Best-selling author and Australian Children’s Laureate, Jackie French achieved a near impossible feat yesterday – she had nearly 1500 children from nine South East schools and kindergartens glued to her every word. Jackie had them giggling and laughing in unison as the young literary-loving contingent joined more than 460,000 children from across Australia to read ‘The Brothers Quibble’ by Aaron Blabey for National Simultaneous Storytime. The event, which coincided with the 11.00am reading across the country, was one of only two national presentations throughout Australia.
It certainly was a ‘rock star’ welcome for Jackie who walked out to the stage amid boisterous chants of “We Want Jackie”.
“It was an amazing experience, even watching the children get off the bus, they weren’t just walking they were bouncing,” she said.
Reading to a packed house, is not unusual for Jackie, who said there really wasn’t any secret to keeping the audience enthralled.
“Humans are natural story tellers and whatever their age, they love listening to stories,” she said.
“You don’t even have to be a particularly good story teller to keep them interested.”
In addition to being named 2015 Senior Australian of the Year, Jackie is also the best-selling author of over 140 books in 36 languages, including the iconic Diary of a Wombat and Hitler’s Daughter. She was appointed the National Children’s Laureate for 2014-2015 and is on a nationwide mission to promote a love of reading by encouraging others to ‘Share a Story’.
As part of her 2015 regional and remote touring program Jackie participated in the large multi-school event in Mount Gambier, organised by the Mount Gambier Public Library and held at Tenison Woods College.
“When you give a child a book you’re giving them a tool to create their future and also the power to envisage and create that future,” she said.
“A story is not just a story, it’s about what children learn from it - the more powerful the book the more powerful the experience.”
National Simultaneous Storytime is an annual campaign that aims to encourage more young Australians to read and enjoy books. Now in its 15th year, the event promotes the value of reading and literacy using an Australian children's book that explores age appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum.
Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.
Jackie said reading needed to be enjoyable and children needed to be given permission to find books boring.
“The next time you’re reading a book and it’s boring, do not throw it on the ground, do not cover it with gravy and feed it to the dog, just put it down and get another book,” she said.
“Children need to know that most books are boring but somewhere out there are books they will love, they just need to find their own ‘magic book’.”
Reception students who join a 2024 mid-year intake at a Diocesan Catholic school will get free tuition in Terms 3 and 4.
