There Was an Old Sailor

Last year, ‘There Was an Old Sailor’ was released with a fresh new cover. The original was published Feb 1 2010. I had planned a birthday celebration, but yano, things happened.     As a belated Happy 10th Birthday to my rosy-cheeked sailor, I’ve...

Anzac resources

Anzac Day is fast approaching and it’s going to look different this year, particularly for teachers and students. ‘Meet the Anzacs’ is a nonfiction narrative picture book about how Australia put together a first national army to fight in WWI. There...

Time travel

Today, I’m visiting Allison Tait’s Writing for Kids blog, talking about time travelling to the past. I talk about what it was like to research Haywire, a novel set in 1939 and 1940, and the things that helped me ‘inhabit’ another world. I...

Shorebirds Competition

Where I live, in Hobsons Bay, we have birds! Some stay around all year, others visit on their way north and south. Some live in the big park behind us, while others prefer the shoreline of river and sea and where the two mingle. ANSTO is hosting a competition for...

Rainbows

How stunning is Melbourne’s autumn weather? It’s just about perfect (unless you’re trying to record a story reading in the back yard – then there’s just a bit too much sun for the glossed pages, and a few too many birds!) Today on my...

Look closely

Every year, about this time of year, I remember that I want to plant sunflowers because … well … they are just fabulous aren’t they? They grow so tall, so quickly. They follow the sun across the sky. They brighten up any garden. AND when fully grown,...