Sarah Speedie
Sarah loves to write engaging books filled with humour and heart. Her debut picture book Mozzies Vs Flies was shortlisted in the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards 2022. Her second picture book, Meowster Chef, has been translated into Spanish and Italian. Her next book, Boss Cat is due for release in June 2024, followed by Wild About Book Week in July, 2024 with more books to follow.
With two teenage children of her own, Sarah is passionate about nurturing a love of reading and writing in children. When she isn’t working on her next big idea, she loves to visit schools, kindergartens and libraries to share her passion for the magic of words. Sarah is a Writer in Residence for the education charity, Ardoch, and also presents full day writing workshops in schools and online for PETAA.
If you looking for a fun way to inspire your students and encourage a love of reading and writing, then a school visit by Sarah Speedie is just what you need! Sarah Speedie’s author visits are informative, engaging and FUN!
Sarah's Latest Books
Mozzies Vs Flies (2021)
In a small Aussie town in the sweltering heat, two rival gangs had control of the streets.
Fuzz and the flies ruled the town in the light. While the mozzies and Cozzie took over at night.
When the School BBQ is scheduled for 5.30pm - how do these two gangs decide who gets the rights to this delicious feast?
Can they find a compromise or will it all end in a sky-high battle for the BBQ?
Meowster Chef (2022)
Tonight is the night. The show of the year. The crowds hurry in, ready to cheer! Just one of these cats will win the chef's crown, and the keys to a sparkly new restaurant in town. But... with a splash of hijinks and a dash of drama, will any of these contestants make it to the end and be crowned Meowster Chef? Or will their big ideas go up in flames?
A recipe for laughs is this story by Mozzies Vs Flies author Sarah Speedie. Each page is presented with perfection (any judge would agree) by illustrator Marina Verola. With millions of Master Chef fans working to emulate their favourite celebrity chefs, this parody serves up giggles for the whole family!
Boss Cat - Being released 5th June 2024
A very funny 'pets behaving badly' story that will appeal to those who love the outrageous antics of Aaron Blabey's Pig the Pug and Mothball wombat in Diary of a Wombat.
Napping on the sofa, one sunny afternoon,
I was very rudely woken by a slobbering buffoon.
'Say hello,' my humans said, 'to our newest family member.'
I think I must have fainted then. I really can't remember.
Boss Cat is so used to ruling the roost, she isn't impressed when her family bring home an adorable new puppy.
A canine intruder who needs to be shown who's boss.
From talented duo, Sarah Speedie and Tom Jellett, comes a very funny picture book about life's annoying challenges - as seen through the eyes of one exceptionally grumpy cat.
Wild About Book Week - Being released 1st July 2024
One more sleep! I'm so excited! Book Week's here at last!What will I wear for dress-up day? I need a costume fast.With so many wonderful books to choose from, deciding on the perfect Book Week costume can be a HUGE challenge, but not when you have a family WILD about creativity!
All of Sarah’s sessions are 1 hour sessions, unless otherwise requested.
Sarah’s sessions can be tailored to the age group and curriculum requirements. While Sarah’s sessions are usually interactive workshops, please let her know if you would prefer a presentation. Sessions can be held in person (limited to 30 students per session) or virtually via zoom.
Kindergarten and Library Visits
Includes story, question time and craft activities.
Year Prep, 1 and 2
A fun-filled workshop where Sarah will read her books and share the origin of her story ideas. The rest of the session is based on Sarah’s picture book Mozzies Vs Flies. Students will brainstorm their own ideas for a ‘? Vs ?’ story, including characters, setting, problem and solution. Students will illustrate their story and share their story ideas with the class.
Year 3, 4, 5 and 6
Select from one from the following options:
Getting The Laughs
No need to dress up in a frog costume and hop around the room or tell terrible jokes, Sarah will help you amp up the humour in your writing using her very own tips and tricks. Drawing on her extensive experience of writing picture books filled with hilarious antics, Sarah will teach students how to take their own funny writing to the next level.
Add Sparkle to Your Stories
Without using any glitter whatsoever, learn how to make your stories sparkle. Sarah will share her tips on how to write engaging stories that grab the attention of readers from the very first line and keep them captivated right until the last word. By the end of the session students will be equipped with the skills to take their own writing to the next level.
Story Planning – The Three Act Structure
One of the most important elements of a great story is a plan! Sarah guides students through the process of plotting a story using the three act structure. She uses her own books as examples and help students brainstorm and plan their own story.
Rhyme Time
Once you’ve mastered how to rhyme, you’ll want to do it all the time! Drawing on her extensive experience of writing in rhyme, in this fun-filled workshop, Sarah will teach students how to be rhyme champions. From rhyming couplets to the importance of metre and other rhyming tips and tricks, students will gain a good understanding of the basics of rhyme.
Year 5, 6 and Advanced Writers (Full day workshop)
During this program students learn how to plan, write and edit an engaging narrative based on a chosen theme.
Testimonials
The speaker engaged the students. Students were impressed by the presentation.
St. Joseph's Primary School, Springvale - August, 2024Sarah came and read her fantastic book “Meowster Chef” with our whole school during our Literacy Week, November 2022. Sarah not only engaged each group, but organised a cooking activity for after the reading, which the students loved. Our school is a Special Developmental school, which Sarah hadn’t attended before, so she generously gave up her time to walk around the school and chat with me about how to best engage with our students – amazing!! We all loved having Sarah attend our school and adored her books. She even stayed to watch the student’s parade, a true indication of her sincerity. Thank you, Sarah, you are a true inspiration!
Frankston Special Development School - 2023Sarah is a friendly and energetic person. The students were instantly drawn to her positive nature. She read her book to our captivated audience of 70 students, while also taking the time to answer their questions and clarify any wonderings. Sarah then planned a follow up activity in conjunction with the teachers that targeted the curriculum and current needs of those specific students. Sarah worked with students from Year 1, 2, 3 and 4. She inspired our young authors with stories of her own adventures as an author and explained the process it takes to become a published author. At the end of the session, Sarah took the time to chat with students. It was the highlight of the term for all our students!
Dingley Primary School - 2023We were thrilled to host Sarah Speedie for an Author Visit at our Primary School during Education Week this year. Sarah was a delight to deal with and came to us thoroughly prepared. She saw our students across Grades 1, 2, 3 & 4 and had put together a presentation designed for each year level based on the Curriculum and what we were currently working on in Literacy. The students were very excited to be meeting a 'real life' author! They listened intently to Sarah's book reading of Mozzies Vs Flies as well as a sneak preview of Meowster Chef, which hadn't yet been released. The children asked a lot of questions, enthusiastically participated in the activities & even asked for autographs afterwards! Sarah is warm, upbeat, articulate and knowledgeable and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to others as a speaker and presenter.
Dingley Primary School - 2023Sarah is a wonderfully engaging presenter, who captivated our students with her entertaining presentations. She read her story beautifully and ensured the students had a clear understanding of her process to become a writer. The age-appropriate workshops and activities that she delivered were exceptional – the students were thrilled to learn and develop their own skills as authors. Her kind and friendly demeanour made everyone feel involved and I would highly recommend having her visit your school for a fantastic experience the kids will remember well into the future.
Aspendale Primary School - 2022
Wild about Book Week
Boss Cat
Meowster Chef
Mozzies vs Flies
