picture book Archives · Neridah McMullin

Interview with award winning Children’s Author, Krista Bell

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Neridah

I’d like to welcome Krista Bell to my blog today to congratulate her on her new book BURNING THE BAILS published by One Day Hill. The launch of Krista’s book is particularly good timing with the Ashes Series being played here against the Poms at the moment. My youngest, Toby, 9 years, wants to know, what are the Ashes, and what do they mean?

Read onwards dear readers…

Thanks for coming onto my blog today, Krista. Can you tell us, what was your inspiration for writing the picture book BURNING THE BAILS?

Thanks for having me, Neridah. Well, all my life I wondered why, when Australia wins the ‘Ashes’ Test Cricket series, the trophy stays in England? Then just a few years ago I was talking with my friend of twenty five years, Louise Clarke Morris, and she explained that the so-called ‘Ashes’ urn was not and had never been the trophy for the cricket test. I was stunned.

Get out, I am too.

It turns out that you need to ask the right questions if you want to hear a good story. Even though I had known Louise for years and had been vaguely aware of her family’s connection with the urn of Ashes, I had never actually asked her to tell me the story of their history.

Why? When? Where? Who had made the ashes and for whom? BURNING THE BAILS tells this story. Louise’s family story.

Cool.

It’s a beautiful front cover.

How do you describe the genre of this book?

This is an interesting question and difficult to answer. BURNING THE BAILS is a picture story book with wonderful illustrations that are painted in the naive style of Melbourne fine artist Ainsley Walters. They appeal to adults and children alike.

The story is firmly based on fact but I have taken literary licence by telling the story from the viewpoint of Russell Clarke who was six years old on Christmas Eve 1882 when his mother, Janet Lady Clarke, burnt the bails from a social cricket match played at ‘Rupertswood’, the Clarke family’s Sunbury residence, between local lads and the England cricket team who were out here to play Test Cricket after Christmas just as they do today.

Young Russell grew up to become Louise’s grandfather. His mother, Lady Clarke, was her great-grandmother! Bingo.

After the ‘factionalised’ telling of the Ashes story in BURNING THE BAILS, there are seven pages detailing the actual history surrounding the making of the Ashes. ‘Rupertswood’ is often called the ‘birthplace of the Ashes’.

Well, I truly never knew this, Krista. This is very cool history.

You’ve written some other historical based books, can you tell us a bit more about them?

WARRIORS tells the two stories of the terracotta warriors of Xi’an in China because I was totally intrigued when I heard they had been found in 1974 by farmers digging a well in their paddock.

Published by Windy Hollow Books and distributed by Peribo

Once I finally had the chance to visit the site I knew I had to tell their two stories: why and for whom they were made 2,000 years ago and how they were found by lucky accident just last century. Great stories.

That sounds awesome. I’ll put that on my reading list.

How do you go about validating your historical facts?

I do lots of background reading, mainly in books (I don’t trust Wikipedia!) but I really like to talk to people who are somehow connected to my story. Real primary sources, like my friend Louise.

With my picture book LOFTY’S MISSION which is set during WWII, I was able to interview a loft sergeant who had been in New Guinea and he was a fountain of information. Unfortunately, he has since died and my book is now out of print although it did well and was short-listed for the NSW Premier’s History Awards in 2008.

LOFTY’S MISSION is one of my favourite books ever. It’s beautiful and still readily available in libraries – go borrow it!

Krista, you’ve written a wide range of books, picture books, junior readers, chapter books and YA. Which genre do you enjoy the most?

Yes, BURNING THE BAILS is my 25th book for young readers. Picture books are a delight when they are finished but they are VERY difficult to write. Although I love the challenge and am very pleased with my picture books when they are published, I actually prefer the process of delving deeply into my characters and their stories in my junior fiction for 9-14 year olds which are typically 22,000-25,000 words long.

I really get involved and live their story for several months, if not years. I’m currently working on two sequential novels set in Italy and really loving my characters and their adventures and friendships, all based on my Italian sojourns of the last several years.

Sounds wonderful.

What is your next book to come out?

JACK’S BUGLE which is an ANZAC story set in 1915 is coming out in March 2014 (Windy Hollow Books). It is a picture book with illustrations by Belinda Elliott aimed at the whole of primary, as a gentle way in to discussion of war.

It tells the story of Aidan Jackson, ‘Jack’ to his mates, who is just 18 when he goes off to war and takes his shiny new bugle with him. Jack does not come home but his bugle does and it eventually finds the perfect home.

Oh, it sounds lovely.

Tell me, what advice do you have for new writers?

Be patient.

Read a lot of other people’s books.

Research your subject well.

Plot your story. Know where it’s going before you start.

Write, write and write it again. One hundred times if necessary.

Don’t be precious. Take criticism from people you respect and use it constructively to improve your writing.

If a story is not working, start again – or scrap it completely!

Find the right medium for your story: is it a picture book, a chapter book, a junior novel, a young adult?

Use vocabulary that corresponds to the age range for whom you are writing.

Read your work out loud so you hear it, especially when it comes to writing dialogue.

Be patient.

Yep, patience is a virtue in this industry, that’s for sure. That’s all great advice that I will be taking on board.

Well, Krista, thank you so much for coming on to my blog today. BURNING THE BAILS is a wonderful book, congratulations to you and Ainsley Walters.

BURNING THE BAILS: The Story of the Ashes is a terrific story for young cricket fans. It answers a very serious historical question so it’s traight to the book shelf, I say!

