Transcript
Speaker: G'day, I'm Trent Maxwell.
Speaker: And I'm Lee Mason.
Speaker: And we want to welcome you to our Live and Learn Survive podcast.
Speaker: Since 2018, Lee and I travelled the globe and met face-to-face with 33,000 children in six countries across three continents.
Speaker: We created a series of award-winning children's books, a global online education program, and are founders of the Live and Learn Survive charity, all focused on teaching children and young adults' life skills that don't know how to help themselves, but help others too.
Speaker: We're on a mission to spread awareness about fire, water and first aid education to inspire the next generation of first responders.
Speaker: So join us for the next half an hour with some fun, inspiration and kindness and we'll try and learn something too.
Speaker: How are you this week Lee?
Speaker: It's book week.
Speaker: How are you?
Speaker: It's book week.
Speaker: I am great, Maxie.
Speaker: It's Friday.
Speaker: It's 7 a.m.
Speaker: to me, 8 a.m.
Speaker: to you.
Speaker: 8 a.m.
Speaker: to me.
Speaker: Friday morning, it's as loud as it gets.
Speaker: You've had a busy 10 days.
Speaker: Yeah, busy 10 days.
Speaker: I've got my coffee.
Speaker: I've finished my coffee.
Speaker: We are dedicating, you've got your coffee, we are dedicating this podcast to the book.
Speaker: It's out.
Speaker: How long has this been on the desk?
Speaker: We've been waiting and waiting and waiting.
Speaker: And this year, this week, it's real.
Speaker: I was going to say three and a half years, you reckon?
Speaker: We've definitely been out of book one for about a year and a bit.
Speaker: Yeah, easily.
Speaker: I think we've been out of book one for close to two years, when you think about it.
Speaker: It's like, I think I got my hands on one when I was back in England.
Speaker: that, you know, it's been one of the things that's made me sad every time I've looked at the book stock, to be honest.
Speaker: And every time people have gone, are you getting them back?
Speaker: And we were like, yes.
Speaker: And it's like, it's just not an easy process.
Speaker: They look great.
Speaker: They're back and we did it.
Speaker: So here it is.
Speaker: Hello there.
Speaker: So YouTube people check it out.
Speaker: It looks pretty cool.
Speaker: There's about 15 chapters, 13, 14, 15 chapters in there.
Speaker: It's loosely based on my childhood of growing up as a surf, lifesaver, nipper.
Speaker: And little Maxie, let's see how he goes at the Buckler Lifesaving Club.
Speaker: It's very exciting.
Speaker: And it looks great.
Speaker: It looks great.
Speaker: And a big shout out to you.
Speaker: Very excited.
Speaker: A big shout out to you, Lee, in-house publishing, and especially Paul for bringing those illustrations to life.
Speaker: He is an absolute legend.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: And, you know, even the last couple of weeks I've been reading the picture book to Sonny at hospital.
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: It's awesome to see little Maxie in the picture book and then right at the end, the last picture, the last page in the picture book, it's Maxie looking up at the Lifeguard Tower and it kind of rolls in to...
Speaker: these sets of books or this next book.
Speaker: So it's awesome now that we can, yeah, it's so exciting.
Speaker: Because obviously that little Maxie on the beach looking up the lifeguard tower is not a school yet, is he, if I remember right?
Speaker: No, he's only eight or nine years old.
Speaker: It's not a school yet.
Speaker: And it goes, rolls then into the beginning of the...
Speaker: in deep water where he's sitting in class love it so we're going to share a bit more um in the facts we're going to talk about the books in a bit sorry you go
Speaker: No, I was just going to say too, and we're not just doing the second edition of book one.
Speaker: We're also in the process of doing the second edition of book two.
Speaker: And then next year we'll be doing book three.
Speaker: So you'll be seeing these little wins of the books over the next six to 12 months.
Speaker: But we're very, very excited.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: And we're just going to share in more of the story and the illustrations and, yeah, be on this journey with us because it's a great journey.
Speaker: Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
Speaker: Okay, so let's roll it with we got the perfect quote for this week.
Speaker: Matzi, what do we got?
Speaker: Yeah, so the quote this week is one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.
Speaker: How true is that?
Speaker: Perfect quote for this week.
