Did you know I have my own YouTube channel where I share stories, events and creative challenges for home or the classroom? It's totally free to subscribe and watch. I don't post super often; I try and make content that is fun for children, and useful to parents, carers and teachers. Please give me a follow and, whenever I post a new video, you'll be the first to hear about it. I just posted a new story video in time for Halloween. Reading WITCH IN TRAINING is a great springboard for fun activities, such as... - Write a shopping list of magic potion ingredients. - Make up a magical spell. Maybe you can make it rhyme? - Mix your own 'potion' - pouring, mixing, stirring and sprinkling are all great ways to improve manual dexterity, which helps strengthen your pen control. Thanks for watching. Have fun!  This year, 19 of the top 25 most-loaned authors in UK public libraries are children's authors - and guess who snuck in at #23? It's really nice to be in the company of some good friends on this list, too. I've been making my way up this list over the years and it's always gratifying to creep a little higher!
How have I celebrated this amazing news? I've driven 45 minutes to take my son for a back-to-school haircut, which required waiting in a two-hour queue, done the grocery shopping, driven 45 minutes home, processed a ton of chilli peppers and courgettes while batting off an excitable kitten - and worked on my next book. You can read an enlightening article about the 'most borrowed' list on The Booksellers's website. The data was compiled by Nielsen LibScan.  The summer holidays are almost here! Let your class unwind with a dip into their imaginations for an afternoon of gentle fun. This event is free, you just need to register. I hope you can join me!
Tom and I are both over the moon to have had our book shortlisted within this fabulous initiative. To pick up the most votes was a real surprise, especially when the competition was so stiff! We have been shortlisted before and narrowly missed out, so this news was beyond awesome.
It's wonderful that the children took Michael the cookie into their hearts. His story is all about acceptance, self expression and kindness. Thank you to all who voted!
We'll be sharing tips, advice and insights from our careers, as well as giving participants an exclusive glimpse into what’s currently making an impact with agents and editors.
Full details and booking information can be found here. A limited number of sponsored spots are available, with thanks to some very generous donors. We hope to meet you in our virtual classroom in February. In the meantime, best of luck with your work and have a great Christmas! It's BookTrust's #StorySharerWeek, where we celebrate everyone who shares stories and books with children and young people. As their current Writer In Residence, I'll be joining BookTrust LIVE to share some of my best story sharing tips, while answering any questions that pop up in the chat box along the way. I'd love to see you there! You can watch the event live on this Thursday afternoon at 2pm (UK time) at any of the following links...
On BookTrust's website: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/what-we-do/programmes-and-campaigns/bookstart/practitioners/bookstart-toddler-and-pre-schooler/webinar-with-michelle-robinson/ On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwKVnUDJpXQ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/661775619427849 On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7123266924645396481/comments/  I'm absolutely thrilled to share the news: I'm following in the footsteps of some remarkable authors and illustrators as the new BookTrust Writer In Residence! You can read all about it in this blog post on their website.
I've long been a fan of BookTrust and the wonderful work they do to promote early years literacy in every child. Their resources have been a great help to me as a parent. I know that enjoyment is the key to learning to read, to continuing to read, to getting the reading bug - all of which is proven to have a huge impact on the way we go on through our lives. I urge anyone who either has, cares for, or works with young children to explore the BookTrust website for brilliant tips, advice and recommendations that are all there to support you, as you support children learning to read. And learning, I hope, to enjoy it! |
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