene book, although I don’t know much about it yet.    I could write about nothing but the Pleistocene for the rest of my life and not exhaust the untapped possibilities.  I think megafauna are way cooler than dinosaurs and the work being done today in the Americas is the most interesting archaeology you can do, turning up questions we didn’t even know how to ask.  Once the Ice Age bug bites you, you stay bit.

What inspired you to start writing children’s books?

At the time I reached adulthood, all the libraries and bookstores were still automatically shelving their fantasy in the children’s section.  Few places even had YA sections!  I had always presumed, from the time I read Lord of the Rings, that I would write fantasy, so I never got out of the habit of visiting the children’s section.  As more and more fantasy was published in adult imprints, I began to realize that I preferred children’s books to adult books.  They have to be interesting on every page, and they are written for growing brains; I think those are the two most important factors.
At first I assumed I didn’t write well enough to write for children.  I was writing short stories for the magazines in those days, and trying to work out what my novel should be.  I still think some of my novel ideas have potential, but I wasn’t getting anywhere with them.  At one point, my husband, who worked near an artificial lake – Woodlawn Lake, one of San Antonio’s landmarks that’s primarily meaningful to the locals, not tourists – came home and said that the fog was so thick on the lake that morning it looked as if somebody could walk over from another world on it.  So I started a short story about a kid who does that – walks from his world into ours.  It wasn’t working as a short story, and I suddenly realized that it was because I was trying to write from the point of view of the grandmother, but all the interesting things would happen to the children.  Once I saw that, I saw what kind of book it would be.  So I wrote Otto from Otherwhere, and – this is how long ago it was! – I sold it on complete manuscript, unsolicited, without an agent, to the second editor I sent it to, who was Margaret K. McElderry.
Well!   Having proved I could do it, I didn’t see any point in writing for adults anymore.  Good enough or not, this is the field for me.


How do you get into the mind of a child in order to write in a way they can relate to?

I don’t.  I get into the character’s mind, and since the character is a child, it works out.  As to how I go about that – it’s a knack.  I learned it early and found it so easy, I couldn’t tell you how it’s done.  The main thing, but this is true of most parts of writing, is to get out of your own way.  Turn that ego off and make room for the story.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started writing children’s books?

How soon the business would arrive at the point where I did, in fact, need an agent.  I should have one by now and I don’t.  It’s a pain in the neck looking, too, but it’s not optional anymore.
That’s not the first thing I’d tell myself if I could communicate through time and give my younger self advice, though.  I never expected to have one of those brilliant careers, and though there’s much

Switching Well by Peni R. Griffin

Switching Well by Peni R. Griffin

to be dissatisfied with where I am, there’s also a lot that couldn’t realistically be bettered.  I have some personal advice and warnings I’d give myself before getting to the agent stuff – and at that, I might not make anything better.  I might wind up with a different set of regrets.  In business and in life, I’d still have the same basic material to work with – me.  Twelve books in twenty years is better than a lot of people do.

For a parent, who has a child only interested in watching TV what advice, would you give them to interest their child in reading books?

As I have no  children, I would not presume to advise parents on how to raise their children!  That would be obnoxious.  Besides which, when parents say their kids are only interested in one thing, it isn’t always the problem they think it is.  Kids can get obsessive.  It’s part of learning.  You have to see a lot of dreck to recognize the good stuff – and there is good stuff on TV.  It obeys Sturgeon’s Law (90% of everything is crud). However, if there is a real problem – if the kid is passive, nervy, doesn’t sleep – then I think you’ve got to start with role modelling.  If you keep the TV turned off when not watching some specific show for a specific reason, if you read, if you read to the kid – and don’t read things you think he “ought” to like, but read things that reflect his real interests – you can redirect him.  If the kid watches pro wrestling, take him to the comic store and let him read superheroes; get a tabletop roleplaying system and teach him to play superheroes.  If the kid watches monster truck rallies, take him to the library and let him check out books about cars that are too old for him.  And while you’re at it, get him some stuff to tinker with.  Find out what he’s getting from TV, and show him other ways, better ways, to get that satisfaction.  Listen to him.  Pay attention.  Don’t assume that there’s something wrong with him you have to fix.  Assume that he’s a separate person who will be just fine if given a chance, and give him the chance.

