UK First for Primary School

Nineteen school children saw the fruits of fourteen months hard work become a reality with the recent publication of their own fiction story, 'The Secret Scroll'. Believed to be a UK first and a world second in collaborative writing, the book was launched at Selborne CofE Primary School as part of its Winter Wonderland fundraiser, the whole book project having been funded by Hampshire County Council.
 
A group of gifted and talented children who attended an after-school Newspaper Club at the school had talked about writing their own story back in the spring of 2008. In the meantime Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Elaine Platzer, became one of eleven Hampshire representatives to join a fact-finding trip to Canada arranged by Ian Troup, Primary Phase Inspector at Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service.
 
Elaine visited the Centre for Gifted and Talented Education in Calgary and spent time with a teacher who had developed work with local authors.  She came back to the UK brimming with enthusiasm and work on the book progressed.
 
With local author, Sarah Lucas, who already helped to run Newspaper Club, the children began to study character, setting, themes and plot. They came up with a story outline. They spent hours drawing illustrations. They made up new words. They edited chapter after chapter. They designed their own front cover. They worked with an editor on the blurb for the jacket. They worked with Cradduck's illustrator to get their cover just right. They even wrote to famous illustrator Quentin Blake who kindly gave them a quote and allowed them to use it.

‘We wanted the book to be the children’s book,’ writes Elaine Platzer, ‘to have the experience of working with an author to develop an understanding of how story writing can be a dynamic process.’

‘ITV News came in to see the children,’ says author Sarah Lucas, ‘then the books arrived from Cradduck Design and that moment was caught on camera. It was lovely!’

It’s been ‘a tremendously successful book’ according to Ian Troup, and ‘a wonderful and engaging story enhanced by charmingly simple illustrations to captivate the reader’ says Pauline Patterson, a Gifted & Talented Consultant.

Illustrator Quentin Blake was so impressed by a sample drawing he e-mailed an immediate reply: ‘I was impressed with Louis’ drawing – it was very good!’ he wrote.  ‘I hope your project goes very well.  Keep on reading and drawing – it’s great fun!’.

 Cradduck Design were equally excited at being involved with such a fabulous project. 'Our relationship with Sarah goes back a long way to when she was a marketing consultant for a firm of solicitors who were clients of ours' says David Cradduck. 'Sarah's enthusiasm and sheer determination - as well as that of her family - has taken her into a whole new world, that of children's books, and it has been terrific to work with her again. We wish her, and Selborne Primary School, well and hope the book is a sell-out'.

Liane McCarthy, the designer working on this project, added: 'I have really enjoyed working with Sarah on the 'Mad about Snails' books, so I was thrilled to work with her again on this exciting project. The children's creativity and talent was outstanding, and their ideas have enabled us to produce a one-of-a-kind book which will inspire and entertain children of all ages'.

With forty illustrations, one hundred and ten pages and over twenty four thousand words, The Secret Scroll is fantastic value at £4.99 (ISBN 978-0-9557251-3-5) (add £1.92 for p&p). It’s available through Selborne C of E Primary School, School Lane, Selborne, Hampshire GU34 3JA, by email at sarah@madaboutsnailbooks.com, or direct through Fishbourne Roman Palace in Chichester.