Speaker: So, so true.
Speaker: You know, such a good, such a good quote and the power of a little book.
Speaker: And, you know, we're not we're not saying that this book is going to change the world, but it might change one little life somewhere that we may never know about.
Speaker: And teachers do that every day of the week.
Speaker: And yeah, there we go.
Speaker: And one.
Speaker: One book, one pen, one child, one teacher can change the world.
Speaker: And just adding on to that, when you said one kid impacts, we're working on some other cool stuff as well that's going to even make the experience for that kid love it even more.
Speaker: So we'll talk about that probably at the end of the year or next year.
Speaker: But we are working on some other cool things as well.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Good news.
Speaker: Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker: So good news, Maxie.
Speaker: What have we got?
Speaker: Hit the music.
Speaker: Yeah, there's some great news this week, Lee.
Speaker: So first things first, we'll go back to last Friday when I have to shoot off and rush off.
Speaker: I had a school talk out at Mount Druitt at Shavley College, spoke to year seven and year eight students.
Speaker: It was a great chat.
Speaker: Kids were really involved.
Speaker: We did some really good drills and we got some hands-on simulations and, yeah,
Speaker: you know, situations they might find themselves in coming to the school holidays and into the Christmas time period when it's nicer, warmer weather.
Speaker: But, yeah, it was a great tour.
Speaker: It's the second time I've been back in two consecutive years and the kids and the teachers were great.
Speaker: So I hope they all enjoyed the Live, Learn, Survive Skills for Life program.
Speaker: Amazing.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And we also had, before all the book talk, we also had a great guest this weekend.
Speaker: I can't wait for people to listen to the guests that we had on Wednesday.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: What a star, what a legend.
Speaker: And I'll tell you what, we were both sitting at the edge of our seats when he was telling us about a story that he did back in 1996 up in Coffs Harbour.
Speaker: I'm not going to give too much away, but it's good.
Speaker: Absolutely incredible guest, very unbelievable.
Speaker: And like you say, you and I were both great.
Speaker: silent yeah yeah and we were both you know when you can tell people like lean in we were both like and i know i've like i was like you know and he was just absolutely incredible we were very lucky to him to be so generous with his time and um
Speaker: I'm so excited for that one to go out.
Speaker: It's going to be, you know, in probably the next six weeks or so.
Speaker: But, yeah, really, really, what a chat.
Speaker: What a lovely, lovely man.
Speaker: So that was that absolute highlight.
Speaker: I was buzzing.
Speaker: I literally got off that podcast, got straight in the car, straight down to see the books.
Speaker: So it was a complete whirlwind.
Speaker: They ended up being 15 minutes late to the publisher, but they waited for me.
Speaker: And I was just the whole way there.
Speaker: I was thinking, yeah,
Speaker: That chat, this book is why we do what we do.
Speaker: And it was just brilliant.
Speaker: So very, very, very cool chat.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And I linked onto it.
Speaker: Yeah, linked onto it.
Speaker: And you sent me some really cool photos and videos.
Speaker: And then that rolls into the next thing where you created a great TikTok and Instagram reel for the book creation of the binding and the way it gets cut and
Speaker: sized up and, you know, the end result.
Speaker: Yeah, because, you know, in this day and age, and, you know, I spent like, you know, a bit of time in the actual, in the factory at the publisher, which is here in Brisbane, in the suburbs of Brisbane, and,
Speaker: And, you know, there's ladies there.
Speaker: It could have been, you know, my mum, your dad, anyone's auntie.
Speaker: These are their jobs.
Speaker: These small family businesses have been there for years and years and years.
Speaker: And one of the ladies actually said to me, thank you for supporting an Australian company.
Speaker: And I thought, and I said, we're, you know, and so when I created the reel, because they let me see all different parts of the process.
Speaker: So I literally got the first, they print all the pages and they print them like seven book deep.
Speaker: And then they take this to this huge guillotine that's got so many sensors.
Speaker: You literally can't get near this guillotine before the blade comes down because of the sensors.
Speaker: that stop it.
Speaker: Because I actually, on one of them, I was videoing my phone.
Speaker: I was still like half a meter away, but my phone alerted the sensor and the machine stopped.
Speaker: I was like, oh.
Speaker: So seven books deep of the pages.