How would you involve and educate kids about green issues?

This is role-modelling again.  Live like the person you want your kid to be.  Don’t make a big crusade out of anything, but discuss the

choices you make, and give him choices, in terms of the larger implications of your individual actions.  Many green actions are easier than the non-green options – cloth bags carry more than plastic ones and don’t hurt your hands; all you have to do is remember to take them! – and many are simple habits.  It’s as easy to pick up a good habit as a bad one.   And give yourself, and him, a break!  He may not always make the green choice, but that doesn’t make him a bad person and that’s not the last choice he’ll make.  I myself drive a car that isn’t as efficient as it could be; but we can’t buy a new car right now.  We try to make it up in other ways, and I bike and take the bus when I can.  Be realistic.  Be honest.  Don’t think too big and get discouraged; the world is made of small stuff.  All you can do is the best you can do.

Would you please tell us about your causes or charities you are involved with?

I’m not particularly active outside of  my work and personal life (there’s always more I want to do than I have time and energy to do!), but I give money to Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, Audubon, and the Nature Conservancy; and I have been known to sign petitions and write to politicians on issues of marriage equality (how gay marriage is supposed to harm heterosexual marriage is beyond me), the environment, human rights, and certain health issues, especially sex education and HIV.

What are your dreams?

My funeral will be attended by dozens of archaeologists who will all say:  “I got into the field because of her books.” Someday fifty years after I’m dead, a kid will find one of my books, and reading my words will spark an idea in that kid’s head that I am incapable of having.  Eleven Thousand Years Lost will have a faithful movie adaptation with animatronic megafauna (not CGI, except in the long shots) and a sound track by Melissa Etheridge.  My hundred-year-old house will be fixed up exactly the way I like it, with plenty of time left in my life for me to enjoy it.  My name will become so well-known that people stop spelling it wrong; in fact, single-n-I will become the second most popular spelling!
Or maybe I’ll just get an agent and keep producing books, about one a year, that sell reasonably well and maintain me comfortably until the day I die quietly in my sleep, in full possession of my faculties.  That’s good enough.

Would you tell us a little about you are working on now?

I’m doing the research for a historical novel set in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.  Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.  Kirby-Smith, the general in charge of the western theatre, surrendered in Galveston on June 2nd.  Occupying forces didn’t arrive in Texas until June 15th – Juneteenth, as we call it, the day the Emancipation Proclamation was implemented.  In

Otto from Otherware

Otto from Otherware

between was chaos.  Years ago I had some dead time in the day job and started writing to pass the time, coming out with a full chapter in the voice of a young woman who is living through that period.  I couldn’t do the research necessary then, but the time has come to find out what her story is.  It’s not quite as hard to research as the Ice Age, but it’s close.  People weren’t writing things down in 1865.  For one thing, few people did anything they can be proud of with those two months.  For another, most of them had run out of paper the previous fall.  Most memoirists talk at length about the forties and fifties, then say:  “The war came.  That was a bad time.  I hauled cotton to Mexico.  In 1868 –“  and off they go into the boom years.

What were your favourite childhood books and why?

Does anybody really have a favourite book?  And are there really discernible reasons?  Little Women is huge in my life.  Louisa May Alcott knew a lot of things that my mother didn’t understand and I needed to know.  I started reading Alcott when I was 7 and have never stopped. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of it, but Carol Kendall’s The Gammage Cup blew me away when I was twelve.  The first time I checked it out of the library I read it five times!  Something about the way she told the story – a balance of frankness and subtlety -  misfits and cliques, action, one of the few emotionally mature love stories I’ve ever read folded into it.  Not romance, just love.  The Lord of the Rings, of course, though it doesn’t hit its stride till the Mines of Moria.  I cut my teeth on Victorians, so I knew how to wallow in Tolkien’s style and get the most out of it.  I love that there’s always more to it however often I read it, that as huge and sprawling as it is everything holds together; and I love Sam, who is a hero because he isn’t heroic and doesn’t go looking at big pictures.  The next step and then next one, okay this is the end of all things but don’t you think we should move away from the mouth of this volcano?  I feel bigger at the end of LotR; exalted.  Also Narnia.  And Oz – oh, Dorothy is the Great American Heroine!   I’d go to the ends of the earth with her.
But I loved, and love, so many books there’s nothing to do but shut up about it.

