Visit the Millie website to find out more - web.me.com/readingbus/Millie

Millie costs £5.99 (buy the book here) and there will be a Millie website full of resources to complement the book. There will also be a Millie Tour onboard the Reading Bus with Sheena Blackhall. The tour will take place in Aberdeenshire in November and December and Aberdeen City in January and February.

This will be our fourth commercial publication and follows the huge success of Fit Like, Yer Majesty?, Nae Bad Ava! and Fit’s for Supper?

Exciting new developments include a three year Reading Radio job funded by Children in Need. This post will allow the partnership between Station House Media Unit and the Reading Bus to be enhanced and extended to allow radio work to take place in 18 different schools. There has been tremendous interest in the post and interviews will take place within the next few weeks.

We are also delighted to announce that the Reading Bus is now a Regional Training Centre for Apple and our new Macbooks arrive this week. An inspiring programme of film animation will be rolled out to schools over the next few weeks.

There is also a new Doric book being published in late October. ‘Millie’ is a picture book that tells the tale of a loveable Dalmation dog who loves to steal sandwiches. During her walks at locations around the North-East of Scotland, Millie has a fine feast of stolen goodies from unsuspecting fishermen, golfers, posties…. The book has been written by Sheena Blackhall and illustrated by Bob Dewar.

Watch this space for more updates.

Award winning children’s author John Fardell and Lord Provost of Aberdeen Peter Stephen unveiled ‘Wishes and Legends’. The book has been generously sponsored by TAQA Bratani, an Aberdeen based oil and gas exploration company.

Over 200 pupils were involved in writing the book and worked with authors, storytellers and artists to create their own original stories based on wishes and legends.

The event also celebrated the Heritage Lottery Funded project ‘A Journey through Old Aberdeen’. Woodside School launched their own publication ‘The Woodcarvers of King’s College Chapel and Cornhill School launched ‘Aul Aiberdeen’. Guests were taken on a ‘journey’ through Old Aberdeen calling at various ‘bus stops’ along the way to find out from pupils, teachers and specialist educational workers more about the inspiring projects.

Read more on Children’s Wishes and Legends unveiled - Aberdeen City Council

The day was a huge succes!

We are also looking forward to being part of Word 10 with Reading Bus events being offered to schools and families. Word 10 will also be our celebratory event to launch our TAQA funded book called “Wishes and Legends” as well as our culminate exhibition of the heritage lottery funded project called a “Journey through Old Aberdeen”.

The Youngsters’ Forum has regular updates, have a browse through the radio shows, film animations and children’s writing.

The classes also had a treat for Simon as they performed storytelling performances from two of his books; Goat and Donkey in Strawberry Sunglasses and Little Lost Cowboy.   The four different classes had worked with Grace Banks and their class teachers and were delighted that their parents came along to enjoy their performances and to share the celebrations.

Thank you Simon for making World Book Day a very special day for The Reading Bus.

Find out more about Simon and his books by visiting www.simonputtock.com

The pupils have researched the rich history of Seaton Pottery and created their own modern Seaton Pots.  All the pupils, staff and many of their parents have made and painted over 120 very bright and vibrant small pots.

Nancy also worked with the the pupils to create two stunning pots that will be a lasting legacy for the school to enjoy for many years.

Seaton School’s fantastic work will also be displayed in Provost Skene House during April as well as being showcased at Word 10 at the University of Aberdeen.

The modern Seaton Pottery is part of the Heritage Lottery funded project called “A Journey through Old Aberdeen.” The Reading Bus team are working in partnership with 8 schools in the St Machar Community and Marischal Museum, Arts Education Team and Station House Media Unit.

An exciting programme over the next few months has been planned, working across schools and communities in Aberdeen as well as a few extra journeys to Aberdeenshire.

A few highlights include the Taqa funded writing project across ten schools involving authors, student volunteers, artits and over 140 children;  the culmination of the Heritage Lottery project called “A Journey through Old Aberdeen”; weekly radio broadcasts on Reading Radio; book groups and literacy sessions for parents; the unveiling of the modern Seaton Pots and ofcourse lots and lots of reading and books!

Many thanks to all the sponsors, supporters and Friends of The Reading Bus for making all this and much more possible.

John worked with pupils from St Peter’s RC School and Kittybrewster School and his sessions with inspiring.

The Primary 6 class at St Peter’s RC School also had volunteer students working with them and over a period of four weeks produced excellent writing about Wishes.

The Reading Bus will continue to work on writing projects in schools over the next few months.  Funding from the oil company Taqa has made this possible.

Read more in the Press and Journal

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1499363

Sheila Lawtie, Health Co-ordinator organised the day and was delighted when Pudsey himself came onboard the bus.

Sheila and Norman, our bus driver, had a fantastic day at Baxters with over 150 youngsters enjoying stories, puppet shows and a colouring in competition.

The Reading Bus was one of many attractions organised for the fund-raising weekend at Baxters in Fochabers.

Well done to all!

Primary 7 recorded a show for Miss Graham and the students at Forest Edge.  It was a fantastic show with interviews from Mrs Evans and Miss Graham as well as a Doric Lesson, information about The Reading Bus, Aberdeen and Hanover Street School and a special studio guest.

The show is now uploaded to the Youngsters’ Forum - Hanover Street’s American PodCast - September 10th 2009.
You can also look on www.shmu.org.uk, go to Radio and look for Reading Radio on Thursday at 11am.

Students at Forest Edge and Hanover Street School are looking forward to communicating over the next year through radio, video conferences, blogs and ofcourse by letter!

Watch this space for more information.