Opinion

Mattel made a Queen Camilla Barbie & the comments section has gone wild!

Scrolling through Instagram this morning and a post from @Barbie dropped into my feed. It was announcing a one-of-a-kind doll in recognition of The Queen Consort’s leadership of @wowglobal. Women of the World is a global movement of festivals celebrating women, girls & non-binary people. Their aim is to change the way society sees girls and offers opportunities for their future. And Camilla has been the president of WOW since 2015.

Now. I’m not particularly a royalist, nor a major fan of Camilla, but it was the comments section that got me thinking. Here’s a little taster of the first handful:

“Yes let’s teach our daughters about infidelity and scandal”

“A mistress barbie. Didn’t know this is a thing that inspires.”

“You can be ANYTHING! Including a married man’s mistress!”

Are you seeing a pattern here?

What does the word ‘mistress’ mean?

I googled the word ‘mistress’: 1. a woman in a position of authority or control.”she is always mistress of the situation, coolly self-possessed” 2. a woman (other than the man’s wife) having a sexual relationship with a married man.”Elsie knew her husband had a mistress tucked away somewhere.”

Then I googled, is there a male equivalent of the word ‘mistress’, and there isn’t.

Some websites offered the word ‘paramour’ but it’s a gender neutral word and it doesn’t carry the same historical and societal connotations as mistress; it’s not seen as pejorative.

Labelling Camilla as a mistress, puts the blame squarely on her shoulders. It’s what the word does, it blames the woman for the actions of a man. And frankly, I’m getting rather tired of women being held responsible for the way men act.

Will boys be boys?

For far too long the phrase ‘boys will be boys’ has excused the poor behaviour of boys; bullying, teasing, fighting… It’s often met with shrug and a wry smile, but it allows boys to grow into men who believe they have no control over their actions. That behaving badly is just how they behave. In the playground it’s used when a boy pulls a girl’s ponytail, in the locker room is used for much worse….

It’s part of the reason why I’m writing my next children’s book and putting the message of consent front and centre. I hadn’t thought about including the term ‘boys will be boys’ but I’m obviously thinking that I should be… I’m still writing book 4, but if you want to read something to your boys (to all children!) about not hiding their feelings and not ‘manning up’ I’d definitely recommend my last book, How Frank Helped Hank.

Should Barbie have made a doll of Camilla? I don’t know, I don’t really care! But should we still be labelling ‘the other woman’, ‘the home wrecker’, or ‘the mistress’ while casually dismissing the actions of men..? No. No we shouldn’t. I’d love to know what you think.

Embrace the Magic of Reading on World Book Day

Featured Suzanne Hemming

As World Book Day approaches on March 7th, I find myself thinking about the profound impact that reading has on our tiny humans.

So today, I want to talk about the importance of reading to and with babies and children. And why it’s beneficial for schools to invite authors into their classrooms to share the joy of storytelling.

Reading to kids is not just about entertaining them with colourful pictures and playful words.

It’s a gateway to a world of imagination, knowledge, and emotional development:

Building Bonds: Reading aloud to babies can create a special bond between the parent and child. The soothing rhythm of a story has a calming effect, and fosters a sense of security and attachment.
Language Development: Reading plays a huge in language development. Babies and toddlers who are read to regularly tend to have larger vocabularies and better language skills when they start school.
Cognitive Skills: Reading stimulates the brain and helps develop essential cognitive skills such as attention, memory, and problem-solving abilities. It lays the foundation for academic success later in life. There’s a reason teachers often say if you just do one thing at home with your kids; it’s read to them!
Imagination and Creativity: Stories have the ability to spark the imagination and ignite creativity in young minds. They transport children to magical worlds where anything is possible, which encourages them to dream big and feel inspired.
Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Books are powerful tools for teaching empathy and emotional intelligence. Through stories about other places and people, children learn to understand and relate to the feelings of others, which encourages compassion and kindness.
Critical Thinking: Reading encourages children to ask questions, make predictions, and draw conclusions. All critical thinking skills that are essential for navigating the complexities of the world.
Cultural Awareness: Exposure to diverse stories and characters promotes cultural awareness and understanding, helping children to develop respect for everyone.
Lifelong Love of Learning: When reading is associated with joy and wonder, children are more likely to continue reading for pleasure throughout their lives.

