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Kids, parents, grandparents gathered to celebrate reading at Randwick City Council Library for the end of The National Year of Reading with a fund raiser for:-

the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation to promote literacy indigenous communities.

As an ambassador for the NYR 2012, I was pleased to accept the invitation to read ‘I AM JACK’ to as part of the celebration of a terrific year of reading.

I am jack is having another season at Darling Quarter Theatre, Darling Harbour:-

Book at www.monkeybaa.com.au

Boy versus Beast hijacks the computer game worlds – it’s fast furious, fantastic with brilliant digital games. But you have to read each chapter first.

The author Louise Park is a hugely successful and innovative writers. Kids love to read her books.

Paul Collins fantasy author of the Quentaris series and publisher of Ford St Publishing, and Director of the speakers’ agency CreativeNet, gave us the good ‘oil’. We now know the 12 steps to writing fantasy.

Deb Abela, Sophie Masson  – well, they already write brilliant fantasy – and the novice me ,had fun writing out joint fantasy. Hint – it has an ICE MOUNTAIN!

The teacher-librarians joined in. It was a wonderful conference with lots of ideas and commitment to reading.

Judith Ridge introduced WestWords – the  innovative reading community for young people in Western Sydney. So many fabulous programmes from the LethoPark Mob Anthology with indigenous kids to creating picture books with kids and illustrators in libraries

Brilliant presentationson the future of reading by Meredith Costain.

Brilliant writing activities presented by the talented Deborah Abela

and more, much more.

Thankyou to the Penrith, Mt Druitt, Blacktown, Windsor Teacher Librarian Professional Learning Group for organising this fantastic conference.

Flying over fields of wheat, sheep, the famous astronomical DISH, I landed in a small plane in the beautiful country town of PARKES for the National Year of Reading.

I was bringing the joy of books to kids and teachers.

The fabulous librarian Shellie Buckle welcomed me in her lady beetle Library car – the cutest car ever.

Middletown Public School celebrated JACK and NO to school bullying supporting their anti bullying programme.

The Holy Family School discovered that the ‘Ships in the Field’ are ‘Sheep in the Field’ and we laughed and had a great time.

I’m thinking I may be a country person after all.  My father was a farmer.

I just love the bush, the villages, the ‘ships in the field’ and cows.

Also love the beautiful birds and our kangaroos.

The kids of Cundletown Public School live in beautiful countryside.

It was great talking as an ambassador for the National Year of Reading to the kids.

Also shared NO to School Bullying with I AM JACK.

We’ve all just got to keep schools safe – so that kids can be all they can be.

They LOVE Jack.

I left Sydney at 4 am in the dark to get to Barrington Public School on the North Coast.  Nearly fell asleep at the wheel. Not good.  However I did make it, otherwise I wouldn’t be blogging now. Ha!

Nestled in the foothills on Barrington Tops, is the quaint village of Gloucestor. I stopped off at the bakery with the locals and enjoyed a cappuccino and sweet bun with the local tradies.

A little further through fields of cattle and rolling hills is the tiny village of Barrington .

I had the delight of speaking to the kids of Barrington Public School. Quite of a few of the kids had seen Monkey Baa Theatre’s production of ‘I AM JACK’ at the Newcastle Civic Theatre. They thought the actor Tim McGarry was fabulous. That’s true.  He does 11 characters in a one man show. He’s brilliant.

Thankyou to the welcoming librarian Leanne Simes and the school.

Then I spoke to beautiful kids from kindergarten to year 12 at Gloucester Public School. We had such a good time. I loved the kids and that beautiful school.

Loved flying into Armidale in country New South Wales, over green rolling fields with cows and sheep grazing as an ambassador for the National Year of Reading.

My lucky role was to speak to kids and teachers at Armidale Library and to speak to the girls of PLC Armidale  in the afternoon.

The kids and fantastic librarians from St Mary’s primary School came along. There were some wonderful I Am Jack fans.

Enjoyed beautiful Armidale with its churches, wrought iron buildings, trees and gardens.

My afternoon with the girls of PLC was especially warm. They embraced ‘Ships in the Field’ and their answers about war and dislocation were insightful. Thankyou girls and librarian linda Kolevas.