Speaker: And then probably about, I reckon there would have been at least a hundred, probably a hundred covers deep.
Speaker: And it just goes, chop, chop, chop, chop it all.
Speaker: And then the coolest machine was,
Speaker: The pages, if you like, get loaded in one end, the covers in the other, they meet in the middle and the pages roll through the glue and then they seal together in this heat and they hold seal and then they get thrown out the other end.
Speaker: And you've actually got, other than the actual outer trim, you've got a book.
Speaker: Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker: Great video.
Speaker: So we literally went from artwork to pages and
Speaker: And that's when I said in the TikTok, in the reel that's what you're going to put on TikTok today, every bit of that process is Australian, from being illustrated by Paul, being written by David in Melbourne with you in Sydney and me in Brisbane, illustrated by Paul in Wollongong.
Speaker: There's sketches being put together by a company in Brisbane, printed in Brisbane,
Speaker: completely an Australian process and I'm really, really proud of that.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Very proud of it.
Speaker: And people that are watching this YouTube video, the most recent YouTube short is the process that Lee filmed.
Speaker: So check it out.
Speaker: It's 60 seconds and it's a pretty cool video.
Speaker: People on Spotify, jump on Instagram and TikTok and you'll be able to see it as well.
Speaker: Yeah, and most importantly, because everyone's going to be bombarded about things for Santa and Christmas and whatever, they are pre-sales are on sale now, and they're going to be dispatched.
Speaker: A week commencing the 11th of November, and based on the timeline of the bookmarks and the things that I'm actually going to collect next Friday, they're actually, we've said week commencing the 7th,
Speaker: They're probably going to go out on the 7th because we're going to have everything that we need.
Speaker: So get in first, get in line, pre-order, and also you can go into the winning to win a superhero backpack.
Speaker: to be your backpack and the cool thing is is uh where you can find the pre-sale is on the bios in our facebook instagram and youtube um so just keep an eye out there and we'll share the link on this as well so um so yeah so um very exciting good good news all around doesn't get much better so um excellent what have we got any bad news
Speaker: Oh, well, it's not bad, bad.
Speaker: What have you got, Lee?
Speaker: So last night, you know, we've got a few littlies around our street now because obviously it's the first of November today, White Rabbits.
Speaker: Do you say that?
Speaker: Do you say that, Ian?
Speaker: I said it this morning before I spoke to anybody, White Rabbits.
Speaker: Anyway, I went and got lollies for Halloween.
Speaker: Not only did I get the lollies, I got a little bowl and I got a little sign.
Speaker: Please take one.
Speaker: Happy Halloween.
Speaker: Then I thought, I even got the lollies that were wrapped because, you know, we've got the butch birds and the magpies that are taking anything that they can get their hands on at the minute.
Speaker: They're all a bit wild.
Speaker: So I thought, I got the lollies that were wrapped.
Speaker: got them in the little tray, got them on the little sign.
Speaker: I thought, do I put them on Bricky Bob's wall out the front?
Speaker: Then I thought, no, because of the birds.
Speaker: So I put them on the, I've got a little table at the front door.
Speaker: Forgot to message the parents to tell them that they were there.
Speaker: So I've just, I've just fetched them all back in.
Speaker: Is there any taking?
Speaker: And do you know, none.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: I tried, Maxie.
Speaker: I tried.
Speaker: Auntie Lee really tried.
Speaker: And you know what was worse?
Speaker: I just saw on Instagram a lovely little photo of them all dressed up in the street.
Speaker: They're literally at the end of my driveway.
Speaker: So, you know, it's like Dr. Jill's grandkiddy's couple of doors down and then Liz's little ones across the road.
Speaker: And they're literally, they've all met in the middle, which is about at the end of my driveway.
Speaker: And they've got the little baskets.
Speaker: And I'm like, and there was the lollies.
Speaker: So I guess I'm going to, I know.
Speaker: Look, I'll get the lollies delivered and we'll call them something else.
Speaker: Good stuff.
Speaker: It'll be fine.
Speaker: Mine's not Halloween related, but I'll tell you what, the last couple of weeks, it's been so annoying, the Wi-Fi and the NBN from home.
