Fun, laughter, mischief tied together in my two new books!

As most of my readers know by now, one of my goals in life is to help parents improve the literacy skills of their children by providing uniquely fun and imaginative books for them to read together. As I stood beside my former colleague and dear friend Sue LaFlamme and listened to her present the opening speech for my double book launch I realised two things. She really gets me and understands my dreams. I felt so honoured by her wonderful words of praise for both myself and my books, that I wanted to share her speech with all my readers that could not make it on that memorable morning here in Canberra. So, without any further ado, I give you Sue :-

It is with great pleasure that I introduce a fabulous person and author, Sandra Bennett, to you today. I have known Sandy for more than a decade and I have observed some wonderful things about her: - she is fun - she loves to laugh - she enjoys good mischief - she has a great sense of humour - she understands lots of special things about other people and particularly about kids, (big and small)

Most importantly she knows how good a fabulous well planned, researched, well-written and well-read book can be. So, I'm extremely lucky today because I am able to suggest that you dive into the pages of two new books. These are called "Emma the Eager Emu" and "Alien Shenanigans/" The two books are completely different, cleverly illustrating that Sandra Bennett is an adaptable author, knowing that her reading audiences love to read a range of genres and books that emphasise different things.

I think that your toughest decision today will be which one to read first, Emma the Eager Emu or Alien Shenanigans? Flip a coin! Heads. So, it's Emma the Eager Emu.

Actually, I'm not going to read it to you, but I'll introduce Emma to you through my eyes. First of all, Emu's are such big birds, that have big dreams. I'll tell you now, Emma is the same. She dreams big - of something I always wanted to do as a child - and that is to fly. Emma is extraordinary. She has intellect, persistence and the strongest of desires to make dreams real. Emma sets about this. as her creator - Sandra Bennett, sets about tasks - she plans, imagines, deliberates, investigates and keeps on going!

In the end I think you'll discover Emma's amazing feat. I can't tell you more, except that you will really enjoy reading this book. I will add that the illustrations are an absolute delight. Gourmet! Emma the Eager Emu will be well loved and recommended.

Now I turn to "Alien Shenanigans." It has a certain unknown mystery about it. Dad da daa! Are there truly such things as aliens? If so, or not (as the case may be) we can imagine that there are! We can also imagine a melody of mishaps around mischievous full of beans kids, especially when they come into contact with an observant, witty, lovable alien.

I wonder what your favourite part of Alien Shenanigans will be? Will it be foods that fly, the giggles, the serious investigations or the extreme science experiments?

My favourite part is the driving force behind the story - the kids. Sandra Bennett knows that without these characters - the kids - books, life and the universe would be somewhere less special, adventurous, creative and imaginative. True!

So, without further so ons, I'll introduce the lovely, clever and fun Sandra Bennett and her two new reads: "Emma the Eager Emu" and "Alien Shenanigans."

Thank you so much Sue for your faith in me and my books. The time you spent reading and preparing your speech was very much appreciated. I hope the kids in your class enjoyed both books.

Hands up, who believes in aliens? Could there really be lovable, mischievous aliens hiding out there somewhere?

For helpful tips and tricks to improve your child's reading come and join in the discussion by joining my facebook group Raising Awesome Readers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/847306541974020/855851921119482/?notif_t=like

Double Trouble and Mischief Make a Great Tale.

The other day as I was glancing through one of my Facebook groups I came upon the middle grade children's book "The Rabbit Ate my Homework" by Rachel Elizabeth Cole. I looked at the front cover and read the blurb and was so intrigued I was enticed to offer to read the story and write a review.

Rachel certainly did not disappoint. The book held up to my every expectation. As a former primary school teacher, I absolutely loved this! I read this story thinking all the time how an 8 to 10 year old student would enjoy reading it and felt they would laugh from beginning to end. It is certainly a story to encourage reluctant readers, which is something I am always searching for. Not only were the two main characters, Drew and his little sister Libby, believable, so too were the background characters including the two girls in Drew's class who proved to be a constant torment. The story provided huge doses of humour, a little intrigue and suspense, not to mention a large dollop of cuteness.

