Text title "AUTHOR OF CHILDREN'S LAUGHTER" in a bold, stylized font with a bright green color on a contrasting background.
Bold, red text displaying the name "TOM E. MOFFATT" in a stylized, artistic font.
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Red circular logo with a stylized lowercase "i" in a modern font, centered within the circle.
Book cover featuring a stylized illustration of a serene landscape with a sunset, overlayed with the title "Embers of Dawn.
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I can't see the image, so I'm unable to write specific alt text for it.
Red play button icon on a transparent background.
Red circular logo with a stylized lowercase "i" in a modern font, centered within the circle.
Book cover featuring a stylized illustration of a serene landscape with a sunset, overlayed with the title "Embers of Dawn.
White magnifying glass icon on a green circular background.
A diverse group of animated characters holding various joke and humor book covers, featuring colorful illustrations.

Are you in New Zealand? Click here for Kiwi orders.

Get Kids Writing, both in Schools and School Holidays

Award-winning author of laugh-out-loud stories and joke books, and a registered teacher with 12 years in the classroom. I help Kiwi kids fall in love with reading and writing, at school and in the holidays.

For Your School → For the Holidays →
Tom E. Moffatt on stage

Part author, part teacher, all laughs

Hi, I’m Tom E. Moffatt, award-winning author of laugh-out-loud stories and joke books, and a registered teacher with 12 years in primary and intermediate classrooms. These days I get to do the best bits of both: bounding into schools to get kids hooked on reading and writing, and running holiday workshops where young writers become real, published authors.

Whether you’re a teacher after a high-energy visit or a parent with a story-mad kid, here’s how we can work together.

Tom working with a class during a school visit
For Teachers & Principals

Author Visits That Get Kids Reading

I’ve spent 12 years on both sides of the classroom door, first as a teacher, now as the funny-book author kids beg to have back. My sessions blend high-energy storytelling, quick-fire jokes and practical writing tips students can use the same day. From whole-school assemblies to hands-on writing workshops, every visit lifts confidence, participation and reading joy, especially for those tricky reluctant readers.

  • Reluctant readers, hooked: humour and high-energy delivery that wins over the toughest crowd.
  • Flexible formats for Years 0–8, tailored to your timetable, spaces and learning goals.
  • Writing strategies they’ll use that very afternoon: from fictionalising real events to writing jokes and revising for impact.
  • In-person or virtual (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), great for remote schools or tighter budgets.
  • Smooth, teacher-friendly logistics: I know how a school day actually runs.
Popular day packages include “Laugh and Learn” (an assembly plus a workshop) and the “Workshop Carousel” (three back-to-back sessions by year group), or we build something to fit.
See the full session menu & rates → Get in touch →
For Parents

This Isn’t School-School. It’s Author School.

Over two full days, keen young writers take an idea and shape it into a finished short story, drafting, editing and polishing alongside an award-winning author. They’ll think like real writers: building memorable characters, solving story problems, and experimenting with ideas for the sheer joy of it.

And here’s the best bit. Every young author’s work is prepared for publication, and each child takes home a printed paperback of the collection to keep forever. A real book, with their name in it.

  • Two full days of small-group tuition and one-on-one guidance.
  • All writing materials included.
  • A published paperback for every young author.
  • For keen writers aged 8–12, no perfect spelling required, just big ideas and a willingness to run with them.
See upcoming workshops & book →
Kids writing at a Young Authors workshop
A young author holding their published paperbackTheir own published book!

Not sure which is the right fit?

Just get in touch, I’m always happy to help you work out the best option for your school or your young writer.

Get in touch →