Students from the Faculty of Education at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are helping to bring a local author's latest children's book to life. Cinnamon's Birthday Surprise will be released on Saturday 8 August and is the second publication by Albury-Wodonga based author Ms Kim Macklin. It is a sequel to her 2015 book Happy Harry's Beach Adventure which was the official 2015 calendar for Life Without Barriers, an Albury-based organisation supporting people with disabilities. CSU Education student Mr Craig Dent assisted Ms Macklin working on the book in the role of Creative Director."I helped Kim weave her concepts for the book into a narrative thread and then assisted her and Illustrator Mr Colin Dowden to develop a creative and logical sequence for the book," Mr Dent said. "I saw this project as a great opportunity to work with people with disability and enhance my teaching skills. It has been very rewarding to see Kim's vision come to life and realise her passion for books and connecting with children and schools."Education students Miss Samantha Van Berlo and Miss Alice Rash will help to launch the book on Saturday 8 August and, along with Mr Dent, will accompany Ms Macklin on her tour of regional NSW and Victoria as readers. "I knew that being a part of this team was going to be a great experience and I'm sure all the children will love Cinnamon's Birthday Surprise," Miss Rash said. "Being a reader for the book means I get to interact with children, and help bring the character and the story to life. This a great hands-on experience and will be a great help for when I step into the classroom in a teaching role."Education student Miss Clementine Patterson is facilitating a colouring-in competition with Tabletop Public School to help launch the book, and another student Mr Lachlan Mitchell will provide musical entertainment at the launch. "As education students, being able to get involved in a project such as this has been invaluable and has helped us to develop our communication skills for working with children and people with disabilities," Mr Dent said.Cinnamon's Birthday Surprise has been independently published and is funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Lifestyle Solutions, a national provider of disability support in Australia.