Still on the subject of ripples, here’s a video. There’s a scientific explanation (of course) but I prefer the concept: The ripple effect is a term used to describe a situation where, like the ever expanding ripples across water when an object is dropped into it, an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards…
The best thing about writing for kids is feedback from young readers. Kids know how to make an author feel like they have written the most wonderful book in the world. I love to hear that kids are enjoying my books so I am particulary thrilled to learn Samurai Kids: White Crane has been shortlisted for…
This is my favourite T-shirt. I bought it years ago (pre-kids) in Haight-Ashbury when my husband and I spent three wonderful months travelling across the US. Not only does it remind me of a great holiday but also one of my favourite songs. Ripple by the Grateful Dead (from the American Beauty album 1970) LYRICSIf…
Year 8i (code name Iquanids), an all boys English class at Keira High School, is reading Samuari Kids: White Crane with their teacher. Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend an hour with the boys talking about being an author, the Samurai kids series and books in general. There were lots of insightful questions, Look at the beautiful…
I’ve always been interested in ninjas. I have a collection of reference books and there are ninjas in two of the Samurai Kids series books – Owl Ninja has Japanese ninjas and Monkey Fist introduces ninjas from China. So this made me smile. I found it via a friend ,on the FaceBook Page of Life,…
The wonderful feedback I get for the Samurai Kids series never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes it even makes me cry. I am a big sook from way back. I cry in my own books. “You are so lame, Mum,” my kids say. I couldn’t help but tear up when I read this Facebook post:…
It’s true. I am surrounded by clutter. I have been like this all my adult life. As a child the rule in my family home was ‘bedrooms are only for sleeping’. So the one room in the house I could call my own had nothing in it that said it belonged to me. There was…
In December I bought myself a special Christmas present – a bauble on the Asia Bookroom tree to raise funds for Classrooms in the Clouds in Nepal. I blogged about here. The tree was such a success it raised $2,301 – enough to employ a teacher at Shree Bakhapalam Lower Secondary in the Solu region of…
For me, the year always begins with a holiday. Every January our family goes to Merimbula for two weeks – after New Year’s Day, to the same house, with the same two families of friends. The kids who were toddlers in the beginning are now teenagers who sometimes come and go on the bus rather then…
In early December #2 son’s school had a card fundraiser. Perfect timing! As I filled in the form he said, “Don’t be disappointed Mum but we’re not allowed to draw anything to do with Christmas.” Another casualty to over-political correctness. I respect that many families don’t celebrate Christmas. Sometimes its cultural issue and sometimes it’s…
I love libraries and am an active advocate of the role they play in schools.Yesterday I received an email about Australian schools who had or were in the processing of removing books from their libraries. Some have even dispensed with the library completely, replacing it with a book-less (not even an eBook!)technology area. Now I’m not anti-technology in any…
I love the way Cath Crowley strings words together. Graffiti Moon was one of my favourite books for 2011. I was guilty of sharing it around with lots of friends and gloating ‘I called it’ when it won so many awards. My personal reading criteria for a great book is an enthralling story and beautiful words. I…
I love Halloween but I know many of my friends feel differently. I’ve heard all the arguments (it’s unAustralian (this particularly puzzles me as Santa Claus and Easter eggs are allowed), a pagan practice, greedy kids etc etc). I am not phased by the arguments because everyone is entitled to their own view. Now that’s Australian! For me, Halloween…
One of my favourite bookshops is Asia Bookroom in Canberra. It’s a store I could browse all day in. This year Asia Bookroom is celebrating Christmas in a unique and wonderful way. They are collecting donations so that the Nepalese children in the remote region of Bakhapalam can employ another teacher to enable the students to finish up to Year 10. Otherwise the children have…
I’ve always loved science fiction ever since I discovered Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series in my high school library. I am currently enjoying The Chronicles of Rosie Black, a high-action story set on Earth and Mars, 500 years in the future. One of the things I really like about science fiction is the gadgets and technology.…
SANDY FUSSELL 