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Education

Creating Lifelong Readers
Having a love of reading is one of life’s joys and is something that can be enjoyed, no matter what life stage we are at. It can see us through the good times and the bad, it is there to be used as an information tool, an educational tool, as well as a tool of comfort and of joy. Reading is something that can be shared and used to create bonding experiences, be it between friends, loved ones or parent/caregiver …
Reading

Reading Children’s Books . . . as an Adult
Children’s books. They mean different things to each of us. For many of us, especially the bookworms among us, there is often a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in our memories of children’s books and thoughts of a simpler time when we maybe had more time to read than we do today.  But when did you stop reading children’s books? As a child? As a teenager? Or maybe you still read them as an adult? But if you do still …
Reading Club

Book of the Month #2: The Tower Ghost by Natasha Mac a’Bháird
Clare O’Neill has won a scholarship to the school of her dreams – Sycamore Hill in County Donegal. When she starts, Clare barely has time to draw breath as she gets used to new routines, subjects, teachers and her new classmates. She soon befriends the very self-assured Rose and the shy, gentle Molly.  However, when Clare sees a girl in the window of the locked and out-of-bounds north tower, it seems that all is not as it should be at …
Author interview

TPP Talks to Natasha Mac a’Bháird
This month we were delighted to meet with another of Ireland’s popular children’s authors, Natasha Mac a’Bháird. TPP: Which character do you most identify with in The Tower Ghost? NM: Clare – she’s a bit of a perfectionist like me, always anxious to prove herself worthy! She also has a dreamy side, getting swept away by her imagination. TPP: Is Sycamore Hill like the school you went to? NM: I went to an all-girls convent school too, but it was just a day school in …
Reading

We’re Back!
It’s September. It’s a new school year. And that can only mean one thing – we’re back!  Welcome to the new season of The Primary Planet and News Flash. There’s lots to look forward to, old favourites and some new favourites too. Our biggest ‘new favourite’ this season is AG MAG – our new magazine for young farmers and their families, as well as for anyone who is interested in all things AG! AG MAG is a bi-monthly mini-mag that …
Reading Club

Book of the Month #1: The Weather Girls by Sarah Webb
It is 1944 and the Second World War (or the ‘Emergency’ as it was known in neutral Ireland) is raging across Europe. Grace Devine lives with her family at the lighthouse and weather station in Blacksod, County Mayo. Although Grace’s parents send over weather data to England to assist the Allies with the war effort, the family’s lives remain largely untouched by the war. That is until the day Grace and her best friend Sibby rescue Hans, a young German …
Author interview

TPP Talks to Sarah Webb
To kickstart the TPP Reading Club, we were delighted to meet with one of Ireland’s most popular children’s authors, Sarah Webb.  TPP: How long have you been writing? SW: I’ve been writing since I was about 10 years old. I was late to reading – I didn’t read fluently until I was almost 10. TPP: What made you want to become a writer? SW: Being a reader! Once I could read, there was no stopping me. I practically ate books! I loved Enid Blyton …
Reading

The Beauty of Reading Non-Fiction
Sometimes, when discussing reading for pleasure, non-fiction can take a bit of a back seat. However, it is important to remember that non-fiction is as valuable as fiction, and there are many who prefer it. There is so much to be discovered through reading non-fiction and so much knowledge to be gained.  So, what are the benefits of reading non-fiction? Here are our top ten: Non-fiction covers such a wide area of subject matter too; in fact, it basically covers …
Reading

A Summer ‘Booknic’
With summer well underway (I know, hard to believe from the weather!), thoughts turn to things such as holidays, days out, picnics, time spent with friends and family, summer sports and ‘booknics’ . . . But what is a booknic? Well, it is basically a reading picnic – a picnic with books (and magazines, of course) – and is an event that some reading organisations, such as OURfP, are suggesting as another way to encourage reading for pleasure.  A booknic …
Writing

The Joy of Writing for Fun
There is much talk about encouraging children to read for fun, its value and the wealth of benefits that it offers, which can last a lifetime. But what about encouraging children to write for fun? Like reading, writing also has a wealth of benefits. Writing encourages children to express themselves, to use their imagination, to explore emotions, to expand their vocabulary, to problem solve and to think about how they communicate, amongst many other things.  However, as beneficial as writing …
Books

The Joy of Tsundoku
There is no doubt that for many of us, buying books is one of life’s little pleasures. There is something so joyous and comforting about spending time in a bookshop, browsing through the offerings there, and then choosing something new to take home. Purchasing a book is like buying a new adventure, or new portion of knowledge, or just a little slice of joy. However, for all of us who buy books and delight in the joy of reading them, …
Reading

Find Your Reading Sweet Spot: Read What You Love
It sounds obvious, doesn’t it? After all, why would any of us read anything but books we love and want to read. However, as with anything, reading can be heavily influenced by many other factors – family, friends, education, social media, television, film, what we think we should be reading, what other people think we should be reading . . . the list goes on.  And although, there are advantages to being influenced in our reading habits – after all an outside influence might …