I had the pleasure earlier this year of working with teacher and guidance counsellor Kari Sutton on her book, Raising a mentally fit generation, published by Publish Central. Every time I sat at my desk to edit Kari’s book, I wished I had read this ten years ago so I had her wisdom for raising my children – her book is a powerful tool for parenting.

One of the messages that stood out for me early on was one of the lines from the back cover blurb –

Have you ever wished there was a way to build strong protective fences at the top of the cliff, so you don’t have to be the ambulance picking up the pieces at the bottom?

One of Kari’s techniques that I’ve been using with Mr 11 is the concept of the upstairs and downstairs brain. Kari explains this so well – our brain has an upstairs part where the thinking brain lives and a downstairs part where the feeling brain lives. A set of stairs connects both parts and is used to send messages. But when the downstairs brain becomes overwhelmed, the upstairs brain doesn’t make good decisions and there’s no connection between the two. Once kids understand the concept, it’s a quick reminder – ‘Goodness, it sounds like the downstairs guys are taking over. Can we remind the upstairs guys that they’re the ones in charge?’

Kari’s book is full of her passion for children’s wellbeing, her personal and professional experience, the latest research, practical tips and a wide range of activities for parents and teachers to implement for their kids and students. Kari’s writing style is equal parts informative and caring – it feels like she is holding your hand and your children’s hands all the way through.

I’ve asked Kari a few questions about her book.

KC: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

KS: I’ve worked in the education field for the past 28 years, having always wanted to be of service to others and help children and their families in any way I can. That’s why I became a teacher, then a guidance counsel­lor and spent over 22 years volunteering with Camp Quality, a children’s cancer charity. For the past two decades, I’ve also had the privilege of helping raise my nephew Mitchell after my beloved sister-in-law passed away from ovarian cancer. Currently I live in Brisbane with my husband and beautiful beagle.

KC: What is your book Raising a mentally fit generation about?

KS: Just like we can help children develop their physical fitness, we can also help them build their mental fitness muscles. Raising a Mentally Fit Generation shows parents and educators how they can help their children develop positive habits of mind that sow the seeds of lifelong emotional wellbeing and positive mental health.

KC: Why did you write it?

KS: Throughout my career I have had a front-row seat watching the dramatic rise in anxiety disorders, depression and suicide affecting our kids. I’m on a mission to change the conversation about how we promote and protect our children’s mental health and wellbeing.

KC: What are you hoping parents, guardians, teachers and childcare workers will do after reading your book?

KS: I am hoping that parents, teachers and childcare workers use the common sense tips, powerful strategies and practical tools in the book to prevent problems occurring rather than having to pick their children up after things have gone wrong.

KC: What was the hardest part about writing your book?

Condensing the years of knowledge and shaping a big bunch of research and hands-on experience into a book.

KC: What was the fun part?

Working with my editor and seeing the rough manuscript turn into a polished book that I could be proud of.

KC: Thanks, Kari, it was a fun project for me, too! What does being mentally fit mean to you?

KS: For me being mentally fit means I possess the needed mindsets, skills, abilities and experience to cope with situations and challenges as they happen. I build my mental fitness just like I do my physical fitness by doing activities that foster my positive mental health – mindfulness, exercise, self-compassion, gratitude, using my strengths, having an optimistic outlook on life and making sure I nurture my social connections and friendships.

Thank you, Kari!

I strongly recommend this book as a wonderful guide for teachers and parents – it will become a dog-eared book you will turn to again and again.

Kari has lots of information at her website. Her book is available next Friday 20th November and can be pre-ordered at bookstores such as Booktopia and Amazon and through her website. She has a few special deals available as well as an offer to receive the first chapter for free.

I was so keen to read the recently released Honeybee by Craig Silvey – his second book, Jasper Jones, is one of my favourite modern Australian classics. The movie of the same name is often studied by Yr 9 or 10 students – it’s the Australian version of To kill a mocking bird.

Honeybee is told in first person by Sam Watson, a fourteen-year-old transgender person who begins their story on the night they meet Vic on the Clayton Road overpass in Perth. Both Sam and Vic are forever changed by their chance meeting.

