[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-emirates-festival-of-literature-2026-hartland-international-school":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"I've recently returned from a trip to Dubai, my fourth visit there for the \u003Ca href=\"https://emirateslitfest.com/\">Emirates Festival of Literature\u003C/a>, and I was going to write one blog post about the whole visit. Except I quickly realised that a particular Adventuremice school visit was going to need the space of its own post to do it justice! This was a visit to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.hartlandinternational.com/\">Hartland International School\u003C/a> by \u003Cb>Philip Reeve\u003C/b> and me, accompanied by \u003Cb>Maleeha Saad\u003C/b> from the festival's \u003Ca href=\"https://readingforpleasure.ae/about-us?locale=en\">Reading for Pleasure\u003C/a> team. \\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I have both visited many schools, and occasionally we encounter a school with a dynamic school librarian or a teacher who absolutely understands how to communicate a love of reading to their children. They prepare the children for months in advance of a visit by an author, and by the time the author arrives, the children have read the author's books and are excited to meet them. Hartland is one of the best-ever examples we've encountered; when we arrived at the school, the children, staff and parents made us feel like rock stars!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1371631/1371631_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_MaryRoseArt.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_MaryRoseArt.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLet's start with this incredible big mural of the Adventuremice Mousebase that we saw when we first arrived. Look, there's Fledermaus's seaplane! And staff dressed as our characters! School Librarian Mary-Rose Grieve is dressed as Juniper, Assistant Librarian \u003Cb>Gemma McCormac\u003C/b> is Millie, and Library Assistant \u003Cb>Barry McAlpine\u003C/b> is Skipper! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1369848/1369848_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase1_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase1_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nNot only that, but the mural has opening doors, as modelled here by Gemma and Mary-Rose: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1369925/1369925_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase2_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase2_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHang on, let's zoom in a little closer, so you can see the incredible details here. The mural was painted by an amazing team of parents, and children found the mousetails hidden around school, joined them back up with their mice, which then inhabited their Mousebase. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1370201/1370201_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase3_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase3_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck this out, it has a working lift!! And a water wheel that goes around, and twinkling lights!! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1370416/1370416_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase4_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase4_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nPhilip and I were completely gobsmacked by this, and got to meet the team of parents who had put it together. Here they are! THANK YOU, incredible Hartland parents!! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1370732/1370732_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase5_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase5_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBut it wasn't only a Mousebase, there was ALSO an incredible Adventuremice photo booth, complete with details from our latest book, \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.adventuremice.com/books/mousehole-to-centre-of-the-earth\">Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth\u003C/a>\u003C/i>. Spot Ptiny the Pterodactyl! And the Hamstersaurus Rex! Fantastic. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1370940/1370940_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase6_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase6_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWhen we went back into the library, there was a whole lovely display of Adventuremice-inspired work the children had made. I actually got a bit teary, it was so wonderful seeing a whole school really getting stuck in to a world Philip and I had made. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1371217/1371217_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Mousebase7_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Mousebase7_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe left our own mark on the school, too, just next to the 'Evacuation Procedures' notice. (We thought Fledermaus would appreciate that, he's always getting into a panic.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1371823/1371823_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_dontpanic_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_dontpanic_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's \u003Cb>Maleeha Saad\u003C/b> from the festival, who came with us, and our visit was set up by \u003Cb>Aliya Khan \u003C/b>and \u003Cb>Aira Jane Anupol\u003C/b> from the festival team. (Thanks so much, all three of you!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1369308/1369308_original.jpg\" alt=\"ELF26_Maleeha Saad_Hartland_lj.jpg\" title=\"ELF26_Maleeha Saad_Hartland_lj.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd, of course, a massive thank you to Mary-Rose, Gemma and Barry from the library for making this the most tremendous visit! And to all the teachers and parents who coordinated with them!! This was truly a special visit and Philip and I will never forget it. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/1371917/1371917_original.jpg\" alt=\"MaryRoseGrieve_Dubai1.jpg\" title=\"MaryRoseGrieve_Dubai1.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Thank you, Mary-Rose! \u003C/i>","2026-02-05T21:05:00.000Z","emirates-festival-of-literature-2026-hartland-international-school",[],"Emirates Festival of Literature 2026: Hartland International School!",1776628732246]