We were delighted to arrange a special author event for Urmston Primary School, the winners of our Key Stage 2 prize in 2024’s Schoolreaders Summertime Book Review competition. Their reward was an exclusive live Zoom session with bestselling children's author A.F. Steadman, who shared insights into her writing and inspired pupils by immersing them in the world of her popular Skandar series.
Three classes from Urmston Primary were invited to join the virtual event. A.F. Steadman spoke to pupils about her journey to becoming an author, the creative process behind developing characters and storylines, and gave them a taste of what it takes to bring a fantasy world like Skandar’s to life. Children had the opportunity to ask questions, such as where she gets her ideas, and what 'magical element' she is aligned with.
As part of the session, pupils also got creative by designing their very own unicorns, imagining the powers and personalities their mythical creatures would have if they lived in Skandar’s world.
The event was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to learn more about writing from a published author and to see how reading and storytelling can lead to exciting careers and opportunities. There was plenty of enthusiasm from the pupils, with at least one very avid Skandar and the Unicorn Thief fan, and no doubt many more now keen to pick up the series.
The Summertime Book Review competition is just one of the ways we encourage children to keep reading for pleasure and help prevent the summer reading dip, when reading habits can slow down over the long break.
Thank you again to everyone who took part, particularly A. F. Steadman for providing us with the excellent prize, and congratulations to Urmston Primary School for their winning entry, pictured below.
