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A million congratulations to you Sally! Such wonderful news and so very well deserved.

Congrats Sally. So pleased for you.

Thanks Anna and ELaine. I am really chuffed!

Sally, I suspect it says more about your verse than about the verse novel per se, but one of the things I love about both Pearl and Toppling is that after reading them, I find I think in verse for a while! It's a really lovely after-effect, especially for a non-poet like myself.

Sally, as a teacher-librarian (from Tasmania), can I just tell you I have just finished reading Toppling to a grade 6 class and they and I cried. Kids wailed at me, &quot;But did he die? We have to know! How can we get her to write a sequel?&quot; Would you please write to 5/6 Ellerton at Lindisfarne North Primary School in Hobart? They would be thrilled!<br /><br />Kind regards,<br />Vicki

Thanks for this discussion - I have been interested in this form.<br />But have not read much to date.<br />I was referred to Ellen Hopkins Burned.

Thanks for kind remarks,Sally. I really enjoy reading all of the shortlisted titles and creating activities to support them. <br /><br />I never have trouble with the cloze passages, but I ALWAYS find all but the very easiest of jigsaw puzzles very challenging!<br /><br />Good luck with &quot;Toppling&quot;. I think it&#39;s a corker!

I loved this Sally, as aspects of my books work on similar lines. I&#39;m looking forward to my daughter being old enough to read your wonderful books.

Great post Sally. I think it&#39;s important for childrent to be able to deal with some of the sadder aspects of life, and books that present these topics in a sensitive and open way, as yours do, may actually help to build&#39;s children&#39;s resilience.<br />cheers,<br />Maree

Thanks for commenting Sara and Maree. I like to hope that my stories will help kids in some way.

Congratulations once again!!<br />My girls 7 &amp; 8 both loved Pearl verses the World - and so did I.

Oh Sally, you leave me breathless. Again, congratulations. I&#39;m waiting for the next book!

Thanks Mabel and Michelle!

What a lovely post, Sally. So gracious of you to show encouragement to others during this wonderful time of your life. Enjoy every well-deserved and hard-earned moment. Tx

Thanks Tania. I feel really blessed.

Thanks so much for this post. As a new writing just starting out, we are being drilled with horror story. The ultimate test is time. I guess we just have to keep plugging along, and if it comes, it comes. Thanks for the inspiration!<br /><br />www.williamfriskey.blogspot.com

Sorry about the typos!

Wow, Sally - congratulations!!! You are an inspiration to all of us!!!

Thanks William and Lisa. It really has been an awesome week and I appreciate your comments.

Yay! I loved reading about your wonderful week. :)

That is one awesome week, Sally! So happy for you.

Congratulations on all the good news!

Wonderful to hear your good news, Sally. I&#39;ll bet there&#39;s more to celebrate just around the corner. :)

I came over to your web site to leave my congratulations. When I read in your post that you had been on the verge of giving up writing a few years ago, I almost couldn&#39;t believe it. You have achieved so much and so well. As Lisa said, you are an inspiration. Enjoy your time in the sun. Bask away!<br /><br />Sincere best wishes. Julie.

Yay! That was a great review.

Hi Sally, <br />How do you find people to host you on their blog?

I&#39;ll talk a bit about this on Tuesday (part 3), but you can approach people you know who have blogs (eg you could ask me!), or you can contact bloggers that you read, or you can search (google) for relevant blogs and then approach them. Lots of bloggers like to host visitors. It&#39;s fun, and informative.

I've never quite got into verse novels - must check out Sally's stuff!

What a month- starting superbly with the release of Toppling then finishing off with the applauding of Pearl- also a great idea to have poets and those who love poetry to drop by- well done Sally.

Thanks Lorraine, and thanks for dropping in and for being part of the celebrations.

I never thought about how many rules there were to poetry before. But as you say the great thing is that poetry also encourages us to break the rules. I have to admit though, I&#39;m partial to a well-written haiku.

Hi Sally,<br /><br />I wish you the very best with your book, Toppling. I&#39;m enjoying reading the other posts. What a delightful way to celebrate!<br /><br /><br />Laura

I love your Ice Cream City poem, Lorraine - and I&#39;m sure kids do too! Heavenly...<br /><br />Glad your May Gibbs was a success for you.<br /><br />I had my first encounter with &#39;Ratwhiskers and Me&#39; this week and found it completely different to all other verse novels I&#39;ve read. Intriguing, would be the word. Sure my boys will love it!

