Bert the Bat’s First School Visit
For the past year I have been quietly working on the outline and first draft of Bert the Bat, the opening book in what I hope will become a middle grade novel series called The Veilway Chronicles. The stories are set in and around the village of Mallowbrook, a very pretty but rather odd little place tucked into a lost fold of countryside in southern England.
At the time of writing this blog post (28th November 2025) I am roughly 25,000 words in, about a third of the way through the first draft, and aiming to publish in the summer of 2026. Bert the Bat is a magical fantasy with ghosts, fairies, an old castle and, at the centre of it all, Bert – a grumpy blue bat with far too many secrets.
To be honest, I am writing the sort of book I would have loved to read when I was 11 years old, but what do 11-year-old children in 2025 actually want to read? Do they like the idea not only of a grumpy blue bat, but of a story that takes place in a vast abandoned castle, featuring an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl from a super–rich American family?
There was only one way to find out: ask them. Not in theory, but in person – and as many as possible.
So on Friday 14th November 2025 I made my first ever school visit to introduce Bert the Bat to a Year 7 group of eleven-year-olds. I had been very kindly invited to give a presentation in the school library at Midhurst Rother College, West Sussex, UK.
Importantly, I did not want this to be an “I’m writing a book – buy it when it comes out” session. This was an opportunity not only to introduce Bert himself and ask the children what they thought, but also to give something back and encourage them with their own creative writing. The format was a workshop, built around how one author (me) comes up with ideas, and how they might use a similar approach in their own stories.
The workshop was called “What is a story, and where do stories come from?”
Meeting Year 7
The session took place in the MRC library – a room full of books and a large Year 7 group, and, as I stood up to speak, they all had looks that sat somewhere between curiosity and suspicion.
I opened the session with a ten-minute reading from the start of chapter one and then went straight into the workshop part of the session.
Over the course of the session, the class quickly became engaged, from where they thought stories came from through to the sorts of things they would like to read in this book. We also talked about what it actually takes to write a book – from first messy ideas to a finished draft and publication.
A room that woke up
What struck me most was how quickly the room woke up. Hands started going up and questions and suggestions started flying around as soon as I finished the reading, and we ended up with a genuinely lively discussion about plot, character and where stories come from.
As a writer, you spend a lot of time alone wondering whether any of this actually lands with real children. For that hour, I had my answer – it very much did.
Bringing Bert to life with Augmented Reality
Towards the end of the session, we tried something a bit different. I had given each student an Augmented Reality card to take home with them. I demonstrated using my phone and showed how, when viewing the card through a phone or tablet, Bert and a short sequence of animation and music appeared to magically lift straight off the card.
To begin with, there was a wonderful moment when mouths dropped open in surprise and everyone leaned in closer, quickly followed by laughter and questions. Since the visit, I’ve learned that many of the pupils have been reusing their cards at home, which is exactly what I’d hoped for – Bert turning up outside the classroom.
A challenge for readers and writers
After the visit, I put together a simple seven-task reading and writing challenge, based on the questions and ideas that came up in the room. It’s designed so teachers and parents can use it however they wish – as extension work, a mini project, or just something for keen readers to get their teeth into.
Midhurst now has a copy of the pack, and I’m looking forward to hearing what some of the pupils do with it.
If you’d like to download your own copy, you can do so by subscribing via the landing page on this website.
Looking ahead
The school has kindly invited me back for World Book Day on 5th March 2026, when I’ll be working with more Midhurst students and sharing how Bert the Bat is developing. The school is very much interested in staying with me right through to beta reading and beyond.
14th November 2025 is a day that I will never forget. There is something magical about seeing a child’s face light up when they start seeing and engaging with what you are trying to create.
For now, I’m back at the desk, and continuing with first draft and keeping that Year 7 group firmly in mind. They’ve already helped shape this story more than they realise. I cannot thank the staff and students at Midhurst Rother College enough for their enthusiasm and generosity in letting me test-drive Bert the Bat with them at such an early stage.
If you’re a teacher or librarian and you’d like to know more about the workshop or the reading & writing challenge pack, you’re welcome to contact me via the website. Going forward, I am hoping that I can now establish a similar long-term relationship with a US middle school.
You can read the entire Midhurst Matters newsletter on the Rother College website (Midhurst Matters – Monday 1st December 2025) by clicking here.