I’m an extremely proud mum!

            My boy Kris Saville has become a published children’s author.  I wasn’t at all surprised. He has a way with words and humour. Oh yes! He has everyone rolling around laughing before the first drinks arrive.  No surprise then that his first book, Pete Potts and the Petrifying Plughole is absolutely hilarious. Kris followed in my footsteps by choosing teaching as his career. But he has a mind of his own. I’d been telling him for years that he would make an excellent teacher but he took the scenic route while he made his mind up. As it says in his biography…
            ‘Kris gets bored easily. It is for that reason he has had lots of different jobs. In fact, he has had so many different jobs, he can’t remember them all, or, for that matter, whether he actually worked in all of these jobs, or just made some of them up. 

         These are the ones Kris thinks he did: A car washer, a burger cooker, a builder, a photographer, a box packer, a walnut trainer, an architect, a sea lion tamer, a document feeder (worst.job.ever …zzzzzzzz!), a dad (best.job.ever.), an ant farmer, a flux capacitor operator, a stamp licker, an as-tro-naught, an astro-turf, a nursery nurse, a teacher (otherwise known as a dream weaver), a light-sabre technician, a professional penguin rider and a Goonie.’
​
           I had quite a long wait before Kris made up his professional mind. I suppose all kids need to experiment. Well, after some subtle persuasion, he eventually became a very dedicated and excellent teacher. I always knew he would. I would hear his conversations as he played with other children in the garden when he was only knee high to a grasshopper. Forever the peacemaker, he always tried to persuade other kids to reason with each other, to make up and be friends.

        Kris has a wild and vivid imagination too. I rarely had to entertain him as a child. OK I had to take him to ‘TOY and HOBBY’ on a regular basis… it would have been every single Saturday if Kris had his way (which he often did!) but once he added that new toy to his collection of Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or whatever, that was it. He would entertain himself for hours, waving light sabres around or battling with some ‘baddie’ or other apparently lurking behind the sofa. There would be constant ‘acting voices’ resounding around the house. ‘Look out Indie!’  ‘By the Power of Grey skull!’ ‘Dadadaddadada…Superman!’  He could entertain himself as a boy and now he is using that skill to entertain others.

       Pete Potts and the Petrifying Plughole is a book I’d have bought for Kris when he was around 7-8 years of age, if some genius had written it back then. Kris was a very reluctant reader. In fact the only thing I could get him to read for pleasure was ‘The Beano’. He loved Denis the Menace. I decorated his bedroom in Denis the Menace everything. I even painted an old cupboard of my grandmother’s red, black and white with Denis and Nasher on the doors. At least he was interested in reading about Denis the Menace. It was a start.

       Now Kris has written Pete Potts and the Petrifying Plughole with reluctant readers in mind. However, it is suitable for all abilities and a fun read for all children.

          I’ve just ordered my copy! I’m sure Kris will sign it for his mum and in return I shall be leaving my 5 star review on Amazon.
Well done my son! That’s my boy!
Your very proud mum xxx
 


 

.Heather B. Moon is the author of Lottie Saves the Bees an adventure story for 7 to 12 yearolds

                I really do want ‘to look back in anger’ at this week’s atrocity in my home city of Manchester.

Some people are forgiving but I am struggling to forgive the mindless monster who savagely killed and brutally injured beautiful young people enjoying a concert. Just what can we do and who do we blame? We cannot blame the majority of a certain religious faith for the damage done by a minority. How many times this week have we read the phrase, ‘You cannot taint everyone with the same brush?’

                This week we have seen the strength and determination of our own Mancunians. Whether you are red or blue, black or white, Christians, Jews or Muslims we have witnessed solidarity and massive support. We have also read of the kind gestures and gifts of match day earnings from our football team heroes. 

                Everyone is talking about the bees buzzing on. Bee symbols are buzzing around social media. Car stickers have sold out. But do you know why the bee is a symbol of Manchester? I must admit I needed to do some research on Wikipedia. Here is what I found:

The City of Manchester has various heraldic emblems, particularly the worker bee which symbolises industry. Manchester City Council incorporates the worker bee into its coat of arms, as well as the Red Rose of Lancaster, and three stripes and ship (representing the rivers Irwell, Medlock and Irk, and the Manchester Ship Canal); its motto is "Concilio et Labore" which is loosely translated to "By wisdom and effort.

A mosaic hive of bees depicted on flooring in the Manchester Town Hall. The worker bee was adopted as a motif for Manchester during the Industrial Revolution, at a time when Manchester was taking a leading role in new forms of mass production. Seven bees are included in the crest of the city's arms which were granted to the Borough of Manchester in 1842. The bee denotes Mancunians' hard work during this era and Manchester being a hive of activity in the 19th century. Bees are recognised as intrinsic part of the eco-system with a vital role to play in pollinating crops.

HMS Manchester is nicknamed Busy Bee after the Manchester's bee symbol and the bee is depicted on the ship's crest which is also present on the ship's funnel. In the early 1970s the famous Boddingtons logo was introduced, depicting a barrel and two bees. The University of Manchester's coat of arms features three bees. The bees are depicted on many structures in Manchester such as lampposts and bollards.

I must say that centuries of hard work, determination and passion will not be destroyed by mindless, cowardly monsters. And the bees buzz on!

It is only by pure coincidence ‘Lottie Saves the Bees’ was published this week. I can’t get the ‘buzzing bees’ out of my head. My thoughts are with the families, especially the families in Royton my home town. I went to school with Steve Howe. His beautiful wife did not return from waiting for their daughter. How can we forgive?

