JACQUELINE HARVEY’s Willa and Woof 7: Camp Chaos is the latest instalment in her ‘Willa and Woof’ series.
We caught up with Jacqueline to ask her about school camp and storytelling.
What’s new for Willa and Woof in Willa and Woof 7: Camp Chaos?
PHOTO CREDIT: JENNI BRADLEY
Willa is very excited to be off to her first school camp. But when her best old age friend, Frank asks how their teacher has prepared them for all of the activities she starts to worry. They haven’t really prepared at all. Frank is an ex-Scout and Scout leader and so he sets about teaching Willa and Tae all the things they might need to know to survive in the Australian bush. Willa wonders if it’s a bit much but in true camp fashion, many things that Frank teaches them prove handy indeed. Frank’s newfound friendship with Mrs Best is also in a bit of bother – which adds another layer of mystery and fun.
What are some of the camp survival skills Willa will need to use in this book?
Willa and her best same age friend Tae learn how to make a fire without matches, they learn to read a compass and tie knots. All of these skills come into play as does some basic first aid. And insect identification – when Freddy quite literally sits on a nest and has ants in his pants, Willa and Tae know exactly what to do.
Who are some of the new characters readers will be introduced to?
The story introduces us to the camp leaders – one of them, Skye is a major disappointment. Willa is not impressed by her lack of interest and leadership which ultimately gets the group into big trouble on their bushwalk. Fortunately, Skye realises her mistakes – helped by Willa’s kindness and maturity – something Skye realises she needs to show more of herself.
Did you draw on your past school camp experiences to help write this story?
As a former teacher I have been on many school camps. I definitely used my own life for this story. The Wombat Hole is a real obstacle at one of the legendary campsites where we used to take the Year 5 students. The idea of the Mud Monster came from the fact that the kids would emerge from the Wombat Hole absolutely covered in mud and looking like scary creatures from the swamp.
What was your favourite part of writing this book?
This was such a fun story to write – thinking about past camp experiences and spending time with the wonderful core cast of characters from the series. Even Robbie – the naughty Year 6 boy (who is not on this camp) still manages to get himself into the middle of the action. It helps that the campsite is just on the edge of Hibiscus Gardens where Willa lives. Willa and her friends are a joy to spend time with and Frank is wonderful. Willa’s trip to the hospital emergency unit with Frank when he hurts his arm made me laugh out loud as Willa wonders about the various accidents that had happened to some of the people in the waiting room – from fish hooks in fingers to bugs in ears and a serious dose of constipation.
Where did you get your love of storytelling?
I grew up in a family of storytellers. My grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles were always telling stories about their lives and I think it rubbed off on me. We always had dinner at the table together and talked about our days. In some ways storytelling became a bit of a competitive sport. We were good at making each other laugh and from there I wondered if I could write some of the stories too. My favourite subjects at school were English and History so writing was something that I had to do a lot of and fortunately loved. I also kept embarrassing diaries from the time I was very young. These have to go!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jacqueline Harvey worked in schools for many years but has had a passion for storytelling since she was a child.
She is the author of the popular ‘Alice-Miranda’, ‘Clementine Rose’, ‘Kensy and Max’ and ‘Willa and Woof’ series, which have sold almost two million copies in Australia alone. In 2022, she released a picture book, That Cat, illustrated by one of her former students, Kate Isobel Scott. Jacqueline’s books have received numerous shortlistings and awards while her picture book, The Sound of the Sea, was a CBCA Honour Book.
Jacqueline speaks to thousands of young people at schools and festivals around the world, and says the characters in her books are often made up of the best bits of children she’s met over the years. While she is not a twin, like Kensy and Max she does have excellent powers of observation and has always thought she’d make a great spy.
Jacqueline lives between Sydney, Australia, and Queenstown, New Zealand, and is currently working on more ‘Willa and Woof’ adventures, several picture book projects and an exciting new middle-grade story.
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