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I'm sharing messages of hope with my new strategy of ‘going out into all the world’. My intention is to step into my tiny corner of the world at the tip of the African continent, to literally step into the schools and read some of my stories to the learners.
The plan is to visit schools in Cape Town with my books, where I will read to learners of various age groups and stages. One week at a time, one school at a time, which will probably keep me busy all year!
I began my arranged school visits last year already. I went to a couple of pre-schools where I read my stories, The Rainbow Game, The Whirling Twirling World and Celestia’s Dancing Prancing Doves. The children responded particularly well to these stories especially when they are asked to copy certain actions, for example, making the arch of the rainbow with their arms, making a circling motion of the world with their hands or fluttering their arms and hands to represent the flying motion of a dove’s wings.
The stories are also accompanied by many sounds which delight the very young children, for instance, the tweeting of birds, the roaring of lions and even the fantastical rumbling sounds that the earth makes.
While the children were having fun and getting totally involved, they were learning about the story of faithful Noah who built the ark that saved his family and the animals from the flood, the beautiful rainbow that God created in the sky after rain as a sign of His covenant to never again destroy the whole world with a flood, and of God’s love and the fruits of the Spirit. All these messages are woven naturally into my Christian stories, whether I am writing for very young children, for young adults and teenagers or for adults.
I am so grateful to the schools who hosted me last year. And because the school visits in 2025 went down so well, I am planning many more school visits as part of my strategy for 2026. I have already met with the librarians at some of the local schools and we have set provisional dates for readings in the first part of this year.
There has been a particular interest in inviting me to special events around the book calendar, like World Read Aloud Day in February and World Book Day in April. I so appreciate the efforts librarians, in particular, and teachers put in to encourage their learners to read, to make reading an exciting adventure and to schedule regular library visits for their learners.
Parents, also, have a huge part to play in making reading special for their children. Some parents I know plan regular visits to the local library, buy and swop books and make an effort to read regularly to their children, especially at bed time.
I write stories and novels for older children too, also sharing messages of hope. Many of these stories deal with relevant themes like how to stand up against bullies, how to find the joy in sharing your possessions and using your talents, and how to cope with being in love when there is competition from other sources. The effects of being in the classic love triangle for example, is explored in one of my young adult novels, ‘Brighter than the Sun’.
While I am constantly searching for relevant, meaningful themes which might resonate with my readers, I'm sharing messages of hope in all of my books, which are inspired by biblical stories, moral principles or advice on how to live life fruitfully.
As I visit the schools this year, I hope to add value to the learners as they listen to stories which have been crafted with the intention of countering the dark messages that appear in print, on screens and in songs - possibly exciting but definitely unwholesome, and sometimes even untruthful and damaging messages.
Here’s to a productive and fruitful year of visits sharing messages of hope. And here’s to a fulfilling, productive year for all of you.
Happy reading everyone!
