FROXFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL
Thank you to the teachers and children at Froxfield for making me feel so welcome at my school visit. The children were particularly careful with the snails and asked some very interesting questions. Look forward to receiving any competition entries for the chance to win a signed copy of a snail book, or a baby giant African land snail
GURU NANAK SIKH PRIMARY SCHOOL
Thanks for the competition sheets. Amy and I will be judging these in the next few days. They look great but who will be the lucky winner?
LONDON BOOK FAIR
What an inspiration this was! It was brilliant. There was some great industry news about trends in book buying and marketing, and the ever-present threat of library closures which will have such a massive impact on children of every age. Please do your most to support your local library and add to the voices to keep our libraries open.
Philip Pullman was on the panel of one of the seminars I attended. He said some extraordinary things, some very practical things, including something about how much children’s authors earn. He said: ‘Some children believe that authors live in Wendy houses and spend all their money on sweets.’ Of course all the grown-ups laughed at this, but this is a cute and funny perception that some children have of writers who work with children. Interesting!
He was on the panel talking about the importance of prizes in children’s literature. He said that the Carnegie Award is probably the best award from a writer’s point of view because most of the judges are the librarians. Thus the people who are judging work direct with book demands over the counter. It’s another way of telling the government that libraries should not be closing. Children (and a whole host of other people) need their libraries.
EASTER SNAIL HUNT
This is taking place tomorrow in Alton. I’m very excited about it, not least because the date’s been in the diary for some time and now it’s actually here! It’s going to be great fun.
There are some special bug bookmarks for anyone who purchases more than one madaboutsnailbook. They are one-offs, probably NOT to be repeated. Come and get one. Come and join in the snail hunt. Come and check out Bob and Gary, though it appears today that Gary is a little sluggish.
Talking of slugs, we have a new puppy (I know what you’re thinking: ‘And the connection is ….?)’ She’s going through toilet training at the moment and has a special place in the garden up by the trampoline. Do you know if you go out at night when it’s dark, just how many SLUGS there are out in the garden? Take my word for it, there are loads of them, all taking advantage of the dark to come out and feed. And that’s true about African land snails. They tend to feed at night, though more during the twilight hours in semi-darkness, and probably for the same reasons as slugs – there’s less chance of being spotted.
What’s the difference between a snail and a slug by the way? Email me ASAP if you know the answer to: sarah@madaboutsnailbooks.com. The first correct answer will get a prize. No. Not a puppy. No. Not a slug. A postcard for the new book, Slime in Time which is due out …
SLIME IN TIME
Nearly there! This book should be out in November 2011. It’s a race against time as Charlie drops a bombshell and the Americans look as if they’re about to pull the plug on the film. In all the fighting and chaos that ensues, Amy stumbles across another mystery as her best friend finds strange goings on next door. Bill Bracket plots and schemes and the vicar loses yet more hair. Can the girls pull together for one last time and give Newton the fame it so desperately needs?
Writing has got to be the most enfuriating, mind-boggling, crazy, fantastic job in the whole wide world. I absolutely love it!
Bye for now.
Sarah
PS What do you think. Should a puppy be appearing in a future snail book?