Dark Tales to Light Imaginations
Children's author Alan Gibbons recently visited pupils at Longridge Towers School near Berwick as part of a series of events leading up to World Book Day on 4th March . Designed to encourage junior pupils to enjoy reading, his visit has already resulted in many more pupils taking books from the school library.
Marked in over 100 countries, World Book Day has been designated by UNESCO as a global celebration encouraging children to explore the pleasures of books and reading. This year the school has decided on a series of workshops leading up to the day itself to encourage pupils to experiment with a wider range of book styles.
A former teacher Alan Gibbons is well known for his children's books which combine teaching on morals with gritty subject matter. He used his epic fantasy Rise of the Blood Moon and books from his popular Hell's Underground series as the focus for these workshops. School librarian Andree Gettins says, "Alan's style held the Year 1 and 2 pupils enthralled throughout, as he explained how he turns his ideas into stories before encouraging pupils to create their own poems and ghost stories. It is often harder to find a subject that encourages boys to read and I am delighted that since this visit, every boy in Form 2 has taken a book out of the school library."
Pupils from The Compass School and Belford Middle School joined the Longridge workshops and the sessions were thoroughly enjoyed by all.
