Of course I’m slightly biased, but one of the best destinations you can choose for your next holiday is the Greek islands. Steeped in history and culture, the Greek islands offer beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes and great food!

In this week’s post, we’ll look at five great things you can do while you are visiting the Greek islands.

Shipwreck Beach, Zakynthos

1. Visit the beaches

Greece has one of the longest coastlines in...

This week I’m writing from Syros, the capital of the Cyclades islands in Greece. Given where I am, I thought it would be pertinent to write a post about the events taking place across Greece at the moment.

Greek communities across Australia have followed the financial crisis in Greece closely as it has developed in the news over the last few months. In a landmark vote on July 5th, the Greek people voted a strong no to the propo...

I was six years old when my family moved from Athens to Brisbane. We assimilated halfway through the first school year, so there was a lot of adjusting, from making new friends and speaking a new language, to experiencing a completely different way of life. When I started writing Catch that Cat! I was aware of the importance of developing meaningful connections with family and maintaining strong ties to your country, culture a...

Generations on, many families of Greek heritage who live in Australia still yearn for their children to learn Greek. One of the reasons I created a bilingual English/Greek edition ofCatch that Cat! was to serve this need. Through the provision of quality literature and an engaging story children are introduced to the value of learning and appreciating two languages; essentially being encouraged to explore culture and new ideas...

Children openly and eagerly enjoy sharing insights and observations with adults. It is important to start building a good rapport from a young age. Here are three ways you can encourage children to share their personal stories, whether it’s at home or in your classroom.

1. Tell a story about your own childhood

Remember that children are accustomed to seeing you as a grown-up. They have no concept of you as a child; just the sa...

Last weekend I launched Catch that Cat! as part of the program at the Paniyiri Festival 2015.

It was a wonderful weekend and I got to meet some fans of the story – kids, parents, teachers, and people from the local community.

A lot of people had seen my article in Brisbane News, and it was great to chat to them about it and about why I wrote the book.

We took lots of photographs of people who came to say hello – see...

I am extremely pleased and excited to announce that Catch that Cat! will be officially launched at the upcoming Paniyiri 2015 Greek Festival!

Paniyiri is described as a, “kaleidoscopic cultural explosion that is now legendary with over 50,000 Greeks and honorary Greeks flocking to Musgrave Park, South Brisbane every year”. But more than that, Paniyiri is important in terms of nurturing children’s appreciation of cul...

Hello and welcome to my new blog!

A brief introduction to me – I’m Melina, a Greek-Australian, and the author of a new bilingual children’s picture book Catch that Cat!

For the past fifteen years I have been developing programs and curriculum resources for children, schools and teachers in a major art gallery in Brisbane.

It is important to me to nurture ties with my country of birth, Greece, and I regularly visit the island...

Children openly and eagerly enjoy sharing insights and observations with adults. It is important to start building a good rapport from a young age. Here are three ways you can encourage children to share their personal stories, whether it’s at home or in your classroom.

1. Tell a story about your own childhood

Remember that children are accustomed to seeing you as a grown-up. They have no concept of you as a child;...