Just a few reasons eh?!

And so to World Book Day! One of the ways that schools can nurture a love of reading is by inviting authors into their classrooms.

Suzanne Hemming children's author at a school book reading

Inspiration and Role Models: Meeting an author can inspire children to see themselves as writers and storytellers. It shows children that their own stories and ideas are valuable and worth sharing.
Connection to the Creative Process: Hearing an author talk about their own work provides an insight into the creative process behind the story. Children learn that books don’t magically appear on shelves but are the result of hard work, imagination, and dedication.
Interactive Learning Experience: Author visits can turn reading into a lively and interactive experience. Children have the opportunity to ask questions, share thoughts, and engage with the story in a meaningful way. This is always one of the best parts of visiting a school as an author: kids can ask the most amazing questions!
Promotion of Literacy: Author visits reinforce the importance of literacy and reading for pleasure. This can create excitement around books and reading, motivating children to explore new stories and genres.

Reading is a superpower! Once a child can read, the world is their oyster! As an author, I think I have a responsibility to share my love of storytelling, and reading with the next generation. That’s why I love to I hear from primary school teachers enquiring about reading to their classes.

So let’s celebrate World Book Day by embracing the magic of reading and inspiring young minds to embark on their own literary adventures.

If you’re an Early Years or a KS1 teacher and you’d like to know more about booking me for a school visit, please email me at suze@thechopsbooks.com or read more here

Events · Teachers

Enhancing Literacy at KS1: The Impact of Author Visits

Featured admin

As World Book Day is fast approaching, let’s delve into the significance of reading at Key Stage 1, and talk about the benefits of author visits in schools. We know that the impact goes beyond the pages of a book, providing a valuable boost to encourage children to read.

The Importance of Book Reading at KS1

If you’re a primary school teacher reading this blog post, you already know that reading is a fundamental skill, that lays the foundation for academic success and lifelong learning. At KS1, children are in a crucial stage of development, where literacy skills are rapidly evolving. Book reading plays a pivotal role in honing language proficiency, expanding vocabulary, and fostering comprehension skills. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve heard teachers say, if you just do one thing, read!

The question is, how can we maximise the impact of reading in the early years? One effective strategy is to introduce students to real-life authors through school visits. And by authors, I mean me!

Author Visits: A Practical Approach

The presence of an author in the school setting adds a practical dimension to the learning experience. Instead of just encountering words on a page, pupils have the opportunity to engage with the creator of those words. This interaction can demystify the writing process and make literature more relatable for young minds. When I read in schools it’s such a joy to hear children tell me about the stories they write, or want to write, after a book reading!

Authors can bring a unique perspective to storytelling, offering insights into their creative process and the inspiration behind their works. This firsthand exposure can really enhance a child’s appreciation for literature. And provides them with the idea that writing can be a career choice.

Boosting Engagement on World Book Day

World Book Day presents an ideal occasion to organise author visits. It’s not just about dressing up as favourite characters (which is a lot of fun!), but it’s an opportunity to connect with the individuals behind the stories. An author’s visit on this day can serve as a catalyst for increased interest in reading, making the celebration more meaningful for students.

The impact of author visits on reading engagement at KS1 is definitely something to think about! These visits provide a practical and relatable dimension to the world of literature, fostering a deeper connection between students and the written word. A visit from an author can contribute significantly to the development of a generation of enthusiastic and lifelong readers.

So! Why not book a visit from an author today – preferably me! We’re talking about booking me here right?! Good we’re on the same page!

Just drop me an email at suze@theachopsbooks.com

See you in the classroom!

Events

The Boy Who Baked Cakes

Featured admin

Today, October 6th, is National Poetry Day. So I’m celebrating by posting a never seen before rhyme that I wrote way back, when I was just starting out on my writing journey. When I knew that I wanted to tackle the issues of inequality facing our children. Could I make a difference writing stories that taught kids they could do and be anything?