How do you keep in touch with your audience?

I don’t as much as I’d like.  I have the website and the blog (but nobody comments on the blog and anyway middle schoolers aren’t blog-readers generally), and I’ll do school visits if I can.  I don’t answer fan mail as often as I should, but that’s not entirely my fault, as so often I get it in batches forwarded from the publisher two or three years after it’s written.  I’m not what you’d call a people person, though.  It’s hard for me to keep in touch with individuals; big amorphous groups like “my audience” are hard to envision, much less reach out to.  But I do my best to be approachable.

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Jenny Alexander Interview: Bullies, big mouths and so-called friends?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010 | Author: Mark


Would you please give us a little background about how you came to write “Bullies, big mouths and so-called friends?”

Author: Jenny Alexander

Author: Jenny Alexander

I’ve always felt strongly about bullying. I was never bullied at school but when I had children of my own I became aware how common school bullying is and how little truly practical advice is available to young people if telling doesn’t work.


What inspired you to start writing Children’s Books?

I had four children and I loved reading to them – we got through masses of library books every week. It felt like a natural thing to write for children at that time, although I have never thought of myself as exclusively a children’s writer and I have written a book, several poems and a clutch of magazine articles for adults.

Bullies, Bigmouths and so-called Friends

Bullies, Bigmouths and so-called Friends


How do you get into the mind of a child in order to write in a way they can relate to?

I cast my mind back to how I felt when I was the age I’m writing for or think back to my children and their friends. I don’t feel that the conceptual development of children changes very much from one generation to another even though the social context may be radically altered.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started writing children’s books?

I didn’t know that as a children’s author these days you have to make yourself into a brand, producing a body of similar books and being willing to spend a large amount of time promoting them in the media and online. I’m glad I didn’t know this when I started out because it would have put me off, and although I do prefer being at home writing I have found I also enjoy getting out and about, talking and teaching as well as writing.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of becoming an author?

Do your research into what the market wants and bear that in mind, but always write what comes from the heart.

For a parent who has a child only interested in watching TV what advice would you give them to interest their child in reading books?

Have lots of books around in the house. Let your child see you reading for pleasure.

Car-Mad JACK

Car-Mad JACK

Read to your child every day and talk about what you are reading. Be adventurous – please don’t just stick to stories. Your child might also love non fiction and poetry.

How would you persuade kids that green issues are important?

Green issues are about love – nurturing the natural and social environments that nurture us. I think all you need is time to stop and notice all the wonderful things in nature, including human nature, in order to feel grateful and glad you can contribute. I would encourage children to take time to enjoy different natural and social situations – one way is through creative activities because making poems, music and art all involve slowing down and enjoying; another way is through practical activities such as gardening and sports.

Can you tell us about your causes or any charities you are involved with?

I sing with a community gospel choir and we do about 30 concerts, weddings, funerals etc every year for charity. Last year we raised £10,000 for charities including children’s hospices and cancer care.

Can you please tell us a little bit about your dreams?

I don’t have any fixed dreams – I go where life takes me and sometimes the most wonderful directions are the least expected.

Car-Mad JACK by Jenny Alexander

Car-Mad JACK by Jenny Alexander

Would you please let us know a little bit about what you are now working on in the arena of children’s books?

I’ve always got different ideas in various stages of development. I’m hoping to write some more Car-mad Jack books this year if the first six sell well and I’ve got a fiction series for slightly older children under consideration with several publishers at the moment.

When you were a child what were your favourite Children’s Books?

The only books I possessed as a young child were two Famous Five stories, The Wishing Chair and The Wishing Chair Again by Enid Blyton, but I completely loved them. I didn’t really discover children’s literature until I worked in a branch library as a new graduate, but then I was like a kid in a sweetshop. Wonderful!

To find out more please have a look at the website of  Jenny Alexander

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The Top 15 Children’s Books about Climate Change

Friday, February 5th, 2010 | Author: Lucy

earth-childFirst of all, there are a lot of children’s books that specifically focus on climate change. However, the majority of them are non-fiction. This list looks at 15 of the best stories about the environment, global warming and related green issues.

