20 Jul 2013

Writing Ideas - Vocabulary game - Gonch

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Vocabulary game - Gonch
Writing Ideas - Vocabulary
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. Vocabulary refers to all of the words we use to read, talk, and write. When you use vocabulary well, you can speak more clearly, read lots of different texts, and write down your ideas in a much more interesting way. The more words you know, the more you will have to say! Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Vocabulary' game with Gonch below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...


For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.


Writing Ideas - Story Planning game - Trapped

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Story Planning game - Trapped!
Writing Ideas - Story Planning
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about planning a story and share with them how important I think it is to make a plan with My Story House. Set the scene at the beginning, try to build up the excitement in the middle, and, at the end, say what happens to the characters, clear up mysteries, and tie up any loose ends. Remember, it's fine to make rough, scribbled notes when planning (as long as you can read them!) but always use neat, clear writing when it comes to writing the story itself. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try these writing games and complete the Wall of Sorrow - or you'll be... Trapped!

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...



For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Reports game

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Reports game
Writing Ideas - Reports
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. A report is a formal text that gives you information about a subject that you are interested in and would like to know more about. It is different from a recount or an explanation text because it isn't written in the order that things happen. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Reports' game below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...



For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Recounts game - Major Moustache

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Recounts game - Major Moustache
Writing Ideas - Recounts
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. Recounts are a way of retelling an important event or describing an experience that you have had to others, such as a school trip or a funny story. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Recounts' game with Major Moustache below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...


For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Newspapers game

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Newspapers game
Writing Ideas - Newspapers
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. Newspapers report on news stories from around the world every day. They are written in the past tense because they are reporting on things that have already happened. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Newspapers' game below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...


For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Letters game - Budge and Princess Gaga

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Letters game - Budge and Princess Gaga
Writing Ideas - Letters
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. People write letters for all sorts of reasons: to tell someone something, to complain, to ask for information, or to apply for something, like a job. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Letters' game with Budge and Princess Gaga below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...


For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Leaflets game - Midnight Bride

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Leaflets game - Midnight Bride
Writing Ideas - Leaflets
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. Leaflets and brochures give the reader a message in a small amount of space, usually one or two sides of a small page. As well as being informative, leaflets often try to persuade the reader to do something. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Leaflets' game with the Midnight Bride below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...



For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Instructions game - Big Babies

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Instructions game - Big Babies
Writing Ideas - Instructions
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. Instructions tell the reader how to do something such as cook a recipe, build a model, put furniture together, play a game or get from one place to another. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Instruction' game with Big Babies below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...



For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Explanation game - Big Babies

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Explanation game - Big Babies
Writing Ideas - Explanation
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. An explanation gives you information about a subject that you are interested in and would like to know more about. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Explanation' game with Big Babies below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...



For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Ideas - Argument game - Big Babies

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Writing Ideas for kids - Argument game - Big Babies
Writing Ideas - Balanced Argument
When I visit schools, I show children some of the ideas I've learned about writing with My Story House. Writing is an important part of communicating with others. You need to write in a way your reader can easily understand what you are trying to tell them. A balanced argument is about helping someone to see both sides of an issue. Games can be fun way to learn things about writing. Try the 'Argument' game with Big Babies below.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Click on START below to begin playing.
Note: Remember to have your sound turned on when you play these games...



For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

7 Jul 2013

Story Openings 2

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Opening from 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville...

+++

Call me Ishmael. Some years ago -- never mind how long precisely -- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world.

+++

Moby Dick is the story of Captain Ahab's quest for revenge on the whale that ‘reaped’ his leg. Among the ship's crew is Ishmael, the novel's narrator, ordinary sailor, and extraordinary reader.

In my Kernowland series, I have used a similar idea of revenge on an awesome beast being the driving force behind Captain Pigleg's obsession. The pirate leader seeks revenge on the great wild boar that took his leg. He will stop at nothing to achieve this end, including gathering a hold full of slavechildren to be used as bait on his quest.

You can find Moby Dick in the 'Jack's Favourite Books' section of my Reading Store.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

3 Jul 2013

Gift Idea - signed and dedicated books

GIFT IDEA: We've just added new 'Signed Books' pages to the Jack Trelawny website, offering customers the chance to buy signed books with a dedication (e.g. 'To Lucy, Happy 9th Birthday!') with Free Delivery.

Dedication requests for signed books include the following examples:

To Lucy, Happy 9th Birthday!
To Hassan, Well done with your writing test
To John, Happy Reading
To Elizabeth, I hope you enjoy the Kernowland stories

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

1 Jul 2013

What happened on visit to Holt Farm Junior School

A Storyboard of what happens during a school visit
Jack presenting his 'Edutainment' Show
        
On 1st March 2013, I visited Holt Farm Junior School, in Rochford, Essex. It was great fun presenting the 'Edutainment' slideshow and talking to the children about my books and answering questions about reading and writing before signing all the books at the very end.