Speaker: I've been having a hotspot off my phone every podcast and every... Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: It's getting quite annoying, but again, I don't know if it's the eastern suburbs of Sydney, but it seems like a lot of people are having the same issues.
Speaker: You know, we interviewed Al the other day and he was having NBN Wi-Fi issues and...
Speaker: I don't know what it is, but every time we inquire, they say, oh, they're doing work around the area.
Speaker: But, you know, at what point do you go, well, when's the work going to finish?
Speaker: Anyway.
Speaker: Who do we know?
Speaker: Who do we know?
Speaker: This is important stuff we're sending around the interweb, but who do we know?
Speaker: Get on the phone.
Speaker: Don't they know who they're dealing with?
Speaker: Come on.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: We've got a couple of hicks on the...
Speaker: You might see a pause or whatever.
Speaker: It wasn't us.
Speaker: It was the ambient.
Speaker: Anyway, what have you got for me, Maxie?
Speaker: Why did the book break up with the bookshelf?
Speaker: Why did the book break up with the bookshelf?
Speaker: It just felt like it needed some space.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Very topical.
Speaker: Very topical.
Speaker: So I don't know if you know, Maxi, that I passed all my courses except Greek mythology.
Speaker: Yeah?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: It's always been my Achilles elbow.
Speaker: What happened?
Speaker: You messed that up, me or you?
Speaker: It's always been my Achilles elbow.
Speaker: Achilles elbow.
Speaker: That's good.
Speaker: I don't even know if that one's that funny.
Speaker: Oh, it is.
Speaker: It is.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: It's very early.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Another one.
Speaker: Did you hear about the book on teleportation?
Speaker: No, I didn't hear about the book on teleportation.
Speaker: It's bound to take you places.
Speaker: Wait, I missed it.
Speaker: I missed it.
Speaker: It's been a big week.
Speaker: It's been a big week.
Speaker: There's one more here.
Speaker: Why did the librarian get kicked off the aeroplane?
Speaker: Because he was overbooked.
Speaker: I don't know.
Speaker: But you know what?
Speaker: I'm going to give you an 11 out of 10 for being topical book week with your dad jokes.
Speaker: That's an A plus for effort.
Speaker: What have you got?
Speaker: What?
Speaker: There you go.
Speaker: Last one.
Speaker: Friend of mine recently started a business cleaning litter off the side of the road.
Speaker: He says business is picking up.
Speaker: The Wi-Fi is so bad that even your life, even the laughter is delayed.
Speaker: Oh, my life.
Speaker: There's some good ones.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Keep going.
Speaker: We've got this.
Speaker: Hang on in there, mate.
Speaker: We've got this.
Speaker: Keep going.
Speaker: So, right.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Job of the week.
Speaker: Job of the week.
Speaker: Well, it's been a big six weeks for personal life.
Speaker: It's been a big weeks for Live and Survive.
Speaker: Life changing.
Speaker: But I am back at the fire station from next week, next Friday.
Speaker: I'm back on the truck at 62 Station.
Speaker: So I'm very excited to get back.
Speaker: It's been a good little break.
Speaker: We have had a pretty crazy year with some of the jobs.
Speaker: If you listen to podcasts week in, week out, there's some big jobs that we've done over this year and
Speaker: It's just good to have a little bit of a break, a bit of a refresh, but I'm really keen to get back, even though I'm going to be back for a little while before little Sonny gets home.
Speaker: But, you know, it'd be good to get back on the truck and I look forward to seeing the crew.
Speaker: And I've been doing a few lifeguard shifts as well.
Speaker: It's been great.
Speaker: You know, we're gearing up for another busy summer.
Speaker: I've been working at Tamron Bronte a fair bit.
Speaker: I haven't been at Bondi much because timers are there all the time.
Speaker: But yeah, nothing to really report.
Speaker: My cousin, Maka, who we've interviewed on the podcast before, he was a special operations paramedic around the area yesterday, around the eastern suburbs, and he come down and visited me down at Bronson.
Speaker: We had a good old chin wag, and he had to... Oh, lovely, Maka.
Speaker: We had to shoot off because he had a drug overdose at Maroubra, which, you know, yeah, so he took off pretty quickly.
