March 03, 2015

A Book Review from 7 year old Gracie

I love hearing from my readers. It fills my heart with joy to know that my stories are being read and hopefully enjoyed by children all over the place. I met Gracie at The Lantern School in Ely, Cambridgeshire. We had never visited that part of England before and I have to say Ely is absolutely stunning. The cathedral is enormous and so beautiful. It was wonderful to work with the lovely folks at Toppings Bookshop and such a pleasure to talk to the children at the school.

Gracie’s mum sent me her review of Clementine Rose and the Surprise Visitor and I have posted it here below and a gorgeous picture of Gracie with her books too. It was chosen to be included in the school newsletter. We should never underestimate the positive power of an audience for a child’s work. To know that what they have written has received a wide readership is so encouraging and makes the idea of being a writer so much more real. Congratulations Gracie and I’m thrilled that you love the book too.

Book title: Clementine Rose and The Surprise Visitor

About the book: The story is about a little girl named Clementine and her pet pig named Lavender. They have lots of adventures in their big house.

My review: I thought the book was funny, exciting and adventurous to read. My favourite character was Clementine. She is polite and funny. I loved the pictures in the book. The best bit was when the man’s wig fell into the fire. Gracie. Age 7

Comments

Rosie

Cool!

March 3, 2015 at 5:19 pm

Annika

I think you are an amazing author even though I am 12 I still a big fan
Xx Annika
Abbotsleigh {did you teach their}?????????????

March 3, 2015 at 8:06 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Annika,
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I worked at Abbotsleigh for over ten years, mostly as Deputy Head of the Junior School. I left in 2012 and took up full-time writing.
I’ll confide something to you – I have very enthusiastic fans who are even 15, so you can happily keep reading the books for a couple for years!
Best wishes,
Jacquie.

March 4, 2015 at 6:59 pm

Jenny

I love the series. I am 11.

March 4, 2015 at 9:12 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Jenny,

I’ll let you in on a secret. I had a book launch today and a fan was there who has been reading every book that has come out and she’s 16 now – and she still loves them.

That was very exciting to hear.

Best wishes,
Jacqueline.

March 7, 2015 at 7:27 pm

Ivana

Hi,
I really LOVE all of your books. But now the school library has none because everyone else has got them!

from,
Ivana Donnan

March 5, 2015 at 4:59 pm

Morgan

Hi I can’t believe I am doing this. I’ve just finished Alice-Miranda at the Palace and it was great. You are my favourite author. Do you have a pet I do, I have a cat. I am 9. Thank You for listening.

Morgan White

P.S I have half your Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose

March 7, 2015 at 7:59 am

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Morgan,
I don’t have a pet. I’d really like dog, or maybe even a tea-cup pig like Lavender.
Unfortunately, we travel for about six months of the each year so it wouldn’t be fair on the pet. But maybe one day!
Best wishes,
Jacqueline.

March 7, 2015 at 7:16 pm

Brent

Hi Jacquie
What about your 55yo male fan?
Cheers
Brent

March 8, 2015 at 9:55 am

Jacqueline Harvey

Hearing that my 55 year old male fans are reading and enjoying the books fills my heart with joy too! Although said 55 year old male never replied to my email I wrote to enquire about his holiday 🙂

Cheers.

March 8, 2015 at 7:33 pm

Laura Chapman

Hi Jacqueline,
I’m 12 years old and still absolutely adore your Alice-Miranda books! I have every single one of them, even Alice-Miranda at the Palace. I have read all of them at least twice. The books from one to ten I’ve probably read about four or five times. I love your books so much I just can’t stop reading them. If I ever run out of books to read I always read Alice-Miranda. I live in Darwin, Northern Territory. I think it would be great if you came up here and visited as no one really ever comes up here. I think you should also travel to remote areas around Australia and tell them what you do. What state do you live in? When I grow up I want to be a Marine Biologist (just told you that because I thought it was interesting). When I read the Alice-Miranda books I try and figure out the mysteries before anyone else and I feel like I’m in the story and I can imagine what everything and everyone looks like. You are an amazing author!! How many Alice-Miranda books will there be? I always can’t wait until the next one. Bye!!

