Robin Price
Get your school writing with 'WBD Recommended Read' author Robin Price. Robin's goal is to leave everyone with the tools they need to come up with their own historical tales or sci-fi stories.
Pupils will have fun and produce some great written work both during and following his visit.
Contents
About Robin Price
Robin Price's School Visits
Robin's Books
Recommendations & Reviews
To Make a Booking
About Robin Price
Robin started writing in 2004 - having previously written songs. He co-wrote a musical version of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. This was a massive hit (because of Julia's brilliant book and Tall Stories fab production). It toured the UK and ended up on Broadway - opposite The Lion King! After that, Robin got the confidence to move from writing songs into writing fiction. The Spartapuss series and London Deep followed on from there.
'Spartapuss is a unique series that has really caught the imagination of the public here.' Andrew Fairmaner, The British Museum
Robin Price's School Visits
Robin's event links history (via the Spartapuss series) or sci-fi (via the London Deep series) with writing.
As well as talking to large groups (120+) in assembly, Robin runs creative writing workshops in class.
During the day, your pupils will:
• Get inspired as they take part in fun activities and games. For example, they could re-enact a Roman battle, try the Wheel of Fortune quiz or design their own worlds.
• Work with a partner to plan and write their own stories
• Share their writing with the rest of the class
Example of a typical visit
• Typically, the day starts with an hour long introduction (up to 120 pupils) where pupils listen to a short reading. As well as asking questions, they'll take part in fun activities and games to pre-teach the vocab they'll need later (when they write their own stories).
• With the intro session completed, your students will be ready to write!
History story-writing workshops
• These fun sessions will get your pupils writing brilliant Roman stories packed with gladiators, emperors, charioteers and more. They tie in with the Spartapuss series (set in an ancient Rome ruled by cats). If you are doing another period of history - like the Celts, the Vikings, the Anglo Saxons, the Egyptians or the Greeks, Robin can easily adapt and tie the students' stories into that.
Sci-Fi story-writing workshops
• These workshops tie in with the graphic novella / sci-fi adventure London Deep (set in the future in a flooded London). The book was chosen as an official Recommended Read for World Book Day 2011 and in April 2011 it featured on ITV1's 'Cool Stuff Collective' where it was awarded 4 stars out of 5 by the 10 year old reviewer.
• London Deep is packed with full of cool artwork from Paul McGrory. Paul's amazing manga influenced drawing is very on-trend and could help to make writing cooler for 10-14 year olds.
• London Deep explores themes about the environment and the relationships between kids and grown ups, which we can get your students to develop in their own stories. Alternatively they might like to write full-on sci-fi epics featuring aliens, vampires, ghosts or weird creatures from their imaginations.
Timing and group sizes
• Big audiences of over 120 at a time (providing the acoustics in your hall are good). Bigger assemblies are also possible by arrangement!
• For the story writing workshops we'll need class sized groups of up to approx 30 pupils, lasting 45 mins to 1 hour. However, they can be extended if more time is available.
• 4 or 5 sessions can fit into one day depending on how long class periods are, also travel time to the school needs to be taken into account.
• The active participation of teaching staff is especially helpful to make creative writing work in large groups.
• Sometimes schools like to mix and match, so I am happy to do a number of sci-fi workshops and history workshops during one day.
What ages are your events suitable for?
• Audiences for Spartapuss workshops tend to be from KS1 and KS2. There are some handy curriculum tie ins for 7-8 year olds with the Romans - Unit 6a: The Invaders at KS2 being a popular topic. Many primary schools are doing Historical Story Writing with year 3.
• Although London Deep was picked by World Book Day's panel for ages 9-12 it looks visually sophisticated and can work well for older pupils. Rest assured that there is nothing too nasty in the book - despite the manga visuals!
Do you cater for Reception/ Y1pupils?
• Gladiators - even gladiator cats - are too scary for little ones. However if you want to cover the whole school, younger pupils can be introduced to Count Milkula or the series of Roobarb & Custard books. It's best to do this in a separate session (1/2 hour is usually fine for the young ones).
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Robin's Books
Robin's Latest Book, London Deep, Robin's sixth children's book, was chosen as a 'Recommended Read' for World Book Day 2011 in the 9-12 category. This ' terrifically atmospheric, page-turning adventure told via words and comic art' has also won an 'Exclusively Independent' Award and was chosen by school librarians as one of Manchester's 24 recommended reads for 2010.
I Am Spartapuss 
The first book in the series. Will Spartapuss survive gladiator training school?
Catligula 
Second in the series. Rome's new Emperor is mad, bad and dangerous to stroke!
Die Clawdius 
Third in the series. Spartapuss has always wanted to see his homeland - but not necessarily as part of an invasion!
Boudicat
The fouth book in the Spartapuss series. A cat-based retelling of the Boudican uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.
Cleocatra's Kushion 
The fifth Spartapuss title introduces the Romans in Africa as our hero goes treasure hunting at the source of the Nile.
Beowuff and the Horrid Hen 
Viking dog Beowuff is all bark and no bite, a disgrace to the memory of his fierce ancestors.
Count Milkula 
A tale of milk and monsters for years 4+
Roobarb & Custard - When there was a Ballet 
Roobarb & Custard: When Roobarb's Trousers Flew 
Recommendations & Reviews
'Robin was a breath of fresh air, working with our members to write a collaborative story based in Roman Britain and giving them a unique chance to revisit a vibrant past, populated by characters of their own devising.'
Nicky Milstead,YAC (the Young Archaeologists' Club)
'Robin,Thank you very much for your work with us this week. The staff and pupils had a fantastic time. I was amazed at how engaged our pupils were - you really caught their imagination and made the sessions enjoyable for them.'
Michele Holland, National Skills Curriculum Coordinator, The Albany Business and Enterprise College
'Thanks so much for delivering two outstanding sessions at St Simon's and Linden Grove Primary Schools today. I enjoyed them just as much as the children - and they were having a fantastic time!I shall spread the word about your brilliant books and school visits and hope that you'll be able to enthuse and inspire more youngsters in and around Ashford very soon.'
Sally, (coordinator ‘Boys into Books'), Kent Libraries.
'Robin made Latin come alive for his young audience. Every pupil was excited by his performance and enthralled by his stories and games. The series of visits he did for our library service was reliably and efficiently carried out, with great attention paid to planning andprofessionalism'
Public Librarian, Kent
Feedback on Robin's Sci-Fi workshops:
'Thank you for the fantastic day - the students and staff involved really enjoyed the sessions. It helped make a real success of our literacy week and lots of children who didn't attend were interested in the book after they listened to their friends. The use of your book and the active workshops worked really well and the feedback you gave them was great, especially for our weaker students who lack confidence.'
Ms Harrison, Medway School.
'Robin's sessions not only gave children a structure for planning a story, but really excited and inspired them so that they couldn't wait to get writing! His "Spartapuss" assembly was a fantastic combination of Roman facts, story telling and knockabout comedy, that, whilst entertaining the whole school, also cunningly prepared the ground for their own Roman story writing. It's great to see that children have really been motivated to write for themselves and to read his books.'
Richard Smith, Deputy Head Trafalgar Junior School (April, 2011)
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To Make a Booking
To make an enquiry about Robin Price, or any of the other authors, poets & illustrators listed on this website, please phone Trevor Wilson on +44 (0) 1535 656015, or email him at trevor@cabbodlebooks.co.uk