Speaker: So it was short-lived, our chat, but it was always good to catch up with him and
Speaker: You know, he's definitely a big inspiration for me and what I do as a firefighter and a rescue operator and also a lifeguard and what I do with the violence.
Speaker: Definitely.
Speaker: So it's always good to catch up with him.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But, yeah, nothing to really report.
Speaker: Did you –
Speaker: So did you catch Queen Mary of Denmark just having a dip down at Bronte or was that the day before?
Speaker: No, it must have been the day before.
Speaker: I didn't see her at all yesterday.
Speaker: I was there all day.
Speaker: I think yesterday they got the – because obviously the pats are all over her now.
Speaker: Bless her.
Speaker: Yesterday she was, I think, at Balmoral.
Speaker: There you go.
Speaker: Yeah, I didn't see her.
Speaker: So she's in Sydney.
Speaker: So, no.
Speaker: So, yeah, she's knocked back for a bit of –
Speaker: A dip in the sea, bless her.
Speaker: So, yeah, so that was good.
Speaker: So back at the action station, you'll be ready to – got your boots ready?
Speaker: Yes, I'm pretty keen to get back.
Speaker: It's –
Speaker: Got all the gear in the back of the car.
Speaker: You know, someone said that I was at the gym the other day and someone goes, oh, so what do you love to do?
Speaker: I said, I just love being a firefighter.
Speaker: It's just something like I love what I do with Live, Learn, Survive and lifeguarding and personal life.
Speaker: But there's just something about being a fire that I really, really love and I'm just really excited for.
Speaker: And I still, after nine years of being in the service, I get excited.
Speaker: I still get butterflies and I still get...
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I did for something that I really enjoy and love to do.
Speaker: And don't be wrong, I have a good and bad days, but the good days definitely outweigh the bad and, um,
Speaker: It's definitely something that I really love.
Speaker: Well, you've said this since you were three years old, so it's now 30 years of your life, you know.
Speaker: Exactly right.
Speaker: And I sent you a photo yesterday.
Speaker: I was shopping yesterday.
Speaker: Did you see that fire truck?
Speaker: Yes.
Speaker: I thought, Sumi needs that fire truck.
Speaker: I didn't buy it, but it was like a cuddly toy, and I thought that's – and then I thought,
Speaker: Note to self, little girl, little girly, little girl, little girl.
Speaker: And then I remember this little girl, my dad's still got my toy car collection.
Speaker: So I'm thinking she may be in it.
Speaker: I may be going back for that fire truck, Maxie.
Speaker: Don't watch this space.
Speaker: And then I thought, Talia will kill you.
Speaker: I thought, you know what?
Speaker: I kind of thought this won't be a first.
Speaker: I'll definitely pass because I'll probably want to have a piece of it too.
Speaker: Well, that's what I thought.
Speaker: That's what I thought.
Speaker: So, yeah.
Speaker: Brilliant, brilliant.
Speaker: Anyway, I digress.
Speaker: Right, tip of the week.
Speaker: What have we got, mate?
Speaker: Tip of the week.
Speaker: Tip of the week this week, I've got two things here.
Speaker: So the video that we put on Water Safety Wednesday across the socials was river safety about hidden dangers that you might find at rivers, lakes and dams, which is very important.
Speaker: But also keeping the theme of the book, a lot of people might or not realise that the book's actually themed around safety.
Speaker: And the first book, In Deep Water, is around rip safety.
Speaker: And, yeah, it's very important to understand how RIPs work.
Speaker: For the YouTube people.
Speaker: what, sorry, there we go.
Speaker: Yeah, rip cones at the back of the book.
Speaker: It's got information about rips, what to do if you get stuck in one, how to identify one and how to rescue someone if you see them.
Speaker: Have situational awareness, understand that they move in all different shapes and sizes.
Speaker: You know, look for where the water is darker and more murky.
Speaker: Surfers usually use them to get out the back quicker.
Speaker: usually in beaches that are patrolled that have signage or flags to show you where the rips are.
Speaker: So, yeah, it's very important to understand rip safety because it does save lives.
Speaker: And we're coming into the busy season.
Speaker: And that was the whole thing.
Speaker: And that was a whole thing, like the idea of the books is that children can learn and not realise the learning.
Speaker: Each of the books has got a topic.
