Kathryn Apel – September 5 2021

National Dystonia Awareness Month – September

Dystonia causes involuntary muscle contractions that twist the body and limbs into involuntary movements and awkward postures.

Kat writes poetry, picture books and verse novels for children. She has worked as a teacher and literacy coach, and has presented at Australian schools and festivals, the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival and Sharjah International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates and in 2019 she undertook a two-week speaking tour in America. Kat also offers short-burst poetry workshops for educators and counsellors equipping them with a variety of engaging activities to add to their professional toolbox. In 2019/2020 she was the primary judge of the prestigious Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Competition. Kat’s other books include the verse novel Too Many Friends, chapter book Fencing with Fear, and rhyming picture books This Is the Mud, illustrated by Warren Crossett, The Bird in the Herd, illustrated by Renee Treml, and Up and Down on a Rainy Day, illustrated by Janet Turner.

On Track [Verse novel]
University of Queensland Press, 2015; ISBN 9780702253737
8-12 years
Toby struggles at school, has a stumbly, fumbly, bumbly body and thinks that Sports Day is the worst day of the year. No matter how hard he tries, he’s not good at anything … except running away from his ‘big, better brother’, Shaun, who is top of his class in every subject and can’t wait to beat the discus record on Sports Day. But after Toby is diagnosed with a muscular condition, Shaun is disillusioned by the extra attention Toby receives from Coach Lawrie who spends more time with Toby teaching him techniques to fire up his sensory system and program his muscle memory … and less time with Shaun.

Bully on the Bus [Verse novel]
University of Queensland Press, 2014; ISBN 9780702253287
6-12 years
The bully on the bus taunts Leroy, then silences him with threats of worse to come. But with the support of his sister, Ruby, he eventually finds the courage to confide in his parents. Trusted adults help him find his own strength and courage to stand up to the bully. To distract him, his teacher introduces him to the adventures in The Big Bad Book of Fairytales which contains hidden clues that Leroy needs to overcome the bullying taunts once and for all. He has a ‘Secret Weapon’, but will it help him find the strength and courage he needs to overcome the bully’s ways, once and for all?