It raises many discussion opportunities as the story develops, right from the opening where Drew makes the decision to go against his father and ride his bike in the woods unsupervised. Naturally, mistakes are made and consequences must be faced, or do they? From this one seemingly innocent moment of quick decision things quickly escalate out of control. As I read this I couldn't help thinking about the lessons learned in my own chapter book "Gingerbread Aliens" where the three brothers must also face the consequences of their behaviours. Both books use humour and escalating problems before a resolution is eventually and inevitably reached. Naturally, there is the whole discussion topic of how to keep and take good care of a pet, especially one your parents don't know you have! The topic of bullying is a background issue but covered substantially well and sibling rivalry changes to a form of united understanding and bonding over a common cause.

A thoroughly entertaining story for readers 6 -12 years of age. I recommend it for home and school. Parents and teachers will delight in reading it aloud with their children. I gladly give it 5 stars.

The Importance of Reading Aloud.

The one main take home message I gained from having a stall at our community fair the other month came from discussions with parents as they looked at my books. I realised that parents still don't understand the importance of reading aloud to their child no matter the age. This has also been confirmed during my days working in the gift shop at Cullen Bay Darwin and selling my books during the book launch there as well. "What age is this book appropriate for?

"My child is only in kindergarten, she can't read that herself yet."

Time and time again it has become obvious that parents are still not getting the importance of shared reading aloud with their children.

Teachers can only do so much in the classroom when it comes to teaching reading, the fundamental building blocks of language have to be established in the family home. Reading together from birth stimulates the brain and enables significant connections to be made that develop the foundations for literacy.

Reading out loud to a child during the early pre-school years not only gives you a wonderful opportunity to snuggle with your children and show them how much you love them, it also allows you time to demonstrate a number of pre-reading language skills.

Picture books like "Emma the Eager Emu" provide a wealth of opportunities. 1. You model reading with great enthusiasm and expression. 2. Reading alliteration helps teach that language is made up of individual sounds not just words and syllables. 3. Repetition increases familiarity and produces opportunities for guessing what might happen next? 4. Vibrant illustrations allow for discussions and further language learning. 5. The more often you read, the more they will make the pre-reading connections such as which way up the book should be, front to back, words flow left to right and top to bottom to tell the story. 6. They will also realise the significance of the pictures in the story telling too. A picture truly can be worth a thousand words. 7. Increases empathy and understanding of the world around them. 8. Extends their vocabulary.

Once children reach that early independent reading level, parents seem to think their child needs to do it all alone. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Books like Gingerbread Aliens and Alien Shenanigans might be early independent chapter books but they are still excellent resources for sharing reading out loud together. Your 6 - 10 year old still needs you! 1. They still need to hear modeled reading out loud for expression. 2. It can be fun to share a humorous chapter book with your child. 3. It opens opportunities for discussion when you read together. 4. It provides opportunities to discuss any words they may have difficulty reading or understanding. 5. You can determine through questions whether they have comprehended what they have read. 6. If you read a book just above their level of ability, you extend their comprehension and vocabulary. 7. It builds wonderful memories of special time spent together reading and sharing no matter their age.

If you enjoyed reading this post and are interested in joining a discussion on helping parents, grandparents and other carers with encouraging children to read, please come and join us in my new group forum Raising Awesome Readers https://www.facebook.com/groups/847306541974020/?pnref=story. I'd be happy to see you there, I look forward to more people becoming involved in our chats and spreading the word on the importance of reading aloud.

How often do you read aloud with your child? What are you doing to build fond memories with them no matter what their age? What are you reading with them to help expand their vocabulary?

Delightful Bedtime Story for Preschoolers

This week I was asked by fellow author Charity Tober if I would review her children's picture book "Roly Poly Monster."

