Sarah Todd Taylor's Blog

Hello all of Alice’s American friends! Thank you for all the support you have given her so far! It has been THRILLING to see her first adventure being welcomed with such enthusiasm in the United States!

This week, Alice’s second adventure lands in America, and lands is the right word, as you’ll see from the cover. If Alice’s first adventure was all about trains, this one is all about planes! Alice is at the Paris World’s Fair in a race against time to track down both a missing engineer and th...

What a wonderful time we had Alice’s launch party at Waterstones Aberystwyth! ‘Waterstones Aber, as those of us who live here call its, is one of my favourite bookshops and Chloe and her amazing staff are always so welcoming.

For my book launches I have a tradition that I never know what the cake will look like till the day of the launch. We have an AMAZING bakery called Boutique Bakery and Fay who runs it is just wonderful with her creations. I take a copy of the book to show her, give ...

Pigeon Spies

What do you think of when you hear the words ‘spy’ and ‘secret service? I bet the picture below doesn’t spring to mind. 

But some of the UK’s most important spies in World War 2 were pigeons – the Confidential Pigeon Service! Homing pigeons would be air dropped into German-occupied France so that locals could send information on troop movements back to Britain.  

I first learned about Operation Columba through my sister, who is a big pigeon fan. Then, when I went to Bl...

[image error]After reading the astounding ‘How to Fly with Broken Wings’ I was delighted to be asked to interview the author, Jane Elson. How to Fly with Broken Wings tells the story of twelve-year-old Willem, who has Aspergers Syndrome and a piece of homework – to make two friends of his own age. All Willem really wants to do is fly. Trying to achieve this while avoiding the bullying of the gangs on his estate brings him into contact with Sasha, who in her own way wants to fly, and with Archie, someone w...

Thank you so much for staying with the Wish Star’s story. I hope you have enjoyed it. Today I have uploaded the whole story so that you can read through to the end.

I hope 2015 has been  good to you and that you all have wonderful Christmases and a blessed New Year.

Merry Christmas.

xxxxx

The Wish Star and the Five Wishes

The Star

‘Wish Star, Wish Star,

Brightly shine

Grant tonight

This wish of mine.’

One dark Christmas night a little wish star was born. She appeared in the northern part of...

The Boy’s Wish

‘Wish Star, Wish Star,

Brightly shine

Grant tonight

This wish of mine

So my joy will never end

Bring me now my longed for friend.’

The boy was sitting by the hearth when he heard his father at the door with their Christmas tree. He had finished wrapping the presents and had been amusing his sister with stories from her favourite story book while his mother finished off some chores for the next day. They were wrapped in warm blankets by the fire, with chestnuts roasting in the...

The Dog’s Wish

Wish Star, Wish Star,

Brightly shine

Grant tonight

This wish of mine.

Bring me food, a fire, a bed

Warmth and love to rest my head.’

It was a very excited group that set out that evening from Mrs Porfitt’s house. Lisette stepped carefully through the snow in her boots, a pair of cream slippers in a bag hanging from her wrist. Under her warm wool cloak she wore the new red velvet dress and her heart sang with pride. Mr Bonn waved at passers by in his Santa suit. He wore a thic...

The Shopkeeper’s Wish

‘Wish Star, Wish Star,

Brightly shine

Grant tonight

This wish of mine.

Bring me friends to share this day

Chase my loneliness away.’  

‘Mr Bonn would make a lovely Santa’ Lisette said. ‘He was always so kind to us when he had his sweetshop.’

Mrs Porfitt nodded slowly. Her hands went to the soft velvet still lying on her worktable. A plan was beginning to form in her mind. They still had a few hours before the concert. If she worked quickly she could just about manage it.

The Girl’s Wish

‘Wish Star, Wish Star,

Brightly shine

Grant tonight

This wish of mine.

Mothers’ skill and fabric fine

Bring a dress as red as wine.’

At ten o clock on Christmas night Lisette brought her grandmother a cup of tea and a bowl of cold water to dip her fingers in. So many hours of working at the machine was apt to make them warm and tired. The water soothed them.

‘Such beautiful cloth, grandmamma’ Lisette said, stroking the soft velvet. ‘Just like Santa would wear.’

Mrs Porfit sm...

 The Dressmaker

The Mayor thought that no-one had seen him wishing, but one person had. In the town hall there was a lady who worked as a cleaner. Her name was Mrs Porfit and she had worked for the mayor for thirty years. She liked his kindly ways and he liked her quick wit and good sense.

Mrs Porfit also worked as a dressmaker. She had been taught to sew by her grandmother and was able to run up an evening frock or afternoon tea dress in a couple of evenings if needed. She was an expert bead...