Children’s Book and Reading Events: a 2016-2017 Calendar
Summer 2016
“Awesome authors” a BBC spotlight on the books and authors
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/lovetoread-brochure.pdf
16th – 17th July 2016
CBBC Awesome authors live from Birmingham library
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/lovetoread-brochure.pdf
22nd July 2016
Steven Spielberg’s The BFG released, adapted from Roald Dahl’s novel
28th July 2016
150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter.
13th September 2016
Roald Dahl Day (www.roalddahlday.info)
20th September – 18th
“The Golden Bird of Swan Street” a 5 chapter story set in Leeds
October 2016
commissioned by SLS in partnership with Saviour Pirotta
www.spirotta.com/
(more information July 2016!)
October – November
Register for Leeds Book Awards
2016
www.leedsbookawards.co.uk
1-31 October 2016
The Big draw festival http://www.thebigdraw.org
5th October 2016
No Pens Day Wednesday
http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/projects/no-pens-daywednesday/
6th October 2016
National Poetry Day http://www.forwardartsfoundation.org/nationalpoetry-day/what-is-national-poetry-day/
The theme for National Poetry Day 2016 will be Messages
14th October 2016
90th anniversary of the publication of Winnie the Pooh.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36386828
21st October 2016
A Monster Calls – yes it’s actually a film! Adapted by Patrick Ness himself
and starring Liam Neeson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaRlWbEswo4
November 2016
All this month it’s National non-fiction month
http://www.fcbg.org.uk/national-non-fiction-november/
28th Jan – 4th Feb
National Storytelling Week (www.sfs.org.uk)
2017
January – March 2017 Read for my School (www.readformyschool.co.uk)
2nd February 2017
Harry Potter Book Night
(TBC)
(http://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/harry- potter-book-night/)
4th February 2017
National Libraries Day (www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk)
2nd March 2017
World Book Day (www.worldbookday.com
20th – 26th March
Shakespeare week ( www.shakespeareweek.org.uk
2017
March - June 2017
Carnegie Kate Greenaway Book Awards shortlist announced
(www.ckg.org.uk)
21st March 2017
World Poetry Day (www.un.org/en/events/poetryday)
2nd April 2017
International Children’s Book Day (www.ibby.org/index.php?id=269)
May 2017
National Share-a-Story Month (www.fcbg.org.uk
16th May 2017
Leeds Book Awards primary winner ceremony
www.leedsbookawards.co.uk
18th May 2017
Leeds Book Awards high school ceremony
27th May 2017 (TBC)
Elmer day (www.elmer.co.uk/elmerday
5th – 17th June 2017
Make a Noise in Libraries Week (www.rnib.org.uk/services-we-offer-
(TBC)
reading-services-rnib-national-library-service/make-noise-libraries-manil)
June 2017 (TBC)
National Bookstart Week (www.bookstart.org.uk/professionals)
July 2017 (TBC)
Children’s Book Week (www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk)
Reading for pleasure initiatives. School Library Service support an exciting range of local and
national initiatives to foster a love of reading in your school
Authors in schools
o Contact us for our list of recommended local authors that could visit your school
o
Look out for our free author offers from SLS on your e-mails, when publishers
arrange author signing tours
o
Puffin Books Virtually Live, is a series of free interactive webcasts from Puffin's
bestselling authors. On this website you can find a selection of previous webcasts
which you can watch on-demand, as well as details of forthcoming
webcasts.www.puffinvirtuallylive.co.uk/
o
Authors Aloud UK
o
Patron of Reading. A Patron of Reading is a school's special, designated children's
http://www.authorsalouduk.co.uk specialise in arranging
author visits to schools, libraries and other venues in the UK or abroad.
author with whom the school forms a personal attachment. The author might be a
writer of fiction, a writer of non-fiction, a poet, a storyteller, a graphic novelist or an
illustrator. They will work with the school for a period of approximately three years
to raise the profile of reading for pleasure with pupils, parents and staff.
http://www.patronofreading.co.uk/
o
Fiction Express http://schools.fictionexpress.co.uk/en
Fiction Express for Schools is a new and original platform for publishing fiction, as it
allows readers to determine the course of the plot, in real time, while the stories are
being written.
How does Fiction Express for Schools work? Fiction Express for Schools ebooks are published in weekly episodes each Friday on the Fiction Express for
Schools website. At the end of every cliffhanging episode readers are given voting
options to decide where the plot should go next. They vote and the winning vote is
conveyed to the author, who then writes the next episode, in ‘real time’, according
to what the readers chose. There will be 4 e-books each term at different reading
levels (ranging from reading age 8 to 11+).The idea is to get readers actively
engaged with the plot and with the author, to use prediction to try and guess what
happens next, and to be involved in writing activities – writing the next episode (or
all the optional episodes) and seeing how it compares with the actual, for example.
o
Virtual authors
http://virtualauthors.co.uk/this site is a directory of children's authors and illustrators
who offer free Skype visits to UK schools and libraries. SLS can support with book
resources for the session.

Booktrust
o http://www.booktrust.org.uk/programmes/primary/
o Main initiatives are, Booktime, Read for my School, Children’s Book Week and
Everybody Writes

Reading Agency
o Their work with children includes the Summer Reading Challenge and reading
groups like Chatterbooks www.readingagency.org.uk/children

The National Literacy Trust
o Transforming lives through literacy. Lots of information on current reading
campaigns and initiatives. Provides a list of reading related events such as World
Book Day in March and Premier league Reading Stars www.literacytrust.org.uk

Love Reading 4 Kids. Booklists are split across age and genre making it very user
friendly. www.lovereading4kids.co.uk

Public library
Invite your local librarian into school to read stories or arrange visits to the library. Find out
what the local library has to offer. www.leeds.gov.uk/libraries
For further information contact Pauline Thresh, Leeds SLS Manager
[email protected]
0113 3782677
07891 271582