Speaker: And one of the stats that we shared this week, knowing that we were going to have the book, is at the beach, the number one hazard at the beach continues to be rip currents.
Speaker: And these stats are from Royal Life Saving Australia, their drowning report of 2024.
Speaker: They factor in over 35% of drowning deaths.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So just understanding a rip, how they work, how to spot one, what to do if you get stuck in one, because it can literally be, we've said this before, you can be on the sandbank, you can drift, you can put, and it's as quick as that.
Speaker: So basic knowledge that can really help everybody.
Speaker: So whether you're an adult or a child,
Speaker: And that's why I always tell people, make sure you stay in between the red and yellow flags, because sometimes on either side of the flags, you might have a rip current, because as the water and the energy and the momentum of the water comes in over the sandbank, it washes up the beach and then it needs to go back out to sea.
Speaker: So sometimes it funnels on the side of the red and yellow flags, the big sandbank that we have there.
Speaker: So always stay in between the flags, not off the flag or near the flags, in between the flags.
Speaker: Good stuff.
Speaker: Exactly.
Speaker: Great advice, Maxi.
Speaker: Best tip.
Speaker: So, Mike, crazy facts.
Speaker: What have we got?
Speaker: We're doing a bit different this week.
Speaker: Yep, you guessed it.
Speaker: We are sticking with the book theme.
Speaker: I've got a couple of crazy facts here about books.
Speaker: So did you know that the oldest known printed book is the Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist text from China dating back to 868 AD?
Speaker: It's over 1,000 years old.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: I wonder if still people still love Maxi.
Speaker: I'm sure they have texts and tablets and bits and pieces from BC days, but actual book that's been binded and, you know, it's pretty cool.
Speaker: The most translated book, The Little Prince by Anton de Santicupuri, has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects, making it one of the most translated books in the world.
Speaker: The Library of Congress in the world's, Library of Congress is the world's largest.
Speaker: The Library of Congress in Washington, DC, we did drive past there, is the largest library in the world, housing over 170 million items, including books in 440 different languages.
Speaker: Wow, we didn't have time to get in there.
Speaker: The fastest selling book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, holds the record for the fastest selling book.
Speaker: It sold over 8.3 million copies in just 24 hours when it was released in 2007.
Speaker: 8.3 million.
Speaker: I'm writing that down.
Speaker: 8.3.
Speaker: That's like we, I'll get the printer lined up for a bit more production.
Speaker: Last one.
Speaker: 8.3 million.
Speaker: Last one.
Speaker: This one's for the kitties out there and on YouTube.
Speaker: Bookworms are real.
Speaker: The term bookworm isn't just a metaphor.
Speaker: Real insects, light beetles and silverfish are known to feed on the pages of books.
Speaker: There you go.
Speaker: Amazing, amazing.
Speaker: Well, I'm doing a little bit different.
Speaker: I'm going to give some facts about the books that we've done so far.
Speaker: So first thing I'm going to tell you is some of the places that they've gone.
Speaker: Remember, we sent them to, they're in the actual Metropolitan City of Rome Library.
Speaker: Remember, we sent them there.
Speaker: So they're in Italy.
Speaker: We've got them in, oh, where's that?
Speaker: Where is it?
Speaker: Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Speaker: Poland.
Speaker: That's right.
Speaker: That's course it is.
Speaker: That was like a lot of Europe.
Speaker: We're in Germany.
Speaker: They're in Austria.
Speaker: They're in the UK.
Speaker: They're in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales.
Speaker: They're all over the USA.
Speaker: They're in Mexico.
Speaker: Remember, one of the things we've still got on our list, we've got them ready for translating into Spanish.
Speaker: They're in New Zealand.
Speaker: They're in Singapore.
Speaker: They're in Malaysia.
Speaker: So many places all over the world.
Speaker: We are absolutely thrilled the people that have got them and embraced them and we can't wait to try and beat that record.
Speaker: So 30 countries so far, we're going, that's like, you know, we want probably 60.
Speaker: So that's the first thing on some of the facts of where the books currently have been.
Speaker: And then I thought, I'm going to introduce like some of the characters for people that maybe just want a little bit of the insight into the book.
Speaker: So as you say,
Speaker: The main man, Trent Maxey-Maxwell.