This review is from: Roly-Poly Monster (Kindle Edition)

Roly Poly Monster is a wonderfully cute character that many preschoolers would relate to. He is a typical mischievous monster similar to any 3 or 4 year old child that is in a rush to get outside to play and explore. Each monster in the family is individually unique and they reflect their parenting role in a loving and nurturing manner. The illustrations are vivid and encourage a child's imagination as they draw the child into the story. There is plenty of opportunity for discussion and learning of vocabulary as the little monster rolls about his day, from playground to beach, through the city and even jumping in puddles! This would make the book an excellent tool for preschool reading time as there are so many wonderful items to point out on every page. Things like the seahorse and the crab, or even the monster train in the city which is rather adorable. The ending makes it perfect for a bedtime story, I can image a parent reading this to a tired toddler after their busy day and using it to settle them down to sleep.

My only difficulty with this book was the white writing that blended into the pictures on a couple of the pages. However, I am sure this would soon be overcome as the story became more familiar with repeated reading and I'm certain it is one that toddlers would request to be read to them again and again.

Cool Classroom Science - Make and Erupt a Volcano

A couple of weeks ago I made a paper mache volcano and erupted it during my book launch at the Paperchain Book Store in Manuka, Canberra. Why would I do this? Mr Haggardy's year 6 class all make their own volcanoes and attempt to erupt them in the first chapter of "Alien Shenanigans," The Bradberrie Brothers Alien Adventure, Book 2. I promised to perform the experiment while reading part of the first chapter at the launch. It was a lot of fun, although I do admit, owing to the nervousness of the manager of the bookstore, I kept the explosion somewhat more controlled than I (and my audience) would have preferred. Below are the instructions for how to make a paper mache volcano and how to consequently erupt it!

Beware! The more baking soda you use, the bigger the reaction!

The Making of a Paper Mache Volcano

1. Find a suitable disposable plate to build your volcano on. (I used an aluminium pizza tray)
2. Find a cylindrical tube you can use in the centre of your volcano to hold the liquids for your experiment. (For this I used an empty Berocca container)
3. Gather strips of newspaper.
4. Make glue from 1 cup flour, a little water and a pinch of salt to preserve volcano. Mix to a thick pancake like consistency.
5. Place your cylinder in the middle of your plate start adding strips of newspaper dipped in paste. Continue to add layers until volcano takes shape. Sometimes I feel it is best to paint the strips of paper with the paste when on the volcano rather than dipping into the mixture. (This is less messy).
6. Leave to dry. Depending on the weather this may take a few days. If it is cold, place in front of a fire to dry faster.
7. Once fully dry and hardened, paint as desired.

Erupting A Paper Mache Volcano

You will need:

• Water
• Liquid Soap
• Vinegar
• Food Colouring
• Baking Soda

Then:

1. Fill centre of volcano halfway with water.
2. Add a couple of drops of food colouring. (ie: red and yellow if you want orange lava)
3. Add a few drops of liquid soap.
4. Now fill the volcano almost to the top with vinegar.
5. Add a heaped teaspoon of baking soda and stand back!

Watch your volcano erupt!

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Five Fun Facts About Kookaburras

Last week I wrote 5 Fun Facts about Emus, as Emma the Eager Emu was the star of the first book launch last Saturday morning. This week, with one more book launch to go on Friday night, it is Kelly the Kookaburra's turn to share some fascinating key facts about herself. In last weeks post I mentioned that  emus like to steal food from unsuspecting picnickers and campers, which leads me to my first fascinating fact about kookaburras.

1. Did you know that Kookaburras are the largest member of the Kingfisher family? So you would expect them to eat fish, but they don't. Kookaburras much prefer worms, insects, mice and even snakes and lizards. They particularly  like to dive from high in a nearby gum tree and swoop down to steal a sausage or two from your BBQ. (Maybe the sausages look a bit like a snake or lizard sizzling on the hot plate). Kookaburras don't need to drink as they get all the water they need from their food.

2. Kookaburras live in native bushland all over Australia but also among our many coastal towns and cities. It is easy to see them regularly around your backyard especially if you frequently feed them a bit of raw mince meat by leaving the meat out in a bird feeder or on your verandah railing. They will get rather demanding though so don't start this habit unless you are prepared to do it everyday. Note: Like most native wild birds it is best to let Kookaburras find their own food, not become reliant on people.

