At a Catholic primary school in Melbourne’s outer-north, I began a visit by showing the students a photograph of the jar of Nova dill pickles(莳萝泡菜) my mum named me after(以……给我取名). Soon we were talking about the sorts of characters I create in my books, leading them into creating their own. They were full of energy, ideas and excitement. After we finished, one of the teachers proudly showed me around the library, sunlight streaming through the window, lighting the walls of children’s artwork and book displays, and I understood then why these students were so alive to the wonder of story.(活动结束后，一位老师自豪地带我参观图书馆，阳光从窗户倾泻而入，照亮了满墙的儿童画作和图书展示，那一刻我明白了，为什么这些学生对故事的奇妙如此敏感而鲜活。)
在墨尔本外北区的一所天主教小学，我访问开始时先给学生们看了一张照片——一罐“诺瓦”莳萝泡菜，我妈妈就是用它给我取的名字。很快，我们聊起了我在书里创造的各种角色，并引导他们创作自己的角色。他们精力充沛、想法多多、兴奋不已。活动结束后，一位老师自豪地带我参观图书馆，阳光从窗户倾泻而入，照亮了满墙的儿童画作和图书展示，那一刻我明白了，为什么这些学生对故事的奇妙如此敏感而鲜活。
Like many Australian children’s authors and illustrators(插画家), I visit a broad range of schools each year to give talks and run workshops(举办工作坊), and it is immediately apparent(显而易见的) when I am in a school that values the library and promotes reading culture. At these schools, the teacher-librarians will often know my books better than I do (even dressing up as my characters for a Book Week parade), and the students will ask tough narrative questions that surprise me.(在这些学校里，教师图书馆员往往比我自己还了解我的书（甚至会在图书周游行中装扮成我笔下的角色），学生们也会提出一些让我惊讶的、关于叙事的尖锐问题。)
和许多澳大利亚儿童文学作家和插画家一样，我每年都会走访各类学校，做讲座、办工作坊。一走进重视图书馆、推广阅读文化的学校，我立刻就能感觉到不同。在这些学校里，教师图书馆员往往比我自己还了解我的书（甚至会在“图书周”游行中装扮成我笔下的角色），学生们也会提出一些让我惊讶的、关于叙事的尖锐问题。
They will create their own stories that are complex and inventive(富有创意的), begging to share and building on(在……基础上发展) each other’s ideas with openness and generosity. They will be encouraged by a trained teacher-librarian to find the books that work for them. Even the most reluctant student will be reading, because they will have mandated library sessions each week, taught by a professional, who can introduce them to a wide range of stories that will hopefully capture their heart.(哪怕是最不情愿读书的学生也会读起来，因为学校每周都安排了固定的图书馆课，由专业人员授课，能向他们介绍各种各样的故事，希望这些故事能打动他们的心。)
他们会创作出复杂而富有创意的小故事，迫不及待地想要分享，并以开放和慷慨的态度在彼此的想法上继续搭建。受过专业训练的教师图书馆员会鼓励他们找到适合自己的书。哪怕是最不情愿读书的学生也会读起来，因为学校每周都安排了固定的图书馆课，由专业人员授课，能向他们介绍各种各样的故事，希望这些故事能打动他们的心。