Scottish Friendly Children's Book Tour in Ayrshire
Children's author Thomas Docherty to enchant pupils in Ayrshire
500 school children in Ayrshire are about to be inspired by the magical story telling of the children’s author Thomas Docherty. Thomas will be touring seven schools in the region as he embarks on the next Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour from Wednesday 8 June to Friday 10 June 2011.
The Bristol based author is equally famous for his artwork - a summery style which invites his young readers to engage in the story through his lively illustrations and precise use of text. He is passionate about getting children to participate in the school sessions and think about creating their own stories through writing and painting.
He has published six books to date; Big Scary Monster, To the Beach, The Lighthouse Under The Clouds, Pip and The Lost Dream and Ruby Nettleship. In 2009 his book Little Boat was shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal.
Thomas starts his tour at Muirhead Primary School in Troon and Glenburn Primary School in Prestwick on Wednesday 8 June. On Thursday he will then travel to Annbank Primary School in Mossblown, followed by Dalmilling Primary School and Holmston Primary School, both in Ayr. On the Friday he will visit Ochiltree Primary School in Cumnock, finishing the tour with Galston Primary School in Galston. Full details of the tour are listed below.
Thomas commented:
Whenever I get the chance I like to visit schools and encourage children to think about their own stories by talking about my books. The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is a great opportunity to do this while travelling to some beautiful parts of Scotland. It gives me inspiration to watch how creative children can be. They are writers of the future, and I am looking forward to having some fun and seeing what ideas they shout out.
Chris Newton of the Scottish Book Trust added:
Thomas’s books are truly inventive and bring out the best in children’s imaginations and are entertaining for adults too. It is great to have such an enthusiastic author on tour, we are looking forward to seeing the reaction on the faces of the many pupils he meets.
The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is sponsored by Scottish Friendly, Scotland’s largest mutual and one of the UK’s leading friendly societies and is run by Scottish Book Trust, Scotland’s leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing. The tour aims to bring the best children’s authors directly to young readers around Scotland and bring literature alive in the unique magical way that only meeting the person who crafted the words can.