Emily Gravett
Two Hoots Books
Age 5-7

Pete is a badger who likes things to be tidy. He keeps the forest tidy even tidying away the Autumn leaves! Not content with this he decides to get rid of the trees as well and even goes as far as concreting over the forest. Now the forest is really tidy but Pete soon discovers he has no food and no way to get into his home either. Has he done the right thing?

A clever story about the natural environment and what happens when it is destroyed. Are there possible perils in being just too tidy?! Lots to talk about here in this stunning picturebook. The cut outs in the cover and end papers make a lovely woodland scene. The rhyming text makes it perfect for joining in.

Share the story

Read the story aloud
Before you start to read the story aloud take time to look at the end papers and talk about what you both can see and what the story might be about. Read the story aloud, pausing now and then to talk about what Pete is doing and what might happen next.

Join in
As you read the story again leave gaps so children can join in with parts, for example finishing some of the rhymes and the repeated section ‘No mud, no leaves’ etc.

Talk more about the story
Which part of the story or illustration did your child like most?

Did anything puzzle them about the story?

Talk about Pete – what would your child tell someone else about him? What do they think the other animals might have said to Pete about all of his tidying up?

Watch an animation of the story

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Things to make and do

Have an imaginary conversation
Make two masks, one for the badger Pete and one of the other animals in the story (eg the fox or the rabbit). You and your child could then act out imaginary conversations between the characters. This sort of play will help children think about the story, be creative and have fun too.

Write a letter
Children could imagine they are one of the animals and write a letter to Pete complaining about his tidying up.

Make a poster
Make a keep our forest tidy poster to encourage (human!) visitors not to drop litter

Make your own cut out ‘peep through’ scene
With some adult help with cutting, children can make their own peep through picture.

Your child can draw their own picture of Pete or another woodland animal in the centre of a piece of A 4 paper. (Find the centre of the paper by folding it in half and then half again). Fold the second in the same way then draw a wiggly circle around the centre and cut around the line to make a hole slightly bigger than your child’s picture, the drawing should peep through. Children can decorate the frame with a woodland scene using crayons or felt pens.

Find out more

Find out about badgers here

Find out more about our woodlands here 

See here for how to finger print leaves and some activity sheets designed by author/illustrator Emily Gravett:

Read more books by Emily Gravett.

titles include:

Blue Chameleon – see our activities

Orange Pear Apple Bear – see our activities

Wolves – see our activities

Frann Preston Gannon
Pavilion Children’s Books
Age 3-7

A polar bear realises his world is changing, the ice is disappearing and he can’t find food. He sets off in a small boat and on the way meets three more animals, all with big problems. A panda and an Orang-utan whose homes are also disappearing and a frightened elephant hiding from the hunters who want his tusks. They travel together in a small boat until they come to an island where a dodo lives.  Will they ever be able to go back to their homes?

This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book which will give you the opportunity to talk  with your child about the plight of endangered animals.

Share the story

Read aloud
Before starting to read the book look at the cover illustration together. Talk about the animals you can see and what this story might be about.

Read the story aloud to your child pausing to talk about what is happening in the story and the pictures as you do.

Joining in

As you re read the story show, with your finger, how the words are shaped around some of the illustrations. Children might like join in with some of the story – eg what the animals say (it doesn’t matter if their words do not exactly match those in the book).

Talk about the story

Look again at one of the illustrations of all the animals in the boat together. What might they be thinking? How do we know how they might be feeling?

Did anything puzzle them about this story? Children might wonder about the dodo (see link below)

What would children like to happen after the story ends?

Things to make and do

Go outside and look at clouds together
What shapes can you see? Make a picture of shapes in the clouds using white paint or chalk on blue or grey paper.

Play the story
Use a box or tub as the boat and soft toys as the animals. Act out the story and as each animal joins maybe they could tell a bit more of their story about what happened to them

Draw the next scene of the story
What would children like to happen next? They could draw a next double page showing what the animals do.

Make a poster
Children might like to choose one animal and make a poster eg ‘Save the Panda!’

 

Find out more

Read more books by Frann Preston-Gannon and find out more about the author 

Titles include:

Dinosaur Farm

Sloth Slept on

Pepper and Poe

Dave’s Cave

Find out about the dodo

Watch a video about animals which are in danger of extinction

From:Alltime10s

 

 

 

 

Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (illus)
Puffin 
Age 6-9

Roald Dahl’s BFG is one of the most memorable characters in children’s fiction and this (reportedly) is Dahl’s favourite of all his books.

