tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post5269766204845589444..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: The Future of Children's Reading - Ellen RennerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-2006819080011019402010-10-18T17:47:22.860+01:002010-10-18T17:47:22.860+01:00I commented before, but think Blogger must have ea...I commented before, but think Blogger must have eaten it! I too think this is a good and timely post, Ellen, and the Guardian obviously agrees with you, calling authors who do school visits the 'road warriors of children's literature' (I LIKE being a road warrior!) School visits don't always sell books (though they can)--what matters to me more is to see enthused and enthusiastic children who go away talking about what they've heard. It's definitely part of the job description for a children's author now. I know it is hard for schools to come up with the money to pay for an author visit in this climate--but I do think we provide value in many more lasting ways than are necessarily recognised.Lucy Coatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774389681477698245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-233153200060378782010-10-13T19:35:40.348+01:002010-10-13T19:35:40.348+01:00Excellent post, Ellen and I totally agree. I woul...Excellent post, Ellen and I totally agree. I would say this - storytelling is where it starts and ends and it's in that that the book had it's birth and became a prime means of delivering stories. I worry sometimes that as writers we do sometimes get too hung up on the book as the means and I think it needs to be viewed in context. But, I think going into schools, encouraging a love of stories and reading in children is an obvious step to take if we want to keep the creative fires in chilren and in us burning.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04871239587214383387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-27511812233315859832010-10-13T10:21:35.751+01:002010-10-13T10:21:35.751+01:00Have tried to find out more about the Exeter Festi...Have tried to find out more about the Exeter Festival, but it's not easy! I googled it, and didn't come up with any direct link, only links via other pages. The best I could find was a page that highlighted some events, but didn't have a programme listing everything. I went to 'booking' and it blithely said that there was no central booking system - you had to contact the organiser for each event. I can't get to the one you mention, but maybe able to make some of the others. I'm probably just being dense - but is there an easier way, do you know?Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-37347950423478175302010-10-13T00:36:27.821+01:002010-10-13T00:36:27.821+01:00Kids do benefit from meeting authors. It inspires ...Kids do benefit from meeting authors. It inspires them to write, read, and it reinforces what the teachers teach them about writing.Jan Markleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08317561950719847803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-51085047664376129792010-10-12T21:18:03.783+01:002010-10-12T21:18:03.783+01:00As a primary teacher and trying to be a writer, I ...As a primary teacher and trying to be a writer, I sometimes get more excited than the kids when we have author visits. Please do keep them up. A good author visit instantly improves what the kids write as well as influences what the kids read.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08533913253403252799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-51578719122205138592010-10-12T20:08:40.514+01:002010-10-12T20:08:40.514+01:00Ellen, the evidence that people's brains are b...Ellen, the evidence that people's brains are being altered by the Internet is a bit dodgy, so take heart! (I read a review of it in the New Scientist) I find, also, when I go into schools, that kids will listen to me for half an hour, and then listen to quite extensive answers to (rather intelligent) questions from them. This without visual aids for the most part, indeed, I find powerpoint rather puts them off so I've stopped using it.<br />But - every time I go, I remember what my husband said to me once: 'If you'd had a chance to meet an author at school, wouldn't you have been hugely excited?' I feel these are the audience, and it's great to be able to meet them and show them that I take them seriously. I agree that it's well worth doing.Leslie Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15105465949970430998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-14165938006971100692010-10-12T18:12:34.156+01:002010-10-12T18:12:34.156+01:00What an amazing post! I can't comment from the...What an amazing post! I can't comment from the same perspective as these other guys, being very new to the world of writing, but I do feel passionately about children's reading! My son & baby daughter have had books and stories since their first days; and now my 3 year old son is taking his first tiny steps into reading, it's so exciting! <br /><br />It's this excitement, and the thrill I have always got from reading, that makes me want to write for children. One day my book could be someone's first story and start them on the same adventure.<br /><br />Thanks for a very inspiring post.beccabrownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14291583691252990821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-18571052863752463202010-10-12T13:47:26.258+01:002010-10-12T13:47:26.258+01:00I couldn't be in more agreement here. My atten...I couldn't be in more agreement here. My attention span has become quite poor in recent years and I (yes, a writer), can struggle to read a book from time to time.<br /><br />I do think we need to be open to new and developing forms of storytelling. I love the novel, but who's to say we can't find equally exciting ways to tell stories in other media?Nick Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02571077124165351007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-64992037103187175212010-10-12T12:23:17.532+01:002010-10-12T12:23:17.532+01:00Absolutely agree. Besides any of this, school visi...Absolutely agree. Besides any of this, school visits are immense fun - I write funny books and to hear the sound of children giggling away at the story of how I came to write my books is one of the best parts of the job. Get out there and be inspirational - it goes with the territory.Tamsyn Murrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08041502244181924265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-17691410923728821292010-10-12T12:04:24.930+01:002010-10-12T12:04:24.930+01:00Hard though it is to earn a living at this profess...Hard though it is to earn a living at this profession, I fully agree with you Ellen and will continue to participate in events, where and when I can, to promote reading and of course, my books. Yesterday I did an event with a group that raise thousands every year for charity. I was not paid. They were a great audience, bought all the books I took with me and then I donated ten quid out of the dibbings to their charitable work. Whatever, events like this will not pay my mortgage. But not doing them won't achieve that either. And now fifteen more people are reading a novel which I wrote and published quite a few years ago. Good luck with the new book and I'll see you in November and get my signed copy!!Miriam Halahmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04935448538608020877noreply@blogger.com