ABOUT TOPPLING AND VERSE NOVELS

While some may have been indulging themselves with a nice Saturday morning sleep-in on 27 February this year, or contemplating what other aspects of the WA Writers Festival to enjoy, I was savouring a windswept breakfast at the Matilda Bay Tearooms with members of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators).

Among those present was Western Australian children’s author, Sally Murphy. I chatted to her about her latest book: ‘Toppling’, released by Walker Books that week. ‘Toppling’ is Sally’s second verse novel and since I had been lucky enough to receive a review copy, I took it with me for Sally to sign.

Everybody needs a hobby, and in ‘Toppling’ the main character, John, is into domino toppling. He admits to it being a kind of a strange endeavour.

‘Some kids collect model cars

or aeroplanes

or stamps

or Game Boys.

I collect dominoes. ‘

Domino topplers get only a few minutes of glory as they watch several hours or days worth of their work falling down.


But you and I know, there are other kinds of toppling - especially as one gets older - and I have the grazes to prove it. For John, though toppling dominoes is his hobby it is not his whole life. And when, at school one day he finds out, Dominic, his ‘best mate and not just because his name sounds like domino’ is in danger of toppling, his own world begins to topple. He wants to know the truth about his friend.

‘Another sad one,’ says Sally as she hands the book back to me.

I didn’t agree. Sensitive, yes! Sad, no!

. . . Sally Murphy has a gift of getting inside the hearts and heads of middle-graders and exploring the myriad ways they deal with family stuff, loneliness, feelings of isolation and sickness.

So what is a verse novel?

Since the narrative does not rely on rhyme or a set pattern of rhythm what makes a verse novel a verse novel? As it seemed a fair question, I stopped stacking dominoes for a minute to reflect. (Now Caellum is going to finish his tower first!) I thought about the verse novels I'd read. What do they have in common? I started making a list -and this is what I came up with. 


The poetry of a verse novel relies on
 shorter lines and line drops to create a rhythm that approximates human speech without the use of complex punctuation;
 fewer words to convey atmosphere and plot;
 imagination. It asks the reader to experience the story in a way that does not tell all, and relies as much on the space between the lines as it does on the words themselves;
 voice to get convey emotions, details, and nuances in a way that prose can’t always accomplish.


According to Emma Dryden of Dryden Books,
‘A verse novel is, and should be, first and foremost a novel, with a compelling storyline and plot, richly developed characters, and a distinctive narrative voice. … A good verse novel has a such a strong and mesmerizingly compelling story line, characters and voice that the reader does not even recognise they are reading poetry at all.‘


Having read both of Sally Murphy’s verse novels - ‘Pearl verses the World’ and ‘Toppling’, I would have to agree.


You may like to check Sally’s blog at http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/


Look at this!
Poetry in mo...  toppling

BLOG TOUR (9) SNOWY'S CHRISTMAS

What's left to speak of Christmas?

Has it all been said before?

Parties, presents, surprises, greeting cards, celebrations, family, friends, having fun!
Snowy’s Christmas
Written by Sally Murphy
Illustrated by David Murphy
Published by Random House (October, 2009)


But what about Snowy?
He stares at his reflection in the still water of the billabong and, like the Ugly Duckling, Snowy knows he doesn’t fit in - he doesn’t belong. He can’t hide like the others. He can’t jump like the others. He looks different from the others.
. . . Then he meets Ash - a roo as white as Snowy himself and realises he is not so strange after all. Soon he discovers there were many other roos as soft and white as himself! And that it is in being different he finds his own special place in his world.

I sent 'Snowy' off to a local primary school to meet the children in years 3 and 4.
After hearing the story read and exploring the pictures, the children mounted their comments and some of their own drawings on large pin-up sheets (I wish I could have reproduced them here!)
But let me share with you some of what they had to say about Snowy and his friends.

 The story reminded several children of the Six White Boomers:
"I like the story because it’s like two stories stuck together like a new story and The Six White Boomers.  Book + Book = 1." (Darcy); "It is like the Six White Boomers. It is cool." (Braden); "It was like the beginning of Six White Boomers." (Ricky)

The illustrations in the book made a strong impression:
"I like the pictures because they are cute." (Ella); "I like this book because it has animals at the back round wearing Christmas things." (Trish); "I like the cute animals because the animals are active." (Darlene); "I liked how they drew the kangaroos because it looked nice." (Unsigned); "I liked how the animals were dressed in Christmas clothes." (Josh); " liked it when the white roo can fly Santa’s sleigh. I liked in the illustrations how it was done." (Unsigned); "I liked the book because its pictures are good. (Kim). "I like this story because there are nice pictures." (Emmanuel)

And of course the action appealed.
"I like the white roos flying in the sky." (Andy); "My favourite part when Snowy was flying because all the white kangaroos were flying like magic." (Dinh); "I liked the part when the white roos jumped up high." (Jessica); "I liked the part when the white kangaroos were jumping." (Joshua).

