Authors go to school

Pupils at Bridge of Allan Primary welcomed popular children’s authors to the school for interactive visits.

Lyn McNicol and Laura Jackson, authors of the Badger the Mystical Mutt book series, spoke to children from P1 to P3.

‘Badger’entertained the pupils, illustrating the theme of the books which are about following dreams, ambition and self-belief.

During a second visit, writer Jonathan Meres – author of best-selling The World of Norm series – entertained youngsters from P4 to P7 with a session showcasing his comic talent.

In preparation for both visits, pupils engaged in creative activities linked to the authors’works.

The aim of the sessions was encourage a love of books among pupils.

Authors were selected by the school’s library improvement team, a group formed by pupils with an interest in reading.

P7 pupil Dylan Clark, a member of the team, said:“You might expect authors to be quiet and serious but Jonathan was the opposite. He was funny and engaging with the audience. He really made the stories come to life.”

Sheila Munro, of the school’s parent teacher association, said:“The events are part of our focus on increasing pupils’ability, confidence and enjoyment in reading and writing and encouraging them to extend their reading choices to include a diverse range of authors.”

The events were joint funded by the partent-teacher association, and Creative Scotland’s Live Literature Funding which is managed by Scottish Book Trust.