Reading - and The Reading Hour

Spent a LOVELY hour last Saturday as part of THE READING HOUR; a celebration of reading in The National Year of Reading. I not only met several wonderful coordinators of Kumon, but listened to children, a teenager and a verse-maker/poet, Mike Lucas, read works to an appreciative audience. They relaxed on chairs, cushions or on the floor in the bright, cheery Woodcroft Library, south of Adelaide, SA. 

It was like a big, cosy lounge room on a somewhat wet, dreary day. Perfect for reading indoors!

I chose to read my picture book, Where does Thursday go?  to the group. After the readings there was a book raffle and light, healthy refreshments.

Mike Lucas and me with our Reading Hour certificates.

Altogether, a wonderful time! 

Nameless - the poem

How's this for a special moment?

I was talking to a group of Yr 3/4/5's at a school recently and read one of my poems called Nameless. (published by The School Magazine and illustrated by Noela Young)

I'd written it while travelling in northern Western Australia, having been struck with how sad it was to call a mountain, Mount Nameless. After reading further information I decided to write a poem about its naming, and its Aboriginal roots.

So back to the class. After reading the poem, we spoke about it and then one boy said he'd only just returned from a holiday and had also seen Mount Nameless.

I asked him if he'd like to come up and read the poem with me.

He did and we read it together. There was a palpable hush in the room.

                      That moment was as special as the moment I knew I'd completed the poem.

                       

re-printing and recycling

Nothing beats having an out-of-print book being given a second chance!

So I'm delighted that one of my favourite stories, Party Time! (Aussie Nibble) is now part of a collection re-published by Penguin and entitled My Best Book of Nibbles - 5 Great Stories for Girls. The other four stories and authors are:
 Julia Lawrinson (the Girl who Fell into a Book), Ursula Dubosarsky ( The Magic Wand), Jane Godwin (When Anna Slept Over)  and Raewyn Caisley (The Mermaid's Tail).

Also Hoosh! Camels in Australia is up and running again! A CBCA Honour award-winning book, it is  packed full of camel facts, but also much space is given to the vital importance camels played in the early development of the Australian outback. So it's full of history too. Plenty of photos. Great resource for the new National Curriculum!
Books can be purchased from me either through PAYPAL on my website: www.janeenbrian.com - or contact me by email: janeen@janeenbrian.com or phone: (08) 82945703 . ($20 plus $6.95 package and posting in Australia)

What do you recycle? I love to recycle whenever I can.
Here's a stack of seven, stripy scarves  I knitted using scraps of wool bought from Op-shops! I had pleasure taking them to Anglicare yesterday as part of their Winter Warmth Appeal.