1. Tree Talk by Ana Salote

Charlie discovers that climbing into his tree house also allows him to climb inside the tree’s mind. The results are astonishing: not only does our young hero learn a thousand names for different kinds of weather, he has a vision about the future of the world. He immediately begins to do what he can, starting out with his own garden. However, it’s not long before he’s called to a greater purpose….

2. Islands by Jacob Sackin

Saskia is our heroine in a futuristic world devastated by the effects of global warming. Forced to live an artificial existence in a protected pyramid, she’s bored out of her mind. However, unbeknown to her people, there are survivors living out in the real world and their paths will soon cross.

3. Michael Recycle! by Ellie Bethel

Michael Recycle is a young superhero bent on a mission to help the lazy or uninformed realise why everyone should recycle. In a world that ignores the dangers of waste, Michael Recycle is set on making a difference, but he’s going to need some help along the way!

4. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Recently made into a hugely successful movie, this cautionary tale hilariously warns of what happens when the weather goes wrong. A smattering of hamburgers or a gentle drizzle of custard is fine to begin with, but what happens when the skys turn stormy and giant pancakes threaten to squash everything in sight?

5. Hope and the Magic Martian by Helen Moore

Hope is desperate to meet a Martian. Fortunately for her, a young Martian is similarly keen to meet Hope in order to find out why the Earth’s polar caps are melting. They meet at the North Pole and listen to the animals’ stories. Hope is initially worried that she can’t do anything to help, but the alien’s magic helps to show that every change has to start with small steps.

6. The Lorax by Dr Zuess

The original cautionary tale from Dr Zeuss. It’s a charmingly rhyming ecologically minded story whose morals still ring true today. Without any risk of lecturing, it encourages young and old alike to pay attention to and take action on a throwaway disregard for the earth’s environment.

7. Under the Weather: Stories About Climate Change edited by Tony Bradman

A collection of stories for young people that aims to bring the problematic effects of climate change to life. A wide range of writers from around the world are brought together in this compilation and contribute tales about anything from rising sea levels to changes in human lifestyle.

8. Exodus by Julie Bertagna

We’re 100 years in the future, and the sea levels are rising ever higher. Exodus tells the story of Mara, a young girl eking out an existence with her family. When her people are forced to abandon their sinking island, Mara finds she can provide hope and leadership against all the odds. The sequel, Zenith, has similar themes.

9. Nation by Terry Pratchett

In a break from his traditional Discwold novels, Pratchett tells a story about a couple of youngsters whose lives are changed forever when a giant wave washes everything away. The ‘Nation’, the beginnings of a new civilisation, is the result. The book has also been made into a play and has had successful runs around the world.

10. Spud Goes Green by Giles Thaxton

Spud has a mission: he wants to save the planet! He makes a New Year’s Resolution to ‘go green’ and spends the next 12 months changing the way he and those around him live. The book has wonderful illustrations and it’s no surprise that the whole thing is printed on 100% recycled paper with vegetable inks.

11. The Vanishing Rainforest by Richard Platt

This beautifully illustrated book tackles the issues surrounding the earth’s rainforests in a sympathetic and engaging way. The story is told through the eyes of a child called Remaema and describes how her tribe, the Yanomami battle against potential developers. However, the tale isn’t a one-sided diatribe; it seeks a compromise that benefits everyone involved.

12. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Liam, the young hero, teaches the reader how a small effort can lead to much larger consequences. When he discovers a struggling garden and resolves to look after it, his nurturing care spreads through the city in which he lives, transforming it from a dull, dark, grey place to one of lightness and greenery. An inspirational and heartening tale.

13. Gaia Girls: Enter The Earth by Lee Welles

Fans of Nancy Drew will see many of the same detective-type themes in this series of books. Billed as “fiction with a mission”, this book, aimed at early teens, doesn’t hide the fact that it’s trying to convert young readers into active, ecologically minded do-gooders. It’s well written and exciting and promises to capture a whole generation of fans.

14. The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry

A beautifully illustrated book with a simple story line. A man, exhausted from trying to chop down a tree, takes a nap underneath its boughs. In his sleep, the animals that live in or rely on the tree come and talk to him in his dreams, pleading with him to spare their world.