Silvey has been interviewed on a few podcasts and for a few newspapers where he discussed his research to find out more about the transgender and drag queen community. He read a section from his novel in an interview through Readings bookshop with Christos Tsiolkas – a scene where Sam listens to the drag queen Luna Moons entertain a bunch of hens’ parties at a drag queen show – epic!

There’s a wonderful array of characters in Honeybee – a nurse who works as a drag queen, an effervescent girl who befriends Sam, a wise psychologist, a thoughtful man who deals with motorbikes – many of Silvey’s characters embody different facets of kindness. But of course, there’s also the characters surrounding Sam who are into theft and drugs, and who hurt Sam – physically and emotionally.

Silevy wrote the book after hearing about a real-life Sam, who was seen and helped by Silvey’s brother and sister-in-law. They never found out what happened to this young person.

Sam felt like a real person to me – testament to Silvey’s writing.

Like Jasper Jones, this would make an excellent movie!

Miss 14 has joined me today as a specialist in young adult fiction to write a book review for Asphyxia’s Future Girl. Released this month, Future Girl is a gorgeously designed novel presented as an art journal. Written and illustrated by Asphyxia, an Australian Deaf writer, artist and activist, this is the story of 16-year-old Piper, a Melbourne teenager living in the not-too-far-away future where most of the population no longer eat ‘wild’ food but recon (laboratory engineered food).

From Miss 14 –

I was hooked from the beginning. The pages are beautifully illustrated and help to build Piper’s character. It’s almost like you are in her head and can feel her emotions.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Future Girl because it was informative and interesting. Piper is an inspiring character. When she meets Marley and learns Auslan she becomes a part of the Deaf community. She learns that being Deaf shouldn’t be something to be kept secret. Her mum hired someone to teach her to lipread so that she could be normal and fit in with other kids, but being Deaf is not ‘normal’ and the Deaf community should not be treated as a burden or embarrassment. Piper’s mum believes that signing in public is embarrassing and that Piper should stick to lip reading and pretending that she is not Deaf. When Piper starts her garden she inspires others to speak up and take matters into their own hands. Asphyxia has managed to create a captivating story that will keep you invested while also educating you about the Deaf community. Future Girl is an inspiring, coming-of-age and finding your voice book that is a must read for all ages.

*********************

My thoughts –

The different threads about the environment, growing food, growing up Deaf, art as both activism and self-expression, teenage first love, friendship, mother-daughter relationships – were seamlessly woven together.

I loved how slowing down to admire the beautiful pages of paint, sketches and collage made me appreciate the story and let it settle more.

I can see young adult readers of 13 years and on becoming interested in learning Auslan, growing their own food, making compost and making art. There are also teachers’ notes here.

I have signed up to Asphyxia’s online art class for making an art journal! I have dabbled with an art journal before, and even though I have a quilt to finish sewing which is lovely and meditative, the thought of loose and spontaneous paint and collage has set my heart racing.

Future Girl belongs in every school library and would make a wonderful Christmas present for teenage girls.

Photos – and lilac nails – provided by Miss 14.

I’m lifting my voice here, adding to the choirs singing praise about Trent Dalton’s latest novel, All our shimmering skies. His debut novel, Boy swallows universe, largely autobiographical, was a huge success and his second book is full of just as much magic and heartbreak and quirky characters and unexpected events as his first.

Apart from the gorgeous cover, indicative of the beautiful Darwin outback where a large part of the book is set, have a look at the title. Perhaps it is the word ‘shimmering’ or ‘skies’ that jumps out at first. But it’s the word ‘our’ which gives Trent Dalton’s readers a clear hint of his story – ‘our’ has connotations of inclusivity, generosity, openness and connection.

I have listened to a few recent interviews with Trent through Readings and The First Time podcast, and Trent is all about ‘our’.

All our shimmering skies is the story of twelve-year-old Molly Hook, the gravedigger’s daughter, who sets off on a journey when bombs start hitting her home town of Darwin in 1942. She’s trying to revoke the curse Longcoat Bob, an almost mythical outback character, placed on her grandfather which has caused her family no end of sorrow and hardship.

