Local organiser, Rhonda Brain hosted the evening, mixing fun and jollity with the serious message that children need to be read to, talked to and sung to from the time they are born.  

Ronda challenged participants to a quiz about some of the more obscure details of familiar nursery rhymes and fairytales, generating much discussion, searching of distant childhood memories, and raucous laughter. 

Katrina spoke about her journey as an author, her passion for reading and writing, and the value of raising children in a book-rich environment. 

Beyond the more familiar benefits of promoting language development and literacy, Katrina spoke about the impact that books have on a child’s social and emotional development, self-esteem and mental health.  

She also encouraged parents and grandparents to continue to enjoy shared reading with the children in their lives long after they can read independently. Indulging in the joys of reading should be established as a life-long habit.

Ten-year-old Ella Butler came along to meet her favourite author and has written her own account of the evening...

“Katrina Nannestad is a bright and creative type.

Her books are humorous, moving and worth sitting down and reading. 

‘Red Dirt Diary’, the second book Katrina published, proves that to me. 

I sat down, read it and laughed, then I read it again and again. 

I found it to be a book I never put down.    

It was really exciting for me when she came to Parkes and had a night talking about books, children, reading to children and her life as an author. 

I learned that not all authors start as a person who is passionate about books.

She said that children are at a great advantage if they grow up in an environment that is rich with books. 

When parents read to their children their children learn language, they learn about our world and it's a special time for parents and children to share.

So if you have a child in your life, why not try reading a book together?”

- by Ella Butler. 10 years old