How time flies! We had a wonderful Alresford Show earlier this month with plenty of recipients of our baby snails at just one week old. How cute were they? So, here is the result of the Name the Snail competition. With 63 entries it was a record year and we are happy to say that the entries were not all from children. Without further ado, we are thrilled that the winning name is Afri, followed by (drum roll …) in second place, Slimie Fisher (see, keep on trying and you will get there 🙂 ) followed in third place by Pippy. 

And guess what? When we came back from Alresford we found eggs at the bottom of the tank a day later.  Hmmm … so we will have yet more babies to give away soon.

The bad news? We have a snail on the loose in the house. Even with a dog on the prowl, it’s been missing for two days. We’ve looked everywhere – I mean everywhere.  We’re laying cucumber traps tonight …

Thank you to everyone who supported our Green Token slot at Waitrose in Alton during the month of February. You helped to collect a wonderful £238.00 which will go towards providing more places for children aged 7-11 to engage with writing through community creative writing organisation, Putting Pen to Paper. A big thank you to Waitrose for selecting us as one of their local charities in the first place – lucky us! 🙂

https://www.thebreeze.com/local-events/

If you shop at Waitrose in Alton, think about popping your green tokens in the Putting Pen to Paper box. Chosen as one of three community initiatives rewarded for the month of February, this not-for-profit, creative writing initiative is aimed at 7-11 year olds. Your tokens will help provide more places for children who lack confidence in their writing or who want to write more outside of school in a fun, interactive environment with like-minded individuals. A nominal fee applies.

Putting Pen to Paper
01420 587351
07500 359308

Thank you, Heather Holder and Year 3, for making me so welcome in school yesterday. We had some very inquisitive children asking lovely questions and some very over-active imaginations! Can snails really bite your skin? They do have teeth, but they are not as big or as sharp as ours.

What’s the worst thing a snail can do on a human hand? Is it a) bite you? b) suck up any breakfast or lunch you might have left behind? or c) tickle you when it moves? Answers on a postcard to ….

The children learnt that snails have a blood supply and a heart, that they have no ears – really? No ears? How do they hear? Well, they don’t. They can feel the vibrations as someone walks towards them down a footpath. So, see how vulnerable they are?

You have a wonderful library and super facilities. 

Thank you Edgeborough School for making me feel so welcome 🙂

Come and join us at Bordon Library during February half-term where I will be reading from my first book, Snail Trail and telling the story of how my family began to write – all because of a strange welcoming present when moving into a Hampshire village some 21 years ago. I will be bringing a few visitors with me in a tank, talk about the life cycle of giant African Land Snails and sign copies of Snail Trail for any snail fans who turn up. For children aged 5 – 12.

Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult.

• Cost FREE
• Contact Bordon Library
• Phone 01420 472172

https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library/events/eventdetail?id=369550

 

Sentier D’Escargot

Snail Trail, Frenc translation

 

Sweet Hannah Hula

… a normal ten year old 

girl who wants to lead an

ordinary ten-year old girl’s

life. But how can she when

she’s not in control of her 

own body? Weird things

start to happen. Is her BFF

all she appears to be? Is new

boy, Will, as nice as he seems?

And what about Hannah’s 

parents? A strange creature

comes to her rescue then things

get even weirder ….

 

Never Trust a Fairy

If you’ve ever had a toy bear as

a child, this bear story will delight.

With more than one twist and a

range of colourful characters,

Never Trust a Fairy will take you

on a fast, swashbuckling ride that

will leave you feeling, well, exhausted

but happy at the same time …

We dash around in our busy worlds.
Crashing, bashing as something unfurls.
Quietly.
We run. We skip. We announce we are here!
See us! Believe us! Let us all cheer!

Slowly the snail begins to unwind,
to open one eye, to throw out the bind,
that kept it safe and calm in its egg.
It stretches. It creeps. It irons out its head.

We shout. We fight. We dance and display.
Our hair! Our clothes! Our joy with the day!
As the snail slides and slithers, slowly turns its head,
finding some comfort in a neighbouring egg.

We dash around in our busy worlds,
Crashing, bashing as something unfurls.
Quietly. Cocooned in company.
Curling carefully into life.

Yes – and not of the chocolate kind! Our giant African land snails have laid the first batch of eggs 2014. Over 100 are glued together at the bottom of the snail tank.

Watch this space to see just how big they get – and when they hatch.

Eggs laid: March 31.
Size as at April 4: each one just under half an inch.

🙂

Hurry for a good Easter read! Only three Snail Trails (used) left, in good condition, each for £2.90. Follow this link now:

http://www.worldofbooks.com/snail-trail-by-sarah-lucas.html#.Uz1HwvldW8B

or go to our website for the last of the first edition colouring books 🙂