by Monica Slattery 3rd and 4th class boys got an invite to visit Cashel library. Oisin McGann, a well known children's author and illustrator, was present and gave the boys a good insight into how to improve their skills in writing stories. Oisin is from Meath and has wrote many children's books. His books have been translated in many languages. He began by telling the boys that all writers take their ideas from simple everyday events and then build a new story around such events. He read an extract from one of his books called 'Wired Teeth' which was about a little boy who had braces. This boy's braces had special interactive powers and abilities to communicate uniquely with outside world. He spoke about the importance of pictures in books saying that older children and even adults enjoy them as much as younger children. He asked the boys had they ever seen a newspaper without pictures! He then enthralled the boys by drawing in slow motion his character with the braces from 'Wired Teeth' . The boys loved this and saw his picture emerge from a simple circle to a funny cartoonist boy with unusual braces. Oisin gave the boys a great insight into how to create stories and even hinted that the camera in the corner of library could stir up ideas for a story. What if it followed them back to school ! The boys were very eager to learn all about the skills that make a good story writer and who knows we might have a few aspiring authors at school! Thank you to Gemma and all at Cashel library for inviting 2nd, 3rd and 4th to the library to see Oisín. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Below are some images that 4th class boys did inspired by the illustration of Oisín.