This one didn’t make it to a rewrite into an actual story book. I received some feedback on if, that it might be a little outdated; that television shows like The Great British Bakeoff had shown boys and men it was cool to be bakers. So I rather lost my nerve and didn’t pursue this one…

It’s been sat in a Dropbox folder for 6 years! But I think the message is still relevant. There will still be many young boys who are told they can’t do something because it’s traditionally seen as ‘for girls’. I hear it in toy shops, still to this day: put that back it’s for girls. So it felt like it was worth dragging it out the Dropbox, and sharing with you all today. Let me know what you think of The Boy Who Baked Cakes in the comments below.

The Boy Who Baked Cakes

There once was a boy, who was lacking in joy,

as he did not know what to do.

See though he liked planes and riding on trains,

he rather liked baking cakes too.

There was naught he loved more, in fact he adored,

creating a scrumptious sweet.

He could spend half an hour, just sifting the flour,

to create the perfect treat.

Now there’s someone at school, a bit of a fool,

Who said, “boys shouldn’t be baking!”

“Why not?” the boy cried, “shouldn’t I bake with pride?

It’s an art form, make no mistaking!”

Then that someone from school, urgh what a fool,

simply just wouldn’t back down.

To the sports pitch he ran, oh what was his plan?

He was jumping around like a clown.

“Listen to me!” the fool cried with glee,

“There’s a chap here who says he can bake.

He says he likes planes, and riding on trains,

But baking? That’s a mistake!”

The boy hung his head, his face turned bright red,

the fool was being quite cruel.

What was so wrong? He’d thought all life long,

that baking cakes was quite cool.

The boy turned to leave, feeling aggrieved,

but was suddenly stopped in his tracks,

when cried out a girl, with a head full of curls,

“Ignore him and just face the facts!”

“So you like to bake, that’s not a mistake,

it’s something that makes your heart sing.

I spoke to my mum, ‘bout what to become,

She said ‘you can do anything!’

What makes you smile, just think for a while,

if this is what you enjoy:

you bake with great ease; you should do as you please,

so what if you are a boy?”

The boy stopped and smiled, and he thought for a while,

the girl with the curls was quite wise.

Yes he liked planes, and riding on trains,

but he also loved baking sweet pies.

And so he would bake, and make no mistake,

he would do it with joy and with pride.

And what will you do? What job’s right for you?

Well that’s just for you to decide!

Questions

Fairytales: what they are really saying?

13 February 2019 admin

Previously on this blog, I’ve written about the power of words – how they are seldom ever ‘just words’ and how their meaning has such an impact on us from a young age. I also gave you my take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Not (in my humble opinion) a classic, much loved children’s fairy tale; but rather a rude, overly inquisitive little girl, who spreads her germs by double dipping spoons and breaks things without apology. This week, I’m thinking about what Jack & the Beanstalk is really all about, and what it’s teaching our kids (spoiler alert – again, not so much!):

Jack & the Beanstalk

Having been given just one task to complete by his long suffering mum, Jack promptly ignores her request to sell their (only) cow, and instead arrives home having swapped it for some, woooo, magic beans. And for this inability to follow a simple request, Jack is, in fairness, sent to bed. But upon waking, and discovering a magic beanstalk has grown in the garden, he starts to climb (did he tell his poor mum where he was off to? Who knows but I’m guessing not). At the top of the beanstalk, he discovers a blood-smelling giant, and not content with eating the giant’s sausages, he then steals a bag of gold from him, and hot foots it back home.

Now Jack’s mum seemingly doesn’t question where a small boy would procure such a bag of loot, and she spends it all, admittedly on food (which they were in need of following the cow / magic bean swap). Thing is, here once again is a child who isn’t shown any consequences for their actions. If she wasn’t going to reprimand him for theft, the least she could have done is encouraged him to open an ISA.

Jack climbs the beanstalk again, and this time makes off with a goose who lays golden eggs. It’s not made clear in the story, if the mum is complicit in this second act of larceny, but it would appear that Jack is once again, not reprimanded.

Not content, Jack scales the beanstalk a third time, and steals a self-playing harp. But finally, he’s pursued by the Giant! Jack’s mum (who now clearly must be totally in cahoots) throws him an axe and once the beanstalk is chopped down, the Giant falls. To his death.

And they all (save for the giant) lived happily ever after. No prosecution for three counts of theft. Certainly nothing for gianticide. Moral of the story: crime does pay. Handsomely. And seemingly once again, with no consequences.

