This new, children’s fiction book is all about a young girl who is inspired by the prospect of seeing the aurora from her own garden in South Wales. She ends up in Svalbard on an epic adventure with some space scientists from the University of Southampton. The subject of the book is very ‘on trend’ among British children because recent solar events meant the aurora was visible in the UK in May and October of last year.
Through the book, I try to engage the reader in learning about the physics of the aurora, using my experience in Physics outreach to do so in an age appropriate and entertaining way.
I have self-published the book with funds from the University of Southampton where I work as the ‘Astronomy Public Engagement Leader’. I applied to fund the self-publishing of this work through our ‘Public Engagement with Research unit’ and they agreed to fund the cover illustration and printing of the first 750 copies so the book can be used as a vehicle to engage young children with the University’s Aurora science research.
I launched the book at our ‘Hands on Humanities family day’ in November 2024, this a free event which runs in Southampton city centre to engage the public with the Humanities. After the popularity of the book at this event I then secured further funding from both the Astronomy and Space Environment Physics research groups for a second print run to allow me to give out another 250 copies at our Science and Engineering Family Day in March 2025.
To date I have distributed 968 books – most of these were given out for free to children at outreach events at primary schools as part of our ‘Aurora Art’ workshop or posted to schools for their library (with 22 of those books being purchased for £5.99 each by people across the world).
All of the people who have rated the book so far have given it 5 stars. Two primary age children who read the book dressed up as the heroine of my book, Seren, for World Book Day in 2025 and I think this is the greatest compliment I could receive for the book and its main character 😊
The inspiration for this book came from my own adventure in January 2020 where I accompanied my space scientist colleagues on an expedition to Svalbard, Norway. My part in the expedition involved writing a daily blog and linking up with local schools in order to launch tour new ‘Aurora Zoo’ citizen science project (aurorazoo.org). After seeing the aurora for the first time on that trip and having a real-life encounter with a polar bear, I felt compelled to write a children’s story set in this amazing and weird place.
Having also recently been diagnosed with ADHD, I have been looking back on my own experiences in primary school. I remember feeling very isolated sometimes, because I knew I was different, but I didn’t know why. Now I know, and my whole childhood, my struggles in school, specifically in social situations, make more sense. So, after this revelation; It was important to me that my book’s heroine also had ADHD. I know as young child I would have appreciated reading a book about a child who was ‘just like me’. I try to use comedic writing as much as possible to showcase how Seren’s neurodiversity can also be a strength.
To get a copy of the book for your child or a school, please first make a Donation to our PayPal Pool (suggested donation is £5.99 which is the RRP, but any amount helps!) – these funds will go towards buying our 3rd print run so we can continue to give the book away for Free to children in Widening Participation schools, (we only have 180 copies of the book left!)- Use this PayPalPoolLink to Donate 😍
Then please email me your Postal address and if you want the book signed to a specific child tell me their first name.
Please allow up to 7 days for the books to arrive to you from the day you order them (by sending me your address). I am distributing these from my own office with help from a student, around outreach visits in local schools and teaching undergrads so please be patient 🙂
Thanks so much for your interest in the book, Happy Reading 🙂
P.p.s. If you have any contacts or suggestions about how I could get my book published and in book stores do please email me because that would be amazing!