3. All throughout the Australian Bush you can hear kookaburras call out in the early morning or towards the evening. Their unusual call sounds more like a great big belly laugh as if something has really amused them, but they are not really laughing at all, they are actually telling other kookaburras that this is their territory.

4. Kookaburras live in families just like us. They mate for life and raise a family together, with the older siblings helping to raise the younger babies. Chicks are born blind and with absolutely no feathers which take a month to grow. (No wonder they need help from their older brothers and sisters.)

5. Most people see the common kookaburra around their homes, however further north and close to the coast is also the blue winged kookaburra aptly named for the colour in its wings. They are both 47 cm (18.5 inches) long and weigh about 0.5 kg (1 lb), interestingly that means a kookaburra weighs about as much as an emus egg!

Here is a link to a video you can watch and hear a kookaburra laugh.

Laughing Kookaburra call

Added Bonus

"Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree" is a well known old song that was taught as a round to kids in schools all over Australia for many years. Below is a link to a version of the original song being played in a round and a second link to the words of all the verses of the song (with a few extras that have been added over the years).

Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree song

The words to Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.

Five Fun Facts About Emus

With my book launch almost here, for both "Emma the Eager Emu" and "Alien Shenanigans" meaning double the fun with double the books launched! I thought it was time to have a fun look at a few fascinating facts about emus. 

My very first memory of an encounter with an actual live emu was when I was ten years old and I visited Symbio or what it was then called, Helensburgh Zoo, nestled in a quiet little town in the middle of Sydney's Royal National Park. We were having a picnic lunch, (as you do) and I was happily eating my sandwhich, (most likely vegemite) when I turned away to look at a friendly hairy nose wombat that came wobbling towards me. Next thing I knew, an emu had snuck up from behind and stretched out its long neck and snatched my sandwhich from my grasp.

This leads me to fun fact no 1.

1. Emus love to steal food from unsuspecting picnicers and campers. If Emus are around when you are eating, keep an eye on your food at all times!

2. Emus have rather long necks and very sharp beaks which they can use to their advantage when sneaking up to steal your food.

3. Emus have big beady eyes, (all the better to see your food with). These eyes have two different eyelids. One is used for blinking just like you and me, the other is used to keep out the dust, and it gets very dusty in the Australian Outback.

4. An emus egg is enormous! They are very thick shelled, dark green and weigh about 1/2kg or 1lb. After the mother lays 7 or 8 eggs, it is actually the daddy who sits on them to keep them warm until they hatch.  The illustrated emu egg pictured here has been hand painted by an Indigenous Australian, beside it lays a chicken egg for you to compare their size.

5. The emu is the tallest bird in Australia, second only in the world to the Ostrich. An emu stands up to 2m tall or almost 6.5 feet, so her legs are very, very long! In fact she can run so fast, she has been said to "run the pants off a kangaroo!"

Below is the link to the Wiggles performing the classic song "Old Man Emu" who can "Run the pants off a kangaroo!" Love It hope you do too! :)

Old Man Emu by the Wiggles.

Don't forget the book launches.

1. Paperchain Manuka (Canberra) 11:00 am Saturday 16th May 15

2. Shine Gifts Cullen Bay (Darwin) 5-9 pm, Friday 22nd May 15

Book Launch!

The time has finally arrived!

It's time to celebrate the release of not one but two new books!

Alien Shenanigans and Emma the Eager Emu

With that comes not one but two fantastic book launches!

As most of my readers know I am living a bit of a nomadic life these days living between two homes in two beautiful cities of our magnificent country. Therefore I am lucky to be able to have a book launch in both cities.

The first will be held in Canberra for those of you down south. It will be held at the same gorgeous book store that supported me so welcomingly by holding my first book launch for Gingerbread Aliens.

Saturday 16th May 2015 11:00 am Paperchain Book store 34 Franklin St Manuka ACT.

