Mem Fox, books and more

Yesterday I went to Total Learning's annual showcase. This is where the new catalogue is introduced and we get to see all the new products that are coming in. (And.... there are some fantastic new books and products coming!!!) . It is a treat to attend, as there are usually some interesting presentations and speakers. This year was extra special as in addition to the head of Dorling Kindersley Australia, we had Mem Fox visiting. She is one of my favourite children's book authors and many of the books she has written are favourites of my children. Turtle loves "Sleepy Bears" still and LP loves all of them. Mem read several of her books out loud to us and you could have heard a pin drop, the room was so quiet. It was like I heard the stories for the first time. Amazing.

Mem Fox also champions early reading. I first read her book "Reading Magic" a couple of years ago and found several inspirational sections about the importance of reading to our children and the effect this has on their development. There are also some great tips for making our reading aloud even better. Mem Fox talked more about this at the showcase, she talked about the importance of giving happiness through reading. When we read to our children daily, we affect their hearts as well as their minds. This is something that I have always believed, because I can see it in my children. I have been reading to my children daily since they were babies. Now we see the fruits of this in many ways, my children love books and reading, and I get reports from their teachers that they are using wonderfully expressive language in their written work. (I credit Enid Blyton with many of their current adjectives and superlatives....... )

It was a great privilege to be able to meet this amazing woman and to thank her for all those wonderful books we love to read. I had brought LP's copy of "Where is the green sheep" with me, and Mem Fox kindly autographed it for her.