YouTube, Readings, Teacher's Guides +

CABIN TALES PODCAST: ​​Philippa Dowding talks about monsters, plotting, favourite books and writing on the Cabin Tales Podcast

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FREE MUSIC: Philippa plays The Gargoyle Shuffle​
​Watch Kids & author dance the Gargoyle Shuffle in North Bay

AUTHOR READS from The Gargoyle in My Yard:
Chapter 5, Ballerinas and Daisies
Chapter 4, Moonlight Dance

PSSST, the Secret to Being a Writer? Philippa's 3 key words:  Video courtesy the Innisfil IdeaLab & Library.

Free Teacher's Guides

Teacher's Guide for FIREFLY (extended version, author interview and teacher resources)
FREE Teacher's Guide (shorter version)
Teacher's Guide for OCULUM
Teacher's Guides for 10 of Philippa's Books

Testimonials:

“Dear Philippa, Thank you so much on behalf of Palmerston Library and the children in the Sophie’s Studio writing workshop for the fantastic experience of having you here for four weeks, working with the kids, writing stories, drawing, mentoring them in their wonderful creative efforts. It has been an absolutely enjoyable time and you did a super excellent job. We hope to see you again, have a great summer."
Iana Georgieva-Kaluba, Librarian, Toronto Public Library

“Your story is just the sort I would 
have fallen in love with if I were reading it at twelve. It would have had me searching out 
gargoyles at all the local churches and trying 
to talk with them when no one was looking. 
Thank you…” Elizabeth, Parent, Brooklyn


“Thank you so much for a wonderful presentation! You are very inspiring and engaging. The students loved your stories—we are new fans!” Evelyn Reiss, Principal, The Claremont School, Toronto

“Philippa engaged children of all ages, from kindergarten to grade six. Our library purchased several copies, and they have been in constant circulation ever since. The grade four class enjoyed it so much, that it inspired the students to write a play which they performed at their year-end concert.” Robert Aucoin, TDSB Librarian


“My students were enthralled by the story. Many of the children bought the books and finished reading the stories on their own. I would highly recommend her for other classrooms. Children really enjoy the books, and the important message of tolerance and inclusion that they bring.” Sylvain Milhomme, TDSB Teacher, grades 4/5

Lovely fan-made button

Children's Testimonials About The Lost Gargoyle Series:

"I read all your gargoyle books. I really like 'The Gargoyle at the Gates' best of all and I read the book before anybody in my class. When I read two sentences I knew that it would be very good."

"My class and I have decided to thank you for writing those wonderful books. The gargoyle series has a wild imagination to it. My teacher has been reading 'The Gargoyle at the Gates.' I'm very excited to hear the end!"

"My class is reading your new book, 'The Gargoyle at the Gates.' So far it is very interesting. I am starting the whole series over again."

"Your book is really good. I am on chapter 5/ballerinas and daisies. It is very interesting the gargoyle is playing tricks with the two girls’ minds… so all I wanted to say was good job at making a very good book." 

_“Your wonderful book has made me think more about gargoyles. It’s nice to have a story book that doesn’t always have to be realistic and it’s not like a fantasy book, it’s in the middle! I like that it’s different from all the other books I have read! I think having a gargoyle in your family would be really cool. Having something different and being different is a part of life. That’s how life can be! You never know maybe gargoyles CAN be real!” 

“Thanks for reading us the book, The Gargoyle in My Yard, it was very interesting and it was awesome…it’s not easy to find a book so interesting that you want to keep on reading. It was very funny when you read, the gargoyle was dancing a ballet dance and I imagined that he looked so ugly, funny and makes me want to laugh at the same time.”


“This book is a wonderful children's book about Gargoyles. It was very interesting to read this book because you really want to find out what happens next. When you read to us you stopped where they were trying to think of a way to get rid of a Gargoyle. It was so interesting because I want to know how they got rid of that Gargoyle, too. Thank you so much for reading and talking to us about this book. It was awesome, we all enjoyed it so much!”

Extras

ABOVE: Mechanical hearts, robots and characters from OCULUM, by  a grade 4/5 class. THANK YOU!

ABOVE: Spooky mermaids and terrifying pirates from BLACKWELLS AND THE BRINY DEEP.

BELOW: Kids draw their favourite characters from CARTER AND THE CURIOUS MAZE.

A few of the monsteriest of monster drawings inspired by Myles and the Monster Outside  

Creepy hands and giant flies: fantastic drawings by kids ages 4-12, from Jake and the Giant Hand

Firefly Book Trailer:
​FIREFLY BOOK TRAILER

Weird Stories Gone Wrong Book Trailers:
Book Trailer, Quinn and the Quiet, Quiet
Book Trailer, Blackwells and the Briny Deep
Book Trailer, Alex and The Other
Kids draw pictures and talk about Carter and the Curious Maze
Book Trailer, Carter and the Curious Maze
Book Trailer, Myles and the Monster Outside
Book Trailer, Jake and the Giant Hand

Short story: Read The Giant's Knock in Taddle Creek Magazine (Summer 2014) Adapted from Jake and the Giant Hand, Sept. 2014

The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden Book Trailers:

Book Trailer, The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden
Argyle Wolves Book trailer for The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden

Download the Gwendolyn Golden book trailer music free

The Lost Gargoyle Series Book Trailers:
Book Trailer, The Gargoyle at the Gates
Grade 4 Book Trailer for The Gargoyle at the Gates
Fan-made video, The Lost Gargoyle Series

What kids have to say:

On Myles and the Monster Outside:
"You just want to keep reading the next page and the next page. I needed to finish it. It was killing me; I wanted to know what was going to happen. It's creepy but not to the point that I couldn't read it by myself in my room. It was the perfect amount of creepy."

"I thought it was really good. I especially liked the Chicken Truck Man ... and [the part where] Norman has to pee and it was a very suspenseful book and I hope there's a next one that comes out."

About Jake and the Giant Hand:"I really enjoyed your book Jake and the giant hand. I thought it was full of mystery and suspense, and every time I finished a chapter I was eager to read the next! The end of chapters always made me want to continue to read the next. The spooky theme to it really appealed to me and the mystery was so enticing! I thought the characters were also lovable:P especially Kate and Chris, how one was a daredevil and the other one the wise one.  I think your works are wonderful and they are very well written." 

"Jake and the Giant Hand is sad, happy, and exciting. It starts off as a normal book but gets weirder and weirder. There are lots of different scary stories that might scare you too."

"I really like the book you wrote, because it is my kind of book. It's one of those books when you read the last chapter, you want to read the second one. 5 STARS"

"I really enjoyed your book. It really was my taste. It was mysterious, adventurous, and creepy. I loved the giant flies. Sometimes I just sit on a hot summer day on my porch and let the flies land on me."