Hi Everybody!

Glad to hear you liked the short film I put together for you from the Cheltenham Literature Festival! I wonder how many of you will manage to read at least two books by some of those authors by the time I visit in January? Let me know in the comments below if you need help choosing a book by one or another of them that you'd really enjoy!
 

I've just started work on Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Evilness of Pizza - at least, that's what it's called at the moment, though the title might change before I've finished. And I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Quest for the Magic Porcupine - talking of which, look what I got in an email the other day! What do you think?

What else have I been doing? Well, yesterday I was at a meeting at the Society of Authors. I'm on the committee for the Children's Writers & Illustrators Group, which is a bit of a mouthful so for short we call it CWIG, which is pronounced C-wig. Does that remind you of anything? What if I tell you that Sarah McIntyre is also on the committee?

Actually, yesterday was a special meeting, because some of the members were leaving, having served on the committee for 3 years or more. Here's a picture of everyone who was there. We're wearing hats (or scarves on our heads) in honour of Sarah, who was one of the people who was stepping down.

 

Back row: You’ll recognise Sarah McIntyre & me; then it’s Helena Pielichaty, Nicola Morgan & Mal Peet. Front row (seated): Nicola Smee, and Jo McCrum who works for the Society of Authors and helps us run the meetings.

It was a really good meeting, and after we'd done all the committee stuff some other authors came for the next bit, in which, because Helena was also leaving the commitee, I got elected as chair (which means I'm the one who has to say things like, "Hurry up, we've got lots to discuss today!").

Then Dr Cathy Butler came from the University of the West of England to give us a talk about how important children's literature is, and we all left feeling very special indeed!

Looking forward to seeing your comments.

John

Gosh, is it October already?

Hi, everyone, and an especially big 'hello' to all the Year 3s - I'm looking forward to meeting you when I next visit.

Anyway, sorry about the silence over September. I've been wanting to make you a video, but time keeps running away with me. So instead, here's a blogpost about:

What I Read On My Holidays

All of you - except the Year 3s - will hopefully remember the little film I made for you about the Summer Reading Challenge, in which I set myself the target of reading at least 6 books over the summer. So... did I manage it? Here's a photo of all the books I read between the end of term in July and the beginning of September when my children went back to school:

Yep - definitely more than 6 there! Well done, me. So - would you like to know what they were? Of course you would. In no particular order:

A story with no name. My friend Merry let me look at her work-in progress, and very good it is too. I put it on my Kindle rather than read it on my computer.

Someone on this very blog suggested I read a HERO.COM or VILLAIN.NET book, and something by Darren Shan. So I did. Suggestions always welcome!

By one of my current favourite authors for grown-ups, this is the story of a school reunion that goes horribly wrong.

I ran out of books when I was away on holiday. My son had just finished the first Young Samurai book, and recommended it. So I read it. And then I read the second. And then I read the third. And then I read some other books. And then, at the end of the summer, I read the fourth. And then I read the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth, but by that time the holidays were over so I haven't shown them here.

The story of an English boy who's shipwrecked on the shores of 17th century Japan and rescued by a samurai warrior, these are great. If you haven't come across them before now, give them a go. I'd particularly recommend them to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter - they're quite different, but have just enough in common.



Not all in one go, but I read a lot of graphic novels this summer. Lots of fun.

 

Along with Young Samurai, A Face Like Glass was my find of the summer. Big thanks to Mr Biddle for recommending it to me. I loved every sentence. A fantastically well-written book with great characters and a truly original plot.

Another one for grown-ups, this controversial book - by award-winning children's author Philip Pullman - imagines that Jesus had a twin brother.

Neil Gaiman is another of my very favourite authors. He writes books for adults & for children - his The Graveyard Book is just brilliant. He also writes comic books, graphic novels and screenplays; he wrote the best graphic novel ever, in my opinion, as well as one of my absolute favourite Doctor Who episodes of all time (The Doctor's Wife, if you're a fan). This is a collection of short stories for grown-ups, and it didn't disappoint.





I'll be in touch again soon. In the meantime, let me know how you did in the Reading Challenge, and what your favourite books of the summer were!

John

Busy Patron!

Hi, all

Just thought I'd let you know what I've been up to lately, work-wise. I think being your Patron is bringing me good luck - I've never been so busy with writing!

In the last few weeks, I've been working on four different books! That's never happened to me before. They are:

• Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Badgers of Badness - the book's nearly ready to go to the printers, and I've been checking to make sure there are no mistakes. Good job I did - half a sentence was missing from Chapter Three!
• Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Quest for the Magic Porcupine - the wonderful David Tazzyman's about to start the illustrations, but first I had to chop out about a third of the story! It was much longer than the first one, and my editor suddenly realised how much longer. I had to lose a few bits I really liked, but I was able to cut out a surprising amount just by losing a word here and a word there
• A Midsummer Night's Dream - I've been asked to retell the story for a schools' reading scheme. I finished the first draft last night and am about to send it to the editor; which means that now I can do the first draft of:
• The Story of Sir Dave - this is for another reading scheme; they asked me to write a story set in the time of King Arthur. I worked out the storyline a couple of weeks ago, and now I've got to write it!