15. White Horse Trick by Kate Thompson

This is the last in a trilogy of books set in Ireland. The story is set in the closing years of the 21st century, and dramatic climate change has made life almost impossible. It’s a much more fantastical tale than many others on this list, but also deals sensitively with real-life problems. These problems have their roots in climate change, but are not limited to the most obvious repercussions. For example, one of the biggest themes in this book is the problem of refugees trying to get into Ireland.

If you know and love any other children’s books that deal with the issues surrounding climate change, please let us know in the comments.

Thank you to woodleywonderworks for the picture.

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Jeremy Strong | Author Interview | Moss Green Children’s Books.

Thursday, February 4th, 2010 | Author: Mark

Would you please tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind your most recent publication?

Author: Jeremy Strong

Author: Jeremy Strong

BATPANTS! Is the name of a pet orangutan and the title of my most recent book. I was asked to write a story that included a zany family and animals, and also one that could be turned into a series. That was my starting point. I have always liked writing about families and animals so I was more than happy to take on this brief. As a child I loved animal stories and as a writer, particularly a humourous one, animals have terrific value as lovable, opportunistic creators of chaos. I tried to think of an unusual family, so first of all I decided that the three children would live in a tree house. I had seen some pictures of modern tree houses in a Sunday magazine supplement, which is how that idea came about. In another magazine, months before I knew anything about this commission, I had also seen some strange photos of ‘eco’ children. They were fashion shots, showing several children with twigs in their hair and other ‘wild’ decorations. They looked great, and I based Tilly – the 10 year old narrator, on these pictures. The father trains animals for films and the mother is a stuntwoman in the tv/film industry. So that lot gave me a lot of material to work with! I find that if I can create really strong characters they do help write the story. When it came to animals I wanted something a little different, but still cuddly and cute, hence the orangutan. I also wanted something to echo Tilly’s eco side, so an endangered orangutan seemed a good choice. The eco side of the book is kept minor. It’s never a major issue, but it is a way of raising awareness without it being full on and, perhaps, off-putting for some readers. I have raised eco issues before – in the FAMOUS BOTTOM series for example, especially MY BROTHER’S FAMOUS BOTTOM GETS PINCHED, which features eco-friendly nappies as part of the plot.

Batpants! by Jeremy Strong

Batpants! by Jeremy Strong


What inspired you to start writing children’s books?

I’ve always loved them. As a teacher of primary children I dealt with them on a daily basis and I became aware of a deep lack of stories that 6-9 year old children could read for themselves – just at the point where they were becoming independent readers. So I started writing stories I thought they would like to read and, crucially, would be able to read.

How do you get into the mind of a child in order to write in a way they can relate to?

I have strong memories of childhood, particularly the primary years. I some ways I have a stunted development I guess – I often feel about 8 years old inside! Fortunately it doesn’t spill over into my behaviour – at least not often – so it goes unoticed, except by me.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started writing children’s books?

That I could have left teaching earlier than I did and made a living from writing!

For a parent who has a child only interested in watching TV what advice would you give them to interest their child in reading books?

Ah, very difficult. I do get a number of letters from grateful parents saying that their child wasn’t interested in reading until they picked up one of my books. I’m sure many authors get such letters and obviously that is heartwarming and encouraging for me. So I could say, give them one of my books! Except of course it might be a different author who finally turns them on. I think this problem is far more commom amongst boys than girls. Boys tend to be interested in funny stuff and facts, so that might help.

How would you involve and educate kids about green issues?

I think that practical activities are always a good way of getting children involved, whether it’s pond-dipping, cooking something, goping on a litter hunt – whatever. The learning comes from doing and seeing. Listening to a good speaker helps of course but hands on experience rarely fails.

My Brother's Famous Bottom by Jeremy Strong

My Brother's Famous Bottom by Jeremy Strong

Would you please tell us about your causes or charities you are involved with?

I’m quite involved with the children’s ward at my local big hospital. I go in and talk and read with patients when I can. I sponsor a child abroad, get The Big Issue from our local seller every so often and make on the spur donations from time to time – Haiti, Comic Relief – that sort of thing.

What are your dreams?

Mostly very funny and bizarre. I’m lucky. But on a more personal note I dream of peace and love and freedom for the world. It’s a cliché, but aren’t those the most important of all? (And it starts in our own homes and schools.)

