Pupils in Years 3 and 4 from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Broadstairs travelled to St Lawrence College in Ramsgate this week to take part in the Children’s Bookshow with other local schools.
The day out began with a train ride from Broadstairs to Ramsgate, which was a new and exciting experience for some children. The pupils then made the short walk to the auditorium at St Lawrence College.
The children were entranced by the talk given by writer and illustrator Neal Layton. He demonstrated how he illustrates books, from initial discussions with the author to experimenting with different media that compliments the stories.
Neal read from a couple of his own stories and the youngsters were thoroughly entertained with his tales of inspiration interspersed with comedic recollections of his own childhood.
The question and answer session was engaging and interactive, as pupils were invited to probe further about the life of a working children’s author. At the end of the morning every child was given two books to take home and enjoy – ‘The Tree’ by Neal Layton and ‘Please, Mr Magic Fish’ by Jessica Souhami.
Year 3 teacher Mrs Sandwell said: “The love of reading is so important in order for children to be successful throughout their school lives. It has been widely researched that impact of regular reading leads to higher attainment, so if a passion for reading in encouraged, it can benefit all areas of the child’s learning.
“The Children’s Bookshow is a great opportunity for children to see and hear from a real writer, it provokes class discussions and stimulates great opportunities for writing”
The Children’s Bookshow is a charity that inspires children with a love of reading. For the past 20 years it has introduced children to world-renowned authors such as Michael Rosen, Kwame Alexander, Valerie Bloom and many more through its programme of theatre events and in-school workshops.