Speaker: In the book, you're about 11 years old, loosely based on your childhood.
Speaker: Some facts in there, some fiction.
Speaker: It's great for the kids to work out what's true, what's not true.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: 11 years old, loves the beach.
Speaker: You've got a dog called Bones, and you are, you know, a bit of a worrier.
Speaker: Doesn't self-promote or brag.
Speaker: Little bit cheeky.
Speaker: Sounds like someone I know.
Speaker: So you're the main character, Maxi.
Speaker: So then some of your crew.
Speaker: So your mate, Felix.
Speaker: Felix is 11.
Speaker: Felix.
Speaker: He's fiercely loyal, gives his best at everything and never gives a go, never gives up, but can sometimes be a bit unlucky.
Speaker: Incredibly smart.
Speaker: We were all at school with somebody, weren't we, that was incredibly smart.
Speaker: So, you know, an interesting fact about Felix is that he sneezes when he's nervous.
Speaker: So these are the story arcs that we got.
Speaker: You're going to sneeze then.
Speaker: Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker: And then Rach, the main girl in the book, 11 years old.
Speaker: Not that we probably know much about this in the book, but she's a top skateboarder.
Speaker: But she's a great swimmer, a good swimmer.
Speaker: And she sees the good in everyone except Josh.
Speaker: We'll come to him in a minute.
Speaker: She calls it as she sees it and is the voice of reason.
Speaker: And she's strong and she's smart and she loves the beach and loves a practical joke.
Speaker: So good on your Rach.
Speaker: And then Josh.
Speaker: Everyone knew someone at school called Josh, or not called Josh, like Josh, should I say, the bully.
Speaker: He's everywhere.
Speaker: He's a good swimmer, and he's a good in the surf and a paddleboarder, and he knows it.
Speaker: But according to all the adults, butter would not melt in his mouth.
Speaker: So Josh, everyone knows Josh.
Speaker: I love the fact that he's here in the new book.
Speaker: He looks like he's got little devil horns, the way he's spiky here, just whatever.
Speaker: So butter would not melt, but...
Speaker: the truth may prevail who will know so um there's some of the kids in the book and probably another time we'll introduce some of the others sergeant jolly and miss vincent and all the rest of it so um there's just a little bit about the characters for anybody that might want to know what it's about all these kids are about 11 year old and the books for like 8 to 12 year olds but the lessons in there go right up to adults so
Speaker: It's just a really great family story for everybody.
Speaker: So there you go.
Speaker: That's the book facts.
Speaker: Great stuff.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Yeah, great, great introduction to the characters, Lee.
Speaker: Moving on to reflection.
Speaker: No worries.
Speaker: Yeah, reflection this week, Lee.
Speaker: I'm just, just quickly, just, I just love the new look of the book.
Speaker: It just looks very nice and it's a new lease of life.
Speaker: It's something that we've been working on for a while and it's awesome to see it come to life with the great illustrations.
Speaker: It just seems like, even though it is a second edition, it just seems like it's a brand new book.
Speaker: Yeah, basically everything in there is new other than the story.
Speaker: So the word search at the back is new.
Speaker: Every illustration is new.
Speaker: The cover, it's literally, you know, a new list of life.
Speaker: And one of the things that I think,
Speaker: thought Maxie is I got some in the Express post to you yesterday so fingers crossed if Australia Post do what they should do you're going to see the book today because you haven't actually had one yet but it's exactly and this was the photo I was looking for when we joined this thing it's six years and two months since you I came to Sydney and I
Speaker: Remember the first book we sat in that cafe and I put it in a box?
Speaker: Six years and two months later, it's out again.
Speaker: And I think that's just like, you know, it's that six year thing again, Maxie.
Speaker: How long for the fire is?
Speaker: Six years.
Speaker: How long can we get a visa for Australia?
Speaker: Six years.
Speaker: You have to wait.
Speaker: Kids' primary school life is six years and high school life is six years.
Speaker: So, you know, it's a new generation of kids coming through and, you know, hopefully they enjoy these books.
Speaker: I know they will.
Speaker: And the illustrations definitely bring it to life.
Speaker: six years, some of those 12-year-olds that would have read that book the first time around now, Maxie, are going to work today.
Speaker: How old does that make us feel?