The story tells of Sophie, living in an orphanage, who is snatched from her bed one night by a giant who takes her far away. Fortunately for Sophie, this is a kind and friendly giant who spends his days catching dreams and his nights blowing them into the bedrooms of sleeping children. The other giants are not at all friendly however and when Sophie finds out they are planning to steal children from their beds in England and eat them she hatches an urgent plan. Sophie and the BFG, with the help of the Queen, save the day. The evil giants are captured and their punishment is to eat a diet of disgusting ‘snozzcumbers’, until then the BFG’s only food.

This is an exciting adventure story set in an imaginary magical parallel world where dreams are created. The story is, at times, scary but full of humour, sadness, acts of bravery and friendship. Moral dilemmas such as the difference between stealing and borrowing provide plenty to talk about, as does ‘Gobblefunk’ the BFG’s made up language which is great fun, ‘scrumdiddlyumptious’ in fact!

The latest edition illustrated above includes a cover image from the 2016 Spielberg feature film, an introduction by Dahl’s daughter Lucy and a list of characters.

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Talk about the story

• Which bits of the story did you like most? Did any scene stay in your mind?

• Which part was the funniest, scariest, saddest or most exciting?

• Talk about dreams and what you remember of them, what ‘ingredients’ would your child like to mix to make a lovely dream?

• Talk about the BFG’s funny words and phrases, the ones you each remember and liked. It might be fun to use some of them in everyday conversation eg ‘Is I right or is I left?’

• Talk about the BFG ‘borrowing’ a book for fifty years, should he have done this?

   

Things to make and do

Make a book
Make a zig zag book together. Children can draw the main characters from the story in it, add labels and notes about each character.

Make a dictionary
Children could use a notebook or make a sewn book to list some of the BFGs words and phrases in his special language ‘Gobblefunk’ and write what they mean. They could do this as they read the book or go back to the book when they have finished to collect words.

Make a dream jar
Give children an empty plastic jar or bottle so that they can try ‘mixing’ a dream. They could do this  for example, by colouring cotton wool with paint, see here for ideas.

When they have finished children can make a label for their dream jar .

Dress up like the BFG
Collect some old clothes so your child can dress up like the BFG. You could make big ears together and a cardboard tube trumpet.

Try role playing some of the things the BFG does such as taking phenomenal leaps. Take photos of your child dressed up as the BFG and choose a few to print out or share.

Write a menu…
for the BFG or a shopping list for the royal kitchen in case the BFG comes for breakfast at the Palace again. See our template here.

See our print-off activity book with some of these ideas and other activities

Find out more

Find out about dream catchers in Native American Indian Culture

Make a dream catcher 

Find out more about giants in mythology and literature

How many other stories about giants can you think of?

Find out more about Roald Dahl: Visit the Roald Dahl Museum in Buckinghamshire

Read more books by Roald Dahl, titles include:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Fantastic Mr Fox

James and the Giant Peach

The Magic Finger  

Boy and Going Solo (autobiographical) 

Read the Fantastic Mr Dahl by our patron Michael Rosen which looks at the ‘ingredients’ which make Dahl a fantastic writer for children.

Find out more about illustrator Quentin Blake
Books written and illustrated by Quentin Blake include:

Mister Magnolia – see lovemybooks ideas

Cockatoos

Patrick

Clown

 

Buy the BFG

 

 

 

A large number of children’s books are published every year. Here is our selection of some of the best newly published picture books to look out for.

Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz
Walker Books
Age 5-7+

Life is pretty repetitive for the finches; every day is the same, except that is when the beast turns up and gobbles one of them up. But even then the finches don’t really think about the sameness of their lives or indeed think about anything at all. But one day Henry Finch realises he can think. This leads him to consider that he could do all sorts of things including being very heroic and fighting the beast. Although this doesn’t immediately go according to plan, eventually Henry is able to get the better of the beast. On his return to the flock he encourages the other finches to take their fate into their hands and have adventures of their own.

Share the story

Read aloud
Read the story aloud pausing to talk about the story and illustrations when your child wishes to.