Would you tell us a little about you are working on now?

Doh! Answering these questions! But seriously, I’m working on a big new series. Keep your fingers crossed.

What were your favourite childhood books and why?

Rudyard Kipling’s JUST SO STORIES – animals and beautiful, measured, poetic prose – just wonderful.
A A Milne’s HOUSE AT POOH CORNER. Animals again, in the disguise of furry toys. What a cast – Eeyore, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, who could fail to fall about?

Gerald Durrell’s MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIOMALS. Guess what – animals again. And a strange, exotic family.How I wish I’d been born Gerald Durrell. I read almost everything he wrote after my introduction via this book.

How do you keep in touch with your audience?

I have a website: http://www.jeremystrong.co.uk with LATEST NEWS area and also a MESSAGE BOARD where children can make comments, ask questions and so on. I also have a fan club and blog: http://krazyklub.co.uk
I also visit scores of schools across the world, and book festivals and libraries too. I can’t escape my audience. I often involve them in what I’m talking aboout. Their feedback is important and they often give me ideas I can riff on.

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PARC – ESSEX Play & Resource Centre Charity – Special Needs Children

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 | Author: Mark

PARC - Essex

PARC – ESSEX is a charity offering play and support services to special needs children and young adults.

To give their special children play experiences that other more abled children take for granted while at the same time providing education and having fun is how PARC summarize their purpose.

PARC – ESSEX offers a range of services which includes

•    Pre – school stay and play

•    After school and holiday respite

•    Sports and activity clubs

•    Youth clubs

•    Family stay and Play sessions

•    Parents and families support services

PARC covers all ages from premature babies to 24 years old. PARC has fully trained, experienced and dedicated staff that offers first class services, plus catering for any special needs requirements.

The PARC centre is also available to hire, at reasonable rates for children’s parties, for children’s parties. The facilities can also be hired for meetings, presentations and training courses. For costs and information please email info@parc-essex.co.uk.

The centre is located at Great Notley Country Park, Braintree, CM77 7 FS

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Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie | Children’s Story Book

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 | Author: Mark
Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel  Stewart

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie is an entertaining children’s book that is about a friendship. Joel Stewart is the author and talented illustrator of this children’s story book.

The Big Blue Beastie wants to eat up Dexter because he is bored. Dexter is suitably creative and comes up with a variety of different ideas on how to entertain the Beastie. They get into a variety of very different escapades.

All is fine until Dexter runs out of new ideas on how to entertain the Big Beastie. It is not looking good, until there is a switch in the story and an unexpected turn of events.

I am sure that you will enjoy reading this children’s story book. The book has special qualities to it which are not often found in children’s books. This children’s book is Not Green but you must not hold that against this book.

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Social Enterprise Interview | Ben Mathews – Founder | Bright One

Monday, February 1st, 2010 | Author: Mark
Bright One Logo.

Bright One Logo.

Can you please tell me a little bit about yourself and your Social Enterprise?

Ben Mathews - Founder Bright One

Ben Mathews - Founder Bright One

I’m the founder of Bright One, a volunteer-run communications agency for the third sector. Our team is on hand to offer charities, social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations affordable yet effective PR and communications campaigns. We help organisations get their messages heard and offer resources so they can focus on core activities.

What makes your social enterprise a success?

Without a doubt it’s the energy, commitment and dedication of our volunteers. We wouldn’t exist as an organisaiton without them and I’m constantly amazed by the fatastic work they do. In our first year, over 1,500 hours were donated by our volunteers – an amazing achievement.


What are the big challenges that your enterprise faces?

Time is a big challenge – making sure that the time our volunteers spend working with clients is effective, and that our management team are able to volunteer around their day jobs, that we have time to look at the bigger picture. We’re managing well so far, but it’s an area that we keep a close eye on.

In your current role what significant learnings have you had?

I’ve learnt to trust in people a lot more – stepping back from the nitty gritty and let people get on with their roles. I’ve also leartn about the power of a storng network – being able to contact people for support, sharing resources and knowledge is an invaluable part of setting up an enterprise.

What advice would you give to a social entrepreneur starting out?

