Margaret Bateson-Hill - Writing
Margaret Bateson-Hill
AIM High Writing
Summary
Age range - Primary
Books - Ages 8 - 12
DBS Checked Yes - Enhanced- Registered for the Update Service
Booking
Contact
+44 (0)1535 656015
aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk
Margaret Bateson-Hill is both an author and a storyteller.
About Margaret
Margaret grew up in Blackpool, and studied English and Drama at Hull University. Margaret now lives in the South of England.
Margaret has published both picture and fiction books. Her books have been translated into many languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Danish, Catalan, Korean and Polish.
Margaret has worked as a storyteller for over 30 years telling stories in schools, museums and libraries, including Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the V&A, the British Museum, the Foundling Museum and Apsley House and the Horniman Museum.
Margaret is an experienced creative workshop leader in schools and after school clubs from Brixton to Beijing.
She is one of the CWISL(Children’s Writers and Illustrators for Reading and Literacy) tutors for the creative writing festivals, ShoutSouth, ShoutWest! and the one day MiniShout!
As Patron of Reading at Cypress Primary she ran regular class writing sessions and afterschool book making projects
She is author in residence at Christ Church Primary Battersea, and every summer term (including during the Covid 19 pandemic ) she publishes a book of children stories and illustrations based on the school’s garden.
Margaret’s AIM High Writing Day
Margaret’s AIM High day is based upon the fabulous first book of the Dragon Racer trilogy: First Flight, and is suitable for Key Stage 2 children
The main aims of the day are for children to become more confident in their writing, to experience writing as something that can be enormously fun and to understand writing can be a messy affair and something we need to work at!
Margaret starts the day with an introduction of herself and her books. Discussion continues on to how Margaret came to get the idea for the trilogy by discovering her “secret self”- she flies racing dragons!
Children are asked what their secret selves could be; time travellers, spy with gadgets, superpowers, owners of magical objects etc - the list is endless!
After a short introduction to the book, children progress to build a dragon character including various techniques such as using the five senses, completing a fact file, understanding the character’s needs and fears and drawing its picture.
Action! Plotting the story includes setting the scene when the children meet their dragons, how each character reacts, how to make the scenes come alive with character and emotion, what happens and how the scene/story is resolved.
Children will also focus on key factors such as whose POV the story uses, using first or third person, short or long sentences and looking at verbs.
Everyone continues to develop their characters and scene and if the children are comfortable, they can read their scenes aloud revealing their dragons to the world!
A Selection of Margaret’s Books
This book follows the story of a girl named Joanna and her best friend who happens to be a dragon called Flying Excelsior. Joanna’s normal mundane life of household chores and doing her homework gets turned on its head when, she becomes the youngest dragon flyer in the country. Along with the glamour and the glory, comes envy from her competitors eager to see her fail. Terrible danger ensues and she will need all of her skills and a great deal of help from her best friend to survive. An out of this world-exciting story about friendship and loyalty. If you enjoyed Salamanda Drake's debut Dragonsdale, then you'll love this.
Joanna is the new owner of the Brixton Dragon Caves. What could be better? But Arch-rival Marius King has been plotting revenge on the dragon-racing world from prison and he's ready to unleash his plan. Joanna must put aside her differences with the rest of the team if she wants to save her beloved Excelsior...
Fiesty hero Joanna leads a diverse cast in this wonderful adventure - action divided between the Brixton caves in London, Brighton and Wales.
World champions Joanna and her racing dragon Excelsior are at the top of their game and the dragon-racing world is looking to a bright future after the frightening events of last year. But strange and troubling things start happening. Joanna can sense dragons in pain, dragons being hidden away, dragons with dark secrets . . . Uncovering the truth will put Jo and Excelsior in danger of their lives can they fight to survive?
Bookings
To book Margaret please contact us now at aimhigh@caboodlebooks.co.uk