Jeni Mawter facts for kids
Jeni (J.A.) Mawter (born in 1959) is a well-known Australian author who writes books for children. She has written over twenty books, and her So series is very popular! Jeni Mawter writes all sorts of stories, including fiction and non-fiction, poems, and even stories told in verse.
Her books are for different age groups, from picture books for younger kids to chapter books and young adult novels for older readers. One of her novels, Team Dream, came out in 2005.
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About Jeni Mawter
Jeni Mawter was born in Sydney, Australia. Her parents are Nola and Garry Braude, and she has a sister named Debbi and a brother named Michael.
Jeni went to school in Willoughby, attending Willoughby Infants', Willoughby Primary, and Willoughby Girls' High School. She was even the School Captain in 1977!
After high school, Jeni studied Speech Pathology at Cumberland College (which is now part of Sydney University). She graduated in 1980 and even won an award for her studies.
For many years, Jeni worked as a speech pathologist in hospitals. She helped patients with brain injuries or those who had surgery on their head and neck. She also managed a student unit for speech pathology for two years. Later, she worked helping people get back to work after an injury.
Jeni loved learning, so she went back to college. She earned a diploma in Book Editing in 1997 and a Master of Arts degree in Children's Literature in 1998.
Since then, Jeni Mawter has shared her knowledge by teaching creative writing. She teaches at Macquarie University and the NSW Writer's Centre. She also often visits schools and literary festivals across Australia to talk about writing. Jeni has even run writing workshops for people of all ages, from 5 to 91 years old!
Jeni Mawter is married to David Mawter. They have three children named Hugh, Shevaughn, and Tullia.
Jeni Mawter's Books
Freewheelers Series
This series is full of adventure!
- Extreme! (2008)
- Launched! (2007)
- Unleashed! (2006)
Critical Thinking Books
Jeni also wrote books to help kids think critically while enjoying humor.
- Critical Thinking: Humour and Text Ages 5 - 8 (2007)
- Critical Thinking: Humour and Text Ages 8 – 10 (2007)
- Critical Thinking: Humour and Text Ages 10+ (2007)
Junior Fiction Books
These are chapter books for younger readers.
- Team Dream (2005)
- Turkey Pox (2005)
- There's a Sun Fairy in Our Garden (2001)
- Go, the Mobile! (2001)
- The Most Unusual Pet (2001)
- Maisie's Race (2000)
Other Works
Audio Books
Some of Jeni's popular So series books are also available as audiobooks.
- So Sick! (2006)
- So Feral! (2005)
- So Festy! (2005)
- So Gross! (2004)
Classroom Resources
Jeni has also written books for classrooms on various topics.
- Human Body (2008)
- The Changing face of Xmas in Australia (2004)
- The Snowy Mountains Scheme (2003)
- Food (2002)
- Feelings (2002)
- Homes and Families (2002)
- Special Days (2001)
- Natural Disasters (2001)
Stories in Collections
Jeni's short stories have appeared in different collections of works by various authors.
- "Excuse Me" in Short, Black Dog Books (2008)
- "Getting into the nitty gritty" in Writing {better} stories, Primary English Teaching Association (2006)
- "Pear Legs, Hello" in Alive and Winking, John Wiley & Sons Publishers (2006)
- "Slow Swimming" and The Kiss published in Alive and Kicking, John Wiley & Sons Publishers (2005)
Multimedia Projects
Jeni helped create interactive displays for museums.
- Along with Sue Murray, she wrote scripts for "The Magic Garden: MBF Foundation Healthy Kids Unit" at The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney (2008).
Articles
Jeni has also written articles about writing and education.
- Humour, Literacy and Literature, Teacher & Librarian, ASLA NSW (March 2006)
- Thinking Skills, Humorous Texts and Literacy, ACCESS, ASLA National (2006)
- Mentorship Newswrite, NSW Writer's Centre (2005)
- Writing Humour: Why Gross Works for Kids, Paper given at the Sydney Writers' Festival (2005)
- Tell Me a Story, Classroom Magazine, Scholastic Australia, Issue 5 (2000)
- The Brain-Injured Child in the Classroom, Classroom Magazine, Scholastic Australia, Issue 6 (1999)
Awards and Recognition
Jeni Mawter's book Unleashed! was nominated for the West Australian Young Readers' Book Awards in 2009.
