AN Australian icon told stories and spread her “magic” at Loxton North School last week.
Australia’s most popular and best-selling picture-book author Mem Fox arrived in the region last Wednesday for the Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Fox shared stories of her childhood, life as an author, and the importance of reading to the school’s students.
Fox said she was “delighted” to be in the Riverland and share her love of reading with the students.
“People who say they don’t like reading or haven’t read a book mean they haven’t found the book for them, and that’s the message I wanted to get through to the students,” she said.
“There are right books for everyone. If you don’t like a book, do not finish it.
“I want children to be able to find a great book and have the story on their mind all day.
“When I’m in the middle of a good book, I might be doing chores like the washing or cleaning and all I think about is how badly I want to get back to my book… I want children to feel the same way.”
Fox said she hoped her visit inspired the students to read more.
“There are children who adore reading and I’m not worried about them,” she said.
“But it was a three-hour journey to get to the Riverland and I hope I inspired some children to go home and pick up a book.
“I want everyone to enjoy reading and that is why I am a Premier’s Reading Challenge ambassador.”
Loxton North School library co-ordinator Sue Jones said it was an honour to welcome Fox to the school.
“Each year the Premier’s Reading Challenge has ambassadors – Mem Fox being one – and you can go online and put in three priorities of ambassadors that you’d like to come to our school,” she said.
“We (the school) got a reply saying Mem was available and straight away I said ‘I don’t care what day or time she comes, book it in’.
“Big authors like Mem aren’t usually seen in the Riverland so to have a very popular author come to our school was very special.”
Ms Jones said the school’s library holds a number of Mem Fox’s books.
“Last year the school promoted our early-years literacy plan which involves children from birth to five years of age borrowing a pack from the library,” she said.
“We have a number of Mem Fox books and Where is the Green Sheep? is the most popular.
“We’ve been trying to get early years to really love reading so to have Mem Fox come along and share her love of reading with the children was amazing.”
Ms Jones said hearing Fox read Possum Magic was a treat for everyone.
“Not only have the kids grown up with Possum Magic, but so have I and many other teachers,” she said.
“Last year the students created their own Possum Magic journey.
“Around the school we put all the places the possums visited and we cooked the foods the possums ate in the book.
“At the time, some students were at home because of COVID, but some parents cooked food with us so everyone could be part of the magic.
“At the end of our journey, we put a scarf of the possum and it was really great.”