Thankyou for my welcome from Library manager Ian Greenhalgh and librarian Merril Newberry and new children’s librarian Trini Angeles.

A four wheel drive.

Crossing rocky streams, bush tracks, eucalyptus trees, yellow crested cockatoos, a country pub, an 1860 school house, horses, rolling hills, cattle  …. sheep, sheep, sheep.

A trip into the bush

3 old school  friends

Joy – a travel journalist

Jacquie – a human rights advocate

Me – a children’s writer.

We shared ideas and personal stories in Joy’s cosy country cottage over white wine and olives and dips.

Driving through paddocks of ‘Ships in the Field’, we saw sheep with wool, shawn, with baby lambs and I remembered my father.

I wrote ‘Ships in the Field’ about my father and his love of the land and how he called sheep, ships with his European accent.

We all love our land and bush.

A whirlwind of literary events – life in the READING lane!

Loved speaking to the kids and parents and grandparents at Sutherland Library Sydney for the National Year of Reading.

Touched by this email from Jennifer Dyer who was convenor of the Library Technician’s Conference at Bankstown this year:-

‘That was a fabulous presentation you gave at Sutherland Library this week. ‘

Thankyou to the fabulous librarian at Sutherland Library – Melinda – visit that terrific library as there’s lots on there as well as BOOKS!!!!!

The launch of Oliver Phommavanh’s sequel to Thai Terrific – called Thai No Mite was fun, fabulous and delicious – at Kinokuniya Book Shop in Sydney.  Kinokuniya support Kids Authors!!!

Lots of kids and parents.

Lots of food – pad thai and spring rolls and more

Lots of jokes – it’s Oliver afterall – he’s a funny guy

Lots of celebration of another winning book for kids – Thai-No-Mite  published by Penguin Books.

Special treat was meeting Jennie Orchard of Room to Read there – www.roomtoread.org

Room to Read is one of my favourite charities bringing literacy and books to the kids of the developing world. So far 6.6 million kids have books and Room to Read builds a library every 4 hours in countries like Vietnam, Nepal, India – love Room to Read and Jennie who founded it in Australia.

Proud to be an author ambassador for Room to Read.

It was packed with SCBWI authors, illustrators and librarians as everyone shared their children’s book news.

Jenny Stubbs the Director of the Story Arts Festival Ipswich, Book Links and Ipswich District Teacher Librarian Network shared  festival information and ideas from Romancing the Stars of children’s books to the brilliant CBCA Readers’ Cup for the kids of Queensland.

 Valerie Khoo Director of the Sydney Writers Centre was inspiring. Her generosity in sharing how writers reach their audiences through social media and creating a successful career was fantastic.

– And we’re all waiting for the mega Christmas party on 6th December with THEATRE SPORTS organised by our mega team of Nathan Luff, Deb Abela and Wendy Blaxland.

Bookings:- [email protected]

Thursday 6th December 2012

6.30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Buffet with wine at $45 per person

Come ready to party, perform, laugh and share the Christmas spirit.

‘Stories that go ‘bump’ in the night’ by Linda Morris in Sun Herald 23rd September 2012

‘Deborah Abela saw her one and only ghost ……..the ghost story is universal to children’s fiction.’

Deb Abela’s new series ‘Ghost Club series reveals her ghostly side when I interviewed her.

What the Dickens Is All This Fuss About Ghosts?

An interview by Susanne Gervay of

Deborah Abela, author of the Ghost Club series

 Why would the famous Charles Dickens support your Ghost Club?

Dickens was fascinated by ghosts and claimed throughout his life to have seen many. Not only that, he was so intrigued by them, he was one of the founding members of the real Ghost Club in England. Formally launched in London in 1862, the club still meets once a month, offering to investigate ghostly goings on for anyone who calls. 2012 is their 150th anniversary and Dickens would be well pleased. (http://www.ghostclub.org.uk ) My Ghost Club operates a very similar service, except the two most successful catchers are kids.