Now my tongue is once again somewhat in my cheek. But writing this got me wondering about what the actual moral of the story was intended to be. A quick google brought up suggestions such as, one should take advantage of the opportunities that life provides for you. True enough. Another: listen to your mother. This once left me thinking, or what? You’ll end up very wealthy?!

We read to our children from the day they are born, and talk to them about stories, films, the world, everything we can. Little ears take everything on board, and they are very literal. When my daughter was small I asked her what she thought The Gruffalo was about, (the classic David v. Goliath tale of brains outsmarting braun). And she replied, “It’s about a mouse. Who goes for a walk”.

Not quite the message I was hoping had got though, but she’s not wrong though! She was only about 2, and it was a good conversation starter! And that is the bit I hold onto when she requests one of these outdated stories or movies. We use it to start an conversation and ask her what she thinks. Start a discussion and their minds will begin to consider these messages for themselves. Encouraging children to think, is no bad thing!

Now, if we could just get her to find some magic beans, we’d be rich too!!

Opinion

Fairytales & Nursery Rhymes? Bestsellers or Balderdash?

31 January 201931 January 2019 admin

A few years ago, before Thea Chops Books was even a twinkle in the eye, I used to write a blog. I published a post called “What do old fashioned stories teach our children? Answer: very little!” The idea for the post came about as I sat listening to someone singing the old nursery rhyme, Hot Cross Buns. After they finished singing I commented / joked, “What if you actually have daughters? If you have daughters then don’t your sons get any hot cross buns? Do the sons go hungry if you have daughters?” To which the singer replied, “Oh you always read far too much into these things, it’s just a nursery rhyme.”.

And it got me thinking about whether it really was just a nursery rhyme.

Or should we be more concerned with the messages contained within those songs that we sing to our children, from day one?

Nursery rhymes, fairytales and children’s stories, are some of the first words heard by babies. And we sing them and read them on repeat! “Don’t sing it again mummy, I can tell you’re tired from the broken sleep I forced you to endure last night.” said NO CHILD EVER.

But, words are powerful.

They have the power to make us laugh, cry, or fear. Poorly chosen words at the wrong moment is like gunpowder on a naked flame. And these words from rhymes and stories, the messages contained within, they have an impact on the young minds listening, and they help to shape a child’s view of the world, of their place in it, of their worth.

I started writing to see if I could create stories that give children more empowering messages, and teach boys and girls that they are each other’s equals. To teach them that accepting one another just as they are, is the best way to live happily.

So I was writing this old blog post, and I started to think about some of the old fashioned nursery rhymes that have been told to kids for centuries. Generations of children have been shaped by the tales of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and the big bad wolf. And the messages within these tales? They’re horrendous!! Don’t believe me? Let me give you my take on that much loved classic:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

A little girl (no older than about ten) goes for a walk in the woods. Why a young child is walking alone in a forest is anyone’s guess, and though we should encourage our children to be independent, and facilitate their sense of adventure, a stroll alone through the deep dark wood, is at best going to mean an encounter with a Gruffalo.

After stumbling upon a house, and getting no reply to a knock on the door, what does little Goldi do? She presumes they’re not in, turns around, and heads back through the woods to find her parents, who are worried sick that she’s wandered off alone. No. That’s not what Goldilocks does. She wanders into someone else’s home to have a nose around.

Not content with her amateur attempt at Through the Keyhole (who lives in a place like this? Three scary ass bears, that’s who, now run for your life), she tries three bowls of porridge, replacing the spoon back into each bowl. And after her germs have been suitably spread, and breaking a small chair, she then decides to have a lie down in each of the three beds, before snuggling in and going to sleep.

When Mr & Mrs Bear arrive home they find young Goldi napping away in their baby’s bed. And what does the rumbled miss do? She runs off never to be seen again. No apology. No, ‘I’m sorry I broke into your home, ate your food, smashed a chair and slept in your child’s bed.’ No consequences for someone who should at the very least be charged with unlawful intrusion.

It’s one version of the story anyway. And all joking aside, you can see how the messages we send to our kids might be at odds with the values we’re hoping to instil in them (at the very least, don’t eat from a stranger’s spoon).

And so Thea Chops Books was born.

And if you fancy hearing my version of Jack in the Beanstalk, tune in next week!