The second book launch will be held in Darwin for those of you living in the Top End. This one will be held by the fabulously supportive friends at Shine Gifts Cullen Bay and the Waterfront during their fantastic Friday night champagne shopping.

Friday 22nd May 2015 5-9 pm, Shine Gifts 63 Marina Blvd Cullen Bay NT.  http://shinegifts.com.au/

Parents, Grandparents, teachers, Aunts and Uncles come along join in the fun and listen to me read from both these delightful new books.

Emma the Eager Emu is a wonderfully illustrated picture book. I hope to have its illustrator Dianna Budd, join me in Canberra. This book is ideal for pre-school and the early years of school. There is so much that can be discussed from reading this story as children learn all about patience, persistence and never giving up.

Here's what one happy mum had to say about the book -Helen Jones Hazlewood Emma and I read Emma the Eager Emu last night and we loved it! The illustrations are stunning, the story is simple and appealing, with us quickly both saying "one, two, three look at me..." together each time. I loved that it has a great messsge too - it prompted a good discussion about how we all have our talents and things we aren't so great at, and that's OK. Thanks for another wonderful book!

Alien Shenanigans is the long awaited part two of the Bradberrie brothers adventure with aliens. If you enjoyed all the mayhem and mix-ups in Gingerbread Aliens, you will find more explosions and mischief in this one. There are more science experiments for the classroom as well. Teaching opportunities arise with the simple to read text allowing for easy comprehension activities for early and reluctant readers. Fun and laughter abounds assuring even the most reluctant reader will want to continue all the way to the end.

If you can't make it to either of the book launches, both books are available from this website, as well as both above mentioned bookstores, and Harry Hartog Woden. Emma the Eager Emu is also available from the National Botanic Gardens, Canberra and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

A Great Day at the Fair.

The Royalla Roundup proved to be a fantastic Fair day, celebrated and enjoyed by all community members, neighbours, friends and visitors. Everyone who came was welcome to share in the delights of the fabulous Autumn weather as well as the country air and atmosphere. Initially I was a a little concerned when we drove down to "the Common" to set up as a typical gorgeous crisp, clear Royalla morning had turned bleak with a thick fog that had rolled in across the hills. We could hardly see the road in front of us as we drove down into the valley. This was not a good sign, but I should have known better. A thick morning fog in the valley always means a very still day and by the time the fair was declared open at 10.00 am the morning had cleared, the sun shone bright to a perfect day.

Visitors soon filled the adjoining paddock carpark to overflow capacity as the air was filled with the sounds of children laughing, and the aroma of freshly baked bacon and egg rolls. As the day progressed children ran around with brightly painted faces eating pink fairy floss on sticks while parents listened to the wonderful sounds of the musicians performing in the amphitheatre under the shade of the trees in the elm grove.

I later asked a neighbour's son which of all the rides was he favourite? He couldn't decide between the mechanical bucking bull, (which he had 3 turns of and only fell off once!) or the pony ride.  The fact that he could also remember that the mechanical bull's name was "Kevin" but had trouble remembering the name of the pony, hinted to me just which one might have truly been his favourite. :) There was also a jumping castle and animals to pat in the petting zoo, but the cutest of all to me were the baby alpacas. If only I could talk my hubby into letting me have one or two on our land...mmmm.....will work on that!

A huge thank you to all those lovely parents, families and friends who came by my stall to chat, support me and purchase a book or two. You are all wonderful and I appreciate you all very much. :) I hope you enjoy reading the books with your children and ask if you would kindly take the time to write a review and send it to me either here on my website, via email or on Amazon once they are listed there. Struggling authors always need good reviews to help spread the word.

My table was nestled under the shade of the beautiful elm trees amongst all the other lovely arts and crafts, the path lead to the children's craft tables where they could create easter activities and other crafts before the path eventually finished near the logs to view the musicians and at one time a spectacular magician. I looked out towards the Rural Fire Services truck and helicopter where children spent a delightful time looking at all the equipments and could ask the usual array of inquisitive questions that all budding "fireman" at that tender young age tend to do.

