The Resumé
Education:
- Graduate Diploma in Journalism Studies, Massey University
- Bachelor of Education degree with Auckland University
- Diploma of Teaching with Auckland College of Education
Work Experience:
- Write Like an Author convenor 2019, 2018, 2017 in Hamilton, Auckland, Tauranga, Christchurch
- Duffy Books Book Mentor, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016
- Editor of Kiwi Write4Kidz newsletter
- Co-ordinator of Kiwi Wrte4Kidz workshops
- Speaker at REALM Conference, Palmerston North 2013, 2017
- Workshop speaker at Children’s Writers Conference, Auckland 2018
- Panel Speaker at Golden Yarns Conference, Christchurch 2013
- Panel Speaker at SCBWI conference, Sydney, 2012
- Lecturer and tutor, Massey University Summer programme 'Writing for Children'
- Writing workshops for adults: Ashton Wylie, Storylines, Kiwi Write4Kidz
- Writing workshops for children in schools
- Writer in school with New Zealand Book Council, Getting Kids into Books speaker agency, Speakers Ink
- Panel Speaker at SCBWI conference, Sydney, 2012 and 2016
- Primary Teacher at Intermediate and Primary levels
Writing Experience:
Trade Books
- On the Brink (New Holland, 2019)
- Kate Sheppard: Leading the way for women (Scholastic, 2018)
- Earthquakes! Shaking the country (New Holland, 2013, 2018)
- ‘Anzac Animals’ (Scholastic, 2018) Australia and New Zealand
- ‘Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands’ (Scholastic 2017) Australia and New Zealand
- ‘Toroa’s Journey’ (Potton & Burton) New Zealand
- 'FInd Out: Volcanoes' (Dorling Kindersley, 2016) worldwide''
- 'ANZAC Heroes' illustrated by Marco Ivancic (Scholastic, 2016) Australia and New Zealand
- 'New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame' (New Holland, 2014)
- 'The Last of the Maui's dolphins' (New Holland, 2014)
- 'Running the Country: A look inside New Zealand's Government' (New Holland, 2013, 2018)
- 'Eruption! Discovering New Zealand Volcanoes' (New Holland, 2012)
- 'The Call of the Kokako' (New Holland, 2011)
- 'New Zealand's Hall of Fame: 50 Remarkable Kiwis' (New Holland, 2011)
- 'Rangitoto' (Penguin Books, 2009)
- 'Save Our Seas' (New Holland, 2009)
- 'Eco-agents mission: Save our Planet' (New Holland, 2009)
- 'Dogs on the Job' to be (Reed, 2008)
- 'Operation Nest Egg' (Reed, 2007)
- 'Bird's-eye View' (Penguin Books, 2006)
- 'Homework Powerpack' (Zenith Publishing, 2005)
Educational Books
- 'The Ancient City of Ur' (Learning Media, 2012) America
- 'The Inventive Lewis Latimer' (Learning Media, 2012) America
- 'Changing Landscapes' (Learning
Media, 2012) America
- 'A Microscopic World' (Learning
Media, 2012) America
- 'The Power of a Team' (Learning
Media, 2012) America
- 'Save this Space' (Learning
Media, 2012) America
- 'Local Leaders: Pass It On' (Learning Media, 2010) America
- 'Digging Up a Story: Water Across the Land' (Learning Media, 2010) America
- 'The Shape of the Land: Saving the Salmon' (Learning Media, 2010) America
- 'Growing Up: Savannah' (Learning
Media, 2010) America
- 'Science at Play: Try this at Home' (Learning Media, 2010) America
- 'Inventions: Inventions Take Time' (Learning Media, 2010) America
- 'Inventions: Science Meets Fiction' (Learning Media, 2010) America
- 'What a Mess' (South
Pacific Press, 2010)
- 'Earth's Core' (South Pacific Press, 2008) America
- 'Water: An Amazing Substance' (South Pacific Press, 2008) America
- 'Making Pancakes' (Red Rockets, 2007) worldwide
- 'Volcanoes' (South
Pacific Press, 2008) America
- 'Clever Camouflage' (Red Rockets, 2006) worldwide
Digital Books
- 'Operation Nest Egg Chick' (Pixel Books, 2013)
- 'The Rock Standing in the Ocean' (Pixel Books,2013)
Long White Cloud Books imprint
Educational Units
- 'Critical Essay Writing across the Curriculum' Essential Resources (2014)
- 'Non-fiction in the Classroom' Books 1 & 2, Essential Resources (2013)
- 'Talk it Up!' Oral Language Activities for the Classroom' Books 1 & 2, Essential Resources (2013)
- 'Sustainable Living: A cross-curricular approach' Books 1 & 2, Essential Resources (2012)
- 'Care for our River Amazon' commissioned by Sir Peter Blake Trust (2011)
- 'Care for our Coast Antarctica' commissioned by Sir Peter Blake Trust (2010)
- 'Leadership' unit commissioned by Sir Peter Blake Trust (2010)
- Sir Peter Blake teaching resource for Maritime Museum, Auckland (2010)
- 'Caring for our Coast' commissioned by Sir Peter Blake Trust (2008)
- Grade 3, 4, 7, 8 lesson plans commissioned by South Pacific Press (2007)
- 'Big Book of Journal' Units 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Articles and Short Stories
- 'What now for Rena' Connected Magazine Level 4, 2016, (Lift Education)
- 'After the Spill' article in Connected Magazine Level 4, 2013, (Lift Education)
- 'Six Days' short story in School Journal Level 4, March 2012, Learning Media
- 'No More Tea Parties' short story in School Journal Part 3, #1 2010, Learning Media
- 'Flight of the Albatross' short story in School Journal Part 3, #2 2009, Learning Media
- 'Dog Operation' story 'Claws & Jaws' Anthology, ( Random House, 2004)
- 'Cat Attack' story 'Claws & Jaws' Anthology,( Random House, 2004)
- Articles published by Kids Life Magazine, Matakana Matters, Organic New Zealand, DANZ Magazine, Magpie Magazine, NZ Author
Competitions and Awards:
