Book Week News from The Study Hub
Book Week Authors
Felicity Castagna (Year 9 Wednesday 21st August)
Felicity Castagna spoke to Year 9 and what an inspiration she was! Felicity is an Australian author, lecturer and speaker. She won the young adult fiction prize at the 2014 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for her book, ‘The Incredible Here And Now,’ as well as the 2022 Writing for Young Adults Victorian Premier’s Awards for her book, ‘Girls in Boys’ Cars.’ Felicity is a senior creative writing lecturer at the University of Western Sydney and has a wealth of experience related to writing and literacy.
Felicity described to students her fascination with a sense of place and moments of observation in our daily lives that spark fascination and interest. She talked about how good stories fool you into thinking they are more simple than they really are. In this way Felicity discussed layers of deeper meaning in everyday life and unique things in ordinary spaces that can create a story.
“This was interesting as she further explained that the best stories are told and created from the places that you know best – places that are familiar to you. She highlighted the importance of creative stories and how they could be derived from the simplest of things. Her main message was that no matter how boring a place may seem, there is always a story to tell and share with others”. (Francesca Year 9)
“This was a highly interesting and valued experience that has allowed for student reflection on the relevance of authenticity and layered depth throughout all forms of storytelling”. (Sofia Year 9)
“Felicity Castagna’s author talk was an amazing experience for the year 9 cohort. In her talk, she explained that stories aren’t about the actions, it’s about the meaning behind such actions. It was also interesting to be reminded of place and how that holds incredible importance in our creative writing, providing ideas and insights that others may not have discovered. This author talk was an incredible experience that myself and my fellow year 9’s thoroughly enjoyed”. (Alysse Year 9)
Jack Heath (Year 7 and 8 Friday 23rd August)
Jack is the the #1 bestselling author of over 40 novels. His books have been published in 10 languages, shortlisted for dozens of awards and adapted for the screen. His mission is to tell stories that inspire a love of reading in children and adults. His novels include the ‘Liars’ series and ‘Spy Academy,’ as well as countless others.
Jack spoke about numerous linguistic/ writing techniques including situational irony, suspense and surprise. He elaborated on the craft of writing noting that TV is better than novels at showing what something looks like but not as good as showing how something feels. He elaborated using numerous examples and highlighted how figuring things out when reading is more fun than being told explicitly and that, when reading, you have to pay attention, unlike Television. Jack reiterated that writers only need pen, paper and ideas and that the key to success in writing is to be clear, short and specific.
Students felt inspired by his presentation and he had much to impart about the writing craft.
“Jack Heath Inspires Young Writers at Our School: This week, our school had the pleasure of hosting Australian author Jack Heath, who offered valuable insights into effective storytelling. Heath emphasised the importance of specificity in making characters and scenes vivid, encouraging writers to focus on unique details. He introduced the concept of low context, starting stories with engaging action or dialogue to capture readers’ attention immediately. Heath also discussed creating suspense by introducing stakes that make readers invested in the outcome, and the role of surprise elements to keep stories fresh with unexpected twists. His visit left students inspired and eager to apply these techniques to their own writing.” (Sanjana Year 7)
“Jack Heath’s books are known for their thrilling, dark and mysterious themes with clever plot twists and complex characters. He can be seen as an inspiring author because of his amazing ability to keep readers on the edge of their seat with stories that explore interesting moral questions. Additionally, he can be further seen as inspiring because of his lifelong dedication to becoming a writer and learning from his failures.” (Crystal Year 8).
Book Week Competitions
Book Week ran from 17 August until 23 August. We had a vast number of students who accepted the challenge to submit an entry in the annual Book Week Competition. Students were able to enter the competition in a variety of categories including short story, poem, essay, visual story or multimedia/digital creation.
We had a very high quality array of submissions and the following girls received a Dymocks voucher and certificate for their contributions.
- Sanjana (Year 7) and Alysse (Year 9) for their individual short stories
- Izzy (Year 7) for her essay.
- Olivia (Year 10) for her poem, ‘An Ode to The Fault In Our Stars’
- Kaya (Year 7) and Siera (Year 7) for their graphic book covers
The following students contributed with a highly commendable entry and received a certificate of achievement:
- Zoe
- Anita
- Erin
- Emily
- Evie
- Zoe
- Allegra
All girls are to be commended for their entries which made it incredibly difficult to judge and select overall.
CanadaBay Council Librarians Visit and State Library HSC Webinar
On 13 and 15 August, Year 10 and Year 11 enjoyed the opportunity to be shown how to access eResources available within the community.
Year 10 were visited by the Youth Librarians at Canada Bay Council Library and learnt how to access the wide range of eResources available to them from home 24/7. They learnt how to go about getting a Library card and searching for study related resources.
Year 11 were treated to a webinar from the State Library of NSW. Students learnt how vital Library membership and access is for their senior studies and students were taught how to search online the multitude of eResources available for free at their fingertips.
Both these events supported the research and study needs of our senior students. It is hoped, having been introduced to how they can access such resources, they will readily make use of the invaluable articles, journals and support available to them.
Mrs Nicole Harada, Teacher/Librarian