In one of his interviews, Trent told us that one of his young daughters asked him why he had written about two brothers in his first book when he had two daughters. He also told us that he used to look up at the sky to talk after his father died. It was these two incidents or feelings or ideas which connected to create the seed of All our shimmering skies.

I love the mix of real-life events and mythology, the sadness of Molly’s life combined with her hopeful spirit, the wonderful descriptive writing and the unlikely but absolutely believable ‘sky gifts’. This book will become an Australian classic.

Ever read a novel where the description of fashion makes you want to frock up in a 1920s flapper dress, reach for a mini skirt or adorn yourself in sprigged muslin?

I am celebrating frocks and fiction in this post, as well as my dear friend, Leane Flynn, who has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of ovarian cancer since her diagnosis three and a half years ago. You can read more about her story in this post here.

Frocktober is a chance to raise both awareness and funds for women with ovarian cancer through the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. There is currently no early detection test for ovarian cancer and as there are no obvious symptoms, many women are diagnosed too late. One woman dies from ovarian cancer every ten hours. The recurrence rate is extremely high and the survival rate is extremely low – only one in every four women diagnosed will survive five years.

You can donate to Leane’s fundraising page here.

Thinking about fashion, here are some of my favourite fashion in fiction moments:

• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery – Anne desperately wants a dress with puffed sleeves (and hasn’t that fashion come back in!) but Marilla thinks it’s a waste of material. Matthew asks Rachel Lynch to sew a dress for Anne – ‘a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pin-tucked in the most fashionable way, with a little ruffle of filmy lace at the neck. But the sleeves – they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown silk ribbon.’ Anne thinks it is exquisite!

• A kiss for Mr Fitzgerald by Natasha Lester – Natasha’s books are all full of fashion. In one scene, Evie wears a dress of ‘sapphire blue. It had a tulle skirt that fell to just below the knee. The bodice was sequinned and the neckline dived gracefully to end at her sternal notch. An inset of semi-sheer flesh coloured fabric was artfully placed over the middle of her chest, but even knowing that, Evie blushed when she looked in the mirror.’

• Fancy Nancy written by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glass – Fancy Nancy became a role model for all little girls in the last decade or so. Who can argue with a pint-size heroine who tells us ‘lace-trimmed socks do help me to play football better’?

• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder – remember the small scene where Ma is in such a hurry that – heaven forbid – she accidentally ties Mary’s blue ribbons onto Laura’s brown braids and Laura’s pink ribbons onto Mary’s golden braids? The sisters smile at each other and toss their braids to the front of their shoulders so they can admire their ribbons, for Laura is tired of her pink ribbons and Mary tired of her blue ones.

• Bird by bird by Anne Lamott – this is a book about writing, not fashion but there is a brief line where Anne talks about putting on her girl-writer dress for an important meeting with her editor. There’s no description of what a girl-writer dress looks like but in my head, it’s similar to my red wool dress with the cream trim and gold buttons!

• All our shimmering skies by Trent Dalton – this book has a wonderful twelve-year-old heroine, Molly Hook, who has her eye on a sky-blue satin dress in the window of Darwin’s Ward’s Boutique in the 1940s. It’s a ‘teenager’s dress and a going-out dress that Molly could wear to a dance or to a Hollywood premiere on the arm of Gary Cooper, if only she wasn’t so busy digging graves in Darwin, Australia.’

Thank you for supporting research into ovarian cancer by educating yourself or donating to Leane’s fundraising page here. Leane and I are grateful for your support.

At a writing retreat I attended in February this year, Canadian author Sarah Selecky suggested that if we truly loved a book, we could write a letter to the author.

This was not about flicking off a quick email – oh no! Nor was it a quick rummage through the junk drawer to find a crumpled writing sheet. This was to be a thoughtful act, worthy of a beautiful card.

A few months ago, I read an Australian book that I loved so much, I wanted to tell the author exactly why I loved it. So I spent five minutes at our local newsagency choosing a gorgeous card with an image that kinda matched the book. I even made practice notes on what I wanted to say, lest I mess up that gorgeous card! Then I wrote a letter in smallish writing on both sides of the card.