Join in
As you read the story again children might like to join in, perhaps with the finches saying good morning and goodnight and the conversation Henry Finch has with the beast

Talk about the story

Talk about all the things Henry thought about when he realised he could think and later when he was swallowed by the beast.
What did the other finches think about?
Have you ever listened to your thoughts? What was it like?
What does this story make you think about?
What advice would you give Henry and the other finches in case another beast comes along? How else could they get the better of him?

Things to make and do

Make a thumb print picture
Use printing ink or ink pads to make thumb and finger prints. When dry add details eg wings and beaks with a pen to make birds like Henry Finch.

Write a postcard
Write postcards from some of the finches back to the flock describing their adventures, you could draw a picture on one side of your postcard and a message on the other side.

Make a poster
Make a ‘beware of the beast’ warning poster

Write another story
Write another adventure in which Henry and the finches find a way to trick another beast  

Find out more

Find out more about author/illustrator Alexis Deacon here

Titles include:

Beegu

Croc and Bird

Slow Loris

Read more books by author/ illustrator Viviane Schwartz here

A Place Called Home with Alexis Deacon

There Are Cats in This Book

Buy online

 

Lauren Child
Orchard Books
Age 3-7

This amusing story in the Charlie and Lola series explores Lola’s reluctance to go to school and her older brother Charlie’s attempts to counter all her reasons for not going. Children who have recently started school or nursery or who have younger brothers and sisters just about to start school will be able to relate to Lola and Charlie and enjoy talking about Lola’s feelings.

Share the story

Read aloud
As you read the story aloud you might like to change your voice for Lola and Charlie and read the words in bold in a louder voice.

Join in
Your child will enjoy listening to this story more than once.When you re read it encourage your child to follow the words as they curve over the page. Children might like to join in with the reading by saying Lola or Charlie’s words.

Talk about the book
Talk about what your child liked or didn’t like about the story. Think together about the reasons Lola doesn’t want to go to school and what might she be worried about. How does Lola feel about going to school at the end of the story? What made her change her mind?

Watch the story here

Things to make and do

Story play
Pretend to be Charlie and Lola having a conversation with Charlie trying to persuade Lola to go to school and Lola thinking up excuses.

You could also take turns imagining you are Lola phoning the school to give excuses about not going.

Biggest and smallest
Who is the biggest and smallest in your family? Describe them together as Charlie and Lola do Who is teeny, slightly small, biggish or huge? Give your child some paper and crayons and ask them to draw pictures your family in order of size.

Do some counting
Count fingers and toes, put number stickers on each finger and toe, count out ten biscuits or ten buttons, sing  ‘There were ten in the bed and the little one said….’ or ‘Ten Green Bottles’.

Draw eleven elephants with beautiful patterns like the ones in the story.

Can you count up to 100? Try to see how far you can get while doing an everyday task such as having a bath or going for a walk.

Write a message
Write secret messages to each other and stick them on the fridge.

Design an outfit for Lola
Make a paper Lola doll – see here for template if you need one – and make or draw outfits for her to wear for school.

Find out more

Read about more about books by author/illustrator Lauren Child here
There are several books in the Charlie and Lola series eg I will not ever, never eat a tomato

The New Small Person by Lauren Child in this section.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book

Utterly Me Clarice Bean

See more Charlie and Lola adventures.

Daniel Postgate (illus)
Walker Books   
Age 5-7

An old woman, whilst out picking beans, finds some peculiar treasure… a hairy toe! She decides to take it home but doesn’t expect the owner to come looking for it late that night…with scary results.

This traditional American folktale is humorously illustrated and is a spooky dramatic read, especially at Halloween.

 

 

 

Share the story

Read aloud
Before reading the story, encourage children to look at the cover and to talk about what they see. What kind of story do they think it will be? Why do they think that? Then read through the story using your voice to add to the scary atmosphere, and talk about the pictures at the turn of the page. Pause just before the end of the story to ask children what they imagine will happen next.

Join in
As you read and reread the book, encourage children to join in, especially with the repeated phrases. They will be able to read more by themselves as you reread the book together.

Talk about the story
Scary stories help children to cope with their fears within the safety of a fictional world. Talk together about which part of the story children like best and why. What scares them and why?

Tell the story
Using the pictures in the book, children can retell the story in their own words.

Watch the story

From Christine Hsu

Things to make and do

Record the story
Children can practise telling the story and make a recording, with sound effects to make it really scary. They can play it to their friends and family at night by torchlight.