The children were really caught up in Snowy’s excitement at finding something he could do and how it feels to be seen as ‘different’
"I love when Santa said, ‘You can ride the sleigh.’"(Claudia); "The story was really good because the moral was clear and the pictures were really colourful." (Jennifer); "I liked the story because it had a good moral." (Wendy); "I like this story because there were great illustrations and the message can relate to a lot of people." (Kevin); "Snowy learnt things about what to do at Christmas." (Zac); "I like this story because if you are different you might be special." (Megan); Linh said, "I think it’s good because the (story) shows if you win all the time, you’ll lose; and, when you’re nice, you’ll get to do something that you want to do."; three children said, "Everyone is different." (Minesh, Jude & unsigned); "Don’t judge things on their looks." (Patricia and Caitlin); "I like this story because it says that if you’re different you’re still useful." (BoBo); "The message: Don’t tease people that are not the same as you." (Xuan); "Never tease people about their personality or looks." (Anthony)

Some children projected feelings of jealousy by the red roos when they see Snowy in his new role.
"I like it when Snowy was flying and all the roos were jealous because it was a little funny."(Unsigned); "I liked the part where the red roos got jealous of Snowy because Snowy was the odd one out." (Sandy)

The children loved that this book was a story about Christmas
"I loved it because it was a lovely story and it was about Christmas. I love Christmas because it is Jesus’ birthday." (unsigned); "I loved it because it was Christmas day and it is Jesus’ birthday." (Dani); "I enjoyed the part when Snowy pulled the sleigh." (Vanessa); "I liked it when Santa put some glitter on the kangaroos." (unsigned); "I enjoyed when Santa went on the sleigh and at the end." (Amber); "I like when Santa comes." (Vy); "I like the part when Snowy was flying and Snowy’s mum was looking at Snowy."(Tommy); "I like it when Snowy was flying in the air and said, ‘Merry Christmas, Mummy’ and flew off." (Ivan)

But I loved the last word that came from Carmen. With a deeply satisfying sigh, she breathed, "I liked the book because it was wonderful."

[My sincere thanks go to teacher-librarian, Mrs Burke, who made this activity happen.]
What’s left to speak of Christmas?
The joy of knowing you belong - that you play a valued part of the greatest celebration in Australia.

To brighten your road to Christmas, retrace the tour sites below


Week One: 4 October
Deescribe Writing Blog http://www.deescribewriting.wordpress.com/
Week Two: 11 October
Write and Read With Dale http://livejournal.com/users/orangedale/
Week three: 18 October
Alphabet Soup Blog http://www.soupblog.wordpress.com/
Week Four: 25 October
Let's Have Words http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com/
Week Five: 1 November
Sally Murphy's Writing for children Blog
http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/
Week Six: 8 November
Aussiereviews Blog http://aussiereviews.blogspot.com/
Week Seven: 15 November
Samantha Hughes' Blog http://samantha-hughes.blogspot.com/
Week Eight: 22 November
Robyn Opie's Writing Children's Books Blog
http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com/
Week Nine: 29 November
Stories are Light http://sandyfussell.blogspot.com/
Week Ten: 6 December
The Aussie Christmas Blog http://aussiechristmas.wordpress.com/
Week Eleven: 13 December
Tales I Tell http://belka37.blogspot.com/ [Right here]

BLOG TOUR (9) HAS BEGUN. SEE BELOW TO JOIN THE FUN!

SNOWY'S CHRISTMAS

Snowy's Christmas
Written by Sally Murphy
Illustrated by David Murphy
Published by Random House (October, 2009)


Yes! Sally Murphy’s latest book, children’s picture book, ‘Snowy’s Christmas’ rolled into cyber space on Sunday at http://aussiechristmas.wordpress.com/
to introduce Snowy and friends.

Starting 4 October and each Sunday following until 13 December, 2009 they will bounce from blog to blog to brighten the road to Christmas.

Here’s the schedule
Week One: 4 October
Deescribe Writing Blog http://www.deescribewriting.wordpress.com/

Week Two: 11 October

Write and Read With Dale http://livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

Week three: 18 October

Alphabet Soup Blog http://www.soupblog.wordpress.com/

Week Four: 25 October

Let's Have Words http://www.letshavewords.blogspot.com/

Week Five: 1 November

Sally Murphy's Writing for children Blog

http://sallymurphy.blogspot.com/

Week Six: 8 November

Aussiereviews Blog http://aussiereviews.blogspot.com/

Week Seven: 15 November

Samantha Hughes' Blog http://samantha-hughes.blogspot.com/

Week Eight: 22 November

Robyn Opie's Writing Children's Books Blog

http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com/

Week Nine: 29 November

Stories are Light http://sandyfussell.blogspot.com/

Week Ten: 6 December

The Aussie Christmas Blog http://aussiechristmas.wordpress.com/

Week Eleven: 13 December

Tales I Tell http://belka37.blogspot.com/ [Right here]

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