St Tola’s NS, Delvin teacher Julie-Ann Carroll is enjoying the success of her debut book since its launch in September 2023.
Julie-Ann wrote, illustrated and self-published Our Super Teacher, a children’s wellbeing book. The book is stocked in 30 stores nationwide and 1,000 copies have been sold since the launch. Our Super Teacher is now being stocked in Dunnes Stores, Ireland’s largest national retailer.
“I’m totally overwhelmed. I can’t believe it’s in Dunnes Stores. It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Julie-Ann told Topic.
Our Super Teacher has been so well received, even Julie-Ann was taken by surprise. She is now wearing out the shoe leather to promote the book which she said is a “totally different part to writing a book”. Julie-Ann is now a novelist turned travelling salesperson and said it wasn’t something she foresaw when she launched the book. Her Dunnes Stores success has made all the unexpected sales pitches worth it.
“I was delighted to get it and to see it on a bookshelf was amazing,” said Julie-Ann.
The book was inspired by Julie-Ann’s friend and colleague, Aoife Kelly who passed away aged 31 in March 2023. Aoife was a beloved member of staff at St Tolas who introduced wellbeing practices to the classroom that were well-received by pupils. She has been memorialised in Our Super Teacher and Julie-Ann captured her friend’s likeness on the cover illustration.
“She was a very special person so it’s nice to be able to continue her message. She was so passionate about wellbeing in kids and giving them skills early on so they could have them for life,” said Julie-Ann.
“She was very zen, very calm and gentle. Anyone that was in their presence, it rubbed off on them. Inspirational to be around in terms of having nothing but goodness to give.”
Julie-Ann is from Blue Ball in Offaly and is currently living in Tullamore. Inspired by her Technical Drawing teacher, the late Tommy Godley, the St Tolas teacher qualified as a secondary school teacher from the University of Limerick in 2009.
She taught Technical Drawing and other subjects before working as a substitute teacher in Australia. It was here that her passion for teaching younger children grew and Julie-Ann undertook a postgraduate qualification in primary school teaching at Brunel University in London. She moved home shortly after and has been teaching in Delvin for the last 12 years. Our Super Teacher has been a huge success for the Tolas teacher and she is hoping to publish more in the future.
“I definitely have plans for more along the theme of well-being and kindness amongst kids,” she said.
Our Super Teacher can be purchased at Dunnes Stores in the Harbour Place, Mullingar or at www.julieanncarroll.ie