Act the story
Children can dress up and make a hairy toe storyprop to act out the story as they tell it. Play it to friends and upload to YouTube!

Make a story box
Using a shoebox, children can decorate the inside to make a scary scene, such as a creepy old house, a castle dungeon, a dark forest. Add objects which have scary potential and use to tell scary stories, eg toy cat or wolf/monster/hat/mask/fang/ghost/a pretend toe or finger, potion or candle/a key.

Children can add or remove objects to make different stories.

Tell a scary story
Sit in a circle with friends and/or family to make up your own scary stories. You can build a scary atmosphere by sitting in the dark with torches.

Draw the scariest monster
Talk together about what makes something scary. Children can draw and label their own scariest monster using pens, crayons, charcoal or paints.

Find out more

Find more books by Daniel Postgate, author/illustrator:

Big Mum Plum

Smelly Bill

Kevin Saves the World

Find other scary stories:

     As well as the scary stories in this section you might like to look out for:

A Dark, Dark Tale, Ruth Brown

In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak

The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams

Fairy tales by Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen

Older children might enjoy The Witches, Roald Dahl

Find more videos
Video of Hairy Toe – see retelling here (forward to 3.50 to start) and watch an animation by children here with very scary sound effects!

 

 

Duncan Beadie
Templar Publishing
Age 3-7

Big Jim Hickory is a lumberjack with a very impressive beard. One evening he is disturbed by an angry bird complaining Jim has destroyed her home. His (rather unusual) solution is to accommodate the homeless bird in his beard! Unfortunately, the bird is soon followed by a porcupine and a beaver. Life quickly becomes unpleasant for Jim and he decides to take drastic action. He shaves off his beard to create a temporary shelter for the animals and plants more trees to replace the ones he had cut down.

This is an enjoyable and humorous book with a pleasing pattern to the story and a rhythm which makes it great for reading aloud. Through sharing this story children will find out a little about the landscape in the North American Rockies, animal homes, the effects of de forestation and the importance of sustainability.

Share the story

Read aloud
Before you start reading the story talk about the cover illustration and title. Any clues to the setting and characters?  Talk about what children think a lumberjack is.

Read the story aloud
Pause to talk about what is happening when children want to. The picture of the logs floating down the river would be a great point to pause, what might happen next?!

Join in
As you read the story again children can join in with some of the phrases such as ‘TIMBER!’ and ‘chop, choppety, chop’ and the animals’ complaints, you can point to these words and phrases as you reach them in the story.

Talk about the story
Talk about any words which may be unfamiliar eg ‘tenant’ or ‘burly’

How do Jim and the animals feel at different parts of the story? Look back together for clues in the illustrations and the words

How long did the story take to happen? Were some bits quicker than others?

Things to make and do

Play the story
Have imaginary conversations between beaver/bird and Jim the lumberjack; you could role play this with your child or make simple stick puppets of the animal characters to act it out.

Limber up like a lumberjack!
Try some of Jim’s exercises together, you could make up some more of your own too.

Make a shelter
Children could collect together some materials, for example straw, twigs, feathers, grass, wool, fabric or paper scraps to make a shelter for small toy animals.

Print a tree picture
The end papers at the back of the book might inspire children to make a picture of a forest from tree prints. Potatoes make useful printing blocks. Young children will need your help with cutting the potato into a tree shape.

Plant a tree
Collect tree seeds for example an acorn, horse chestnut (conker) or sycamore seed and have a go at planting them. See links below for guidance. If successful, you will need to think carefully about  where to transplant your little tree!

Make pancakes
See here for how to make pancakes together. Talk about toppings, what is your child’s favourite? Maple syrup, or something else?

Sing a song
Sing a song about a lumberjack

Find out more

Find out more about Duncan Beadie.
Also the creator of The Bear Who Stared. Duncan speaks about the background
to The Lumberjack’s Beard here .

Find out how to grow a tree from a seed
See here and here. 

Older children might like to find out more about lumberjacks
What would your child like to find out about lumberjacks?
Look at this webpage together and see if you can find answers to any of their questions

Find out about beavers and porcupines
Find out more about beavers, porcupines and other North American and Canadian animals here.

