Awesome Readers!
[image error]Over the past few years, World Book Day has grown to become World Book Week. And that’s no bad thing â€� anything that encourages the celebration of books and reading for pleasure is worth while.ÌýFor many young people, their only main contact with books is in the classroom and, even with the best intentions, studying a book can kill it stone dead. I understand the benefits of studying literature, but I also know that writers (me included) want their readers to feel excitement, fear, sadness, elation, and wonderÌýwhen they settle down and open a book. Studying a text, dissecting it in a classroom, reading a couple of sentences and then discussing them, removes the wonder.
[image error]So World Book Week is a time to celebrate. It’s a time for us to revel in the joys of reading and story-telling (although, shouldn’t every week be a book week?), and it’s a time time when a school’s focus can turn on their library (if they have one) and their librarian (if they have one). It’s also a busy time for authors as we are invited into schools to meet and hopefully inspire future generations of readers.
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[image error]Over the course of World Book Week this year I was in schools every day, and so would like to give a big shout out to Bollin Primary, Hockerill School, Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy, Jarrow School, Hepburn Comprehensive, Wirral Grammar School for Boys, and GSMS in West Virginia USA (who asked some great questions via Skype). Thank you to all the awesome young readersÌýwho listened to me, joined in, and asked questions, and to the fantastic librarians, teachers, and staff who looked after me so well. And there was even time for a quick dab.
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And . . . in other news . . .
BOY X was voted by young readers as winner in the ‘Hooked on Books� category at the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017. All of my books for younger readers have been shortlisted for multiple awards (including the Coventry Inspiration Book Award in the past), so it’s very exciting to finally win � especially when the winner is voted for by the readers themselves.
Hooray for Boy X.[image error]
That’s all.
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