Little Ant School Spectacular - Week One

 

My cut and paste skills are pretty poor but you can see that the three schools l visited this week were amazing and we achieved more than l expected.

Uranquinty - near Wagga Wagga was my first school with just 44 students and l was a head liner on their sign at the front of the school.  

The next day l was at Wagga Wagga PS and saw hundreds of students - the hall was packed and we managed to create a score of poems using rhyming words and then performed them as raps to the delight of teachers and students - the Kinder celebrated their centenary by dressing up as grannies and grandpas.

Nangus was a full on day with just 22 students - can you believe we created a book of poems in just one day with each student composing a personal verse using rhyming words.  I was very impressed by these extremely literate and polite students who ring the bell each day, raise the flag and cram so much into their day at school - the teachers and students blew me away!

The Seeing Eye DUCK

I'm always amazed at how animals interact and watched this unfold with delight.

In our area we often see how wildife ages - with the big eastern grey kangaroos coming to the end of their lives and choosing to stay close to us perhaps for some protection.

We have had some big boys camp up here enjoying some sunbathing and peace and quiet.

This roo in the picture is almost blind.  He can't afford a seeing eye dog and instead is making do with a seeing eye DUCK. 

This duck is very vocal - he quacks as he walks and when there is food around he is very noisy.  The big roo follows him about and enjoys the snacks he finds along the way.

We are a bit concerned that one day he will follow the duck into the nearby dam and, though roos can swim, might struggle to find his way out. 

Will he then need a life guard too?

More on roos swimming - the lady who runs the kayaking tours in Eden often takes out groups when the cruise ships are in port.  Every time she returns she tells us about the roos they see swimming in the sea along the coast.  I wonder if this helps remove bush ticks?

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - WINTER 2019 BOOKTOUR

This year we've got 5 weeks away, heading off on Sunday towards Tumut, Gundagai and Tarcutta.

WEEK ONE
 My first day with schools is at Uranquinty. Principal Cathy Crick told me they have 44 students so we will pack each session with lots of information and at the end of our day I'm sure we can create a school book of what we have achieved.

Then it's on to Wagga Wagga PS on Wednesday with hundreds of students.  I wonder what our school poem will be?

Then on Thursday I'll be at Nangus PS with 22 students where Brian plans to fish the Murrumbidgee River while I enjoy some full on sessions with all the students.  Perhaps we'll have yellow belly for dinner that night.

On Friday I'll be signing books at Wylies Newsagency in Temora while Brian checks out all the aircraft at the airport.  Then on Saturday we head to Cootamundra for a booksigning at Planted Cafe.

WEEK TWO
On Monday I will be at the Temora PS for the day then we head off for a big day of driving and calls on my stores from West Wyalong right through to Wellington with plenty inbetween!

On Wednesday we will be in the Narromine, Trangie, Warren and Nyngan areas.

We head all the way into the outback to red dirt country where I have a day at the Girilambone PS and can't wait to meet everyone there.

On Friday the 2nd of August we're back in Narromine where l will be at the Narromine PS and also doing a booksigning (with Brian's help) at the newsagency.

On Saturday I'll be in Dubbo at the Book Connection with David the owner who always provides coffee and sometimes yummy lunch to keep me going.  I often catch up with many of the parents of the students l have seen through the week.

WEEK THREE
After a break for the Bank Holiday on the Monday we're back into it again on Tuesday where I am at St Joseph's School Nyngan for the day catching up with teachers and writing, illustrating and acting out stories with the students.

On Wednesday I'm with Holly Betts and her students at Trangie PS where we will enjoy creating rhyming poems about their school and town.

Off we go on Thursday to Gulgong, Merriwa, Denman, Aberdeen and Scone and camp at Burning Mountain - one of our favourite spots.  Yes the mountain is burning underground - check it out on the interwebby.

