Full house: Daniella Blechner giving her talk to Croydon primary pupils at Waterstones
Almost 2,000 pupils from Croydon primary schools have this week come with their classes to Waterstones in the Whitgift Centre to celebrate World Book Day in an impressive and inspiring series of talks and events featuring locally-based authors.
The youngsters have had the opportunity to spend their World Book Day voucher and have been treated to a story read to them by a local author.
Daniella Blechner, the author of 9 Days of Piper Snow, inspired Elmwood Infants, South Norwood Primary and Aerodrome Primary School with her workshop for aspirational authors.
Tracy Gunaratnam entertained Park Hill Infants and Harris Haling Primary School with her stories, encouraging laughter with the children trying to balance hats on their head.
High calibre: the Waterstones events featured leading authors
Sophia Wilson read her books about being the best child you can be to Elmwood Infants, South Norwood Primary and St Aiden’s.
“What a memorable World Book Day celebration for our young readers!” said St Aiden’s lead teacher on English.
On Wednesday afternoon, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the author of New York Times bestseller list Ace of Spades created a Doomsday Date Bucketlist with the Year 5s from Chestnut Primary.
Later in the week, Nicola Gordon discussed her own progression to author with the older classes of Aerodrome, Whitehorse Primary and South Norwood Primary.
The programme of inspirational talks from inspirational writers continues at Waterstones today and into next week.
Rapt audience: Tracy Gunaratnam reading to pupils from Park Hill and Harris Haling
Three more authors will be visiting, including Davina Tijani with her Yomi series, Sheila Bird with her picture book The King’s Hats and Lizzie Huxley-Jones with her Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlisted book Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend.
The visiting schools include Stanford, Applegarth Primary, St Mary’s Catholic Infants, Park Hill Juniors, Tudor Academy, Keston Primary and Cypress Primary.
- For information on opening hours and more events at Waterstones, Whitgift Centre, click here
- Check out Inside Croydon’s Spotify page next week, with an exclusive podcast with some of the authors taking part in this week’s World Book Day events
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2000 pupils visiting? That’s seriously impressive! Well done, Waterstones. There’s been a bookshop – under various names – at that location in the Whitgift since 1969, so more than half-a-century of supplying Croydon customers with their book requirements. Just hope they can survive there many more years, but the current state of the Whitgift Centre must be a cause for concern.
Pity they didn’t hold this gig at one of our libraries. Oh, hang on . …