On the morning of the 11th Of November, the whole primary department got a visitor. Most people knew that on that day, an author called Mo O’Hara would be visiting our school. Some people ordered autographed books while others made little comics or stories for her to see; everyone was excited. This is an event we look forward to every year because we believe reading is highly important and that it is to be valued greatly. The primary department has also had ‘literacy day’ earlier this year to celebrate reading.
The assembly started as usual, we walked in silently, sat down and stared at the front of the stage. Then, our headteacher, Mrs,Gurnett, introduced her to us, left the stage and let the author take over. As normal, she introduced herself to us, showed us the books she brought us (‘My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish’ series) and told us the back story, which made some people chuckle. She then told us what she had planned for the afternoon: making our own stories and a bit of acting. I, myself, could feel the atmosphere in the hall change as soon as she started talking. With echoes of laughter, a lot of acting and utilising our creative juices, the day was spectacular.
First came creating our own characters: we had to think of an animal and give it unusual powers. Some people came up with disappearing narwhals, fast snails and a lot more. I made a super-fast koala. After discussing our characters’ abilities and the variety of stories we could make about them, it was time for the acting, which was the main highlight of the assembly. I asked a group of Year 4-6 students about their favorite part of the assembly and they all agreed! I don’t blame them, it was surely my favorite too.
The second part, however, was just as invigorating. The author asked 4 people to come up and act as one of the main characters. But she insisted on -not hand-picking- but having an audition. So from our seats, we all tried to make the best impression of the characters. Two girls and two boys got chosen, and shockingly, without an audition, 6.2’s teacher was chosen too! It was a treat to see the teacher acting as a toddler and reciting lines from the books.
Mo O’Hara is a unique author as she was also a comedian and an actor for quite a bit; she also made us laugh our socks off! She had performed in London in comedy festivals and has traveled abroad, being a storyteller for people who would visit. Eventually, her dream came true and she released her first book.
Her books are funny, adventurous and take readers on emotional rollercoasters. The three main characters in ‘My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish’ made the story lovable for readers, and soon she started releasing more and more books for children to read. Her books range from easy reads to challenging ones for a wide range of child audiences to enjoy, from the youngest to the oldest of children! Her books also have interesting back stories. The ‘Zombie Goldfish’ series, for example, was inspired by a childhood memory of her and her brother trying to bring their goldfish back to life by ‘electrocuting’ it… And that was the bit she performed to us.
All summed up, Mo O’Hara is a wonderful, inspirational author that made the day so much better. The afternoon was an enjoyable treat for everybody. It was full of fun, laughter and learning. She currently lives abroad and visits schools for talks- and we are thankful she decided to pay us a visit. Years 3- 6 will soon start writing fictional stories, so this visit definitely boosted our excitement
You can go to her website to find out more about her, her books and where she is going next at http://moohara.co.uk/.
What a day…
