Many thanks to the Fenn boys!

Fans are fans wherever you go. I’ve just had some wonderful feedback from The Fenn School near Boston in the US. It seems that the boys are all getting hooked on my books and their classrooms are now plastered with images of Mokee Joe…and even scarier images of me! Thanks to the boys for all their enthusiasm, for the cap and the lovely signed ‘thank-you’ card you sent me. I’ll be back soon.

I left the US after visiting more wonderful schools – our last day saw us at PS152 where we met the fantastic choir (they made me cry again by singing in front of me!). They also gave us a CD of their performance to bring back home with us – all our folks love it! Be back soon.

Onto PS171 in the afternoon. A first visit to this school, but did we enjoy it there? You bet! Great students and great questions! We would love to return to this school and present and perform for them – though they proved great fans of our books already.

We left a snowy, icy Newark, New Jersey airport on Saturday night and were soon back in the cold and

Berkeley Juniors Engrossed!

grey UK…and straight back into schools the following week. Highfield Hall in Chesterfield, Broom Valley Juniors in Rotherham and Berkeley Juniors in Scunthorpe help us to stave off a feeling of anti-climax. In fact, far from it! These three schools provided a wealth of enthusiastic fans and Kath and I enjoyed a most fulfilling week. It was good to be back home and have our feet firmly on the ground again after all the glitz and glamour of New York, but what was clearly evident to us is that no matter where you go, it is the enthusiasm of our young fans that drives us on…people, not places!

It’s the end of the week and the jet-lag is only just beginning to fade, but we would just like to say a HUGE ‘thank you’ to all our fans, both in New York and in South Yorkshire…we love you all and can’t wait to see you again…with yet another new book....watch this space!

A final vote of thanks to all the staff who made our visits so pleasurable…to Gary Martin at Highfield Hall, to Adam Dawson at Broom Valley Juniors and to Justin Cowell at Berkeley Juniors.

PJM

Choir from PS172 at Book Launch

We can’t help loving the schools out here in the US. The reason is simple…they love us!  Can you believe that a school (PS172) formed a choir and opened our book launch with two beautiful renditions of New York songs, but with the words cleverly changed to fit in with the Mokee Joe books! They were incredible and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the auditorium afterwards…least not with the adults, anyway. The choir performance was over all too quickly, but the good news is that Kath and I are visiting PS172 on Thursday and they have agreed to sing again for us…can’t wait!!

The audience at the book launch was HUGE! By far the biggest audience I’ve ever stood in

BIGGEST audience of all time!

front of. And now that it’s all over I have the pleasant job of visiting the schools and signing books for all our fans. This morning (Tues) we visited a superb school in New Jersey – PS7. The teachers (educators) gave us a fantastic welcome and before long we were in front of 250 cheering Mokee Joe fans. We saw the most amazing merchandise made by the students, including Mokee Joe earrings, Mokee Joe cups, plates, t-shirts, sweatshirts and just about every Mokee Joe article it’s possible to imagine. Wow! How impressive is that for an author to see? Kath and I were over the moon to see all the work done on our behalf. A MASSIVE thank you to Ann Hazeley for all her support and to Miss Polo and the other student teachers we met back at the William Paterson University….we owe so much to them!

Mokee Joe makes Massachusetts!

After the book launch we were driven up to Boston in Massachusetts to visit a wonderful school  – The Fenn School for boys. And what fantastic boys they were!! The audience of around 150 students provided one of the most enthusiastic audiences I’ve had the pleasure to entertain. They were so up for the books and are now avid fans. We plan to return there in the Spring and will also visit the boys’ sisters in the nearby Girls’ School. The town of Concord provided a wonderful setting for our overnight stay. The Christmas decorations were still up and it snowed overnight! When we awoke the next morning it was Christmas all over again!! A big thank-you to Audrey for looking after us and to all the teachers and boys at the Fenn School for making us so welcome. We’ll be back…

Here’s a bit of red-hot news…the fifth Mokee Joe book will be set in the spooky swamplands of Louisiana and centred around New Orleans. For those who’ve now finished Mokee Joe: Mutant Resurrection…you’ll have guessed that anyway!!  PJM

Fame at Last!

The fourth Mokee Joe book – Mokee Joe: Mutant Ressurection, has finally been launched at the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York City.

Tuesday, 10th January, provided a day to remember!