Did you know that Charles Dickens has only 2 statues of him in the world. One in Philadelphia and one in Centennial Parklands in Sydney.  The Dickens statue in Sydney, had his head stolen.  Centennial Parklands created a copy of his head. You can see the statue in Dickens Drive in Centennial Parklands.  We think a ghost stole Dickens’ head. Why and how could Angeline and Edgar find Dickens’ real head?

 Oh I love the idea that a ghost stole Dickens’ head…and I think I might have a hunch about who was responsible. It is said that Charles Dickens is a very pesky ghost and is often seen roaming the place of his burial. Five days after his death in 1870, his spirit appeared at a séance in America. It returned frequently over the following decades, usually to propose an ending for his unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. So if I was to send Angeline and Edgar to investigate the disappearance of the statue’s head in Centennial Parklands, I would need to meet Dickens himself, who I’m sure would be a very willing participant in solving this mystery. We may well need to talk to a few eyewitnesses who are no longer with us and, of course, dig up a few of Dickens own ghostly characters to help out.

 Have you ever told ghost stories at night? Is that what inspired The Ghost Club?

 I have, mostly on camp and sleepovers, but when I was a kid it was my nanna who told me stories about ghosts. The ability to see ghosts ran in the female side of her family and the ghosts they could see were always relatives. So it was my nanna who started my ghostly fascination, especially in the way she wasn’t in any way scared by them. When I found out about the real Ghost Club, I knew I wanted to write about two young kids who, like my nanna, aren’t scared of ghosts and in fact, are very disappointed if they answer a call out and don’t see a ghost.

  Are Angeline and Edgar going to have many adventures?

Oh I suspect there are many pesky ghosts that will need to be dealt with by my intrepid duo, but at the moment I have four planned and have just finished writing the first draft of the third novel called, The Transylvanian Ghost Convention.

 Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes but I have only seen one ghost. It was late at night when I’d climbed into bed in an old warehouse I lived in. I knelt at the head of the bed, grabbed the curtains on either side of my window and was about to pull them closed when, outside, I saw the face of my nanna. She never said anything, simply stared straight at me. I didn’t run, I didn’t scream and I wasn’t the least bit scared. After a few minutes, she faded away. I calmly drew the curtains shut, feeling as if Nanna was still looking out for me and I had a very deep and very restful sleep.

 Visit the next stop on Deborah’s blog tour:

http://www.writingbar.com/

Did you miss the previous stop? See http://www.thebookchook.com/

To see all the stops on the tour see http://www.DeborahAbela.com

Photo sources:

Dickens Headless Statue and Charles Dickens Statue source: https://www.centennialparklands.com.au/about_us/history_and_heritage/statues_and_sculptures/charles_dickens_statue

Charles Dickens the man

Source:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Charles_Dickens_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_1

Patron: Professor Marie Bashir, CV AVO Governor of NSW

The President and Committee of The Children’s Book Council (CBCA) NSW Branch cordially invite

EVERYONE who loves Reading to

The unveiling of the exciting new look CBCA NSW, with

A SCBWI Author-Illustrator Showcase

with Serena Geddes, Nathan Luff, Susanne Gervay, Sue Whiting and Sarah Davis

followed by the AGM  & Gourmet Afternoon Tea Celebration.

Date: Saturday 22^nd September 2012

Time: 2pm for 2:15pm sharp start

Where: NSW Writers’ Centre

Callan Park, Balmain Road, Rozelle NSW 2040

2  for 2.15 p.m. Saturday 12^th September

(ACCEPTANCES ONLY PLEASE)

Email: [email protected]

please place ‘AGM’ in the subject line

How cool is it to connect with kids across Sydney through video conferencing.

Lots of enthusiasm and plenty of waving, the kids and teachers were right into I Am Jack’ and NO to School Bullying.

Electroboard was a great facilitator – thankyou Concetta!

HarperCollins organised it – thankyou Jacqui

Teachers – thankyou for reading I AM JACK

Kids – you were the BEST & I loved your comments and questions -

We’re going to make the world a better place –

NO to School Bullying.

Thankyou to Chester Hill Public School, Bulli Public School, Gymea Bay Public School, Bronte Public School!

Love being an ambassador for the National year of Reading 2012 advocating reading for kids.