Kat, that&#39;s me- I always want to do something different- let me know how you go.<br /><br />Lorraine

What a gorgeous story, Rebecca. I LOVE it. Keep up the fantabulous work!

Thanks for having me visit, Sally! (And thanks for the lovely comment, Kat.) I&#39;ve really enjoyed reading everyone else&#39;s guest posts, too. Such a great idea for celebrating <i>Toppling</i>&#39;s launch!

Verse novels are new to me as well. Of the books you mentioned, I have only read Sally Murphy&#39;s two, which I really enjoyed. <br /><br />I found my 10 year old son, a voracious reader, didn&#39;t respond to the novels as well as I thought he would. He loves non-fiction as well as fiction and I think the change in format/brevity of the text unsettled him a little.<br /><br />My 8 year old

Great interview Sally and Karen,<br /><br />I agree with you Karen; one of the things I like about verse novels is that they allow the reader so much scope for their own interpretation and appreciation.<br /><br />Dee:-)

What a great idea! (I&#39;m inspired!)<br />We have a section of fence in our backyard (painted green) that my kids write on with chalk. I&#39;m hereby declaring it The Poetry Wall for the next week ...

Thanks for mentioning Stampede, Alison--I do have a great time on school visits with kids, since we do partner reading, sound effects, acting out, and all sorts of things to make the poems fun and real to them. (Shameless plug: Stampede is a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award--I&#39;d be thrilled if you&#39;d vote for it in the Readers&#39; Choice portion at: http://www.twincities.com/ci_

Rebecca, I&#39;m so excited about your poetry wall! <br />And Laura - I love what you&#39;re doing with kids and poetry!

Thanks for inviting me to your place to help celebrate Toppling&#39;s release. <br /><br />It&#39;s another wonderful book, Sally. I&#39;m sure it will be enjoyed by lovers of children&#39;s poetry all over the world.<br /><br />I had one of those mornings, the goat got stuck in the rose bush, nearly missed the school bus - and I only just caught the Cyber plane. Phew!<br /><br />Sooo, I&#39;ve

Great to read your thoughts about verse novels, Dee. Congratulations Sally.

That was a very thoughtful blog post. I loved Pearl Verses the World and cannot wait to read Toppling. Dee has managed to eloquently explain to me why verse novels are so wonderful. And I agree wholeheartedly.

Thanks for dropping in Dee, Angela and Dale. Great to see you here :)

Congratulations Sally! I&#39;m late to the party, (don&#39;t look, I&#39;m the one collecting those left-over half glasses of champers and quaffing them!)<br />The review is wonderful, I can&#39;t wait to read this one.<br />Cheers! Oooh look, someone left a piece of cake on the table - with only one bite taken out!

It was a great party! You looked great, the book looked great!

Hi Sally,<br /><br />I&#39;m late too, but I&#39;m here to help you celebrate and crank up the bbq for the hangers on the next day.<br /><br />Looking forward to reading your new book.<br /><br />cheers, catriona

Congratualtions, Sally on the launch of &#39;Toppling&#39;.

Fantastic, Sally. Enjoy your new baby well!! :)

Sally, I loved your post...and I totally understand your initial trepidation...but isn&#39;t it wonderful to hold your book baby in your hand?<br /><br />I can&#39;t wait to have Toppling on my bookshelf.<br /><br />Dee:-)

You should be proud, Sally - it&#39;s beautiful and I&#39;m sure it will be just as gorgeous inside!<br /><br />PS I love this line from your post: &quot;<i>stoppling</i> only to study the illustrations.&quot;<br /><br />Your most perfect typo ever!

Thanks ladies.<br />And Meg, maybe it wasn&#39;t a typo? Maybe I meant to do it (lol).<br />Another friendd pointed out the error earlier in the day, and we agreed it had to stay.

Happy Toppling Day Sally. Sound&#39;s like lots of wobbly fun. I am really looking forward to reading this one. As you know (becuase I keep telling everyone, everywhere - have to send you my quote in NSW Writer&#39;s Centre magazine this month) Pearl was one of my favourite books of 2009 and I just love Rhian&#39;s illustration work.

Thanks Sandy. High praise coming from a writer of your calibre!