Krista Bell is an award-winning author and an ABC Radio children’s book reviewer. Krista travels around Australia sharing her passion for books, and giving writing workshops and talks to adults. She is an entertaining and enthusiastic presenter for primary school children, her target audience.

Check out Krista’s website, it’s choc full of interesting things.

BURNING THE BAILS: can be found at any good bookstore. I’ve seen it on the shelves at Readings, Dymocks, The Avenue and Jeffreys so far. Here are the book’s details…

Title: Burning the Bails: The Story of the Ashes
Author: Krista Bell
Illustrator: Ainsley Walters
Publisher: One Day Hill, $19.99 RRP
Publication Date: November 2013
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 9780987313980
For ages: 5-8
Type: Picture Book

And last but not least, go the Aussies!

Polly’s fabulous first picture book “Stop Asking Me!” is out now…

Posted on October 29, 2013April 16, 2019 by Neridah

Well, here it is folks, this is what you’ve all been waiting for, Polly’s new picture book “Stop Asking Me!” is here…and doesn’t it look awesome?!!

Polly wanted to write about her experience living with Perthes Disease. Her book is called “Stop Asking Me!” and it’s a funny and poignant story. I have done some illustrations for it, interweaving it with some fun photos with Polly’s text. We published it on-line with Blurb and they have been great.

I love your book Polly, congratulations to you, what’s it like being a famous writer?

“Well, I’m not very famous yet…”

Who have you shown it too?

My family and my friends, my class mates (I took it into school and read it out aloud to my class). I’ve showed the Librarian at school, Miss Polsen. I’ve also shown it to Holly McKay from the Stonnington Leader and she’s writing an article about me. It’s going to be in the paper next week.

Wow, that’s exciting.

Yeah, it is.

How have people reacted to your book?

Um, people have said things like:

It’s amazing!

It’s funny

So, that’s what’s wrong with you…

Is Perthes Disease contagious?

I wish we didn’t put that line in the book that Perthes wasn’t contagious. That would have been really funny to leave people guessing.

Yes, but that might have freaked a few people out and they might not have wanted to be with you.

I know. I just like to think I’m not the only one.

I get that, sweetheart.

Polly & I getting our hair done for the photo shoot for Polly’s book launch

How has “STOP ASKING ME!” changed your life?

It’s made my life more exciting. I like showing it to people and not having to explain Perthes Disease to them.

I also think that writing a book has made me more confident.

I’d like to be a writer when I grow up. I’ve been practising and writing lots of stories.

That’s wonderful, tell me about them?

At school, we are learning to write ‘Adventure Narrative’.

Cool. And what does that mean?

Well, it’s like this, you have an introduction, you build up to a problem, then you solve it and then you have an ending.

That’s excellent Polly, what’s your story about?

It’s about a little girl about my age and she has a Superdog (he’s a boxer dog like Midas), and a Mini-dog. There’s a villain called ‘Kill Blue’ who tries to take over the world and have it under his command. So, Superdog and Mini-dog are fighting to save the world.

Wow! That sounds action packed.

It is. I’ve still got a fair bit to write yet.

I hear you’re also going to write another book. What’s the next one going to be called?

“Be Brave!”

What’s it about?

It’s about going into hospital and not being scared all the time and trying your best to be brave.

I’m also going to write another story called “Stop Pushing Me!” and this is when I get out of my wheelchair and the plaster cast and get better and run around like I used to.

Tell me, what is the latest with Perthes Disease? What have yourDoctors told you?

Well, the ‘Bisphosphonates’ haven’t worked. So, my Mum says I have to go into hospital and get put into a plaster cast. It will go from here (under the armpits) down to my feet with a bar in between my knees. I’m getting blue plaster this time. I really hate pink, it had better not be pink. I had pink last time.

And guess who’s going to be the first to sign it?

Who?

You!

Wow, really? Thanks Polly. I feel honoured. I’ll have to think up something special to write on it.

How long will you be in the cast for?

It will take four weeks to straighten my hips. I might have to have something else done in hospital but they won’t know until I’m in there. They put dye in my bones so they can see inside me and after they do that they’ll know more.

O.K. When is all this happening?

This Sunday. I go in slings and springs first, just for two days, and then I have the plaster done on the third day. My Mum is coming with me and my family is going to visit me a lot.

Are you in for long?

I think it’s four days.

OK, I’ll check with your Mum.

Tell me, Polly, who are your favourite writers?

I love Roald Dahl, he’s so funny.

And at the moment I’m reading the Tashi books – I love them too.

I like the Tashi books too. They were written by the daughter & mother team, Anna and Barbara Fienberg (published by Allen & Unwin).

Tashi gets himself into some sticky situations, doesn’t he?

Yeah, he does. He’s funny as. But he always has great ideas to get out of trouble. I seriously learn stuff from him.

Do you? Well, that’s the power of reading books, eh?

I guess.

Thank you so much Polly for coming back onto my blog today to show everyone your fabulous new book “Stop Asking Me!”

We absolutely love it. You should be very proud of it.

Thanks. I really am.

If you would like to purchase Polly’s book you may do so by contacting Polly’s Mum, Julie, by emailing her on [email protected] and ordering a copy or you can go onto the Blurb website to order a copy or download an iBook through the Apple iTunes Store.

I think Polly has done a brilliant job writing “Stop Asking Me!” and I’m so chuffed she wants to be a writer (just like me she says, god love her).

We hope everything goes well for Polly with her upcoming trip to hospital and new treatment.

We are thinking of you, sweet Polly. Fellow bloggers & Blog Followers, I will let you know how she gets on.