STORY    SHACK
  • Home
  • Creating a READING CULTURE in your school
  • Professional Development (and personal too for YOU).
  • Book Recommendations for YOU
  • Get in touch
  • Back together FOLK EAST 2020
  • Listen to a favourite Storyshack story
  • Book Making Videos
  • Blog

Release your  imagination......
Explore new worlds.    
Make your own stories.

Explore a map-real or fantasy....where do you want to go? Make your own and see where your imagination takes you.

Save childhood

And he's ' the good guy ' when it comes to hitting the nail on the head about successful writing. Something for us teachers to think about....

2/22/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
We visited the wonderful Imagine festival at the Southbank on Monday and listened to Derek Landy talk about his scary series 'Skulduggery Pleasant'. Have to confess I'd not read this myself but, as you can see from the picture above we have several fans in the family. I did, however, start the 1st one on my kindle on the train down to London in between directing people how to use the automatic loo (there were no seats so we sat on the first class floor!!). Found it fun actually, I like the humour in it, I liked Valkyrie especially. It's always good to read about 11+ girls who are girls not late teens yet!  I think I probably skim over the blood and gore bit as that's not so appealing to me. I think this is what makes it a 10/11 up book for me as there is a bit of that in there. However, the basic tenets about looking out for each other, warmth and friendship are in there. Always worth checking it out if you're not horror fans in your family as it might not be for everyone but the story is there and I think there's some clever bits of fantasy in there to appeal. It also makes you want to read more. Judging by the legion of fans present lots of want to read more and were really, really affirming of their obviously favourite author.


Derek Landy was great to listen too-even if you haven't read any of his books. As my daughter said he could have been a comedian :-) He was so engaging and enthusiastic AND fantastic with his audience. Afterwards the queue was rather lengthy for signings due to his popularity AND the fact that he evidently likes to actually talk to his readers rather than just do a hasty scribble. I suspect this made the organisers of the event a bit twitchy but, for his fans it made for a much more worthwhile queuing experience as the boys above will testify. Although they waited 2 hours+ (we did feed them and everything!!) they got to chat and ask questions including this rather thoughtful one....
Will:  'Do you ever get writer's block?' 
to which Derek gave a great answer - one for mulling over especially if you're a teacher with that much over used term 'reluctant writers'.  First of all he said YES he did but 
He spoke to them like a fellow author, to honour the fact Will was a writer too. He said to leave it and don't worry if you get it. Do something different, leave it for half an hour, go for a walk DON"T WORRY. Leave it for longer; at some point it will come back. It happens to us all.
You could try writing something else but it's important that you love writing. I leave it so I can go back to it and love it again. I write because I love writing and it's important to love writing before you can do it. Therefore, if you don't go read, do something different until you get your love back.


I just found his response really interesting, heartening and certainly food for thought. I mean that in the way we are terribly restricted in our curriculum anyway and how time ltd we are. Therefore,even though when I write things (like this blog) I have to be in the mood for it we actually expect our younger writers to be in the mood for writing at a certain time. Often this is timetabled for the morning. When you then hear writers speak and think about writing, maybe, essays PhDs etc we might have written as students did we always write at the same time. I lived in a house with 6 others but we all treated essay deadlines very differently. Some leaving it right up to the last minute with heavy doses of caffeine (yes you know who you are!!), others organised and shutting themselves away in the morning, afternoon, evening...it just depends on that individual. 


So when we require our children to write what requirements do they need to write. Certainly the more we can surround children by books and stories the more they have to 'soak up' and inspire their imagination. But I think we also need to give them more opportunities to follow their writing rhythms too because actually that's what we all do as adults. 

0 Comments

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/15/km-peyton-flambards-interview

2/15/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Reading this article today reminded me of my former love of 'Flambards', both the book and TV versions, when I woz young! Used to love the books when I was a teenager and then got into Peyton's Place as well. The article talks about KM Peyton's books being a bit forgotten these days although 'How I live now's Meg Rossoff  cites Flambards as one of her favourite books 
(http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/28/my-hero-km-peyton).
So maybe there will be a resurgence in Kathleen's novels. I have particular affection for them because Kathleen's husband - Mike - was a yachting cartoonist and the family sailed near Paglesham....living nearby in Fambridge if I remember rightly. Using my Mum's 'Yachts and Yachting' + 'East Coast Rivers' connections I was able to write to Kathleen and tell her about my love of her books. She wrote such a wonderful letter back I was very thrilled. Remember telling my English teacher all about it and treasuring it highly.  Now I think my copy of Flambards (signed of course) is with the rest of our house contents in Dunstable!! I hope so...I'm not sure where the letter now is but this has reminded me to look out for it and to re read when I finally get it back.