Naturally, mums and dads were not forgotten. There were plenty of shiny old cars on display. Farm equipment and machinery to learn about, all your septic tank and storm water issues could be answered, gardenimg supplies were plentiful, not to mention an abundance of secondhand books and clothing to peruse.

My "Gingerbread Alien" cookies were another yummy take home delicious treat to be saved and eaten while reading the newest exciting chapter in the 'Bradberrie Brothers Alien Adventure" series. I was both surprised and delighted to meet several families who walked past and noticed my original book, "Gingerbread Aliens" then realised part two was now released. It was music to this author's ears to hear children ask their parents if they could  "please have the next book." They just had to find out what was going to happen next in Alien Shenanigans!

Emma the Eager Emu was the most popular of all three of my books. Some of the lovely feedback was that it was wonderful to find a book written about Australian animals, these are very hard to find, we don't have near enough of them. Mind you I think a lot of it has to do with the amazing illustrations my fabulous illustrator has done for me. Dianna Budd has made my bird characters come to life with charm and humour. I adore them. :) Thiis afternoon we met for a cuppa where I had the opportunity to tell Dianna how much everyone adored her illustrations. We agreed we perhaps need to get to work on the next book.

Once again I would like to thank the Royalla Roundup committee for the opportunity for me to be involved in the inaugural country living fair and hope that the community has rallied together to raise enough funds to begin the building of our community centre. I look forward to many years ahead meeting more and more neighbours during gatherings in our upcoming newly built shed.

For those of you still waiting for the books to come on-line so that you may purchase a copy via my website, I appreciate your patience. My son is working on it, and promises to have all the kinks worked out within the next few days. A busy Uni schedule has held him up, my sincere apologies.

Alien Shenanigans and

Emma the Eager Emu will be available here. Please stay tuned!

Join us at the Fair!

If you live in Canberra and don't mind a short drive into the country why not join some amazing, friendly people this weekend at the Royalla Roundup Country Living Fair on Sunday 29th March, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The weather promises to be perfect for a day outdoors in the sun.

Come along, join in the fun, meet the locals, pat some animals,  chat to a neighbour or two, and even  meet this resident author. There are plenty of things to do for all the family. Take a walk among the elm grove, delight in the arts/crafts, learn a thing or two about the native plants, purchase garden supplies, admire the farm machinery and shiny cars and so much more.

It will also be your first opportunity to purchase my two new children's books "Alien Shenanigans" and "Emma the Eager Emu." Along with my original short chapter book for early and reluctant readers, "Gingerbread Aliens." I will be their to sign any copies purchased.

Bring fun and laughter to your children's Easter this year as you read aloud the Bradberrie Brothers continued adventure. Science and curiosity collide as mix ups, mischief and mayhem explode. Mrs Witherbottoms returns to get in the way. Principal Penwright is on the war path ..... again and the classroom teacher, Mr Haggardy, is not happy! Who is truly behind all the shenanigans this time?

The following is a Pre-release review kindly written by Leonie MacDonald:

Coordinator Relax Kids Canberra

https://www.facebook.com/CanberraRelaxKidsClasses

Editor Birth Journeys-Positive Stories to Encourage and Inspire

http://www.birthjourneys.com.au/

Emma the Eager Emu is a wonderful story to read aloud to children with vibrant illustrations of the native Australian bird characters.  With plenty of repetition and opportunities for children to predict what is going to

happen next this book is ideal for the classroom and shared reading with the young reader. Emma the Eager Emu’s story provides an opportunity to talk with children about how we are all different and we have different strengths, how we can encourage each other and keep trying when something is important to us, and how sometimes we just have to think a little differently to find the solution to our problems. Emma the eager emu shows children that they don’t have to be like everyone else to be happy and achieve their dreams. There are so many positive messages packed into this story.

 Aiden (age 5): My favourite part was Rosie Rosella because of her rainbow feathers.

“what is the story about?” If you run really fast it can feel like you’re flying.

 Review by Leonie MacDonald

Come join us at the Fair!

I hope to see you there! :)