A BUDDING Creswick author has gotten herself a step closer to her dream of publishing a children’s book.
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Jodi Toering works at two primary schools in Ballarat and said she sees the magical effect books have on a child’s development every day.
“As a reading recovery teacher, books are the tools that I use to teach children how to read and write,” she said.
“I’m an avid reader of picture books, I pick them up before my children do.”
Ms Toering has won the 2015 Edel Wignell Mentorship from the Australian Society of Authors, which includes 25 hours of help from an established children’s author in 2015, and then more help getting her story published in 2016.
She said it was an honour to be chosen.
“The one thing I do know, through my work over the last couple (of) years, is that writing for children is a fiercely competitive industry, and is one of the hardest industries to crack,” she said.
“Winning this mentorship is a great step in the right direction.”
The story with which Ms Toering won the mentorship is about the gradual disappearance of birds from Australian cities.
“It’s told in a non-fiction sense, it’s told using magic and metaphor to connect with children,” she said.
She credited the support and encouragement of her husband and professional help from children’s author and illustrator Mark Wilson for helping her to realise her childhood dream of getting published.
alex.hamer@fairfaxmedia.com.au