Along with Twice Upon A Time, which I think I told you about, this means I should have 5 books coming out in the next year or two - or maybe even more, as I've just been asked by OUP (who are publishing Stinkbomb & Ketchup-Face) if I'd write a funny Christmas story for them.

On top of all that, I appeared at the Wychwood Festival at the weekend ( pictures below);
I had a school visit yesterday; and now I'm off to Glasgow for the West End Festival up there! Better go!

Philip Ardagh trying to climb into my ear

My daughter and her friend giving me a purple quiff

Me doing my thing at Wychwood!

A quick strum at the signing table

Bedtime reading

Hiya, WEJies!!!

Do you have a bedtime story-time? It's one of my favourite times of day.

We don't manage it every night, mind you - now my children are 12 & 10 there are nights when they don't get in till it's just too late to squeeze a story in - but we do it as often as we can.

It's not always easy finding a story they both want to hear - my son prefers action adventures, my daughter likes gentler stories - but we manage. Books we've enjoyed together recently include Watership Down by Richard Adams, and Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian - both brilliant books - and we've just finished Philip Ardagh's The Grunts In Trouble.

We're currently on Gene Kemp's The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler, and we're loving it. The only problem is that sometimes, while they're waiting for me, they do a bit of reading of their own - and then, when I'm ready, I have to wait for them to get to the end of a chapter! Here's a picture I took last night, before I got started on the next chapter of Tyke Tiler:

My son's reading Double or Die by Charlie Higson (part of the Young Bond series), and my daughter's reading Vern and Lettuce by Sarah McIntyre.

What's your favourite bedtime reading? Any recommendations, bearing in mind my children's differing tastes?

John

Jack Slater, Monster Investigator video clip

 

Here is a great video clip of John Dougherty reading an extract from his book Jack Slater, Monster Investigator. Watch it and let him know what you think. Has it persuaded you to read the book for yourself?

Chat with John Dougherty

Tell him your news and views...

Books we love reading

Hi John, hope you are well. Here are some books we have read and enjoyed over the last few weeks. Have you read anything good?

Interview with John

John was interviewed by our school Book Club when he came to visit us last week.

Hello John. Did you enjoy reading when you were at school?

Yes, I loved it. I had my nose in a book all the time. When I was reading I felt like I was in another world. Actually, it was really hard to get me to stop reading.

When you were a boy, what did you want to do when you grew up?

It would depend on the book I was reading at the time. If I was reading a book about a shoemaker, I would want to be a shoemaker. If I was reading a book about a spaceman, I would want to be a spaceman. I never believed that I could be a writer.

 

What three tips would you give to someone who wanted to be a writer?

Hmmm. I think tip one would be read. Tip two would be read some more. And tip three would be read, read and keep reading.

 

If you weren't an author, what would you be?

Probably still a grumpy teacher! Or maybe a singer and songwriter.

 

Do you ever pinch ideas from other authors?

No I don't, but I love reading books by other writers.

 

Are any of your books based on your real experiences?

Not particularly, although sometimes I will take experiences from the lives of my friends and family, and exaggerate them for a book. In a way, I guess a lot of my books are inspired by real events but not really based on them. I do try to make my books seem the same as real life but I haven't yet met any Greek gods or talking headlice!

 

Do you always like a certain type of book?

I think it is really important to read (and write) different types of book. My mum always says read the first few pages of a book before you decide about it.

 

Can you tell us anything about your next book?

I can tell you that it is called Stink Bomb And Ketchup Face And The Badness Of Badgers. And I can also tell you that it is out in January next year!

 

Thank you John for your interview. We are already looking forward to the next book.

Dougherty-mania hits WEJS!

We had an absolutely amazing day yesterday when John Dougherty, our Patron of Reading, came to visit the school, and are already getting excited about the next visit! More details will follow, including some brilliant photos.

Exciting news!

Very exciting news! The children’s author, John Dougherty, has agreed to become our school’s ‘Patron of Reading’.It is a great new idea that will hopefully get everyone in school reading lots more books!

John Dougherty
  

John will be visiting the school in a few weeks to work with all the classes. He will also let us know what he's up to by sending us emails and video messages. We will get to find out about the new books he is writing, and what books he loves reading. John also writes lots of poems and songs. You can find out more about John at his website.
 

Have a look at John's message which is below. If you have any questions, or anything that you would like to say to him, please post in the comments box (make sure you put your first name).

Some of John's books

Dear everyone,
 

Hello!
 

I've never been a Patron of Reading before. Not many people have - it's quite a new idea, you know. I suppose that means you've never had a Patron of Reading, either, so it's a new experience for both of us. Well, all of us - I'm assuming there's more than just one of you.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to getting to know you and your school. I've had a look at your book blog, and I hope you'll have a look at my website and maybe read some of my books, so that we'll know a bit about one another by the time I come to visit you. I've got some ideas about how what I can do as your Patron of Reading, but maybe some of you will have some ideas too. Please let me know!
 

Right - I've got a book to finish writing before the end of the month, so I'd better get back to work. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you soon!
 

Very best wishes
 

John Dougherty