World Book Day Extravaganza 2015

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Welcome March! It was ushered in today in Galway by a short-lived, yet rather impressive display of snow. While this was exciting (and highly unusual, as we never get snow in Galway City), it's nothing compared to the excitement this week. For me, as a childrens' bookseller, this is the most important week of the year. World Book Day takes place on Thursday, the 5th of March, and we celebrate by holding World Book Day events all week long.
This year, I have a brilliant line-up of authors, illustrators and story-tellers visiting the bookshop to offer there time, talent and enthusiasm to invited school classes. And the uptake this year has been better than ever. (I even had to add 2 more days later in the month!) So, in case I get distracted or overwhelmed as the week progresses, I'm going to offer my express thanks in advance....
Rab Fulton will be visiting us with his scary, magical and funny stories on Monday. The book version of his quirky avdenture stories and poems for children, Pirates, Dragons and Moon Monsters (illustrated by the wonderful Marina Wild) will be published in 2015. As always, Rab, many, many thanks.
http://rabfultonstories.weebly.com/
http://adventurepoemsforchildren.blogspot.ie/
Jackie Burke will be with us for the first time ever (also on Monday), presenting her wonderful novels for young people, The Secrets of Grindlewood and The Secret Scroll. Thank you so much! I know the kids are going to be mesmerised by these wonderful books!
http://www.grindlewood.com/
Thank you to the combined talents of Juliette Saumande and Sadie Cramer, who are the creators of Chop Chop Mad Cap. They will be in the shop on Tuesday, 4th of March to talk about their book, publishing and working together, while then inspiring our young visitors to create their own characters.
http://juliettesaumande.blogspot.ie/p/mad-cap.html
http://www.sadiecramer.com/
Welcome once again and thank you, thank you, thank you to the brilliant Debbie Thomas (author of Dead Hairy, Jungle Tangle and Monkie Business) who will be with us once again on Wednesday to talk about her funny, quirky and exciting books and memorable charcters...and whatever is coming next!
http://debbie-thomas.com/books/
Thursday will bring us new, local author Marguerite Tonery who will enchant us all with the fantasy adventure, Kapheus Earth. Thank you, Marguerite. This will be truly special!
On Friday, the incredible Nicola Pierce will return to Galway with her brilliant books, The Spirit of the Titanic, City of Fate, and her new (and brilliantly gripping) historical novel for young people, Behind the Walls.
http://www.nicolapierce.com/
So, as you can see, this will be an incredible week of events. (Oh, by the way, I'll be filling in the sessions where I have no author coming...which is something I love to do!)
I want to say a quick word about why I feel World Book Day is so incredibly important; why these events mean so much. Each year, World Book Day produces a series a small books that are available for purchase for the cost of one World Book Day token. The tokens are given to school children through their schools. Some children never have the opportunity to own their own books, for a variety of social/environmental reasons. Studies have shown that the one most important activity for children surrounding the area of books and literacy is to go into a bookshop and chose and buy their own book. It's theirs; their choice; they own that book. The impact of this simple act cannot be underestimated It has meaning far beyond any cynical consumerism that can be falsely applied to it. World Book Day, by virtue of the books they produce and the production and distribution of vouchers, assures that every single child has this very opportunity year after year. Add to that the opportunity of actually visiting with authors and illustrators; well...it may seem perfectly obvious...but THIS is an incredible and far-reaching event for children. I am always so grateful to the authors, illustrators and story-tellers that visit during this week, and to the schools for bringing the kids in...and to World Book Day for what they do.
So...on with the book show! Wish me luck!

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