My cover artist, Paul Bryn Davies, his wife Julie, my son Matthew and my wife Kath, all accompanied me to New York for the BIG event. Our host, Judy Parker, and her team did not let us down. The theatre was filled to capacity with over 1400 pupils from schools all over New York and the atmosphere was ‘electric’. Our friends from Louisiana, Margie and Allison, also flew into New York to join in the ‘Celebration of Reading’.

Margie and Judy were excellent speakers in building up the tension for the launch of the

Pete, Matt and Paul in Harlem

new Mokee Joe book. A slightly nervous Paul Davies also rose to the occasion and spoke to the more than enthusiastic audience about his approach to artwork. Paul also presented prizes to the winners of the Mokee Joe art competition. Kath, my wife, also looked a little tense in front of the huge audience as she presented prizes in the written and creative modelling sections of the competitions.

Signing the Board of Fame

Finally it was time for me to make my entrance and I have to say I was pleasantly shocked by the euphoric welcome from the packed auditorium. When the new book cover  was finally revealed, there was a huge gasp followed by an ear-splitting cheer as the students were told they would each receive a copy of the new book. Anyone who believes young people are no longer interested in books should have been there!  The atmosphere had to be experienced to be believed! After the event we met up with ‘Mr Apollo’ himself…a man who has worked at the theatre all his life and has met just about every famous celebrity around. He asked me sign the ‘Board of Fame’ and I signed near to Sir Paul McCartney and not far from the President and his wife. There were so many famous names I lost count.

Thank you once again to all at Carmel Hill for making such an event possible and especially to Judy Parker for all her organisation and hard work.

PJM

It’s been the most A-mazing term!

From the Isle of Man…to Seaton Sluice…to Liverpool…to Essex…to Yarm…and to countless schools in Chesterfield, we have had a wonderful time enthusing with so many welcoming pupils and staff. Don’t worry too much about what you see on the news or read in the newspapers (all doom and gloom!)…there really are a lot of lovely people out there! We are lucky enough to meet up with them almost every day.

Keep on reading...and I'll keep on writing!

I will never forget being in Yarm,  up in the early hours finishing the third redraft of the new book, Mokee Joe : Mutant Resurrection. I finished around 5am and visited a lovely school at 9am. I must have looked like the boy on the cover of Scabbajack...a wide-eyed zombie! But it was worth it. Oakdene Primary was brilliant and I’m confident the new MJ book be the best received of any of my books so far…the cover alone makes it a real ‘eye-popper’…but it’s top-secret at the moment. It will be unveiled for the first time on the 10th January in Harlem, New York at the famous Apollo Theatre (Theater?).  My other new book, Ten O’ Clock Caller, also has an amazing cover. I am sooooooo… lucky having the famous artist, Paul Bryn Davies working with me. And Simon, my talented son, has created some stunning black and white illustrations on the inside of the books.

I’ve just heard that the new Mokee Joe book will be ready on the 16th December. We are printing 4000 special edition copies with a fabulous flap cover. 1 500 books will go direct to New York. The remaining 2 500 will come to me at my home base. I can’t wait to see them…I’m so excited!

Oh well…I’d better get on with some Christmas shopping. Kath is giving me some fierce looks!!!

PJM

Black clouds loom over Yarm High Street

Kath and I were invited by the lovely Helen Wilberforce and her team to take part in some opening events at the newly-refurbished Stockton Library. We entertained a number of schools during Friday morning and thouroughly enjoyed ourselves. The pupils and teachers seemed really appreciative or our efforts. Once again the library staff really looked after us…thank you Helen and Karen.

Yarm Cottages Gargoyle...which one?

We travelled up to Yarm prior to the library events to visit four great schools. These were Levendale School, Layfield Primary, Thornaby Academy and Oakdene Primary. The schools were different in size, age of audience and catchment area, but in every case the pupils and staff were very enthusiastic and very welcoming. I’m sorry to go on singing praises again...but it’s true! We had a great time over the four days and were looked after incredibly well.  Oakdene

Keen fans at the Christmas Fayre

school held a Christmas Fayre on Friday evening and it proved a great way to finish off the week for us. We had a huge queue lined up to get their  ‘early Christmas presents’ and it was a joy to talk to so many keen pupils and parents. The usual BIG ‘thank you’ to all of the schools and staff for making us feel so welcome.