Make sure there’s two founders and you’re good friends with them – it really helsp to have someone to bounce ideas off, spread the workload, and to drive things forward when you’re having an off week. Also, success is often less down to intelligence and more to do with persistence, so keep doing the little things and keep doing them well – you’ll see the rewards once you’ve put persistent hard work in.

What creative idea do you have, that does not cost a bucket of money, which would kick start the social enterprise business model?

I would get someone to design a one-page guide to what a social enterprise is and make sure that everyone involved in social enterprise agrees to use that guide in their messaging around social enterprise. Their’s too much confusion about weaht a social enterprise is, but joined up messaging from all involved would ensure that our collective voices get heard a lot more widely.

What was your favourite book as a child?

Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’ – a classic read!

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12 Reasons It’s Important to Read to Your Child

Friday, January 29th, 2010 | Author: Lucy

Following on from last week’s post about reading to your child prenatally, this week I look at how important it is to continue reading to your baby once he or she is born.

“The earliest months and years are the most important in a child’s development. The sooner children hear language, the sooner they begin to understand and use words.”
Language and Play Programme, The Basic Skills Agency


mother-reading2

1. It’s just important!

According to The National Literacy Trust, a parent’s involvement in the reading development of their child is the most important thing they can do to help the child succeed in life.

2. Sounds and patterns

Reading to your baby will help it learn new sounds and understand the composition of language. Recent research has shown just how well our brains are able to spot patterns from the data that we collect and how important this skill is in our day to day lives. As researchers at Indiana University put it:

“toddlers’ brains can effortlessly do what the most powerful computers with the most sophisticated software cannot, learn language simply by hearing it used.”


3. Learning through example

The US department of education has a whole section of its website dedicated to how parents can instill ‘responsible citizenship’ in their children through setting a good example. It’s well recognised that a young child will imitate its role models, and therefore reading aloud will encourage them to do the same.


4. Lifelong love affair with reading

Early enjoyment of stories will lead to a lifelong love of books. Westdale Junior School undertook a fabulous project to find the Favourite books of famous people. The majority of the replies mention books from childhood. Gordon Brown said he loved Thomas the Tank Engine stories, William Hague was more of a Wind in the Willows fan and the Blue Peter presenters loved anything by Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton or C.S. Lewis! Seriously though, studies have shown that starting children on books from a very early age helps them enjoy the actual learning to read stage of their education.


5. Strengthen the bond

Reading together will strengthen the bond between you and your child. Reading requires a parent’s full attention and also allows for and maintains a physical intimacy that will naturally lessen as your baby grows older. Have a look at this excellent article on babytalk.com which discusses this idea further.

childreading

6. Pretend reading

After a few months of reading to your child, he or she will probably start to ‘play read’. This involves turning the pages of a book and making noises. It’s a really important step in learning to read because the child is positioning themselves as the reader, rather than just the listener.


7. How books work

Another important step for a child as it picks up the learning pace, is the understanding that the content of a book, the words and pictures, stay the same. At first, this will be more about being able to consistently find safety and comfort than anything else, but it eventually signifies an understanding of how books work. (Source: BBC)


8. Filling in the gaps

An important early skill in reading is guessing or predicting what the print might say based on what the story is about and patterns in the writing. This article gives the example of Red Riding Hood when the writing sets up certain responses: “My what big eyes/ears/arms/teeth you have!”, “All the better to…. see/hear/hug/eat(!) you with”.


9. Importance of pictures

As well as learning about words, children need to learn to interpret pictures. Reading a children’s book with great illustrations and a descriptive story will help your child understand how pictures can represent situations.


10. Improving attention span

Concentration and attention span are often difficult obstacles to reading later in life; reading from an early age will help combat this because, alongside instilling a love of books, a well told story will capture your child’s attention, therefore building the skills necessary to enjoy learning to read when the time comes!

bedtimestory

11. Developing listening skills

As well as improving attention span, being read to is also wonderful for developing and improving listening skills, something that will be vital to your child’s success once they enter formal education.


12. Nurturing the imagination

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, reading nurtures the imagination. Mystical creatures and fantasy worlds will feed your child’s imagination when it’s at its most hungry so make sure you’re providing plenty of sustenance!

(Thanks to gadgetgirl, Ben McCleod and alex ragone for the great pictures).

