General News
19 July, 2023
Local author pays a visit to Noorat
NOORAT Primary School students had the opportunity to sit down with an award-winning local author and illustrator this week.
NOORAT Primary School students had the opportunity to sit down with an award-winning local author and illustrator this week.
Cudgee-based author and illustrator Shelley Knoll-Miller took some time out of her busy schedule to visit the school for a reading and ‘Q and A’ session.
She is currently in the process of launching the last of four books in her ‘Parcel for…’ series, and brought along a copy of the first three instalments for the students to enjoy.
Each book in the series centres around an exciting guessing game of what gift each animal has received in a mystery parcel.
Mrs Knoll-Miller said the anticipation built after characters guessed what was in each parcel kept children engaged, while the reveal would usually highlight that we all use our gifts a little differently.
“I started working on the series during COVID, around 2021, and started illustrating the series the following year,” she said.
“The concept grew to be a guessing-game formula in which the animals have a problem, they receive a gift that you think will solve the problem, but there’s always a twist in what the gift is, and how it’s used to solve the problem.
Mrs Knoll-Miller said having the opportunity to visit students in the community was a highlight in what can be a solitary profession.
“It’s so fun,” she said.
“Often as a book creator you’re sitting alone in your studio, pumping out the content, so there’s nothing like getting in front of the kids and seeing their delight.”
Mobile area resource centre (MARC) Library co-ordinator Chris Howlett helped facilitate the author visit through the service, which provides an on-site specialist library program for six smaller schools in the region including Noorat, Woolsthorpe, Panmure, Nullawarre, Cudgee and Grasmere.
“I visit each school weekly and the children have a borrowing session, as well as a library lesson,” she said.
“The aim of that is to promote a love of books among the children, and help to develop literacy skills.
“Every year we try to bring in an author so the children get a really good feel for what an author does.
“We’ve very lucky to have Shelley, who is not only an author but also an illustrator, so the children get a really good understanding of what life is like for an artist.”
Mrs Knoll-Miller thanked Mrs Howlett for arranging the visit, and praised the work she accomplishes through the MARC Library program.
“Chris does a great job,” she said.
“She’s my hype-woman; before I even arrived, she had been giving the kids all these facts and building me up so I feel like a celebrity when I arrive.”
Noorat Primary School principal Ilona Watkins said experiences such as having a visiting author was designed to provide high-quality and meaningful experiences to students.
“We want to inspire our students and ignite a passion for reading by creating engaging learning opportunities and having access to the latest books; this is the real magic of our MARC reading program,” she said.