 

 

Jessica Souhami
Walker Books
Age 3-7

This is a lively retelling of the traditional Indian story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin. The dramatic illustrations and graphic use of print inspire children to talk about the story of an old woman who sets off to visit her granddaughter on the other side of the forest. Her journey is a dangerous one and tests her clever plan to outwit the fierce animals she meets along the way.

The strong story pattern and repetition helps children to join confidently with the reading.

Share the story

Read aloud
Read the story aloud, talking together about the pictures as you do. Talking about the book deepens children’s enjoyment and understanding of the story.

Join in
Read the story again and leave spaces for children to join in with the reading.

Tell the story
When children hear the story again and again, they will get to know it so well that they can say it in their own words, using the pictures to help them.  Listen for the ways they use words and phrases from the story. This will help them when they come to read the story for themselves.

Things to make and do

Story play
Children can use animal toys for tiger, bear and wolf to act out the story. It’s a really good way for them   to get to know the story well and helps to build their confidence with books.

Make animal masks
Using card, coloured pens and string or tape, children can make their own animal masks, cutting holes for eyes, mouth and to tie string to hold them on. They can use their mask to retell the story or to create a new one.

Make stick puppets
Using lolly sticks, coloured pens, glue and card, children can make a stick puppet for each of the characters in the story to act out the story.  This is more fun if you join in, perhaps taking the role of the old lady.

Find out more

Look for other versions of this story at the library, for example The Old Woman and the Pumpkin by Betsy Bang.

Find out more about wildlife here.

Myra Barrs
We are very sad to announce that our patron, former colleague and friend,  Myra Barrs, died on 24 October 2023.

Myra was Director of what was then the Centre for Language in Primary Education, now Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), where all of the Love my books team worked during an extraordinary period of educational development in the area of children’s literacy learning. 

The Guardian obituary linked here is from Sue Ellis, who became Director of CLPE after Myra, and gives a full and moving account the life and work of this extraordinary woman.
We are deeply sad to lose our friend and colleague.

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Michael Rosen
Former Children’s Laureate, writer, poet, broadcaster, Professor at Goldsmiths College, Michael’s books include picture books We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and This is our House, children’s novels including Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed, poetry for example A Great Big Cuddle, one of Our top 10 poetry books and Michael Rosen’s A-Z of Poetry from Agard to Zephaniah, and a book for parents Good ideas, how to be your child’s best teacher www.michaelrosen.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/michael.rosen.5496

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SF Said
Award winning children’s author, SF Said won the Smarties prize for Varjak Paw , the Blue Peter Award for The Outlaw Varjak Paw and was nominated for the 2014 Guardian prize for children’s fiction for his book Phoenix. In 2024 his latest book Tyger was voted Book of the Year.

Visit SF Said’s website http://www.sfsaid.com/

Click here for link to a trailer about Phoenix.
Read about the books which influenced SF Said as a child

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David Almond
Award winning author for children and young people, winning the Carnegie and Whitbread prizes within the UK. International prizes include the Hans Andersen award in 2010, the most prestigious prize in children’s literature.

David’s books include: Skellig, The Boy who Climbed into the Moon , My Dad is a Birdman and The Boy who Swam with Piranhas

Visit David Almond on Facebook.

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Mini Grey
An award winning illustrator and writer of very popular picture books, Mini has won the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Smarties Book Prize. Her picture books include Traction Man is Here! , Space Dog, Toys in Space, Biscuit Bear, Egg Drop, and The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon.

Visit Mini’s website http://minigrey.com/     Mini’s sketchblog is Sketching Weakly at http://minigrey-blog.com/

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Julian Grenier
A Headteacher and National Leader of Education, Julian worked in early years education for the last two decades with a particular focus on young children’s communication and early literacy. Julian has a doctorate in education (EdD).
Julian is was Headteacher at Sheringham Nursery School; see the Teaching School Programme at www.sheringham-nur.org.uk
In 2023 Julian received a CBE and now works for Ofsted
You can follow him @juliangrenier

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Jessica Souhami
Jessica Souhami’s books are  exquisitely illustrated and mainly retellings of traditional stories. She was formerly a puppeteer, making shadow puppets and bringing traditional stories to life.

 Her  first book was The Leopard’s Drum, a story from West Africa and one of Our top 10 folk and fairy tales. Her other books include Foxy! , No Dinner  and Sausages. Her new picture book, Honk, Honk! Hold Tight! is one of our Top 10 new picture books and tells the traditional and very funny folktale of the princess who will not laugh.