Layfield Primary Mosaic Magic

We must mention the wonderful Yarm Cottages opposite Conyer’s School on Worsall Road. The cottages were awarded GOLD AWARDS whilst we were there…no suprise to us! They are gorgeous and a great scenic and relaxing place to wind down. www.yarmcottages.co.uk

During the week we looked up our good friend Peter Huggins…affectionately known as ‘Peter Pops’. He has two very talented girls who are in to books and writing in a big way. I have visited their school, Yarm Primary School, a number of times. We always enjoy it there. Peter’s youngest daughter recently wrote a fab poem and it won a competition at her school. Here it is…no wonder it was a winner:

Reading is Great!

By Robyn Huggins, aged 9

We read to be thrilled, we read to be chilled,

We read to learn, we read to earn,

We read to do lots of different things…

How to bake cakes and how to mend rakes.

We read to escape to another land,

About fairytale princes joining a band,

We read to be happy when we’re feeling sad,

When I don’t have my book it drives me mad!

Books are great, books are fun, books are good for everyone!

Books can be enjoyed by all ages,

Even babies enjoy flicking through the pages,

Books can be enjoyed by those who are older, though the writing needs to be a lot bolder,

Even blind people can read about a whale, because they have special books that are written in Braille.

Fat ones, thin ones, it doesn’t matter which, you can even read them if you are stranded in a ditch!

Books can be read almost anywhere, from sitting on a toilet to sitting on a chair,

They can be read on a train or a plane,

They can be read in a car whilst travelling far,

or on a bus without any fuss

You can read them in the morning, you can read them at night,

But if you read a spooky one it may give you a fright!

You can take your favourite book to your favourite holiday place,

It will make you feel relaxed and put a smile upon your face!

Some like history, some like mystery,

Some like fact, some like fiction,

One thing’s for sure… books are an addiction!

It’s truly a great poem and sends out the same message as I try to send out myself…that reading is ‘cool’!

Thanks, Robyn…see you again soon. Give our best wishes to all at Yarm Primary.

Pete

Kath and I enjoyed a few more local schools…much less stress involved than driving long distances!

Monday saw us at Christ Church Primary School in Chesterfield. As with previous Chesterfield schools, the staff and pupils were brilliant. We really enjoyed our Mokee Joe performance and also enjoyed a great book-signing the next day. Hope to see all our new fans again before too long. Thank you for making us so welcome!

Signing at Da Vinci Community College

Next…a totally different audience in front of 150 Year 7’s at the Da Vinci Community College in Derby. Our audience looked a tough crowd, but we soon had them hooked on our presentatiion and they proved to be one of the best groups of students we have had pleasure to work with. Again, a book-signing the next day proved a very enjoyable experience. A big ‘thank you’ to Lindsey Till for looking after us so well.

On to Leeds to visit our old friends at Fountains Primary School. They base much of their

Great models at Fountains Primary

literacy on our books and it makes me proud to see so much creativity inspired by my Mokee Joe creation. We saw some great models based on ideas for Mokee Joe transport…how cool is that! Thank you to so many pupils for sending me great e-mails. I hope I get time to reply to them all. But please remember I can only reply if you copy in your CORRECT e-mail address…so no mistakes please! 

And now it’s back to my desk to finish work on the fourth Mokee Joe book.                              See you all soon.

The new Mokee Joe poster

No…it’s nothing to do with NASA or the latest US space launch…it’s my heading for the latest news re the launch of the fourth Mokee Joe book…Mokee Joe: Mutant Resurrection.

Kath and I have just returned from our most exciting trip to New York ever! We learnt that our new Mokee Joe book is to be launched at the world-famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem – the theatre where so many stars have made an appearance, including Michael Jackson (he did his first ‘moonwalk’ there). The launch is scheduled for 10th January 2012 and Mokee Joe fans from 46 schools across New York are to be invited. The final audience will be around1500. All of the students invited will have read the Mokee Joe Trilogy and many of them will have taken part in Mokee Joe competitions. One school, PS152, are providing a choir to sing a song they have composed to tie in with the Mokee Joe theme. How incredible is all that!

To make matters even more exciting, some celebrities have been invited, but we’re keeping that side of things secret until we know they can come along for defiinite…we don’t want to build hopes up for nothing!  As far as I’m concerned, 1500 adoring Mokee Joe fans is more than enough to make the dream come true. Believe me, I am counting the days until January 10th!