0 Comments

'My Swordhand is singing'-a gripping winter read

2/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Feeling a bit wintery but no snow here as opposed to the snowy scenes in  Marcus Sedgwick's 'My swordhand is singing'.  You can probably tell from the front cover tha t snowy scenes are not giving the book a cosy feel but rather a chilling, gripping tone set in early 17th century Eastern Europe. The tale is based around legends of vampires around that time but is properly related back to folk lore rather than Buffy/Twilight type vampires.

This makes it somewhat more chilling-suspense is built up as a son gradually finds out who his father really is and why they live on an island in the middle of a wood. 


"In the bitter cold of winter Tomas and his song, Peter, arrive in Chust and settle there as woodcutters.   But Tomas is a man with a past; a past that is tracking him with deadly intent. As surely as the snow falls softly in the forest of one hundred thousand silver birch trees, father and son must face a soul less enemy and a terrifying destiny."


It is a gripping, pretty scary read....I've just finished it - in the daylight! 


Would probably say 12+ - vampires in this story rise from the dead and is that idea that is particularly 'bone chilling' in a gothic horror way so readers of a nervous disposition avoid this book and younger readers - wait a bit. There are other books that are the right level 'scary' for you guys too (like a previous Ipswich Book group visitor-Jonathan Stroud + his 'Screaming Staircase.'


Marcus Sedgwick is coming to Ipswich on 26th March to talk about his latest adult book (see above) so come and hear him speak at this joint event via Ipswich Children's book group and Suffolk Book League. It's lovely to have read the author you're going to hear but I do think it's just generally worth hearing authors speak ' full stop'-it's interesting to hear how they write, how their own ideas are formed etc so make sure you book your self in.

0 Comments

Clive, Roger and Angry birds.....

2/4/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Storyshack was at Brooklands Primary today travelling with book making kit. BUT Year 1 were making their own creatures so they didn't really need stampers and glittery bits. We went out into the grounds and picked up NATURE to make into new creatures. They were fantastic...there were pine cones, leaves, sticks and all sorts to inspire them including a smelly piece of bone which of course we were all made to smell!! 
The finds were bought back into class to invent completely new and fantastical creatures. As you can see they were bought to life with the help of some googly eyes too. Interesting names-Roger and Clive featured which I thought was interesting. We got inspired by the wonderful 'Stanley's stick' who names his new stick.....FANTASTICK!! Year 1 were fantastic-they made a book too AND they began their own stories about their new creatures. One of them only ate gummi bears...just in case you ever meet him then you'll know :-)
Picture
This morning Year 4 MEERKATS made their own marvellous creations in book form. They were brilliant collectors of materials for book making. Angry bird paper was a popular choice today. There was an interesting take on Luis Suarez by a Liverpool and googly eye fan. We think perhaps the tiniest storyshack book was made today too-we called it the binkiest book. I know that's not a word but we like it anyway and it meant something to us today.


Excellent concentration and very very keen to start writing. Many stories, journals, diaries and non fiction texts were started this morning including one on classic cars and one about dragons.
I don't think it's just Stanley's stick that's FANTASTICK.....Brooklands storyshack participants are pretty amazing too ;-)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

What books can do for you.....

2/3/2014

0 Comments

 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/03/lessons-childrens-books_n_4690258.html
Lovely lovely piece here above about well known children's books to spur us all on:
To be who we want to be
To believe in ourselves
To made the most of every minute we have
To have awfully big adventures
To know that, often, its good to be home

To read and read and read

Picture
Here's Langer Academy's Reading challenge in a lovely corner with an array of wonderful books to inspire children in to reading. If they complete their challenges they come and choose a book to keep forever. 

It's a lovely and precious thing to be able to be surrounded by books. Very lucky to have had that privilege. It definitely makes a difference to our children's reading culture. 
But, as schools well know it doesn't happen like that for everyone. Thinking about immersing children in books through their childhood is something that's becoming more unattainable for many families as they're struggling in sparser and sparser times. So that's why schools have to be that book retreat, that book surrounding, book loving, reading encouraging reading CENTRE for children. You have to have books out and about to do this....just like Langer. Libraries, readng challenges, book corners, book swaps and book displays all do this so keep it up lovely Langer and all those other 'bookish' schools.   
Equal opportunities - books for all in school :-)

0 Comments
    Get in touch
    Tweets by Storyshacker
    Follow @Storyshacker

    Sarah Gallagher

    Avid reader, sometimes a headteacher AND founder of Story shack. A place where  you can release your imagination and see where it takes you....
    reading
    writing
    book making
    playing
    because everyone deserves to imagine and create

    mumsnet

    Archives

    May 2022
    May 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Children
    Imagination
    Stories
    Teachers

    Wordle: storyshack
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.