March 8, 2015 at 9:26 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Laura,

Thanks for your lovely comment. I’m so thrilled that Alice-Miranda has made her way to Darwin and one day I’d love to come up as well. I visited Alice Springs a couple of years ago and I’m afraid that’s the closest I’ve been to you. I live in Sydney in NSW. There will be at least 14 Alice-Miranda books. I’m writing #12 at the moment. It’s called Alice-Miranda in the Alps – set in Switzerland. Hope you’re having a great term. I’m off to visit some schools in Wollongong tomorrow.

Best wishes,
Jacqueline

March 10, 2015 at 3:18 pm

Amelia Dohler

hi jacqueline,
i absolutely love your books!
you are a GREAT author.
are you writing a book this week? and what is it called?

8 year old Amelia

June 12, 2015 at 6:52 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Amelia,

Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad that you’re enjoying the books. I am working on two books this week – I’m editing Alice-Miranda in the Alps which has to be all finished very soon to come out on the 1st September and I have just started working on the 13th book in the series which is called Alice-Miranda to the Rescue. I’ve been doing lots of research and there are some really interesting new characters too.

Have a lovely weekend.

Best wishes,
Jacqueline

June 13, 2015 at 12:22 pm

heena patel

Hi Jacqueline Harvey,
I really enjoy reading your books and I also really loved the visit we had from you.I think your an AMAZING author and I have been stubborn enough in convincing my parents to let me buy the whole series of Alice-Miranda.I have read the whole series ( even the 11 book ) I have read the first book 2 and the 9 book 3 times. I own the 9 and 10 book but I’;m saving up my pocket money and soon I will have the whole series. Please tel me how you come up with so many wonderful characters I cant even come up with one.I’m 14 and I still really love your books, and I really am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.:):):)

March 9, 2015 at 3:12 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Heena,

Thanks for your very kind words! I’m so thrilled that you enjoy the books. To tell you the truth there are some days when I have no idea how I come up with all the things I do. Characters are really important to me though and I do spend a lot of time thinking about what they’re like and how they will behave. I’m working on a new book at the moment and there is a man called Otto Fanger and he’s a bit of a buffoon – he has the world’s most spoiled and horrible little dog called Gertie who wears diamond hair clips!! She also has her own swimming costume and cap and goggles.

Hope you’re having a great week at school.

Best wishes,
Jacqueline

March 10, 2015 at 3:21 pm

Laura Chapman

Hi again Jacqueline,
I was just wondering, do you have any tips on how to write books? I always start but then just get bored. Where do you get all your ideas from? Do have any idea when no. 12 is coming out and how old is alice-miranda at the moment?

March 10, 2015 at 6:10 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Laura,

I think the key to writing is finding characters or a storyline or preferably both that you really love and want to spend time with. For me the character of Alice-Miranda evolved over a long period of time and now she seems so real to me. The stories come from some of my own experiences – often it’s just a tiny bit of the truth and then I make it funnier and sillier or both. We travel a lot so I use my experiences particularly for some of the settings. You don’t have to have travelled to as many places as me nor so far to be able to use a setting you know well for a story. I think the key to making it interesting is to ensure that there is a big enough problem for your main character to have to overcome. It could be a bully or some other baddies. You really have to fall in love with the characters. I adore the baddies in my books because I get to do things with them that I could never do in real life. Hopefully that gives you a few clues. Maybe start local – think about developing a character that has some interesting personality traits and then throw in a problem – perhaps a rival or a bully – throw them into a situation, maybe the school athletics carnival or cross country and see what happens next. All the best with it – I love that you’re writing and please keep it up.

Best wishes,
Jacqueline xx

March 17, 2015 at 8:02 am

Laura Chapman

Thanks Jacqueline,
I’ll try really hard to start and finish a book with your suggestions. I have a problem though, every time I start writing a story I always seem to use some of your or other authors ideas from their books. Is this bad?

March 21, 2015 at 1:06 pm

Imogen

Hi, I love your books, they are great. I like how you always have a mystery in them. My favourite book from you is Alice Miranda at the Palace, because it is good how you have a surprise in the end. I have a question about Alice Miranda at the Palace. Why is there a second Langley?
Regards,
Imogen.