Kath shopping in Manhattan

The cover artist, Paul Bryn Davies, is also hoping to be there, along with his lovely wife, Julie. I sincerely hope they will be there because the cover forthe new book is the best yet and it will be unveiled at the launch for all the fans to see. It remains top secret until then. After the launch, I will be working in schools in New York and Boston and meeting lots of fans face to face…I don’t know who is more excited – me or them!

I am so very grateful to Dr Judy Parker of the Carmel Hill Foundation. She and her team are responsible for the wonderful success we are enjoying in New York, Monroe and New Orleans and we have just learnt that we will be spending EIGHT WEEKS working in the US in the first half of 2012…thank you again, Judy and Carmel Hill!

Hope you like the pics…including the new poster to go with the new book...it’s not the cover – be patient!

Pete

The beginning of the week saw Kath and I heading south to deepest Essex to link up again with our loyal fans at the Billericay School.

The Billericay 'Star Team'!

Jacqui Clare and her team welcomed us with their fantastic brand of hospitality and before we knew it we were launching into our updated Mokee Joe/Scabbajack performance in front of 300 very keen Year 7’s.

Big fans at Billericay School

The following day saw us performing the Bonebreaker production, this time in front of a big audience of Year 8’s. We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and interest shown by the Billericay students – they seem to have taken to our books in a big way and we were staggered at the number of those who had already read the whole series…brothers, sisters and entire families reported to be avid collectors and readers of our books…a real inspiration to our work. THANK YOU to you all…and once again to Jacqui, Kim and the library team for all your support…for all the sandwiches, cakes and endless cups of tea and coffee necessary to keep our energy levels up. Hope you like the pics.

Kath and I will be back next year with our two new books…can’t wait!

Fab Fans at Dunston Primary

Next stop was back ‘Up North’ to visit Chesterfield again…this time another gem of a school called Dunston Primary. The staff were equally welcoming and the small audience of around 100 pupils were very impressive. I’m pleased to say that we created a real ‘buzz’ at the school and the signing the following day astounded us – so many pupils (and especially the Year 6’s) clammering to get their hands on the books. Mrs Davison is rightly proud of her happy school and Kath and I were proud to spend time being part of it. An interesting development that came from our visit is that the school has strong ties with a school in Germany.

BIG orders for New York

One of the staff was sufficiently impressed with the books to offer her services as a translator and to link up with her native Germany in helping us establish our work there. Watch this space as they say!

It’s Friday (4th November) and we’re back home. I’m sitting in the office listening to the rain pouring outside and wondering what the weather will be like in New York. Kath and I are jetting out there on Monday for three days of meetings to discuss the launch of Mokee Joe 4 in Harlem in January next year. We will also be planning our work in the US in 2012…all very exciting!

Keep in touch…and watch out for news of the TWO new books…see you all soon!

PJM

A quick dash up the A1 found us back in Tyneside heading towards Whitley Bay. A new school (new to us!) Seaton Sluice Middle School, provided us with an army of new fans. Following the presentation, it was a real thrill for us to see so many Year 8’s lining up to get hold of the books and engage in some very spooky reading. Once again, Scabbajack really seemed to capture the imagination of the Seaton Sluice students. The staff were very supportive of our cause and Kath and I would like to record here our gratitude. See you all soon! We’ll be back next year!

On to Ponteland Middle School – now ‘old’ fans of ours. We performed our updated Mokee Joe presentation in front of a whole load of Year 5’s and a good number of staff. It proved a very lively and interactive experience, but all in the most positive way. Mrs Russell is one of our most loyal supporters and I’m pleased that she was so impressed with the response of her year group. She has now ‘adopted’ us as annual visitors to keep in league with our growing army of fans at this lovely school.  Again…we’ll be back next year!

CHESTERFIELD GEMS:

Town of the Crooked Spire

First stop in the town of the crooked spire – Cutthorpe Primary…true ambassadors of our good work!

