Budding authors
Getting your hands on your new book hot off the presses is a thrill known only to published authors, and Trafalgar Primary School’s fourth graders now join that elite group.
Twenty-one original books produced by the students are set to take their place on the shelves of the Warragul, Drouin, Neerim South and mobile libraries.
The smiles on the student authors’ faces said it all at their collective book launch in the Trafalgar Community Centre.
The project was proposed by Trafalgar author Nansi Kunze, embraced by the school and supported by the West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation.
Over 10 weeks Ms Kunze guided the students through the process of writing stories that can be enjoyed by others.
“The quality was surprising for nine to 10-year-olds,” she said. “They came up with some amazing ideas.”
And it didn’t end here. They edited one another’s work, wrote the blurbs, did the graphic design, designed the covers and organised the printing with the local printer.
Students were also introduced to ideas of copyright and fair dealing because they downloaded images that were available through creative commons
School principal Cameron Nicholls said taking their work to the printer was a highlight and gave them a broader connection to the community
“It was fantastic to see the kids so excited about writing. They knew the books were going into the library and that they would be read so it felt authentic to them.
“There was also the fact that they were writing with others and sharing their ideas.
“There were also some realworld deadlines. They knew they had to get their books to the printer so they would be ready for the launch.”
Mr Nicholls said the project also helped the children understand the role of printers and the role of libraries.
“We talked about the role of the mobile library, how you as a citizen have access to all these resources.”
Grade four teacher Linda Child was deeply involved with the project over the 10 weeks.
“When Nansi proposed it we grabbed the opportunity to be the pilot group. It’s been fantastic for the kids.”
Ms Kunze said she hoped the project could be rolled out in other local schools.
“The idea is to make each school into its own publishing house.”