AUTHOR VISIT: Funny and Fabulous Reading Tour: 28 November to 2 December 2011!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sarah Brennan <sarah@auspicioustimes.com>
Date: Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 2:42 AM
Subject: Funny and Fabulous Reading Tour: 28 November to 2 December 2011!

Hello again - the dates for my Singapore visit are now fixed and here is the information!

It's been a fabulous Year of the Rabbit, and this year's Chinese Calendar Tale bunny has been hopping around schools as far flung as Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and London!

The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit features one bad bunny:- a rabbit who insists on raiding the vegetable patch of the mighty Emperor Qin Shi Huang on a nightly basis, leaving the Emperor (who loves his greens) in a state of rage and utter despair! And so the royal decree goes out across China:- somebody or something must stop that rabbit!  Set at the end of the Warring States period some two thousand years ago, the story echoes the true story of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang, first Emperor of China and the Hiong-Nou, descendants of Caucasian horsemen and ancestors of the Huns, who rose to prominence on the Chinese northern border at that time, and who raided and pillaged the rich farmlands of northern China. The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit was long-listed for the Red Dot Book Award in Singapore this year.   

Please note that my books are not your usual picture books for little ones! Each story is written in fast-paced rhyme, with lots of hidden jokes and word play, and filled with funny, gorgeously-coloured illustrations by Harry Harrison. My stories appeal to children between 6 and 11 years, or Grades 2 to 6. For the younger kids the pleasure is in the story and colourful pictures; for the older students the enjoyment (and the challenge!) is in the detail with lots of interesting vocabulary and hidden jokes in the illustrations! 

During my reading sessions:

• I introduce the children to the Chinese Zodiac; 

• I read my story with lots of fun and questions thrown in;

• The children can see all of Harry Harrison's wonderful illustrations up close on an overhead screen as I read;

• I sneak in lots of fascinating educational information arising from the text while the children aren't looking! This time I'll be focussing on the first Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the building of the Great Wall of China and the legend of the Rabbit in the Moon;

• We end each session with a Q and A where we can talk more about being an author and the writing process.  

 Each session takes between 40 minutes (reading plus short Q and A - ideal for Grades 2 to 3) and one hour (more time for discussion included for Grades 4 to 6). I can do up to 5 sessions in a day (depending on session length), with session numbers ranging from single classes to full assembly halls! 

For Grades 4 to 6, I also can offer my Wacky and Wonderful Workshops. These include: How to Write a Really Riveting Story; An Introduction to Poetry and Publish Your Own Book from Brilliant Idea to Final Product and last between 30 minutes for Whistlestop Workshops to one hour for Workshops including exercises. They're colourful and great fun and the perfect way of encouraging kids to plan, edit and polish their work properly! I can do up to 4 x one-hour or 5 x 30 minute Whistlestop sessions in one day.

You'll find full details about all the sessions as well as testimonials on the School Visits page on my website at www.sarah-brennan.com. 

All bookings include two complimentary signed copies of The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit for your school library.

FEES: 1300SGD per day including airfare and accommodation.

Available dates are as follows: 

November:    Monday 28, Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30

December:    Thursday 1, Friday 2

Please let me know as soon as possible which date you would like me to reserve for you!  

Best wishes,  

Sarah  

Sarah Brennan

Auspicious Times

+852 98358074

www.sarah-brennan.com