On Wednesday 19^th of October the children in Years 3 and 4  travelled to St Lawrence College in Ramsgate to take part in the Children’s Bookshow with other local schools.

The exciting day started with a train ride from Broadstairs Station to Ramsgate, which was a new and exciting experience for some children. We then made the short walk to auditorium at St Lawrence College.

The children were entranced by the talk given by the 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. We enjoyed Neal reading from a couple of his own stories and were thoroughly entertained with his tales of inspiration interspersed with comedic recollections of his own childhood. The question and answer session was very engaging and interactive, as children were invited to probe further about the life and work 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.

Mrs Sandwell, Year 3 Teacher, 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 they've introduced children to world-renowned authors such as Michael Rosen, Kwame Alexander, Valerie Bloom and many more through their programme of theatre events and in-school workshops.

It was a great morning full of inspiration, musical interludes, jokes and fun – the children of St Joseph’s can’t wait for the next opportunity!