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Two of Everything | Children’s Books | Moss Green Children’s Books

Thursday, January 28th, 2010 | Author: Mark
Two of Everything by Babette Cole

Two of Everything by Babette Cole

Two of Everything is a children’s book which is dealing with divorce and separation in a meaningful but light hearted way. Babette Cole is the talented author and illustrator of this book which deals with a potentially unhappy subject  in an even handed way with a touch of humour.

“Demetrius and Paula Ogglebutt were
two perfectly beautiful children….. but

they had two problem parents who could never agree about anything.”

Two of everything delightfully explains how different the two parents are. Dad, for his holidays, would like to be camping on the side of river fishing. If there was rain it would certainly not stop play for Dad. Mum’s holiday, on the other hand would rather be partying in the sun on a luxury cruiser.

The children, between them come up with a solution that will make their parents happy. They ended up with two very contented parents who could live happily ever after – apart.

The solution that the children come up with is a very good one for this children’s story. The solution is one that few families could implement themselves. However, the point is made that both the children and the parents are happy with the parents living apart. This children’s story book is Not Green.

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Author Interview | Siân Pattenden | Moss Green Children’s Books

Thursday, January 28th, 2010 | Author: Mark

Would you please tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind Agatha Bilke and Paris Match?

Siân Pattenden

Siân Pattenden

– With Agatha Bilke I wanted to write about someone who was fairly anarchic – but more than that, someone who just dreadful. I thought this would be even better if it was a girl character – so that boy and girl readers would revel the naughtiness. The other characters in the first Agatha Bilke book are odd, but very nice, so it should balance it out. Paris Match was written when I was remembered the French exchanges some of my friends had to endure while we were at school. I thought it was a good starting point, and I wanted to set the book abroad, so it was the perfect excuse.

What inspired you to start writing children’s books?
– I used to write for pop magazines [Smash Hits and others] and we would create larger-than-life characters out of pop stars. Writing fiction was a way of creating similar, impossibly

Paris Match by Siân Pattenden

Paris Match by Siân Pattenden

silly characters without getting sued by real people [ie the pop stars]. I like funny books, and a lot of grown-up fiction isn’t that funny, so I thought I’d like to write for children.

How do you get into the mind of a child in order to write in a way they can relate to?

– You need to go back and remember how you perceived things as a child, and how you felt, which shouldn’t be that hard. I think a lot of adults feel they are far too childish to be grown-ups anyway, most of the time. But you mustn’t take it for granted, you have to scrutinise everything you write until you know it rings true for kids.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known when you started writing children’s books?

– a) That the easy bits get harder and the difficult bits stay extra difficult.
b) Never underestimate the huge amount of chocolate it takes to get a really good chapter going.

For a parent who has a child only interested in watching TV what advice would you give them to interest their child in reading books?

– One of my favourite notions is taken from a film-maker, who was moaning about the limitations of what he did. You can do anything in a book. You can have a cast of thousands you can set your story in the Sahara or underneath the ocean. You can have aliens on rollerblades or chimps talking Spanish and eating jam-flavoured crisps. You can have an 800-year old human sitting at a bus stop next to a rhino. In film and TV, you have a budget – you can’t film everything you want, you can’t go to the limits of your imagination. There are restrictions. In books, never forget, there are no restrictions.

How would you educate kids that green issues are important?

- I think kids innately have a good grasp of green issues. It’s not hard for them to become enthused about such matters.

What are your dreams?
- To have a good night’s sleep for once. And maybe, one day, to build an elaborate pet ladder out of fine-quality timber down to the man downstairs’ garden, as I live in a first floor flat and we all want a cat.

Would you tell us a little about your new children’s book.

I am just redrafting the plot. It’s about magic, but stageshow, entertainment-style magic – nothing mystical. I cannot say any more, my lips and computer keyboard are sealed.

What were your favourite childhood books and why?

Roald Dahl is my favourite – wonderful humour and stories. I liked Alice in Wonderland, the Dribblesome Teapots, How to be Topp, Roger McGough poetry and the Noel Streatfield books about ballet (! – I am being honest here). But mainly, anything that made me laugh.

-How do you keep in touch with your audience?

Readings in schools! The audience – kids – are the most important thing. I’ve met a few pompous grown-ups in book publishing and always wondered why they think they know best, and kids don’t.

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