Dunloy young authors put pen to paper

The project began with the Year 1 children making a collection of the most popular books in their classrooms and the Year 7 children evaluating these books, to ascertain why they are so popular with, and attractive to young children. They then drew up a list of desirable features and it was decided that all the children would incorporate at least some of these, into the books they would be creating.

To ensure that each book would be individually suited to the child for whom it was written, the Year 1 pupils were divided into small groups, according to the topics they are interested in.

The older children interviewed the younger ones, to find out information very specific to them, such as favourite games, toys, hobbies, colours and television programmes. The ideas for the books put forward by the Year 1 children included dinosaurs, magic spells, princesses, Ben 10, farming, zoo animals, cranes and diggers. The wide ranging variety of topics proved to be invaluable sources of inspiration for the writers, and in fact, many of the books featured the Year 1 children as characters, in exciting and stimulating storylines, based on their ideas.

Over the course of the term, the Year 7 children wrote and illustrated their books, resulting in very high quality pieces of work. The Young Authors’ Book Launch took place in the school library, on Thursday afternoon, when principal, Mrs Maura Mc Alonan thanked the Year 7 for all their hard work and congratulated them on the wonderful books they had produced.

The young children waited in anticipation for their names to be called, as the writers presented each Year 1 pupil with a book, specifically created for that child. This was followed by a story reading time.

Intriguing titles such as “Animal on the Loose,” “The Magic Wand,” “Trouble at the Funfair” and “The Magic Bones” proved both thrilling and entertaining. Some of the comments made by the children themselves also confirmed this. When talking to the teachers during the event, one young pupil remarked, “I can’t believe I saved the animals in the book. Look! There’s my name in it,” while a Year 7 said, “My book turned out far better than I expected. I just can’t believe the wee ones like it so well.”

The other children in the school will now have access to the new books, as a copy of each is being added to the school’s library stock.

Another writer said she has been inspired and now wants to write a book for her little cousin. Hearing comments like this were most satisfying and pleasing to the principal and to Miss Louise Dixon, the other teacher involved in the project.

There is a well known saying that writing is its own reward and there seems to be very strong testimony to this, in the work of both pupils and staff in St Joseph’s. It is hoped that reading will also bring its own reward to the other children in the school, who will now have access to the new books, as a copy of each is being added to the school’s library stock, to be enjoyed by all.