Sunday 11 July 2010

Looking forward to some Young Librarians!

Home and at work again after a week away on a writer's retreat. Have had the final, final, final version of a Christmas story about a barn owl agreed by the anthology editor at Stripes, have begun on a short adaptation of Journey to the Centre of the Earth, but - even better! - I have worked out how to get Tome Two, my long Work-In-Progress going again.

But tomorrow I must get myself organised for Tuesday afternoon, when I will be at a wonderful event up in County Durham.

I'm going to HIGH SHINCLIFFE PRIMARY SCHOOL to meet almost fifty Young Librarians from all the primary schools in the Durham area. These KS2 students have been helping to keep their own school libraries organised and I am very much looking forward to hearing how they do it. I could do with some good tidying up and sorting-out and super-duper organising tips for my own bookshelves for a start!

Looking forward to meeting you all on Tuesday.

Thursday 1 July 2010

IT TANGLES & ALL SAINTS

At the moment I feel caught in a tangle of technology! I had a great time at MICHAEL SYDDALL PRIMARY SCHOOL, Catterick on Friday 25th June, where I opened their new (and roomy) Library & Resource Centre THREE times - once for KS1, once for KS2 and once for the Parents Association and the Governors, as well as three "author" sessions with the children. It was something the school had been planing for several years so a great celebration for everyone. And I got very good at cutting wide purple ribbons.

However, just as I was tasting the delicious spread laid out in the library, a friendly Governor & IT specialist pointed out that what I think of as my "school blog" wasn't up to date. Oh dear!

That was when I realised that the link to this new "Penny Dolan's Diary" wasn't active on my website yet, and my old Journal had fallen foul of Blogger's updating a month or more back. However, today - 4th of July in fact - my kind resident IT expert has updated some of my website, including linking in this blog and my Year Of Mouse blog too, and putting up the cover of my imminent book.

The past week has been very busy with all sorts of admin and meeting deadlines for short stories - a Winter Anthology Story and a 247 word story for the Bloomsbury website. It's been slightly interrupted by the fact that I'm learning about how much time Facebook takes up too. Where does the time go?

But there was time on Wednesday 30th June for a lovely school visit to the Early Years & KS 1 children of ALL SAINTS SCHOOL, FEATHERSTONE nr Pontefract , where I also met two very smiley librarians who generously carried my bags for me. It felt like a life of luxury, so thank you, Frances & Christine. I had a highly brilliant time with the children & staff too so here's a quick "thank you" wave to everyone at All Saints!!!