Toadstool Tales

At Toadstool Tales, we aim to ignite excitement in storytelling and inspire reading for pleasure in school children.

We want children to realise the power and possibilities of words, and we encourage young authors to achieve their goals of storytelling through different mediums: oral and written words, drama activities, music or arts and crafts.

Creating a story is so much more than putting pen to paper!

Charlotte L. Taylor

Growing up, Charlie was an avid reader, eagerly exploring the different worlds found between the pages of books. Her passion for great storytelling, arts and education has inspired her to write her first children’s book series, Broken Twigs, and she is excited to continue to share her feisty fairy's adventures with you all.

"I am lucky enough to live in the lovely Forest of Dean with my husband and three beautiful daughters. Aside from writing and reading, my other passions are bee-keeping, walking my gorgeous dogs in the woods and camping with my family. I have always loved being surrounded by the forest, as it is so full of places where my imagination can take off and where I can easily imagine fairies and other magical creatures existing. I love to write because, even on the coldest, wettest days when no one wants to venture outside into the real world, I can embark on an adventure in a world of my choosing.

I was fortunate enough to be a primary school teacher and Reading Lead in a local forest school for ten years before starting out on this new, exciting venture with Fliss. My favourite advice that I love to offer children I meet is this:

If you don’t read, you can only live one lifetime; if you do read, then you could live thousands."

Charlotte L. Taylor—MA (Hons) Psychology, Edinburgh University, and PGDE (Distinction) Primary Education, Moray House, Edinburgh University.

Felicity Simister

Fliss has worked in education for 17 years, first as a teaching assistant specialising in children's emotional well-being and special educational needs, and later as a qualified KS1 teacher. She lives in the heart of the Forest of Dean with her tribe of boys and her chickens.

"I have always had a passion for words - their meaning and how powerful and transformative they can be when put together in the right way. This passion pulled me towards working in education where I found purpose in working with children, hoping to influence their lives in a positive way, no matter how small. Together with Charlie, I hope to continue that journey in the literary world."

Felicity Herniman—BA (Hons) Children's Literature and Working Together for Children, Open University with QTS, TES Institute.

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