I’ve been working on two new books for the Green Oaks Primary School series lately, and have noticed something interesting.
The kids are worried about the daily weather forecast!
The books are set in Melbourne, Australia, and the weather is always a hot topic of conversation. Anyone who lives in Melbourne at this time of year knows and appreciates layers. Even if the weather forecast says the days will be warm, we will often start the day with it being very cold. We always have an umbrella or a rain jacket close at hand, just in case.
There are times in the book where the weather will reflect what is happening. For example, in Swallow Me, NOW!, the grey rainy weather gives way to blue skies as things start getting better. There are other times when the kids just want the rain to stop so they can do their various activities.
For a while, I was worried this was strange, but then realised that it is important to the setting of the story. People in Melbourne care about the weather as this impacts our daily lives. If we’re planning an outdoor activity and it’s in the middle of the year, we always have a Plan B to move the event inside (we do this later in the year too).
With this in mind, weather will continue to make an appearance in the Green Oaks Primary School books as it’s an important part of the setting for each book.
