Belinda Murrell: Bringing Australian History To Life | Page 9
SCHOOL VISITS
SOME TIPS
AND IDEAS
TO MAKE THE
MOST OF AN
AUTHOR VISIT
✓ Start to read one of Belinda’s
books as a class, either as a readaloud or individually during quiet
reading time. Discuss as a group the
cover, the title, and the storyline.
✓ Stick up posters around the
school promoting the author visit
to get students’ attention: email
[email protected] to
request some!
✓ Promote the visit in the School
Newsletter so the school community
can be involved as well.
✓ Ask students to paint or draw
one of the scenes from the book.
How do they imagine it would look?
Then create a display in the library or
classroom of the artwork the students
have done.
✓ Perhaps the students could enact
a scene from the book. What
scene would they choose? Can they
adapt it for the stage?
✓ Discuss as a class some of the
questions they might like to ask
the author. They don’t just have to
be about the books – they can ask
Belinda for tips on writing or how to
overcome writer’s block.
✓ Does the book mention food?
Consider making a special afternoon
tea for Belinda – the recipe for
Poppy’s Lemon Cake in The
Forgotten Pearl is a big hit!
INVITE
BELINDA MURRELL
TO YOUR SCHOOL!
For a creative writer’s workshop,
covering text research, plot development,
characterisation and writing exercises,
contact Belinda at:
[email protected]
For a free, briefer author talk during selected
touring weeks throughout the year, contact:
[email protected]
randomhouse.com.au/teachers 9