Schoolyards, Stories and Storms: What I Learned about Facing Fears
May is Domestic Violence Prevention Month here in Queensland. It heralds the annual event designed 'to raise community awareness of the social and personal impacts of domestic and family violence and the support available to those affected .' I hope, picture books, like At The End of Holyrood Lane are able to contribute to this heighten level of awareness and encourage us all to 'do something', take heart, find the courage to speak up and ultimately foster change. I wrote this article last year whilst reflecting on some of the fears I harboured as a child and how they coloured my emotional makeup. Some forty odd years ago, I was the new kid in a new school in a new state having relocated from Queensland to South Australia. I could barely understand the strange southern dialect and mentality and felt more bewildered than excited. I was also the sort of child whose closest friends dwelt in books. Stories offered a solace I actively sought. Storybook...
