It had been over two years since my last visit to Stanah, so it was great to return for a trio of visits.
The first visit kicked off the week. I shared my writing adventure with Years 3 – 6 in morning assembly. The children discovered how a book is made from initial daydreaming to the final copy. I showed the children the draft manuscripts along with Martin’s maginificent illustrations at the various stages of development. We finished the assembly with a performance of one of the Tales.
The rest of the morning was split between the two Year 3 classes. The pupils had read Blown Away from Impossible Tales. We concentrated on the ending and pulled apart my writing. Next, the pupils brainstormed alternative ways of ending the story – their ideas were fantastic! I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
The next two visits were with Year 4. The children’s focus was on developing a character for one of my Tales. They picked apart a piece of unpublished text I’m working on then planned their own alternative version. Despite it being very warm during the current heatwave, the children worked ever so well. The 75 minute sessions whizzed by. Their edited pieces of writing will be displayed in the local library so I can’t wait to go and have a look.
Thanks must go to Mrs Twist for inviting me to the school and promoting the book signing so effectively. I had an ace time at Stanah and hopefully I’ll get to return at some point in the future.