On Friday we are stocking up stores again at Willow Tree, Qurinde, Tamworth, Walcha and Uralla then into Armidale for a book signing at The Readers Companion.  We love Armidale as it is a book lovers haven - lots of publishers, authors and illustrators abound and l get to meet many of them.

WEEK FOUR
Are you tired yet?  This next week is a doozy starting in Manilla, Baraba, Bingara, Warialda, Inverell and Chara.

On Tuesday we head into GlenInnes then off to Tenterfiel and Casino ready for a book signing on Wednesday the 14th at Kyogle Newsagency in the morning then Cottage Collection Kids in Casino in the afternoon.  This area is severely drought stricken so l will try to catch up with the schools perhaps for a reading if l can.

On Thursday and Friday we have more calls this time in the Nimbin area heading down to Lennox Head then to Kempsey for a book signing at Moores Newsagency and bookshop on Saturday the 17th

WEEK FIVE
We start off in Buxton then start to work our way back down the coast towards home.  Most years we have had to race back earlier than we hoped to but this time we've left this week open to fully explore this area and take our time.  It will be interesting to see new towns and find new homes for Little Ant Books as we go.

If you see us on the road give a toot and a wave or call in and join us on one of our book signings - it's great to catchup with readers and other writers.

On the Best Seller List

THEY'R ALL READING ABOUT IT

  To my delight SHAKEN NOT STIRRED has been taken up by Just Fiction - a European publisher of adult fiction.  

  The readers in these photos enjoyed checking out my novel in the cafe in Eden where the novel was set.  Cleverly using invented  names I have done my best to diguise many of the characters and places.  

The baddies are purely invented as I really don't know anyone who can possibly be that bad!

Now released in Europe, Asia and South America through European publisher Just Fiction the book is reaching a wider audience.

We are now preparing to head off on our winter book launch trip where we will visit Uranquinty, Nangus and Wagga Wagga Public Schools in the Wagga area followed by book signings on Friday the 26th at Temora Wylies Newsagency and on Saturday the 27th at Planted Coffee House in Cootamundra.

We then head off on our second week away with the Temora Public School on Monday and Girilambone Public School in the outback on Thursday the 1st.  On the 2nd we're back in Narromine where I have a day at Narromine Public School while Brian mans the book stand at the Narromine News Agency until I join him after I finish at the school, thankyou Lorraine at the newsagency for agreeing to share me with the school.  Then on Saturday we join David at Dubbo Book Connection for a signing outside his store in the main street.

After the Monday bank holiday - hoping we catch a fish at the weekend - we visit Nyngan St Joseph's Primary School on Tuesday the 6th then Trangie Public School on Wednesday the 7th and have two days following catching up with more of my stores.  All along the way we restock the shops with new books and they always buy the titles they are low on as well.  On Saturday the 10th we have a book signing with Roy at Armidale Readers Companion - it's a busy time there meeting locals and often other authors - Arimidale has a great community of authors and they also have quite a few publishers in the town.

The next week we cover quite a lot of territory heading to Kyogle newagency on Wednesday the 14th for a book signing in the morning then on to Casino at Cottage Collection Kids in the main street in the afternoon to meet more readers and sign their books.  We are aware how badly drought affected these areas are - most have not seen a drop of rain for many seasons and are struggling to see an end to these hard times.  

The last week of our trip takes us down the coast into new territory for Little Ant Books. In previous years we have had to rush back to Wonboyn and haven't given these towns due consideration so we plan to explore the options in these areas.

It amazes me how everyone in our area asks how our 'holiday' was - not many people understand how many thousand kms we travel, how many stores I stock up, how many schools I visit and then the book signings that often go into the weekend leaving just Sunday as a 'free day'.  It's full on as we have to return to work committments then I again head off on my own to cover Victoria for another 6 or so weeks.

I really look forward to these trips to catch up with all my stores, and when in Victoria to see my family. 

The schools and book signings are a delight - I particularly enjoy working with young students and encouraging them to write, illustrate and perform their stories.  It's all go but so worthwhile!
Sorry about the video - technology defeats me again.