Speaker: So, yeah, there's a new wave of kids coming through that are going to get the chance to read it.
Speaker: And I'm incredibly proud because now Live Learn Survive, we are publishing it and it will last the last year
Speaker: Time and time now, which is amazing.
Speaker: So, exactly.
Speaker: And one other thing, why we're talking about this before we go, is I've got a story here that I think is so appropriate, being as we're talking about the power of a book.
Speaker: And it's from a little story that Billy Connolly told.
Speaker: And he says, going to the library changed my life.
Speaker: It may even have saved it.
Speaker: And he said, people often said, obviously growing up in a very working class in Glasgow,
Speaker: that football and boxing was the way out of working class and the ticket out to, you know, a brighter, better future.
Speaker: But he said, for me, for Billy Connolly, the library was the key because it was where the escape tunnel was because exactly what we said in the quote, that one story,
Speaker: lets you see a world well beyond the pages, your imagination, your curiosity.
Speaker: And I think that that's the importance of books.
Speaker: So you said it's a free ticket to the entire earth.
Speaker: And I thought that's just a beautiful way of finishing the reflection of why we were so determined that these books were going to get a second chance of life.
Speaker: So...
Speaker: Awesome.
Speaker: Great story.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Great.
Speaker: And rolls into the playlist for the Spotify playlist that we have on Live Learn Survive.
Speaker: Story of my life by One Direction.
Speaker: It's added to the playlist now.
Speaker: I'm just doing it.
Speaker: My life.
Speaker: Yeah, and we've put that to the reel that was on Instagram and it's going to go on TikTok shortly.
Speaker: So, you know, it's, yeah, great little thing and it kind of is the story of your life-ish.
Speaker: So that's Live, Learn, Survive playlist.
Speaker: There's over 250 songs in there from people and guests from all over the world that have...
Speaker: Spag do us and send in their songs.
Speaker: And, yeah, make sure you download it, subscribe and check it out.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: All righty.
Speaker: So last thing then, Maxie, rule for the rule book.
Speaker: What have we got?
Speaker: Rule for the rule book.
Speaker: Yeah, the rule for the rule book this week, Lee, is pick up a book this weekend.
Speaker: Yeah, it doesn't have to be our books.
Speaker: Obviously, if you want to, we're not going to stop you.
Speaker: But any book, because like, you know, Billy Connolly said, books are your ticket to the whole world.
Speaker: Your curiosity, imagination.
Speaker: It is.
Speaker: You know, can take you all around the world from the comfort of your own little armchair.
Speaker: So, yeah, just pick up a book.
Speaker: A little bit of a thing that I've been trying to get into a good habit.
Speaker: I read most nights before I go to bed.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And just even if it's 15 minutes or 15 pages, it doesn't matter.
Speaker: It's something that you can kind of get into a good habit with and you learn and you can be inspired and you can imagine and you can do all these sorts of things.
Speaker: And then plus, if it's something that's nonfiction and you're at the fire station like sometimes I am, and then one of the quizzes gets thrown around, sometimes you might know the answer to some of those history questions.
Speaker: So...
Speaker: You never know.
Speaker: Always thinking, Maxi.
Speaker: Always thinking.
Speaker: Ken.
Speaker: Excellent.
Speaker: Brilliant, brilliant.
Speaker: I hope you enjoyed this week.
Speaker: It's been a great chat and we will see you all next week.
Speaker: Absolutely.
Speaker: And as I think I said earlier in the week, the book now, it's been on our desk.
Speaker: It's no longer ours, Maxie.
Speaker: It's out there online.
Speaker: It's for everybody.
Speaker: Order it, get one.
Speaker: It's the perfect stocking filler for Christmas.
Speaker: Get in for Christmas, for sure.
Speaker: Get in and share one for a child because we know they'll love it.
Speaker: And you're supporting what we do to get the message out there far and wide.
Speaker: So thank you.
Speaker: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker: Every school in Australia, we are heading your way.
Speaker: So, yeah, have a great week, everybody.
Speaker: It's been a busy one.
Speaker: Quiet weekend for me.
Speaker: Very quiet.
Speaker: Enjoy it.
Speaker: And see everyone next week.
Speaker: Take care.
Speaker: Bye.
Speaker: Bye.
