'Two books in one year, who even am I?'- Preston teaching assistant prepares for release of second book

A Preston teaching assistant turned author says she is “very excited” for the release of her second book.

Mary Brown, who has been a teaching assistant at Moor Nook Community Primary School for 17 years, releases the second instalment of her children’s book series next month.

Mrs Brown and Friends: When the Magpies Moved In will be launched at the Harris on Saturday, December 5.

Speaking to the Post a month before its release Mary said: “I'm feeling very excited. Two books in one year, who even am I?”

The 54-year-old mum of three and grandmother one only published her first ever book, Mrs Brown and Friends: The Morning Rush, earlier this year.

Inspired by her previous Year 2 pupils to write the book, the story follows the various “garden residents” visiting Mary's garden in Ribbleton and went on to sell hundreds of copies, with children and families from Preston and further afield getting behind the project.

Mrs Brown and Friends: When the Magpies Moved In follows on from the first book’s story and Mary hopes it will prove just as popular.

Mary said: “I can't wait to share this new story with everyone because my first book got such good reviews and was received so well. I've had to reorder book one because I sold out of the 500 copies now so people have actually ordered that along with pre-ordering book two- how amazing is that?”

As the second book’s title suggests, the new story looks at how the residents of Mary’s garden react when some magpies move in - again a tale inspired by the real goings on in her own garden.

Mary said: “They are real, Maggie and Mo, they have moved into my garden. In the book, the residents are not happy and the main one who’s having none of it is Rocky, the Robin. They see Mrs Brown saying ‘Oh, welcome!’ but because magpies get a bad rep, Rocky says ‘she won't be like that when they start stealing all her things’. As time goes on they see that Mrs Brown continues being friendly and kind to the magpies, welcoming them, saying ‘hello, you two’, and talking to Jesse, her French bulldog, saying things like ‘Oh look, they've built a nest.’ Then all the residents realise that well, Mrs. Brown's accepted them, so we must accept them. From there they learn a valuable lesson that acceptance is the way.”

Asked why acceptance is a lesson she wanted kids should learn, Mary replied: “Because we live in a multicultural society and we come across people from all different walks of life, in business, and in play, so it's a very important life lesson to know that everybody's different, people all believe in different things, and you've got to accept that.

“Obviously I work with children, and there's a valuable lesson there to teach them to be accepting, that they will meet new people as they grow up and not everybody is going to be the same as you. Within my book, nobody wanted the magpies in the garden, and it's very like how some children don't want a new friend in the group, or someone new starts, and it's all about accepting them.”

As well as having an important message, the book still has plenty of room for silliness, whilst Mary hopes her readers will love the characters’ new looks.

Mary continued: “There’s little anecdotes along the way, like Fiona thinks she may have to make Robbie a new vest because he's that greedy, it’s getting a bit small. There's little jokey things like Robbie’s got a lot of food stuck to his vest but he loves it because he's saying ‘How marvelous is that?’ I can eat some later’.

“I've also worked with a new illustrator this time, and oh my days, I'm so pleased with how it's turned down, because he's put more color through the pages, text is a colourful background and it just really works well. Obviously, we've had to change the characters' look because when you work with a new illustrator, you have to redesign the characters so they look a bit different.”

Mary’s excitement to share the new book with her readers is more than matched by the excitement of her pupils.

“They are mega excited”, said Mary, “My first book is still talked about around school. They say things like ‘Oh Mrs Brown, your TikTok famous! You’ve gone viral!" I literally just have about 400 followers, I do get 1000s of views on some of them but it's hit and miss. I do it because obviously it's my marketing strategy. I'd love to have a marketing team behind me but it’s just me and my lovely husband. If a video gets someone else to talk about the books then it’s done it’s job because the main message of my books is getting children reading, especially as it's National Reading Year.”

Mary is hoping to use the success of her books to support a wider project aimed at encouraging creativity and reading among local children.

She said: “My aim is to get funding to provide free workshops, giving children an experience of learning, drawing, writing and reading.

“I'd love to give children around Ribbleton and the surrounding areas somewhere they can just sit and read a book, draw or have a bit of quiet time in a creative space.

“It's tough. I don't know where I'm going to go for funding. I've been knocked back three times, but I'm not going to give up because I believe in children and reading, and getting a space for them. So that's my aim now.”

Mary’s message certainly seems to be out there as spaces for her upcoming book launch at the Harris have almost sold out only a month after they were first advertised.

She told the Post: “Within four weeks of posting, there's only eight remaining tickets, so I'm nearly sold out. I'm blown away. I'm also literally booked up for events right through to February half term so how nice is that? I did a workshop at the Harris early this year which sold out too, they are really supportive of me and my books.”

Asked if she had any plans for a third book, Mary was proud to admit she’d already written a third and fourth instalment.

She also exclusively revealed to the Post that the third book will centre on a new character, introduced in the upcoming ‘When the Magpies Move in’ tale.

To those yet to pick up any of her books, Mary said: “I'm a local author who started writing late on and basically followed a dream that I didn't think was possible. So if you can get behind me, you’ll learn that anything is possible. I like to think I'm out there inspiring other writers who think they can't do this, that they can.

“If you read my first book, you'll see what a lovely story it is. It's all about teaching children to be kind and it's for any age to read, you know. Grandmas and grandads have messaged me, they've all said they've loved reading it themselves, and I've had a lot of messages saying that they read it again and again, that's it the go-to book for bedtime. Isn't that lovely? But don't take my word for it. Go and buy it and read for yourself. That's what I say because I think you'll love it.”

Orders of Mary’s two books can now be made by her brand new website: http://www.beaurudpublishingltd.co.uk/

You can still message her on Facebook at Mrs Brown and Friends too.