Children’s Authors
Jill Carter Hanson
Interactive adventure in words and pictures for 5-8 year olds
Suitable for schools, libraries and community groups:
Jill entertains and inspires the creativity in young children by developing stories in words and pictures with Jill illustrating live throughout the session and the children contributing the text. Depending on time available, the children can create their own stories and illustrations as well.
Book Illustration: Developing a Character Adult Full Day Workshop:
The workshop includes an introduction to developing a character, allowing for the students to explore possibilities with Jill providing individual feedback. A wide range of illustration techniques are discussed through examples of Jill’s illustrations and published books. The workshop caters to all levels from beginners to those ready to seek publication of their work
Praise for her adult workshops from Cathryn McEwen, Workshop Coordinator, Gosford Regional Gallery: I recommend Jill for any workshops related to illustration, developing characters, writing, or idea generation as she is not only a master of her craft but has the ability to present her knowledge in an enjoyable, entertaining and inspiring manner.
Vicki Bennett is an excellent ANZAC day speaker for grades 3-5 in primary schools, libraries and community groups. As a child, her grandfather, a WW1 veteran, told her stories about the Great War and she has been under the spell of this period ever since. Vicki has written two children’s picture storybooks about this period: Two Pennies (Boolarong Press) and The Little Stowaway, (Scholastic Australia). She has written a feature film screenplay about the Little Stowaway. A new Picture Storybook, about a nurse in WWII, has been commissioned by Scholastic for publication around Anzac Day in 2021.
The Little Stowaway
Set at the end of WW1 where a ragged, hungry little French orphan came out of the fog on a freezing cold Christmas night in 1918 and wandered into an Australian airmen's mess and his journey home began.
This excellent pre-Remembrance Day or ANZAC Day presentation includes the back-story to the writing of the book, a two-minute film about the book, a reading of the story with PowerPoint illustrations and time for questions and discussion. Available for 30-40 minute Presentations
Two Pennies.
George, a little boy in Melbourne, wanted to help rebuild a school in Villers Bretonneux, destroyed by enemy fire in World War I. His school made the rebuilding of the French school their project: The Penny Drive.
George raised two pennies by caring for the horses, which pulled the carts to deliver bread for his father's bakery. Many years later, when George was dying, he asked his daughter to take two more pennies to the school in France. This is a story about hope and the love of children between two countries.
This excellent pre-Remembrance Day or ANZAC Day presentation includes the back-story to the writing of the book, a two-minute film about the book, a reading of the story with PowerPoint illustrations and time for questions and discussion. Available for 30-40 minute Presentations
Robyn Bavati has taught dance and English and worked as a shiatsu therapist. Her latest novel is A Weekend with Oscar, published in 2021 by Walker Books. Suitable for High School students, it's about sixteen-year-old Jamie lives with his mother and younger brother Oscar, who has Down syndrome. Though Jamie is still grieving the death of his father, life starts to look up when he meets Zara, the new girl at school. When their mother goes away for the weekend, Jamie volunteers to look after Oscar. But when the weekend is over and their mother doesn't return, Jamie faces the toughest challenge of his life. Other books by Robyn include Within these Walls, which is about the Holocaustand suitable for upper primary and lower secondary students. It won the Older Readers category of the WA Young Readers' Book Award 2018, and was short listed in the Younger Readers Category of the 2017 CBCA Book of the Year Awards. Robyn is also the author of the critically acclaimed Dancing in the Dark, a CBCA Notable Book in 2010, and the novel Pirouette. She is currently working on a book suited to 9 to 12 year olds.
Robyn is a great champion of personal choice and writes about characters that go to extraordinary lengths to achieve their dreams. She is passionate about giving students the tools that empower them to write with confidence. Robyn’s school sessions are best suited to students in Years 6-9, and her workshops are suitable for students aged ten and above, as well as for adults aspiring to publication and teachers wishing to acquire the tools to teach creative writing in the classroom.