BUYING MY BOOK!

Well, thanks to a rather creative and very clever man called Danny (www.dannycope.com), my book is now available to be bought online. Hurray! So, the Hungrumptious Blumpfh is online and ready to be bought. Just need to get people to come and buy it. Although the first print run has done well...over 1000 copies sold since July and now onto my second run. Who would have thought it? Not me in my wildest dreams!

GSAL Christmas Fair Poetry Contest

Well done to all who entered the poetry contest this weekend outside Santa's Grotto at Rose Court. It was tough to choose a winner, but I have! I have also highly commended another poet for an outstanding shape poem. His name is James Hardy from Year 3. Well done James, and unlucky. You only JUST missed out on winning the Maltesers!

Here is James' poem. It looks better in real life as he's written it within a drawing of a rat. Great shape poem!

I scuffle through rubbish all night long
I'm scrumfatlus to cats
I am black as coal and swift and speedy and hard to catch
I have big brainy brain


However, the winner, and proud owner (soon to be delivered) of a box of Maltesers, is MILLY MACKENZIE from 2W for her brilliant nature poem. Here it is...

I went to the woods
and I saw a great tree
it was once a little seed and now
it is a great big hump of leaves


The description of a tree being 'a great big hump of leaves' did it for me. Brilliant!

Fussy Eating

This poem was posted to me today, by none other than 9 year old Alice - you may remember her as second place in the poetry competition I ran at Wrenthorpe Methodist Church the other weekend. Well done Alice, it made me chuckle. And I feel sorry for your mum - I know JUST what it is like to have fussy eaters for daughters. And yes, they do generally seem to win!

Here's the poem...

I am a fussy eater
because I don't eat peas
carrots make me queasy
and broccoli makes me sneeze

we fight like mad at mealtimes
but I'm aloud to win
because mum knows I'll eat
anything if it comes in a tin.

Busy busy busy!

Well, here beginneth a couple of rather busy weeks for yours truly. Lots of exciting things coming up though, starting with a Gifted and Talented day up at South Milford tomorrow. I've not been there for a couple of years, but it's one of my favourite schools. The staff there have always been really supportive of me, and I seem to remember the lunches are pretty decent too! I'll also be doing a poetry reading and book signing there. Good job really, as this weekend I received a delivery of 2030 of my poetry books. There is a large quantity of boxes in my attic at this point...

POETRY COMPETITION WINNERS!

After yesterday's poetry competition that I ran at the Wrenthorpe Methodist Church, here is the winning poem. I've also posted the poem that I chose for second place (I wasn't going to choose a second one, but it was such a close run thing that I felt it was only fair to). Thanks to Alice (my four year old) for her insightful comments on all the poems!

THE WINNING POEM...

Sweetys, sweetys as sweet as can be
Please buy a bag of sweetys for me.
A fruity one, a chocolatey one and marshallow too
It's a shame none of them are good for you!!!

By Aimee and Kacey


SECOND PLACE...

Bags are cool
Bags are great
Bags you can hold in any way

Girls bags
Man bags
Have an evening out bags

Purses and crossovers are lots of fun
Fashionable and girly
They make you glow in the sun

You need a bag every day
Every outfit
In every way.

By Alice (not my Alice, but the 9 year old Alice on the stall next to me yesterday!)


Well done to you girls, they were great poems! Keep writing, keep having fun.

Grumbling Grannies

After assembly today at a (hitherto unnamed) school, I made my way out to the playground, where a table had been set up for me to display my books for the parents. As I wandered over, I noticed 2 grannies sitting behind the table. Here's a transcript of our conversation...

Me: Oh, don't move ladies. I'll be fine on the end.
noticing one of my books in front of them...
Granny 1: We've been having a look at this.
Me: What did you think?
pause
Granny 1: I wasn't very impressed
Granny 2: No, she wasn't.
Granny 1: I like the flowers, and the wandering clouds.
Me: Oh dear. Well, everyone has their own opinion.
Granny 1: Yes, they do. They're all just so, so, so dumbed down. There's one - I shan't be able to find it now - but there's one...
Here it is. All about sick. Really.
Me: That's one that I'm really proud about. I really like the rhythm in it. Took me a long time to get that right.
Granny 1 as realisation dawns... Did you write this book?
Me Yes
Granny 1 Well, yes I can see that with the rhythm. But still...
Me thinking 'that's shocked you - finding out you're sitting next to the author after unwittingly slagging off his book!'

CONCLUSION: Five minutes later she came and bought a book, and said 'I told you he'd like it.'


What was she on? If I arrived at school with Wordsworth I don't think I'd get very far. I'm GLAD I write the sorts of poems children want to read. But it's a good job I haven't marketed my book to grannies - at least, not those two anyway.

Pyjama poetry

I can't tell you just how pleased (and at times - amazed) I am by how many books I am selling. I did a wonderful event tonight at Normanton All Saints Infants School - pyjama poetry - and sold about 40 books. I sold so many I ran out and had to promise delivery of some more over the next few days. It was brilliant, and the kids were so hyped up about coming to school in their pyjamas.

Not only that, but I'd already sold some in the playground after school at Horbury Bridge, earlier the same day! Every time I think 'that must be it - surely it won't keep going like this?' it just does! Thank you to everyone who bought one of my books today. I have loved writing in every single one.