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Days Three and Four: Reading Workshop at Friends Library

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"How can it already be 11:30?" "Time is already up?" "I could sit here for five hours daily!" "Why is tomorrow the last day?"             Today, Day Four of Exploring the World of Stories, my reading workshop at Friends Library, I ended up extending my one and a half hour slot to almost two hours, simply because the children were so excited. It's been wonderful, these four days. I can't believe that tomorrow is the last day either! … [Read more...]

Day Two: Exploring the World of Stories

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Two more children joined the reading workshop at Friends Library today! With seven children in the cosy children's section of Friends Library, Day Two of the reading workshop was a day of learning. We spoke about the publishing process and copyright. We designed book covers. We shared myths from around the world. And we had a quiz to round things up. Tomorrow promises to be fun too! … [Read more...]

Day One: Exploring the World of Stories

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As of yesterday, I had no registrations for my reading workshop. I decided to go to Friends Library anyway. Three children came. And then one more. And one more. And one more promises to come tomorrow - all in all, it was delightful. Among other things, we played Pass the Story - a cross between Pictionary and Chinese Whispers, with the element of stories added into it. Here's how it works: Participant One picks a chit. Suppose it says 'Geronimo Stilton'. Participant One draws Geronimo Stilton and passes on his sketch. Participant Two makes a guess. Suppose Participant Two guesses 'rat'. He writes 'rat' on a sheet of Paper and passes it on. Participant Three draws. Participant Four guesses. And so on. It's a hilarious game. Harry Potter became Wimpy Kid. And Sleeping Beauty became Barbie, as did one of the seven dwarfs. The world of stories continues tomorrow - here's … [Read more...]

Skellig

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Skellig by David Almond is a human story, and like so many human stories, contains a little miracle. A scientific miracle, perhaps. Or maybe a spiritual miracle. Sometimes the two go together, along with angelic intervention, scientific study and William Blake. Skellig is not a story that wants to be believed. Yet it is not fantasy. It is not a story about magic. Yet, it contains the inexplicable. It is not a spiritual story of divine intervention. Yet, it is the story of a little miracle that brings Joy. Sparse, sometimes disgusting, often moving, Skellig is, above all, the story of a quiet boy who is not so quiet in his head. And his friends who understand. And those who don't. … [Read more...]

My Friend the Guitarist Veda

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I remember when Veda was gifted her first guitar and all of us wanted to touch it. She was kind enough to let us touch it and we played with it, rather than playing it. Before we knew it, two years had passed, and Veda was the only girl in school who could play the guitar. As a result, she was taking part in The Merchant of Venice, performed by the 9th (or was it 10th) standard students. And before long, I could go to Veda's house just to listen to her play. Yesterday was magical.   I went to Olive Bistro for the first time, just to listen to Veda play. I had a fantastic evening. The guitar, melodious and gentle, in a place that is truly charming, transported me to a world where I was at peace. Sure, I had heard most of the pieces before. But it was something else to listen to live music in the open air on a beautiful night. The rain had left the evening deliciously cool, and … [Read more...]

My Favourite Male Characters in Fiction

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I wonder why most of the fictitious characters I love and admire are female! Is it because I want to identify with my characters and it is easier for me to identify with female ones? When I think about remarkable male characters, though, I don't really run out of favourites. 1) Little Lord Fauntleroy: Just like Pollyanna, he should be too sugary to be lovable, but no. He is among my all-time favourites. Little Lord Fauntleroy is a story I tell all the time simply because it is so innocent an beautiful. 2) Rhett Butler - If Scarlett is remarkable, Rhett is even more so. The only one with the gumption to take on Scarlett as she really is without deifying her. He is one powerful character who awes me so much that I am almost frightened of him. 3) Vidal - Vidal is Devil's cub - annoying, brusque and overbearing. Yet, his relationship with his parents makes me smile and fall in love. 4) … [Read more...]

My Favourite Female Characters in Fiction

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A question that always bothers me when I'm writing is whether I should concentrate on plot or character. Plot has the power to transport me, make me gasp and thrill me. But characters... Ah, they're the people who become lifelong friends. 1) Pollyanna: Too good to be loved, but how I love her! She should be a saccharine goody two-shoes, but she's not. Her glad game changed my world. 2) Anne: Anne in Anne of Green Gables is the best of the lot. That's where my beloved "Carrots" emerges as the imaginative and dreamy spitfire I long to befriend. 3) Deborah Grantham: Faro's daughter - she won my admiration the very first time around. Independent, headstrong and dignified - the woman in control of her life. What's not to fall in love with there? 4) Darrell Rivers: No, I no longer think she is magnificent, but I cannot deny the role she played in my life as a ten-year-old. Passionate and … [Read more...]