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Marilyn Brocklehurst
Marilyn is the founder of the Norfolk Children’s Book Centre, a wonderful independent bookshop. She works with schools to develop library provision, provides support for National conferences, has judged National book awards and writes reviews for The Bookseller and other publications. In recognition of her work she has recently become a Fellow of the English Association.

Marilyn is passionate about Reading for Pleasure and this is central to  her work with schools and parents.

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Chris Riddell
Chris Riddell is the current children’s laureate. He is a prolific illustrator with a distinctive detailed style. He  has collaborated with a number of writers for children including Neil Gaiman and another of our patrons, Michael Rosen illustrating A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young. Chris is a renowned political cartoonist.

Chris is a highly successful, award winning writer in his own right and his solo work includes the Goth Girl and Ottoline series. The first Goth Girl novel won the Costa Children’s Book Award in 2013. Other awards include the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration which he has won three times; most recently in 2016 for The Sleeper and the Spindle with Neil Gaiman.

Follow Chris’s laureate log.
Visit his website

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Chitra Soundar is a writer and storyteller who draws inspiration from the ancient epics and stories of India to write picture books and young fiction. Her Farmer Falgu titles were included in the TES list of “50 Books to diversify your class reading” list. Recently, A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice has been shortlisted for the Surrey Libraries Children’s Book Award.

Lovemybooks were delighted to include Pattan’s Pumpkin in our selection of stories about ‘Our World’ launched in March 2017. See our activity page here: http://www.lovemybooks.co.uk/pattans-pumpkin.  Pattan’s Pumpkin is now also part of the 2017 CLPE Power of Reading programme and the October 2017 book of the month for Read Across America.

Chitra’s new book with Poonam Mistry coming soon is You’re safe with me a stunning and beautifully written bedtime story published by Lantana books (in May 2018). Website: www.chitrasoundar.com

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ChitraSoundarAuthor
Twitter: @csoundar

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Joseph Coelho
Joseph’s poems have been published in several Macmillan anthologies including Green Glass Beads edited by Jacqueline Wilson. Joseph has been a guest poet on Cbeebies Rhyme Rocket where he was beamed up from ‘The Rhyme Rock’ to perform his Bug Poem and has featured alongside Michael Rosen and Valerie Bloom on Radio 4’s Poetry Playtime. His debut children’s collection Werewolf Club Rules is published by Frances Lincoln and was the winner of the 2015 CLPE CLiPPA Poetry Award. His collection for older readers Overheard in a Tower Block was long-listed for the 2018 Carnegie Medal. He recently finished filming ‘Teach Poetry’ a 10 part BBC online series that aims to make the writing of poetry fun and accessible to all.

In addition, Joseph has written two wonderful picture books, Luna Loves Library Day with Fiona Lumbers and If All the World Were illustrated by Alison Colpoys included in our Top 10 picturebooks 2018.

In 2022 Joseph became Children’s Laureate.

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Imogen Russell Williams.
Imogen is a children’s literature critic writing for the Guardian, the Metro and the Times Literary Supplement, and a co-presenter of Down the Rabbit Hole, a children’s book show broadcast monthly on Resonance FM. She has also written a non-fiction title for 5-8-year-olds, The Big Book of the UK, which is published by Ladybird.

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Frank Cottrell Boyce
Frank is an award-winning screen writer and novelist. He won the Carnegie Medal for Millions and the Guardian fiction prize for The Unforgotten Coat. He was commissioned to write the sequel to Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and collaborated with Danny Boyle to create the storyline for the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony in which children’s books had a central role. He is a strong advocate for the importance of children’s books and reading for pleasure.

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Sonia Thompson
Sonia is Head Teacher at St Matthew’s CE Primary School, in Nechells, Birmingham: the first winner of the Open University/UK Literacy Association Whole School Reading for Pleasure School of the Year. She is passionate about evidence-based reading for pleasure practices, and places these at the heart of the school. 

Sonia has run an OU/UKLA Teachers’ Reading Group for two years and is an advisor for the OU/UKLA Research Rich Pedagogies website. She has spoken at various conferences about Reading for Pleasure, including Peters Love Literacy and ResearchED. Sonia is a co-opted member of the UKLA National Council, representing the OU Teacher Reading Groups.

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