March 24, 2015 at 8:23 pm

Denae vanderPlas

Dear Mrs. Harvey,
I am in grade 5 and I absolutely love all your books, especially #six + #seven! You are definitely a talented author. When did you start writing the Alice Miranda series? How old is Alice Miranda in #twelve? Do you have an idea of what number 13 will be about? I think it should be about Alice Miranda’s choir group going to Hawaii and they go surfing!! Alice Miranda, Millie and Jacinta have to go on a search for Lucas and Sep who have gone missing from the set of beach houses that Mr. Trout and the other choir organizers have hired. Maybe they have to find them before the school surfing competitions start. Who knows, maybe someone kidnapped them. Perhaps Addison Goldsworthy, Alethea’s dad. However was he in prison for stealing those paintings when Alice Miranda was at camp? If so, you could create it in such a way that he’d escaped or he sends Niguel and Jazza to get them so they can bring them to him.

A couple months ago I found the first book of Alice Miranda in the public library and read it. Before I knew it, I had ordered the rest of the series to read (they haven’t all come yet, unfortunately they don’t have Alice in New York). Once I had read a couple of your Alice Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones books I wanted to read more. And so I did.
I read in the back of one of the Alice Miranda books, that you were a teacher girl’s boarding schools. Did working there help you make really good ideas for your novels? Did the naughty things girls did at your school give you a few ideas for your characters? Your front cover of Alice Miranda in New York and Alice Miranda in Paris is gorgeously designed. Who does the drawings of the books? It’s pretty impressive how much Sloane Skyes has changed. And who would have thought that Jacinta Headlington-Bear is a really good and close friend of Sloane! Or are they best friends? Alice Miranda would be my favorite character and then next Jacinta and then Millie. How many girls go to Winchesterfield Downsfordvale Academy for proper young ladies? Do Miss. Grimm and Mr. Grump ever have kids? Does Alice Miranda ever see Lucinda (who she saw in Paris) again? Where did Alice Miranda’s mother and Aunt Charlotte grow up? I know Alice Miranda’s home is called Highton Hall, but what country does she live in?
Have you lived in Australia, Sydney your whole life? I lived in Western Australia before we moved to Tasmania. On your website in the category “fun stuff”, I typed my name in the name generator. It’s awesome!! My name was generated in to Denae Verity Aster Clarksworth-Van Der Plas!
I am really looking forward to reading Alice Miranda’s next adventure: Alice Miranda in the Alps.
I hope you had a great Easter!
Best wishes, I’m sure it’s pretty stressful for you as your book is about to be published. Hope it all goes smoothly for you!
Love from your Alice Miranda fan,
Denae.

April 7, 2015 at 9:39 pm

Tash L

Hi Jaqueline Harvey,
My name is Tash & I am 11 years old.
I love your Clementine Rose Series & have the whole series. I have re-read the books many times & I enjoy them very much:)
I recently bought Clemmie’s 9th adventure and finished reading it today. I really liked it & I can’t wait for her next adventure to come out!
I also really enjoy your Alice Mirander series and have read books 1,2&3 but have reserved number 4 at the library! I also really would like to read this whole series!!

If you have any tips on writing stories, please pass them on.

Thanks,
Tashxx

April 10, 2015 at 11:46 pm

poppy

I absolutely love your books and so does my 15 year old sister! my favourites are alice miranda! are you writing more? I am 12, and there are only 1 or 2 alice mirandas i haven’t read! the 8th and 12th I haven’t read! you are such an inspiring author!!

xx poppy

December 8, 2015 at 9:11 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Hi Poppy,

Thanks for your lovely message. Yes I am writing more. In fact Alice-Miranda to the Rescue will be out on the 1st February. It’s a really fun book with lots of dogs! Hope you get to enjoy that one too. Have a wonderful Christmas.

Best wishes,
Jacqueline

December 13, 2015 at 4:03 pm

Joey

Jacqueline,
We as a family are huge fans of your books. Especially my little one! She just adores each of your book and treasures them too. Thanks for being such an inspiring author.

Cheers, Anna & Joey

May 9, 2016 at 4:02 pm

Jacqueline Harvey

Dear Anna and Joey,

Many thanks for your lovely message. It’s so heartwarming and humbling to hear that the books are being read and treasured. I have the best job in the world – thankyou!

Best wishes,
Jacqueline

May 15, 2016 at 11:27 am