The school has put up some pictures on their website, to help other schools decide if they would like to organise a similar event. These pictures tell the story of an author visit from start to finish. They start with the set up of the hall, where the school has prepared everything in advance, like the posters, pre-visit activities, and tables ready for the 'Edutainment' Show and Book Signing Session. Then there are pictures of the Show in progress, including the Chapter Reading and the Question and Answer Session. After that, there are some pictures of the Book Signing Session, which is just like an event in a shop, except it comes right to your school! And finally, I get a chance to sign the books for the school library and say thank you to the teachers and other members of staff who have organised the visit. Thank you very much to everyone at Holt Farm Junior School for the big welcome you gave me and for sharing all these pictures of the event in the right order... just like a storyboard for a news or 'reporting' type of story!


For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

24 Jun 2013

Hungry Caterpillar Learning Library

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Little Learning Library
Gift Idea: A little learning library using artwork from Eric Carle's classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Introducing first concepts, this wonderful board book collection makes a perfect first library. Each book is filled with Eric's much-loved collage art and large, simple text. Ideal for little hands to hold, the sturdy board pages are durable enough to withstand the rough and tumble of toddlers. Preschoolers will love learning with The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Little Learning Library

There's an official website, which includes Resources pages: www.eric-carle.com

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

22 Jun 2013

Frankie's Magic Football

Frank Lampard's new book series for kids
Frank Lampard and Frankie
Frank Lampard has created an exciting new series of children's books to encourage reading.

It's called Frankie's Magic Football.

There's a good website: www.frankiesmagicfootball.co.uk

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks, 
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to

Story Openings 1

Kernowland 1 The Crystal Pool by Jack Trelawny

Opening from 'Kernowland 1 The Crystal Pool' by Jack Trelawny...

+++

'Are we nearly there yet?' moaned Louis, for the twelfth time.
   'Stop asking that,' scolded Tizzie, 'you are nearly eight you know.'
   'Not long now,' said Mr Bennett, smiling patiently.

+++

Tizzie and Louis are on holiday in Cornwall when they enter Echo Cave and are transported through the Crystal Pool to the amazing and mysterious Kingdom of Kernowland in Erthwurld. Kidnapped by the nasty Melanchol Drym to be sold as slaves to Cap'n Pigleg and his pirates, they are soon separated in a slave auction at the Polperro Inn. Their plight looks hopeless. Until Louis is helped by the kindly Mr Sand. Now, before he can go home, the young boy has to rescue his sister. Will he be able to find and rescue Tizzie before she is sold on by the pirates and lost forever in Erthwurld?

You can find this book in my Reading Store.

For more Jack Trelawny ideas, resources, books, ebooks, audiobooks,
free school visits, and 'My Story House' workshops, go to
www.jacktrelawny.com and jacktrelawnyamazon.

Writing Quotes 1

'Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.' Anton Chekhov 

4 Jun 2013

What happened on visit to Harefield Junior School

A Storyboard of what happens during a school visit
        
On 6th March this year I visited Harefield Junior School, near Uxbridge, Middlesex. It was great fun presenting the 'Edutainment' slideshow and talking to the children about my books and answering questions about reading and writing before signing all the books at the very end.

The school has put up some pictures on their website, and they have kindly reviewed the visit to help other schools decide if they would like to organise a similar event. These pictures tell the story of an author visit from start to finish. They start with the set up of the hall, where the school has prepared everything in advance, like the posters, pre-visit activities, and tables ready for the 'Edutainment' Show and Book Signing Session. Then there are pictures of the Show in progress, including the Chapter Reading and the Question and Answer Session. After that, there are some pictures of the Book Signing Session, which is just like an event in a shop, except it comes right to your school! And finally, I get a chance to sign the books for the school library and say thank you to the teachers and other members of staff who have organised the visit. Thank you very much to everyone at Harefield School for the big welcome you gave me and for sharing all these pictures of the event in the right order... just like a storyboard for a news or 'reporting' type of story!

The Harefield Junior School website reported the event with the gallery of pictures as follows:

Children's Author
Jack Trelawny
We were very excited to have the children's author Jack Trelawny visit our school on Wednesday 6th March. Jack had his first book published in 2005 and has published a series of very popular books as part of the Kernowland series. He gave a terrific presentation to the children in a special assembly, reading extracts from his books and explaining how he comes up with the ideas for his characters, locations etc. We also had a fantastic question and answer session. The children enjoyed the assembly which will hopefully help to inspire them to use their imagination and creativity in their own reading and writing. The afternoon ended with a very successful book signing event. For more information about Jack Trelawny plus some quizzes based on his books, please visit: www.jacktrelawny.com



You might like to have a go at the quizzes based on the Kernowland stories: Kernowland in Erthwurld Quiz page.

If you would like to use the Kernowland ebooks for doing the quizzes, they can be downloaded onto your your computer or other reading device. The ebooks are currently available via Amazon and other retailers for less than £2 each. See the banner below for details...


If you prefer printed books, see Kernowland discount offers currently available on our Amazon store:


If you'd like printed books that are signed with a dedication, you can order them here:


I hope you enjoy trying to answer the quiz questions.


        

-----------------------------------

See you next time in the Story House.

Happy writing... and reading!

Jack
Links...
 
Other related websites: www.jacktrelawny.com  www.jacktrelawny.co.uk  www.kernowland.com  www.erthwurld.com