Very odd things tend to happen in Miss Strickland’s Year Five classroom.
There’s Tiffany, who is sure she will be a supermodel one day, and then there’s Joshua, who is absolutely determined to cause trouble. And then there’s the rest of the class, who somehow survive giant bean plants, runaway inventions, poisonous snakes, a crazy robot, very sticky glue, stinky gas and a chaotic fancy dress day nobody will ever forget. And just when they think things can’t get any stranger, a tiny late-night visitor arrives with a very unusual problem.
Filled with laugh-out-loud humour, unforgettable characters and one outrageous adventure after another, Dangerous Creatures: Crazy Stories From Wattle Creek Primary School is a funny, very Australian, chapter book that celebrates imagination, friendship and the wonderful unpredictable chaos of primary school life.
After spending so long crafting the stories, unboxing the first print run was VERY exciting!
Perfect for readers aged 8–11, this entertaining collection of school stories is ideal for:
• children who love funny books
• independent readers
• reluctant readers who enjoy humour
• classroom reading
• family read-alouds
Whether it's an invention gone spectacularly wrong, a mysterious visitor arriving in the middle of the night, or another unforgettable day in Miss Strickland's classroom, there's never a dull moment at Wattle Creek Primary School. Come and discover why anything can happen at Wattle Creek Primary School…and usually does.
Find it now in my publisher’s store, on Amazon everywhere and on Apple Books.
What gave you the idea to write the book?
Well, it all started with one story. The idea for ‘Furry Soft Things’ popped into my head one day and I quickly wrote it down. I quite liked the story and the characters, so I thought it would be fun to write more stories about Miss Strickland and her class.
That is a very tough question to answer because I like all of them. If I really need to pick one, I’d probably choose ‘Fancy Dress Day’. It was actually the last story I wrote and I really think Tiffany is hilarious in this one. I had a great time writing it. I also loved fancy dress days at school when I was a teacher. My class always looked forward to seeing my costume.
Where is Wattle Creek?
Which character in the book is most like you?
What is your favourite story in the book?
I imagine it is a decent sized country town somewhere in North Queensland. It’s a place where anything can happen, and usually does.
The first one, ‘Dangerous Creatures’, was the hardest. It’s a bit of a trick to introduce everyone and tell a good story at the same time. ‘The New Girl’ was originally the first story, but I moved that one later in the book and wrote one about real dangerous creatures instead as the first story. I think it turned out great… and the title has a great double meaning.
Is Wattle Creek Primary School a real school?
Of course it is! Well, it is in my mind anyway. Actually, the school is based on the memories of the school I went to when I was a kid. In fact, the illustration on the title page is based on the actual school I went to.
I like all of them, but I think my favourite would have to be Tiffany. She is very dramatic and is very fun to write. I have a great time imagining what she would say or do in different situations. I had a student once who was a bit like her - I just made Tiffany more extreme! I look forward to writing more about her.
Well, as a grown-up I’m most like Miss Strickland I guess. When I was a kid, though, I was a lot like Andrew. I was really bad at sports and preferred to be creative. I loved dressing up, mucking around in the creek behind my house and breeding mice (my mum didn't particularly like them though because two mice quickly become hundreds!).
Who is the book for?
Well, I wrote it mainly for 8-11 year-olds. However, kids and even grown-ups (especially teachers) of any age who like a laugh will enjoy it. I like reading the stories, and I’m over 60! They’re great to read aloud too. I was still a teacher when I was writing them and had lots of chances to test them out.
What was the hardest story to write?
Who is your favourite character in the book?
Step inside Miss Strickland's classroom and discover why normal school days are extremely rare.