- ‘Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands’ Finalist NZ Book Awards for Children & YA Illustration (2018)
- ‘Abel Tasman: Mapping the Southern Lands’ Storylines Notable Book (2018)
- ‘Toroa’s Journey’ Storylines Notable Book (2018)
- ‘Anzac Heroes’ Storylines Notable Book (2017)
- 'Anzac Heroes' won the NZ Book Awards Elsie Locke (non-fiction) Award (2016)
- 'Anzac Heroes' won the NZ Book Awards Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award (2016)
- 'Anzac Heroes' Finalist for the NZ Children's Book Awards Children's Choice Award (2016)
- ‘New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’ Storylines Notable Book (2015)
- ‘New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’ Finalist Elsie Locke, LIANZA Children’s Book Awards (2015)
- ‘New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame’ Finalist NZ Childrens Book Awards Children’s Choice Award (2015)
- 'Running the Country' Storylines Notable Book (2014)
- 'Eruption!' Storylines Notable Book (2013)
- 'Eruption!' shortlisted Elsie Locke, LIANZA Children’s Book Awards(2013)
- 'The Call of the Kokako' Finalist Elsie Locke and Russell Clark, LIANZA (2012)
- 'New Zealand Hall of Fame' Finalist Elsie Locke, LIANZA (2012)
- 'New Zealand Hall of Fame' winner Children's Choice, NZ Post Children's & YA Book Awards (2012)
- 'The Call of the Kokako' Storylines Notable Book (2012)
- 'New Zealand Hall of Fame' Storylines Notable Book (2012)
- 'Save Our Seas' Storylines Notable Book (2010)
- 'Rangitoto' Finalist NZ Post Children's & YA Book Awards , non-fiction (2010)
- Second in a national writing competition 'Rodney Writes' in the Premier (published authors') category
- 'Bird's-eye View' Storylines Notable Book (2007)
- 'Bird's-eye View' Finalist Elsie Locke Award, LIANZA (2007)
Belong to these Organisations:
- New Zealand Book Council 'Writers in Schools'
- Speakers Ink www.speakers-ink.com.au
- Getting Kids into Books www.rosemarytisdall.com
- NZSA - New Zealand Society of Authors
- Storylines - Children's Literature of New Zealand Foundation
- SCWBI - Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators
- Forest& Bird New Zealand
- Greenpeace
- S.P.C.A. - Society of Protection of Cruelty to Animals
- Sponsored a World Vision child for 18 years
Volunteer:
- Review children's books written by New Zealand authors - Kids BooksNZ with Lorraine Orman.
- Spinning Tales committee, 1-3 April 2011
- Editor and Coordinator of Kiwi Write4Kidz for 11 years.
Work Experience:
- Primary Teacher at Intermediate and Primary levels
- Editor of Kiwi Write4Kidz newsletter
- Coordinator of Kiwi Wrte4Kidz workshops
- Panel Speaker at SCBWI conference, Sydney, 2012
- Writing workshops for adults: Ashton Wylie, Storylines, Kiwi Write4Kidz
- Writing workshops for children in schools
- Writer in school with New Zealand Book Council
The Personal Stuff
What has a figure skater, gypsy, gem fossicker, backpacker, dancer, secretary, grape picker, shepherdess, nanny, teacher, mother and wife all have in common? Me! I've been all these things...
- A national figure skating competitor with my brother from when I was ten until thirteen years old.
- After that we moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia and travelled around in a caravan for several years. We fossicked for gemstones and fished in every river in the outback (well, it felt like that - Dad was mad keen on fishing).
- I left school when I was sixteen; and worked in an office for three years.
- I swapped the typewriter for a backpack and travelled to the U.K. After a trip around Europe, I became a nanny in England then Greece. I also had a stint as a grape picker and shepherdess in Israel before climbing the pyramids in Egypt. On the way home I called into India and traveled from Kashmir to the bottom of India sometimes on an elephant, train, camel, bus or plane.
- The travel fever hadn't left after that trip so after a short break home I travelled back to the U.K. and worked until I saved enough for a trip to China. No one spoke English in China in 1984 so I used a travel guide to help me get from Beijing to Guilen.
- When I came back home this time I decided to change my career - I went to University and Teachers College and trained to be a teacher.
- After teaching for several years, I took time off to have two children. I had Tristan and Rhiannon with my husband Rod Gill.
- We swapped the city for a life style block in 2003 and share it with 5 sheep, 4 ducks, 1 cat, 1 dog, 2 guinea fowl, a dozen chickens and 1 rooster.
- When my daughter turned three years old, I put my lifetime dream to write a book into action and began writing courses on how to write for children. In 2004, I had a book and two short stories accepted. Since then I've been fortunate enough to have 1-3 books published every year since. I now write children's books for the trade and educational markets, take on freelance writing contracts, and give workshops and attend school visits full-time.
- Ran ‘Kiwi Write4Kidz’ – a writers group for adults who write children’s books - for 11 years.
- Lorraine Orman and I review children's books by New Zealand
authors - Kids
BooksNZ
- In 2016 we sold our lifestyle property and moved to a seaside village.
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