The Peak School Author visit -12th March 2014

I lug all my boxes and belongings into the ICT room where I will presenting to Year 3s and Year 4s. Ms Liz Mills-Campbell has kindly invited me back to the Peak school. There is a sense of familiarity as I walk down the corridors. The staff are friendly and smile as I walk past. I start setting up my displays and wait for the gentlemen to work a miracle by changing the format of what I have saved on the memory stick for it to work on the whiteboard. As they fiddle around on the computer my hopes of having my slide show work dwindle, but they are confident and at exactly 1:30pm when the children march into the room, voila, my presentation is on the screen.

I expect to tone down what I am going to say to Year 3 as they are still little and may not need me to go into the details of publishing and writing a book, but I am surprised. They are very intelligent children and full of questions. So much so that we do not have time to do the activities I have bought in for them.They get to take them home instead. The question that sticks to my mind is a child asking me ‘what is legacy?’ Time passes by too quickly and I could have spent at least another hour talking to them. We talk about Africa and all sorts of adventures. All three books are a big hit.

When Year 4 walk in it is different as I have seen these children before, last year. It is a pleasure to talk to them again and most of them say that they had loved my books and could not wait to read THE BOAT RACE. Once again we are short on time and I have to disappoint many who are lining up to have their book marks signed and have had to leave as they must get their buses home.

I have promised them a signed bookmark when I deliver the books that they order.

I also meet a lovely teacher, Ms Hunter who tells me that she had spent her childhood in Serengeti, which is precisely where the migration occurs and an important part of THE BOAT RACE. It is priceless to see the smile on her face when I talk about the adventures I had had in Kenya. In the end we say our Kwaheris as she walks away with a signed copy of my book. I do hope that she will enjoy it and that I have done justice to her childhood home.

The Peak school is especially one of my favourites as the children are all delightful and the staff are very friendly.

If anyone would like a copy of my book and has not got an order form please email me on anjalimittal@btinternet.com

Copies are now available at Dymocks IFC and Repulse Bay and at all Bookazine stores from the 1st of April. They can also be bought on Amazon.

Meeting Ms Hunter who lived in Kenya Question and answers