Thank you to everyone at BELMONT GROSVENOR PRE-PREP SCHOOL for your wonderful welcome and the chance to sit by your warm fireside and share my stories. If I'd have known, I'd have worn my pj's & dressing gown and brought my teddy too!

As for ST. PETER'S PRIMARY SCHOOL, Accrington - many thanks! I had a most brilliant time with you - and extra thanks for the surprise of that huge card you sent me. It was lovely coming to see you all, and I was so glad that the snow stopped long enough to make the journey possible.

Now for some very special people. Hi to all the children in Miss Richardson's Year Three class at MIDDLETON PRIMARY SCHOOL, Middleton, Leeds. Thank you for listening so fantastically well to my stories on Tuesday morning. Hope you are enjoying all of my books that Allison from the library service brought in (thank you, Allison), and look forward to seeing you again next Tuesday, perhaps.

As it's World Book Day Week next week, I'm also looking forward to seeing everyone at BARKSTON ASH CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL, nr Tadcaster, KNAVESMIRE PRIMARY SCHOOL in York and WOODFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL, Harrogate. Greetings to you all!  ¶ 7:51 PM

Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I've started another blog. In it I'll be talking about all manner of things leading up to the publication of my latest book - A BOY CALLED MOUSE. It's a "Victorian" novel for 9-13 year old readers and will be published by Bloomsbury in October 2010.

You can find out more about it by trying out the following link:

The Year of Mouse - Penny Dolan

However, I'll still be keeping this blog about my school visits going. Which reminds me - I have some very urgent catching-ups to do!

Labels: A Boy Called Mouse, blog, Bloomsbury, novel

  ¶ 6:47 PM

Had a busy time in London just over a week ago, meeting up with book people (various), and a sneak into the new Theatre Arts Gallery at the V&A Museum. Back 10.30pm Friday, followed by a weekend busily finalising my Storytelling Training Workshop for some of the volunteers at the Workhouse, Stockwell, a National Trust site, last Tuesday.

Joy! The National Trust day went very very well, though with work on my mind it was hard to take in the surroundings as much as I wanted to - and I couldn't prime the pump well enough to raise any water. Might have frozen if I had! Plan to go back there later this year when it's warmer, and as a proper "visitor".

This weekend I am working through some urgent untangling of Tome Two. The week ahead is busy: opening Belmont-Grosvenor School Pre-Prep Library on Monday, and telling stories by the fire-side, followed by a trip over to St Peter's Primary School, Accrington, on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to this very much, although I hate the uncertainty of the weather at this time of year. Keepin my fingers crossed inside my thermal mitts! The new blog - The Year of Mouse - seems to be going well.

Labels: library, school visit, Workhouse

  ¶ 5:56 PM