BUT THE BEES WILL BUZZ ON!

I’ve been busy, busy, busy! In fact as busy as a bee!
‘Lottie Saves the Bees’ is ready to buzz around the world.
Here’s the blurb on ‘Lottie Saves the Bees.’
 
            ‘It’s a scary fact that if the world’s bee population dies, eventually all living things may die.’
Imagine a world without bees!
 Lottie is suffering from explosive sneezes. It’s that time of year when the pollen count is so high she wishes her twitching nose and itchy-scratchy eyes could be sent to Planet Zog.  Even a visit to her Grandparents’ house in Cornwall doesn’t help. Nana has a strange phone call from her old school friend, Professor Molly O’Hara. She’s been having bizarre dreams about Lottie saving the bees. It’s important that she meets Lottie at the Eden Project.
Under the protection of the gigantic glass domes of the Eden Project Lottie feels a dash of relief from the dreaded hay fever. She meets Professor Molly O’Hara who shows her ‘The Secret Bee Project’. She needs Lottie’s help. Lottie must follow the clues and solve the riddles which lead to the only solution to the devastating problem.
 Lottie’s legs turn to royal jelly!
‘The Biggest Nastypalaian’ in the world is the only solution! Lottie and her best friend Amy have only seven days to find it. Nana is in charge of driving the camper van…extremely scary!  They need to board the ferry to France now!
Once in France, Lottie comes face to face with the weird Onion Man who hands her a wacky box of yummy chocolates.  Inside is a mysterious clue.
The mission throughout Europe begins.
 ‘Lottie Saves the Bees’ is a fast paced adventure story with a sprinkling of mystery which takes the young reader on an imaginative journey to some of the most exciting places in Europe.
How Absolutely Amazebobs it would be if The Biggest Nastypalaian in the World really existed! Wouldn't it be just amazing if Lottie could really save the bees?
But this is just another story I made up in my head. Shame!
Our bees really ARE dying at an alarming rate. Here's the thing...if the bees die then we won't have fruit, vegetables, wheat to make bread, corn to make cornflakes or any other food that's in your fridge right now. (Yes, I know some of you will be happy to see the end of broccoli!)
We can all do our bit to help by planting wild flower seeds in our gardens or even in window boxes if you don't have a garden. Persuade your teachers at school to make a 'class garden' somewhere in the school grounds. That's a good idea too. (That way you can all get outside that stuffy classroom for a bit!)
I really had to write this book as I feel so much passion for this subject. Writing is all about passion, don't you think?
I now have to write Lottie's next International Investigation!
What would be another passion of mine? Dolphins! Yes...Lottie must save the dolphins. Poor little dolphins are kept in tiny tanks around the world just so people can see them perform. Shame!
Please don't swim with dolphins if you really,really love them!
 
 
 
 
 
 

​Why being a teacher helps me to write my children’s books.
 
I'm a teacher. Well, an ex-teacher. I retired some time ago.  I used to spend my day around children of all ages. Teaching them to write, inspiring their creativity, reading to them, helping them find books of their own to love. I would catch myself noticing little events in their day to day activities and my ears tuned to scraps of dialogue during playtime.
 
I would spend hours choosing just the right books to bring into my classroom, ones that would open up the minds of my youngsters to teach them about the world, and spark their imaginations. I always had a little voice inside my head saying 'I could write a children’s book.'
 
As a primary qualified teacher I always felt I had an advantage over other writers. For instance, I know my audience. I know what kids like and what they don’t. I was in a position to observe all the dynamics of kids and teens interacting with their peers, and often get a glimpse into their family lives as well. I understand the social pecking order. The current trends may change.  The fact that a student who is a wallflower in gym class can blossom in science or art does not change throughout the generations. Simply paying attention to who your students are gave me the inspiration for creating believable, interesting characters for my stories.
 
  Listening to how students talk to their friends, gave me a good sense of how they feel about themselves. When writing children's dialogue it shouldn't sound like it’s coming from an adult.
 
When students are involved in creative activities like art or writing, you get a glimpse at how their minds work and what’s important to them. This helped me to write books that are relevant to my readers.
 
For example, my work in progress' is about a young girl named Lottie. She travels through Europe in a campervan (RV if you are not British!) She is on a mission to save the bees from extinction. She is accompanied by her Nana, a professor and her friend Amy. I make her character think as a young girl. She is embarrassed by some of the things her Nana does but yet she admires her in some ways. Throughout the story her thoughts are:
 'That's the thing about Nanas...' (I then write various scenarios which children would find cringe worthy.)
I feel all girls from around 8 to 13 years of age would relate to this.
 
I taught most subjects.  (Except Languages, everyone has their limits!)  No matter what subject I was teaching I always prepared my lessons well. I had to engage my students to present my topic in the most interesting way. I also taught most age groups, from 3 year olds obsessed with 'The Mr. Men ' books to 14 year olds obsessed with soccer. I needed to be the first to grasp what makes students want to learn more. I also would know instantly when they became bored. Three year olds become fidgety; fourteen year olds develop vacant, dreamy expressions on their faces.
 
 The bottom line is, I JUST LOVE KIDS! I was brought up as part of a large family, the middle child of five. When my elder sister and brother found their partners and began producing little nephews and nieces I was delighted to babysit. I always knew I wanted to become a teacher. Reading stories to children is a delight to me. Making up my own stories and having them published is a bonus. If you want to be a successful children’s book writer, you have to actually like your audience. You have to understand, and respect how they see the world and get through their day. These are some of the reasons I went into teaching in the first place.