I did not mention I was an aspiring writer. I did not write my email address or my blog address. I did not want this author to think that I needed a response from her.

It was a small gesture to say thank you for writing a book that took my breath away. Thank you for giving up late nights out and Netflix and weekend coffees with friends. Thanks for writing before work or after work. Thanks for writing through periods of self-doubt. Thanks for writing all the drafts. Thanks for editing and editing and editing it. Thanks for writing your book so I could have the pleasure of reading it.

I posted the card to her publisher during the first Melbourne lockdown. I hope it found its way to her!

Perhaps there’s an author out there who needs to hear from you!

A couple of months later this year, Australia’s Love your bookshop day is tomorrow, 3rd October. It’s an annual celebration of the way bookshops offer not only books as physical products but bring communities together, celebrate a love of reading, offer carefully curated lists, support novelists and contribute to literary discussions.

My local bookshop, Readings, has kept us going this year with a wide range of children’s fiction, young adult, adult fiction and adult non-fiction. For many of us, reading has offered us escapism during this tough time.

Many bookshops in Victoria are offering a contactless click and collect service or you can order online.

As well as supporting bookshops, buying books supports writers. Did you know that writers usually only receive 10% of the price of the book? There are so many people involved in publishing a book: there’s the writer, structural editor, copyeditor, publisher, typesetter, interior designer, cover designer, proofreader, marketing team, sales team, public relations specialist, printer and the bookshop team.

So many people who contribute their talents to the book all need a slice of the pie.

So by buying a book, you’re supporting a whole industry including a writer who usually has a day job or supplements their writing with teaching, mentoring or grants because writing a book can sometimes only bring in a tiny amount. Often debut writers will have a print run of 3,000 books – so if you consider a book worth $24.95, that’s $7,485 for years of work, presuming that all 3,000 books are sold.

If you want to read a book by your favourite writer or if you want your local bookshop to continue their wonderful offerings, please support writers and your local bookshops.

One of the benefits of this pandemic we’re all in is that many live events have gone online. Because of this, I listened to a conversation between creative luminaries Julia Cameron and Elizabeth Gilbert. They have both written numerous novels and non-fiction books on creativity – way too many to mention but Julia is well known for The artist’s way and Liz for Eat pray love.

It was run by the How To Academy – I listened to the replay as even for Julia and Liz, I wouldn’t/couldn’t stay up until 3am!

Julia created the idea of morning pages for blocked artists – writers, actors, musicians, painters, sculptors, filmmakers and so on. Morning pages are almost the first thing to do when you wake up – three pages of longhand writing about anything that crosses your mind. You bring all the rubble to the surface – it’s not art, not real writing. The idea is to write from the petty to the profound. It’s important to keep your hand moving across the page – this trains you to expand, to make you larger than your current size. Julia calls pages the bridge – when people are ready to change sizes, from little you to big you.

In response, Liz said it was surprising the insights that ended up being the bridge. She quoted Einstein, who said that the same mind that created the problem cannot solve the problem. (I keep hearing this quote come up again and again!) Because you’re trying to draw the information out of a mind that won’t change, you become stuck. And when you’re stuck, the morning pages become your bridge. Liz described how first thing in the morning, you haven’t had time to become yourself so when you write your morning pages, the gatekeeper isn’t awake, so everything can slip in.

Julia also created the idea of artist dates, when you take yourself out weekly for a solo expedition. It could be a movie, a walk in a different part of your city, a class in a different medium, a visit to a gallery or museum. Creativity isn’t sensible, Julia reminded us. Serious art is born from serious play. Our lives of chores and work and obligations can drain our creative well, therefore we need artist dates to replenish ourselves.

Liz described artist dates as a disruption to the commuter mind, the mind that despairingly believes tomorrow will be exactly the same as today. A friend once told her that we should do something different until something better comes along. The artist date is a way to do just that, to break up the monotony of the same breakfast, parking spot, office meeting.

