The first glimpse of a book’s front cover is thrilling for authors. Suddenly it all starts to feel real. I’m happy I can now share my excitement with you! Mike the Spike will soon be released by New Frontier Publishing as part of their Little Rockets series. You can download free teachers’ notes and classroom activities …
Mothers’ Day was a beautiful autumn day in Sydney, filled with smiling children, sunshine and chocolate. Who could ask for more? Well, presents are nice too. Especially the ones made by our children (although shop bought stuff is good too!) When my daughter Connie was little, she used to make me dozens of presents. Cards, …
My new books have been released! They’re designed to help primary school students prepare for the upcoming NAPLAN Language Conventions tests. NAPLAN – the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy – is a set of assessment tests run in all Australian schools each May. The tests cover basic English and maths skills: see the …
February 14 isn’t just for lovers – it’s also for book lovers. So put away that chocolate (or gulp it down quickly) and pick up a book! Valentine’s Day is International Book Giving Day, a day dedicated to getting books into the hands of as many children as possible. The books can be new or …
As a mother and a writer, I love it when I see kids absorbed in books. When my children were in their early school years, I used to provide reading help in the classroom. It was an amazing experience, seeing the light dawning in kids’ eyes when it all suddenly seemed to click! For those …
Do you have an all-time favourite childhood Christmas present? I was 9 when I received mine: a personalised story book about me and Santa. It was thrilling – partly because it was so amazingly Christmassy – but mostly because I saw my name printed in a book! I knew I wanted to be a writer …
Stella Tarakson 