Last year Readings was the lucky recipient of a James Patterson Bookseller Grant to further children’s literacy. We thought this would be a great opportunity to introduce the students of Carlton Primary School to author and artist Trace Balla.

Our children’s buyer Angela Crocombe helped organise the visit – here are her thoughts on the day.

On Tuesday, I took Trace Balla, last year’s winner of our Readings Children’s Prize, to visit the children at our local school Carlton Primary School. The teachers had been prepping for this moment since the first term – reading Trace’s books Rivertime and Rockhopping to the kids, talking about nature, and even taking them on an outing to CERES Community Environment Park to learn more about the river and the wildlife that lives there. So when we arrived, they were excited to see us and were incredibly welcoming.

It was such a privilege for me to witness Balla working with the kids and engaging them in her books, and to talk with them about her respect for indigenous culture and her love of nature.

Trace Balla said: “It was lovely to get out of the studio and among the students at Carlton Primary school on Tuesday. I liked bringing some nature appreciation into a school in the heart of the city, and talking a little about the indigenous history of this country with them. The students had put a lot of thought into their questions and were really enthusiastic. I loved meeting them and hearing what they had to say.”

Plus, thanks to our generous grant from James Patterson, we were able to give every child in the school their very own Trace Balla book to take home, share with their family and read again and again. It was truly a very special day for everyone, myself included!