Mr Brookes and our Cutthorpe Ambassadors

This small rural school is a real gem of a place. It’s so cosy and homely there it has to be experienced to be believed. Two other nearby schools came along to join in the ‘Bonebreaker Experience’, Bonsall Primary and Holmesdale Infants’ School (the bravest group of Year 2’s we’ve ever met!).  Once again the presentation went down a storm and our audience joined in with real gusto. It was so heartening to see the three schools joining in together and willingly acting alongside each other on stage.  ‘Thank you’ to Mr Brookes and his staff for yet again making Kath and I so very welcome…including providing us with a lovely lunch…the dinnerlady there is a real chef de cuisine! A special mention to Luke and Iona and our other very keen followers at Cutthorpe Primary.

On to two more Chesterfield schools, Brockwell Junior School and Whitecotes Primary.  Both schools responded brilliantly to our visits and Kath and I have made hundreds more friends…despite scaring so

Big fans at Brockwell Juniors

many ‘victims’ with our spooky stories. It was a fabulous experience signing so many books immediately prior to half-term. Hopefully, lots of parents will have a slightly quieter time whilst their offspring are hiding away in dark corners coming to terms with the seven-foot tall Mokee Joe and the creepy ‘zombie-like’ boy, Jack Craddock (Scabbajack).

Oh well…it’s time to unpack the car of all my props and roadshow  and re-pack to zoom off down to Newbury in Berkshire. Kath and I are spending some time with our two sons and discussing plans for our forthcoming trip to New York in a few weeks time. I shall also be putting the finishing touches to my two new books in readiness for the BIG launch early next year. So many fans are waiting for the fourth Mokee Joe book…I don’t think I’ve ever felt so excited since I began writing 8 years ago!

Have a spooky, but safe, half term…and beware looking out your bedroom window!  Bye for now!

Pete (and Kath)

Kath and I have just had another brilliant week travelling around the good old UK…in the not so good old weather!

Back in Liverpool

First stop was a Monday morning visit to the Aintree Davenhill Primary School right by the side of the famous Aintree racecourse. We joined the KS2 audience in the confines of the dining hall while the school is undergoing building improvements. All went extremely well – until the dinner ladies moved in forceably and almost threw me out in my huge platform shoes!  (Dinner ladies are scared of no one!). Seriously, the presentation was a great experience and we were more than impressed by the enthusiasm and attentiveness of the large audience. A big thank you to all concerned…we will be back!

Next stop…over to our very good friends at Liverpool College. Mr Buglass has long be a fan of our books,

Our good friends at Liverpool College

despite me using his surname for the brutish Headteacher who turns up in the second Mokee Joe book (Mokee Joe Recharged). I have to say that this third visit proved the most enjoyable of all – the audience being so ‘up for it’ as they say. A special thank you to Mrs Ashworth for helping so willingly (and efficiently) with book orders following the event. Again…we will be back…especially after the release of our next two books.

Opening the library at Bramley Sunnyside

Would you believe our next port of call was literally a few hundred metres from where we live (when we’re there, that is!); the ‘untried’ and ‘untested’ Bramley Sunnyside Junior School. Wow! It turned out to be a most fabulous school…and right on our doorstep!  The audience was so big we had to split it – Yrs 4 to 6 in the morning and Yrs 2 and 3 in the afternoon. I didn’t think the the morning audience could be bettered for participation and attentiveness – they were brilliant! But the little Yrs 2 nd 3 gave them a good run for their money. I only intended spending half an hour with the younger ones, but they were so good I just kept on going… for well over an hour.  A HUGE thank  you to all the staff and pupils for giving us a day to remember…and we have no excuses for not getting back much more often – after all, you are our neighbours!

Finally to Buxworth Primary. They won me as a prize! Well at least a visit from me as a prize!  The school has to be in one of the most beautiful locations in the land – on the edge of the High Peak. The  Headteacher has done a great job in developing a wonderfully cosy school…we loved it there. We only had around 40 pupils, but they were so keen and

5* Accommodation in the Hight Peak

A Great 'Hudson' at Buxworth Primary

hung on every word – the teachers too! The night before the presentation we stayed in the stunning High Croft Guest House (5*) where our host, Elaine, looked after us so well…the breakfast was to die for! The house itself and the views up to Eccles Pike…out of this world!

Well…what a week! Kath and I regard ourselves as truly blessed in visiting such great schools in such beautiful places…but most important of all, in meeting so many lovely pupils and staff. It is so easy to get a bad image of the world through the media and press, but believe me, there are LOTS of really nice normal people out there!  (Oh dear…I’m getting all sentimental again!)

See you all soon.

PJM