Friday 5 October 2012

The Day Amala Didn't Start School - Book Giveaway!

I've been planning an alternative to the Henry's-first-day-at-school type book for a while now, and it's finally here! 




It's available to buy here, and on Amazon soon, but I've also got five copies to give away, so if you'd like one just leave a comment under this post telling me what you like doing on those not-back-to-school days (or what you would do if you've never had one of those days yet! I'll pick the winners at random on Friday 12th October at 8pm. Good luck!


Edited 8.10pm 12/10/12:

Random number generator result:



So well done to Michelle, Sarah Keery, Sharon, Berni and Buffybaskey, you get a copy each, I really, really hope you like them! Thanks so much to everyone else for taking the time to look and comment :)

35 comments:

  1. Oh Oh, where can we buy?

    I obviously like to shop, from my dining room table, in my slippers, while children play, and leap and frolic around me, the dog licks my ankles and Jack Johnson serenades me from my Sony Hi Fi.

    Seriously, today we are off to drama. Drama, drama, drama, followed by an appointment with the author Alex Scarrow, whose going to smoother us with his passion of literature and writing.


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    1. It's here http://www.lulu.com/shop/tamsin-palmer/the-day-amala-didnt-start-school/paperback/product-20429970.html and should be on Amazon in a few weeks too (but is cheaper on lulu!)
      Ooh I've just googled Alex Scarrow, looks brilliant, have fun!

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  2. we celebrated by walking in the woods breathing in the fresh air,feeling the wind on our faces,listening to the birds and enjoying freedom. Then heading back to the van to have a tea or hot chocolate via dad and his camping stove just watching the world go by chatting to people and just enjoying life at our pace

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  3. Oh this book would be perfect! We are not planning to send our two youngest to school and have started the radical unschooling journey but our 4 yr old already knows about school (given we have just discovered radical unschooling and was planning to send her to school until recently). We are just looking forward to doing 'life' as normal, trusting their natural love of learning, going for walks, the playground, cooking together, playing together and just connecting more and more deeper as time goes on!

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    1. Sounds like us! That's one of my favourite things, just watching them enjoy living life, and learning so much from it at the same time :)

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    2. Well done Michelle, a copy is all yours :) Drop me an email with your address to freedomiseverything@ymail.com and I'll get it sent out to you. If you do enjoy it and could find the time to leave a review here http://www.lulu.com/shop/tamsin-palmer/the-day-amala-didnt-start-school/paperback/product-20429970.html too that would be hugely appreciated :)

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  4. We never had a 1st day at school for our 2 boys now aged 13 + 15. We did notice that as it got closer to the start of the school year our local library would have a special display of books about "1st Day Of School" for children and parents. It would be great if this was one of the books that got onto that display as well as one for the parents too. Love this Tam

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  5. We sat on the sofa cuddled up, ate popcorn and movies then played board and card games.

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    1. Well done Sarah, a copy is all yours :) Drop me an email with your address to freedomiseverything@ymail.com if you'd like me to send it out to you, or I could give it to you when we see you if that's better for you. If you do enjoy it and could find the time to leave a review here http://www.lulu.com/shop/tamsin-palmer/the-day-amala-didnt-start-school/paperback/product-20429970.html too that would be hugely appreciated :)

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  6. My little one now 3 will not be starting school, this would be perfect, our ideal day is a hunt for dragons and dinosaurs in the park, avoiding the terradactil poop, followed by a picnic in the park before coming home to do what she loves to do best which is snuggle on the sofa :))

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    1. Well done Sharon, a copy is all yours :) Drop me an email with your address to freedomiseverything@ymail.com and I'll get it sent out to you. If you do enjoy it and could find the time to leave a review here http://www.lulu.com/shop/tamsin-palmer/the-day-amala-didnt-start-school/paperback/product-20429970.html too that would be hugely appreciated :)

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  7. Trip to the beach, weather permitting. Lovely to have an alternative to all the x goes to school... Especially with little miss's friends all having started this september :(

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    1. Ooh fab, wish we lived closer to a beach, it's a bit of a trek from the Midlands!

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  8. All my son's friends have started full time school or nursery this term - he is only 4 years old. Instead he likes to run around the house naked, put on shows for me and his sister, make magic potions and engage in full on body painting. We would love a copy of the book.

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    1. My four year old's like that - he sometimes starts off dressed, but as the day progresses each time I turn round he's got one less item of clothing on haha :D

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  9. I like...just hanging out with my kids. They are good company whatever we do or don't do.
    Our best days aren't even jam packed. It's the belly-aching laughter that makes them amazing :D
    Just for that, I'm grateful to be able to Home Educate :)

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    1. Yay you stopped by :D The belly-aching laughter sounds good :D

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    2. I often do :P
      Belly aching laughter is the best, collapsing on the floor breathless afterwards, or on the sofa for snuggles...yeah, my kids are my favouritest people in the whole. wide. world ;D

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  10. I'd love a copy of your book, it looks great!

    My son, Alec, just turned 5 in August. On "Back to School" day in September, I went into town but he didn't want to come with me - luckily for us, my husband works from home so this wasn't a problem. Every single person I met, from the librarian to the Big Issue seller to the lady behind the counter of the fish and chip shop, asked if it was Alec's first day at school. When I said we're home educating, they all seemed interested rather than alarmed - so perhaps the fearmongering from Badman et al isn't having the effect they intend!

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    1. That's so lovely! In the beginning I did have a few negative remarks from random strangers, but I think I was just unlucky. Since then people have been pretty positive :)

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  11. We snuggled, watched DVDs, and did some painting and followed his lead....Like we do everyday :)

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    1. Well done Berni, a copy is all yours :) Drop me an email with your address to freedomiseverything@ymail.com and I'll get it sent out to you. If you do enjoy it and could find the time to leave a review here http://www.lulu.com/shop/tamsin-palmer/the-day-amala-didnt-start-school/paperback/product-20429970.html too that would be hugely appreciated :)

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  12. Just to be above board about a draw, this comment is on behalf of BuffyBaskey whose comment wouldn't post :)

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  13. We don't do anything special on not-back-to-school days now, but on the first one, the one where our son could have had his first day at school, we marked our 'not going to school' status by having a lovely day out at the seaside and visiting the seal sanctuary. It was exhausting, but brilliant too! :-) xxx

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    1. Aaw lovely :D Weirdly I think our eldest's actual first not-back-to-school day was the first where we *didn't* do something special, before then we'd always gone to not-back-to-school picnics and things.

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  14. I completely missed this! We hug and commiserate with my husband as he heads off back to school and try not to feel sad that we won't be able to stay at friends' houses as late anymore as he has to be up early for school in the mornings. And that he doesn't have as much time to play in the evenings as he has homework (planning) to do!!
    Jo x

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    1. Aaw!! That's a different perspective hey? Does he see teaching any differently now you have HE kids?

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  15. He went into teaching late. He is a musician at heart and teahes secondary music and music technology. We'd already decided to home ed by the time he started his pgce (ironic eh?) when DS was only 2 yrs old.In fact it was DH who suggested it and me who balked at the idea as I'd never wanted to teach and new nothing about home ed where as he had known quite a few home edders. Although once I understood more about home ed there was no turning back!!

    So I think he has always seen the other side and although he enjoys aspects of teaching and they have a thriving department where kids and teachers hang out to play music, he would rather we could support ourselves a different way and that is the goal. Although DS is 9 now and we have DD (6)and we still haven't achieved it.lol.

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  16. oh wow thank you, cant wait to read it :-)

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