“Just a quick email to say how much we enjoyed Marita’s visit yesterday. All the students loved listening and learning from Marita and they sat so terribly still whilst Marita read from her book. The children had endless questions, which is a positive indication of how much they enjoyed the visit.”
Nicola Patrick, Learning Resources Centre Manager
“I have to say you really inspired my few reluctant readers to catch the reading bug – the one and only bug which needs to be spread! Sometimes when the girls get to the age of eleven and they are just not clicking with reading, one feels a little powerless especially when they are in the midst of all their examinations with much calling on their time. But you unlocked the door with The Dream Dealer so a huge ‘thank you’!”
Alyson Hepworth, Garden House School
“Marita’s visit and talk to the year 7 students was a great inspiration to them. I’ve never seen a year group so entranced by an author, and afterwards we had a huge amount of students clamouring to buy her book!”
Rachel Collins, Burford School
“Thank you so much for taking the time to visit us on Monday. The children found what you said about the business of story telling to be thought-provoking and interesting. It has certainly made them reconsider their own writing and all the dimensions that go into a story. I thought you pitched things at exactly the right level and were accessible and warm, while still stretching their preconceptions. You have given them plenty of material for future discussion and writing!”
Stephen Davies, Kitebrook House School
“My class are really enjoying The Dream Dealer story and have been so inspired that they are trying to write a book themselves. They are only 8/9 year olds so how wonderful that you have instilled this love of literature in them. You might be interested to know that I have had a completely different reaction from this group of children from the last group. They are a little bit scared of the Dream Dealer but love the little Earth Imp and Flake and are highly amused at the antics of Hercules. One of the children said that they can’t believe how quickly the lessons go when we are reading the story and there’s always a groan when the bell goes.
Having written about their favourite character, they are going to invent an Ice Dream of their own next week and say what they hope it will bring for them. I can’t tell you how much follow-on work we’ve been able to do as a result of reading this book and the art teacher is going to do a display for my classroom featuring the ice cream van and the characters. So thanks very much!”
April 9, 2012
Olga Ilina
My students and me read and discussed the Dream Dealer. There is no Russian version of this book. My kids (age from 10 to 14) were engaged by this story. They couldn’t stop it until they got to the end. We made up our minds to translate it from English into Russian and illustrate it. We would like Russian children to have an opportunity to get to know with such touching, exciting and informative story. We really can’t stop discussing the events of it. We wish Marita Phillips would come to Russia (Khabarovsk) and we could learn more about the history of creation of this book and about the author’s plans.