Book month takes me from one end of Sydney to the other – from kids in Athelstane Arncliffe with lots of kids whose families come from Lebanon to Hills Grammar Kenthurst with lots of kids who are on the edges of our beautiful countryside.

I never realised that writing would take me on this journey which is like a lovefest of literature, young people, readers who jump into my JACK books and sail into Ships in the Field.

They know my books better than I do thanks to the fabulous school librarians who are embracing the National Year of Reading 2012. (NYR)

Love being an ambassador for the NYR.

How special are these librarians – with libraries filled with the kids’ creativitiy, display of books and preparing the kids for my visit.

Special thankyou to Melinda Levy (Athelstane Public School) and Tania Maley (Hills Grammar).

Yesterday was hectic – crossing highways, through inner city and county – got there and it was fantastic.

St Mark’s Drummoyne was filled with buzzing kids, parents and the wonderful CBCA  (NSW) welcoming authors Nathan Luff, Oliver Phommavanh, Ursula Dubosarsky and me.

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illlustrators (SCBWI) Australia East and New Zealand supports the Children’s Book Council with authors Oliver Phommavanh, Nathan Luff and I  - we are both SCBWI and CBCA members.

Mary Anne Cartwright from the CBCA committee was a great host – thankyou for a lovely Author Tea, especially the terrific orange cake. I have a terrible sweet tooth.

Author Toni Brisland is the SCBWI (NSW) liaison member with the CBCA.

It was a National Year of Reading (NYR) event – I am proud to be an ambassador for NYR

www.love2read.org

Love August – Book Week, Book Month – as I get to speak to kids from everywhere.

As an ambassador for the National Year of Reading and author, I have two roles – advocating reading as well as sharing my books.

Denistone East Public is a wonderful school.

I enjoyed being part of their Open Day with morning tea cake sales, Life Education, classrooms filled with displays and the opportunity to share my books with the kids and teachers.

They are such smart kids with thoughtful questions and answers and shared their own backgrounds – from China to Greece – as we explored ‘Ships in the Field’ and the journey of finding home in new lands.

Thankyou for the hospitality of librarian Jenny Cavenaugh and her team with the lovely poster of my books.  

Thankyou to Mr Middleton the Deputy Principal who helped out with my Ships in the Field powerpoint and is a great teacher.

Parramatta High School’s hall was filled with students, teachers and kids from other schools, authors – Paul Collins, Meredith Costain, Oliver Phommavanh, Toni Brisland, Wendy Fitzgerald, Lindy Batchelor, Wendy Orr.

Judith Ridge, recognised as one of Australia’s leading authorities on youth literature, wrote the foreward for ‘Trust me Too’ – 58 reasons to celebrate reading by some of Australia’s best loved authors and illustrators.

Wendy Orr read from her moving story ‘The Snake Singer’

Meredith Costain read her wonderful poem ‘Shoefitti’ illustrated by Grant Gittus.

It includes an Obernewtyn novelette by the interntaional best selling fantasy author Isobelle Carmody.

Everyone can dip into this anthology and discover laughs, tears, meaning, fantasy, imagination and more.

A National Year of Reading 2012 event.

LONG LIVE LIBRARIES 4   LIFELONG LEARNING

Join the Library Conference Day, Monday 16th July for the fabulous South West Region for Teacher librarians at Breakfree International Hotel Chapel Road Bankstwon.

Thankyou to Jennifer Dyer at Birrong Girls High School  and Debbie Van de Meer at Cecil Hills High School

for inviting me to speak as:-

an ambassador for the National Year of Reading 2012

to share ‘Ships in the Field’

 Looking forward to catching up with Victor Davidson teacher and storyteller extra-ordinaire who support kids and reading.

Review: Ships in the Field by Susanne Gervay & Anna Pignataro

Publisher: Ford Street Publishing

ISBN: 9781921665233

Reviewer: Jenny Mounfield

With issues of immigration featuring heavily in news headlines over the past year, the release of this title couldn’t be more timely. Ships in the Field concerns one family’s experience of migration as seen through the eyes of a child. Forced from their homeland by war, the unnamed child and her parents embrace a new life in Australia. Once a farmer, Papa now works in a factory, while Ma, a teacher, takes in sewing. Despite the horror of the past and the unknown future ahead, this family is a joyful one—though something is still missing for our child narrator.

