Tales of a Senior School Teacher!: Published Book

Last year we were lucky enough to make contact and develop a relationship with NZ author Doug Wilson Which led to an amazing journey to creating our very own published novel:

Cover of the novel we created together with Doug Wilson

Crib Sheet for Seven Sharp Interview Regarding the Novel

24 June 2015

1) Doug's Tom Hassler books read in class at Hamilton School. Good for reluctant readers. Teacher heard my presentation at a Kids stories show at Hamilton library, April 2014.

2) Christian, one of the Class, sent me an e mail over the Web Site, pointing out I had a spelling mistake in the first book. Just so I would know. Thanks Mate!! I replied that I'm dyslectic and could never spell to save myself, and I was lucky there were not more to find. But he loved the story.

3) Offered to visit School and was accepted. Kids delightful and very interactive. Asked how to write a story as they had enjoyed Tom Hassler.

Just start. Easy.

Could you write a story about us? Clever kids!!

Sure easy.

Well? Pause. Well?

Stupid to lay myself so open. They were not going to let go.

Ah then ah what room is this?

Room 14.

Well ... how about this? Before it all began no-one knew the kids of Room 14. After it happened everyone in the country knew them.

Wow! What happened?

No idea. Just the beginning.

4) Began to write this story and shared drafts with the kids. Every kid was mentioned in the tale. To protect their families, were they caught by the bad guys, they all had nicknames to use. They chose their own.

5) Story line swapping and then e mails, and a flood of letters, as they had a project to write to someone outside. These letters offer wonderful glimpses of the creative and bold minds of kids. This was their story and they were involved. A picture of the class kids sat beside my computer, to remind me these are kids, and not hustling front row forwards as they battled the bad guys, and then told the politicians and police where to get off, and scared the Prime Minister and others. Bold is the word. You forget they are kids.

6) Told stories for decades. Easy to imagine. But then no distractions from TV, or video games, or X Box, or internet, or anything. Just books and reading and the prize possession: Your imagination. With my fundamental Spelling problems typing was never easy, and I needed Spell Check to open the practicalities of converting stories to written form.

7) Reading has become a fading skill, with the high tech communications, and books for many are a fossil format. Yet they have been the engine of our great movie industry and the story line is the magic that drives all TV and movies. So read em first, or even better write them. Reluctant readers need a story that captures and prizes open their imagination to reveal a world without barriers.

8) Many parents have contacted me about their reluctant reading kids, who were caught by the story line of Tom Hassler. From Taupo where I live, to Southland, to Hong Kong, to Canada, the same refrain ... their reluctant kids treated these books as the exception to NO reading and devoured them. Just the story, the core element the story.

9) Don't Mess With these Kids took off as a story line and gathered pace. It was important for the action not to flag, and to build a series of action phases, and to marry the skills of the nerdy kids who make critical breakthroughs, with the more adventurous ones, both girls and boys. Standing up against the leaders of the country, facing very bad guys, shaming silly bad guys, and the action towards the end with frighteing and fearful face downs where rescue needed kids more than armies. The Waikato River I took liberties with to add drama to the kayak race along the river to get help. Then the armed Jet Boats racing back to Hamilton as part of the rescue mission. Every kids skill sets are needed here for success. And the teacher was the leader and the frightener of silly people in authority. Claudelands in Hamilton was the scene of the great face off between the bad guys and the kids. Everything comes to this last fearful contest where kids bravery was everything. I tingle to recall that scene.

It would make a movie climax needing tissue boxes for all to deal with the tear floods.

10) Two serious critics and readers: The kids and my great and famous editor Lorain Day.

11) I still have a day job but the stories are my real love.

12) Doug's Background

NZ Medical Graduate. Worked at Auckland hospital, the to UK to the great St Thomas Hospital Medical School, Florence Nightingale's home base (before my time) then to Melbourne to the wonderful research centre the WEHI or Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for 2 years. Back to NZ and became an Associate Professor of Medicine. Then was an exchange Professor in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. Joined pharmaceutical industry moving to USA for 10 years becoming head of Medical research with a major company, and then to head office in Germany to help steer the world wide drug development programmes. Back in NZ has been consulting on biotech and pharma companies in NZ, Australia, Rome, Dublin and New York. Married to Adele and with two Kids, well no longer kids: Kathy and Steve. Often have kids staying to threaten my peace but always adding magic and fun and my learning as their worlds are very complex now and tough.

24th June 2015, The Seven Sharp Interview:

So after all this backwards and forwards and discussing and editing, the published book was due for release on the 13th of July (not long now!).

The PR department for the publishing company for the book, Bateman thought the whole story of how the novel came about was a clever one and decided that a show like Seven Sharp might be interested in finding out more - which would also mean great publicity for the book. And they were right - Seven Sharp were keen to come and find out more about us and Doug.

So an exciting day was had, with Doug coming and doing some creative story telling with the class in the morning, then with our Year 7 students arriving who had been part of Room 14 last year, and then Erin the reporter and Dave the cameraman arriving at lunchtime to set up. That afternoon was a buzz of activity with shots of the class, Doug arriving and revealing the new book and then a surprise of an advance copy of the book for each student. How lucky were we! Then a one on one interview with some of the students and myself.

We were even lucky enough to meet Bill the publisher who made it all happen.

Here are some photos from the day:

The class plus Doug, Adelei, Bill, Erin and Dave

Entertaining the class with stories

Dave getting Dougs best side

Ashlee and Loren

Rhys, Amelia, Jack and Ben

Here are some links to students reflections on the big day, how they felt and what they have learnt from the whole experience:

Class blog:
http://room14slearningjourney.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/our-seven-sharp-interview.html

And here is the interview:

Click the link below:

http://tvnz.co.nz/seven-sharp/dr-doug-old-guy-young-imagination-video-6352631

Our wonderful book for sale at Penny's Bookstore in Hamilton

Dave the cameraman and Erin the reporter holding the cards we sent them to say thank you

14th August 2015

I had the unique experience of being interviewed for the radio about our journey creating the book 'Don't Mess with these Kids'. I was invited to the More FM studios to be interviewed by Kendall who is the radio stations afternoon DJ. It was a pretty unique experience, as i've never been to radio station before, let alone be interviewed there! Here are some photos from the day and the interview that was played on air: