Welcome to my Guestbook
I love reading this guest book every night! Thank you for writing.
You’ll know from my Hot News Space that I don’t have time to reply to the majority of the messages, so huge apologies in advance.
I hope students doing urgent assignments will avoid heart-break and failure by not requesting my help in the first place. I feel badly about not being able to help out, and hope everyone will forgive me.
Needless to say I will reply to invitations so do remember to leave an e-mail address.
I no longer have time to visit schools (unless they are close to my house) because I am now focussing heavily on teachers, parents and reading aloud. I do feel sad about this and hope everyone will understand.
And finally a gentle reminder: everything you write in this guest book can be read by the whole world.
Best regards,
Mem Fox
Dear Mem
Love your books
My 15 year old was mesmorized when we came to hear you read 10 little fingers and 10 little toes
Have you ever thought of putting all your movies together? Then we could have you with us in our schools and homes
In the UK there is a website where they do exactly that It is called the Storyspinner
Thinking of you
Sue
Dear Mem,
I was just reading your section on how the book Time for Bed came about and I wanted to share with you. I first discovered this book as a kindergarten teacher 20 years ago. One of my students had checked it out from the library and had quickly mastered the patterned text and learned to ‘read’ it by herself. She couldn’t wait to show me she could do this. You haven’t heard this book until you’ve heard it read from a little voice. If you haven’t had this opportunity, I suggest it. I had tears in my eyes when she was done. Her sweet little voice reading these words was priceless and I knew at that moment I had to own this book for my own. Now, whenever I know someone who has had a baby this is the first book I buy for them as a gift. No house with young children should be without it. Thank you for this gift of literature.
Sincerely, Laura
Dear Mem,
When you appeared recently on the First Tuesday bookclub you mentioned two books that you wanted to read soon. One was “One Week in September.” Could you tell me what the other title was – it sounded like “Will For?
Your great enthusiasm for reading is really enjoyed.
Hi Mem,
In our family, we loves books, all sorts of books! We especailly love your books. I have been reading them to my kids for years, since they were babies. My six year old son read ‘Where’s the Green Sheep’ in it’s entirity yesterday!! He read it perfectly, with wonderful expression. I’m so proud! I just had to write and let you know!!
Hugs,
Karen
Good Day/Good Nite, Mrs. Fox. We at P.S.399K would like to wish you a very happy birthday. We hope your day was wonderful and filled with good things. We know that it’s about 1:30am in your part of the world but we are at school and we are celebrating your day. We will send you pictures soon of our celebration.
Your fans at P.S.399K
You are currently our special author and we are also learning about Australia. Three students were looking at our calendar from Scholastic and noticed that today is your birthday. They would like to wish you a happy birthday from our Kindergarten/first grade class. We hope you have a great day today. It is beautiful weather here as we wait for spring in Maine, USA. Yesterday we read Night Noises and today we will read Hattie and the Fox. We love your books….fondly, Aidan, Jordan and Will…from Mrs. Potter’s Class – New Suncook School – Lovell, Maine, USA
my grandaughter chelsea loves the green sheep book she is now 15months old when i ask her if she wants me to read her a book she goes into her room and gets me the green sheep thanks for being able to share it with her
pop
I’ve just discovered Mem Fox! beginning with Wilfrid GM Partridge – I was in tears by the end even though I haven’t a relative (yet) with alzheimers – and I loved Hunwick’s egg … and I can’t wait to get back to the library for more!!!! I am an American, a biologist, a teacher and now – excitingly – a mother! I lived in Australia for a year and love the animal stories …… Wonderfull – thanks so much!
Hi Mem,
Great viewing, the ABC’s First Tuesday Book Club. I was wondering about the strange title of the book Jennifer had found in New Zealand which you also seemed to know and showed approval of – FADE.
Surely, it’s not about hearing loss, when hearing at old age does fade and you go deaf?
Say hello to and Marg / Ana for me.
Kind regards
Dieter
Dear Mem,
We live in Cape Town, South Africa. Our daughters, Kara (9) and Laura (6), were introduced to your books about 4 years ago by their cousins who live in Melbourne.
We now have most of your books and regularly read them to the children (aloud, of course!). They know the books so well that some of them, like Possum Magic and Shoes From Grandpa, they can recite from the first word to the last.
However, I don’t think they’ve been able to memorise your name as well as the stories. The other night Mitzi asked the children who wrote Wombat Divine, and Laura answered Mem Possum!
Thank you for all the hours of pleasure you’ve given our family.
Kind regards,
Francois, Mitzi, Kara & Laura
dear mrs fox, my name is Eilish O’Malley and i am 10 and a half yrs old. i am a BIG fan. My favorite book is possom magic. Right now in school my class are doing speeches on famous well known Australians. Do you have any infomation on yourself that i could use? Also your writing has inspierd me to put every efort in class narritives, procedurs ect.Do you have any tips?
please write back.
Love from Eilish
Hi Mem
I thought that I would send thanks and praise to you after hearing you on “ABC – First Tuesday Book Club”… I sent an email promplty to the members of our Book Club to share your words!
Sometimes we don’t all get to read the book but we meet anyway! This of couse, confirms our desire for social interaction with lovely people – our friends! However, books are the common thread and the purpose for our get togethers!
Too often do we beat ourselves up when not reading! Just like you said! So thank you for saying it!!! Once it has been quoted by someone like yourself – we all feel a whole lot better… And or course, try a little harder to get back to reading when we are able!
Love Jane
Dear Mem, I gave a copy of your speech “The Folly of Jolly Old Phonics” to my daughter’s pre-primary teacher. (The school has a “phonics first” approach and has bought the expensive Jolly program which worries me greatly) In this transcript you mention that you were going on to help those school principals put some of your ideas into practice in the next session. Is there a transcript of that day’s session available please? Thank you, Helen Brown
Dear Mem,
I have read your section for writers atleast ten times. So you want to write a picture book and 20 Do’s and 20 Don’ts. As an aspiring children’s picture book author, I hang off your every word and love the diversity in your writing. Any information you can give on writing for children would be greatly appreciated. I love all of the different themes in your writing from animal families with Time for Bed, Multi culturalism in Whoever you are, and the excitment in stories such as Boo to a Goose, Guess What? and Hattie and the Fox.
I have spent the last 12 months visiting every children’s authors web sites to find out what is the secret to writing for young children. It is so much harder then what I expected and I’ve learnt that every word must count and the characters have to be fun and engaging. The Green Sheep is so cute and obviously a real hit with children, just check out the birthday cakes. I love the video by the way!
Cheers
Renee Taprell
Hi Mem,
I have just read your amazing book ‘Reading Magic.’ My children are all at high school now but I was excited to find that your book seems to provide explanations for a few things I noticed when they were small.
We always read to our children – early, often and with great enjoyment. My mother loves reading and read to my sisters and I so it seemed like a natural thing for me to do with my children.
One of the things I noticed as they began to talk is that they rarely made any of the mistakes which young children often seem to make. For example, they never used ’she’ or ‘her’ when talking about a boy or man or vice versa. They never said ‘her’s going for a walk’ or ‘I like apple’ instead of ‘I like apples’. They also never went through that stage of saying ‘Johnny doesn’t like that’ but used ‘I don’t like that’ right from the start. They talked early and, when they started school, had identical experiences when learning to read to your daughter’s.
I hope I don’t sound like I’m bragging because I don’t mean to. It’s just that the pieces are only now falling into place since I’ve read your book. It makes perfect sense now that reading aloud to our children – and talking to them – helped them master speaking, reading and writing well before they got to school.
Your book is brilliant. I hope you’ve sent a copy to Kevin Rudd and to all our Education Ministers in Australia. We need to take all (well, nearly all!) the money we spend on reading recovery programmes in this country and pour it into books for young children and promoting the importance of reading aloud. Maybe we should have volunteers in every maternity hospital to teach new mums how and why to read to their babies, just as we have people to teach us how to bathe and breastfeed!
Many, many thanks for your wonderful books and for ‘Reading Magic’ in particular.
Felicity
Dear Mem Fox,
We live in Arlington Texas and we are first graders at Webb Elementary School. We are the Webb Wallabys! We love all your books, some of our favorites are Hello Baby, Sleepy Bears, Harriet You’ll Drive Me Wild, Koala Lou, NIght Noises, Possum Magic, Ten Little Fingers, and Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge.
and Wombat Divine. We enjoyed learning about animals in Australia in your stories and kids from Australia. Most of us are from Mexico but now we live in Texas. If you ever come to Texas we would love to have you come and visit us. We love to listen to you read on the internet. With love & abrazos-
Mrs. Lowe’s First Grade Class
how old are you ?
do you have boyfriend
HOW OLD R U I NEED TO KNOW FOR A PROJECT PLZ
Zachary
what inspired you to be author?
p.s. i am not star struck
Just read your speech on the writing of the Green Sheep and I’m so glad its not about a goat laughing at a rainbow of sheep!
I know the Green Sheep book all too well as my little boy is obsessed with it and not a day goes by without it being read at least 10 times! He will find it at the bottom of a pile of books.
I found your site as I was googling ‘Green Sheep cake’ and the photos of Cameron’s cake was one of the results. The plan is for my little boy to also have a Green Sheep cake for his 1st birthday!
Happy writing!
Cheers
Emma
PS While Billy’s fave book is Green Sheep my fave book of ALL TIME is Possum Magic.
What inspired you to be an author?
Hi Mem Fox
my name is Shannon and when i was little and my mum possum magic was our fav book No Joke! and i still love it 2day (and mum)=] my teacher Mr Ratagin gave our class a project we have to do. We have to pic out of making a Brocher, Children’s book or a Play. im no writter but i picked the Children’s book its about Bulling and Harassment. so i went sdudding children’s books and i remembered possums magic (and nnot just because mum reminded me Hehe Jokes) so i would really like some good tips on that and hope that we can be in contact
love Shannon XoXo
I love your books.
Hi Mem, I just finished your book reading magic (called “reading aloud” in swedish) and I loved it! I can´t remember my parents ever reading aloud for me, but me and my sister (NOT our parents!) still love reading, maybe because we lived next to the library.. anyway, I try reading for my 4yearold and 2yearold every day, and now after reading your book, I´m much more inspired and motivated. I also came to think about a girl I know, about 12 years old, who began in a “special class” because of her reading difficulties and sadly said “I guess I´m stupid, then..” When I hear her read it´s exacly as you describe the girl who did read but didn´t have any idea of what she was reading, word by word with no meaning. I thougt I really want to read the book “Matilda” by Roald Dahl for her, just because I love that book, and it made me feel really special and maybe she´ll feel the same.
A friend told me about a couple that when they found out that they were expecting twins started reading loud for them during the pregnancy from a special book (”My book of bible stories”) and kept reading after the birth always the same book over and over. After some months (don´t know exactly how long) they got tired and tried a different book, but this time they got trouble. The twins startdes crying and complaining, and when they changed back they got calm again. They thought that it was the reading that was important, but it seems they should have read more than just one book..
I also wanted to tell you about another lovely biblical book called “Learn from the great teacher” (the other book the twin-parents tried ;)). I only got the swedish version, but I´ll try to translate some of the foreword:
This book gives you and your children something to read together. It containes many well chosen questions, and when you get there, you will find three full stops (…). They will remind you that you there can stop and encourige the child to answer or say what they feel and think. Children like being encouriged. If they´re don´t, they´ll lose interest.
(Please forgive my very poor english! But try writing something in swedish..) This book is fantastic!! Publicated by Jehovah´s Whitnesses. I know you love reading, so please read this book.
Love from a very cold and snowy Sweden!
Hälsningar från ett väldigt kallt och snöigt Sverige!
/Elin
Dear Mem,
As an aspiring children’s writer I appreciated your 20 do’s and don’ts and your articles on writing. Not only are your children’s books an inspiration, but so is the fact that you share your knowledge on the subject too. Thank You!
I also wanted to thank you for writing your piece on child care. As someone who worked in childcare for many years (even at one of the “best” centers in my area) I still feel that full time child care for babies is just not right. I have long wanted to write about this issue on my blog, but have always been too afraid that I would offend someone. You are so right though when you say, who is speaking up for the babies?
My husband and I struggled financially to keep our two children at home until they started Kindergarten. People are always shocked that we would give up cable tv, going out to eat, or to movies, or buying new clothes, but we know it is worth it when we see our children.
Thank you!!!!
Erin L.
Hi Mem,
My Year 2 class has just completed an author study on you and have had a great time! You will notice their many comments about your video- Adventures of the Green Sheep- which they thought was very amusing and encouraged them to tell you how they felt! Your sories have stimulated so much language and wonderful art in our classroom.
Thank you,
Mrs C. and Year 2, Chinchilla, QLD
Dear Mem Fox,
I love your books.
From Tomas
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of the Green Sheep. I liked Hattie and the Fox.
From Blake
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the story of Time For Bed and Hattie and the Fox as well, and Koala Lou.
From Emily
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of the Green Sheep and Koala Lou. I loved Possum Magic!
From Lou
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of the Green Sheep!
From Liam
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of The Green Sheep. I liked watching the green sheep when the green sheep went on the elevator.
From Alex
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of the Green Sheep! It was funny!
From Neo
Dear Mem Fox,
I want you to come to our school and I like the stories you write.
From Jonathan
Dear Mem Fox,
I love your books.
From Tomas W
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked your book called
Possum Magic.
From Sarah W
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of the Green sheep! I liked Hattie and the Fox and Time For Bed and Possum Magic.
From Jaimee
Dear Mem,
I liked the adventures of the Green Sheep! And my favourite part was when the green sheep pressed the buttons with his head.
From Laila
Dear Mem Fox,
I liked the adventures of the Green Sheep. I like Hattie and The Fox.
From Blake
Dear Ms. Fox,
I can’t believe it took me so many years to “look you up.” But now that I have been about your website, I am so inspired by you. I teach 5/6 year old “Kindergartners” in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Every year, I teach them a bit about Australia and your “k” animals, the koala, kookaburra and kangaroo. My brother has lived in different communities throughout the Australian continent over the past 8 years, as well.
This year, we again read Koala Lou and we followed it up with our own Kinder Olympics! I decided to check out your website to see if you read any stories aloud, and there was your voice reading one of our favorite tales!
Then, I read how Koala Lou had become a musical…now my mind is spinning. I am planning a Theatre club at my school. What a perfect play to initiate our club!
But, then, I read your biographical information and saw that you, too, are a pacifist. Your words in 2003 are still true today…I am happy that we have a new, bright, problem solving President, but I fear that our nation is still not ready to sit down and talk…not even to each other.
Thank you for reflecting, writing and watching out for human rights! -Virginia
Dear Mem,
I’m a teacher and a mother of two beautiful girls and a sometime wannabe writer I’ve just spend an hour reading through your site (that should have been spent sleeping – oops) and I’m sure I will come back again and again, so inspiring are your words and stories.
From a personal view I already love reading to my children but your words fill me with excitement about all the new books we still have ahead of us (we are still working our way through your collection!)
From a professional point of view I’m dead jealous of those that have been fortunate enough to have been taught by your and I’ve simply got to print some of this stuff out and share it with people back at work (when I go back to work that is – my two little ones are my class at the moment!).
As a writer I am in awe of you, I’m realise how undeserving I am of that title, but reading about how you craft your stories gives me resolve to put more into my writing when I have the time.
Lastly if I told Chrissy (2 years and 3 months) that I was writing a message to you I know she would ask me to tell you “Green sheep is asleep – shh!” which I think shows just how much she loves this book. Her sister Lilly (6 months) is more partial to Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, but each of them, all of them (as everyone knows) are wonderful books!
You are so inspiring, thankyou
Kacey
Hi Mem
Just wondering do you have a site to subscribe to? Would love to be updated with interesting news from your site.
Regards
love your work!
Dear Mem,
Love the web sight. I am a past Sturt CAE student – 70’s !
I am an empty nester Yeh! Lots of time for reading and writing. I have submitted a few unsolicited ms. here and there. Its so frustrating, and time consuming, should I get an agent and how easy are they to get? I am a member of a writing group and have some great mentors. Publishing is so exclusive. I know what your’re gonna say: keep writing, keep reading. I guess when my husband gets home at the end of the day and asks ‘Have a good day, what did you get up to?’ -I can say- words on a page last longer than a clean floor.
Cheers darling! love your work
Angelee
Mem, I love your stories! My favorite is Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. I’m a preschool teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio and I share your books w/ my students often. I actually have author studies, and some of the activities associated w/ your stories are painting with eucalyptus(Koala Lou) and tasting vegemite(Possum Magic). The vegemite is always an interesting experience! Thanks for continuing to inspire the world with your magical words!
dear MEM FOX when is your birthday Im doing a project on an Australian author and I chose you. YOU ROCK oooooooooo and I like the name Chloe” ;] :0
Dear Mem,
I grew up with Possum Magic as my favourite ever picture book and now being a Primary School teacher I have a personal library of yours and other books. When pregnant I began to read to my belly, felt odd, but I knew it would benefit bubs in the long term.
My son, Oliver is now 1 and he is addicted to “Where is the Green Sheep?”, he loves it!! He was helping us turn the pages at 4 months and now grunts and opens the palms of his hands to ask “where is the green sheep?”.
The only problem is that this particular copy is my signed copy by you and I am getting nervous as every time we read together he is so excited that a rip appears small at first and then gets larger, that soon I will have no book left!!
So anyway I hope the book survives another year and we plan on getting him a cardboard version – not signed tho ;( … Then he can read the book to his hearts content.
I thank you for such wonderful stories and creating magic in my child’s eyes of books (he chooses them over any toy). We as a family look forward to reading many more to come and I hope to see you speak again in your home town of Adelaide.
Thank you for creating the magic,
A grateful mum and teacher,
Heidi (and Oliver)
Dear Mem,
Our class, 2z, is reading and learning about all of your books.
We have read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and today we will read The Magic Hat.
We love your stories.
Have a great day
From 2Z at Laurieton Public School
Dear Mem,
A month after my son was born I read “Reading Magic”. I started reading books to Ilia when he was 2 months old. I could see him responding within a week to our new activity together.
He is 15 months old now and we have a wonderful collection of children’s books that is growing at a fast pace. In the first year I was really trying to read 2-3 books a day to him, now 6 books a day are not enough. He chooses the books we read and the excitement is intoxicating and addictive or as you put it “Magic”.
The experience has inspired my husband and me to put our own creative ideas in writing for our son. It has been a wonderful beginning for life with our son. Thank you for your books!
Sofia, Nathan and Ilia
Dear Mem Fox,
I love your books especially Where is the Green Sheep.
From Breanna
Dear Mem Fox,
I love your books especially your movies on the internet and I love the Green Sheep movie.
Love From Renae