Liz spoke with gentle humour about the many times people have asked her – how can I stop the world and go on a spiritual journey? She laughed and said that the pandemic is similar to an Indian ashram – many of us are invited to do absolutely nothing now. And there are the same feelings of rage, frustration, anger, regardless of whether it’s trying to sit on a meditation cushion in an ashram or being cooped up at home now. Her advice was to stay with it. Stop filling in time with activities and finding replacements for shopping and catching up. Go to your room and think! She said we’re social animals but we’re also spiritual. It’s beneficial to stop and get very still.

Their conversation has inspired me to greatness in my writing. Anyone else feeling inspired to write or bake or garden or create something?

Usually I share with you, dear readers, books that I’ve read. This time, I’m sharing books that I’m going to read. I’m in luck with birthday books from last month and a few others. Perhaps you can recommend my next book to read?

Adult fiction

Bluebottle by Belinda Castles – this is written by a friend of mine so I’m looking forward to reading this Australian family story. I met Belinda at a writing retreat earlier in the year, and was struck by her literary knowledge and commitment to her writing.

The question of love by Hugh McKay – a novel about marriage written by a psychologist – yes please!

A tale for the time being by Ruth Ozeki – a story about a Japanese girl, her great-grandmother and a writer. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize a few years ago.

Adult non-fiction

Deep Work by Cal Newport – hoping this will tell me how to enter into a deeply meditative yet completely alert state as I either write or edit! I’ll let you know …

Humankind, a hopeful history by Rutger Bregman – a bookclub book to be discussed next year. It came highly recommended so looking forward to some hope for humankind, much needed now.

Writing books

Writing from the body by John Lee – The subtitle states – for writers, artists, and dreamers who long to free their voice. I’m intrigued!

How to be an artist by Jerry Saltz – I am reading this in segments in between editing work. Each page has its own section so interesting as it is, I can restrain myself and not gorge on the whole book.

Children’s fiction

The lost souls atlas by Zana Fraillon – I’ve heard so many good things about this and loved her interview on The first time podcast. I’ve just started reading this one at night – interesting concept.

Australian book awards

I’ve been asked to be a judge for the Australian Business Book awards and have four books to review in the personal growth, wellbeing, sales and communication categories. They all look interesting and I’m keen to start reading.

So, which book should I choose next? How do you choose your next read?

Escaping lockdown life in Melbourne isn’t easy – 5k boundaries, permitted worker permits, night curfews. But, my friends, we do have our books!

I have recently escaped lockdown life in Melbourne by immersing myself in Janice Hadlow’s novel, The other Bennet sister, published a few months ago. Thanks to my well-read friend Steve for recommending it!

Jane Austen fans, you will know this title refers to Mary Bennet, the sister from Austen’s Pride and prejudice given the least amount of page space. Mary has no chance for more space, given she has to compete with her sisters – Jane’s beauty, Elizabeth’s wit and the silliness of Kitty and Lydia. But now Hadlow has given Mary a book of her own, and gosh, it’s a thick one at 655 pages.

Austen wrote one of the most memorable opening sentences in Pride and prejudice – It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Hadlow echoes this with her opening line – It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectation, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed.

The other Bennet sister follows the story of Mary, showing her part in the story covered in Pride and prejudice, but then going on to show Mary’s life post Elizabeth and Jane’s weddings. I found this novel totally absorbing and felt transported back to nineteenth-century England, back to Pemberley, Netherfields, Longbourn and London, and on to the Lakes District. Hadlow writes so convincingly in Austen’s voice and her portrayal of all the familiar characters is authentic. I do have a slight quibble with Mr Collins but I’m prepared to let this minor character’s new temperament slide.

It inspired me to watch both the BBC version of Pride and prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, and the movie with Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfayden. Really, who needs to go out?

And I guess I could go back and reread all the Austen books. My grandparents gave me a hardback copy of Austen’s novels – one big volume – when I was a teenager. I still have it, but I bought myself a beautiful pale blue and gold box set of Austen’s novels a while ago so I would not give myself repetitive strain injury while simply reading!

So, really, with all this Austen goodness available, who needs to go out? Let me know, are you an Austen fan?