Mollie Teachers’ Notes Chapters 3 & 4
Chapter Three 1. With partners, represent your image Nan’s home using a diorama. When finished, you might take photographs and send these to the author – you’d never know, she might credit them and put...
View ArticleMollie Teachers’ Notes Chapters 1 to 10
Chapter 1 1. They say you should never judge a book by its cover. But what about its title? Do you like this title? Can you say why/ why not? Have a look around the nearest bookshelves. What do you...
View ArticlePicture Books: To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme?
I was doing some intense thinking about picture books last night. My writing class asked me why I’m not keen on rhyming picture books and I didn’t have a coherent answer for them. But I do now! When I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Writing Tips – Getting it Right – the Importance of Research
My new book, Sunny Days and Moon Cakes is out next week – exciting. It was great fun to write and even more fun to research. Sunny, the main character in the book, has a condition called selective...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Story of You – Keeping a Diary
Today is Christmas Eve. In many parts of the world children will wake up tomorrow morning and find presents at the end of their bed, or in stockings at the fireplace. Maybe they will get a much wanted...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Coming Out Fighting
The Irish Hockey Women’s Hockey Team (photo c/o hockey.ie) I was watching one of my daughter’s hockey matches recently and it reminded me of the importance of fighting to the end. The girls from the...
View ArticleThe Best Children’s Book Agents 2016
This is the most popular blog on my website and I update it every year with agents recommended by their writers. Thank you to all the children’s writers who responded to my 2016 call out. I’d like to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Want to Write? Here’s My Secret
Mum reading to me and my sisters, Kate and Emma (I’m on the far right) I could live without many things – radio, newspapers, television, even ice-cream – but I couldn’t live without books. We all read...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Girl Made of Books by Sarah Webb
I’m a big fan of Oliver Jeffers who is a Northern Irish designer, artist, writer and illustrator who is best known for his picture books. My favourite is an early book called Lost and Found about a boy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Answer to Your Questions
I love getting letters from readers in the post. Real letters are far more fun than emails. I love opening the envelopes, unfolding the letter inside, holding the exact piece of paper that a little...
View Article