In these two heart-felt sentences, Gervay captures the child’s perspective beautifully:

“Papa grew up in a village in the old country, before it was broken.

Ma grew up in a city in the old country, before it was broken.”

By using deceptively subtle wording and misdirection, Gervay expertly conveys the war that still haunts this famil

I’m flying back from the USA Convention where I launched ‘I AM JACK’ in the USA, to celebrate and network a the fabulous, fantastic, favourite – SCBWI Australia & New Zealand Conference in Sydney.

It’s going to be amazing with:-

- the best illustrator showcase ever with the best and brightest

- the best publishers and top agents

- amazing authors and illustrators

- NSW Writers Centre Kids and YA Literature Festival

-pitching and partying

and Meredith Costain author extraordinaire at the baby grand on Saturday night- bring allow your best singing

It’s a conferences of STARS – delegates and speakers !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Partner of National year of Reading – NSW Writers Centre and SCBWI with ambassadors of National year of Reading 2012 – Hazel Edwards, Deborah Abela, Frane Lessac, libby Gleeson, Christopher Cheng and Susanne Gervay.

SCBWI Head Office is packed with the life of children’s illustrators and writers across the globe.

Crystal Kite awards packed and ready to send to award winners from Australia to Hong Kong to France;

Sarah Rutenberg attached to her laptop working at all hours answering SCBWI questions;

illustrations lining the walls;

award winning books piled in Steve Mooser’s Office;

the creative Director Sarah Baker designing posters just before the new baby arrives;

Lin Oliver getting ready to speak at the American Librarian Association mega event in LA;

Chelsea Mooser meeting new designers for SCBWI;

- it’s a vibrant life.

SCBWI is a partner of the National Year of Reeading 2012 Australia.

Love being part if it.

‘Butterflies’ is along side my friend and talented author Holly Thompson’s ‘Orchards’ in Bank Street Best Books of 2012 USA.

THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COMMITTEE at the Bank Street College of Education strives to guide librarians, educators, parents, grandparents and other interested adults to the best books for children published each year.

‘In choosing books for the annual list, reviewers consider literary quality and excellence of presentation as well as the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers.’

Look up BANK STREET  to see a very special organisation – www.bankstreet.edu

Holly is the head of SCBWI Japan and I am co-head of SCBWI Australia & New Zealand

Butterflies is endorsed by The Children’s Hospital (Westmead) Sydney.

Thrilled that Books in Homes has partnered with The National Year of Reading

As an Ambassador for the National Year of Reading and as a role model for Books in Homes, I love going out, giving young people beautiful books, addressing assemblies and celebrating reading.

Find out more about Books in Homes – they take great books to kids in indigenous communities and disadvantaged schools.

Love it and the kids and and communities love it too.

It’s hands across our nation.

Read and discover the world and be all you can be.

http://www.booksinhomesaustralia.com.au

Love, Love, Love…. this festival.

The sun is shining, tropical palms wave in the breeze, the Radisson Resort welcoming … and there’re friends, friends, friends.

We head for the pool – author Deborah Abela and picture book author Frances Watts  were splashing around.  So was author Felice Arena. I swim 20 laps and relax in the jacuzzi.

We had a great welcome from Festival Director Andrea Lewis, Deputy Headmaster Michael Brohier and Festival programmer Karen Mackie and a fabulous dinner.

Caught up with so many cool authors and illustrators:-

oliver phommavanh author at somerset celebration of literature gold coast

Oliver Phommavanh – Thai -riffic!!!!; Con- Nerd and new book coming – huge success

Karen Brooks – fabulous fantasy author

Jacqueline Harvey -author of the run away success Alice Miranda

Michael Wagner -watch out for hilarious Maxx Rumble series

Leigh Hobbs -iconic illustrator and creator of Old Tom, Horrible Harriet and Mr Chicken

….. and hamming it up authors Tristan Bancks and James Roy ….watch this space for more

National year of reading 2012, Ambassadors at Somerset Festival are Susanne Gervay, Deborah Abela, Felice Arena

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