Scottish Friendly Children's Book Tour breaks for The Borders

This December, the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour travels to Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders for its final stop of 2012 with award-winning author Philip Ardagh.

The tour will see Philip Ardagh meet more than 1,800 P4-P7 pupils from 25 different schools between the 3-7 December, giving them the opportunity to meet and interact with the popular author. Philip will be reading excerpts from his novels and answering questions from young aspiring writers.

Philip is best known for his critically acclaimed Eddie Dickens series. In 2009 he also beat his rivals to win the highly competitive 7-14 year old category of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for his renowned series Grubtown Tales. His latest series, The Grunts, is about the Grunt family whose improbable adventures are as unsavoury as they are entertaining.

This tour marks the end of a highly successful year for the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour. The Tour has taken internationally renowned authors, including Michelle Paver, Julia Donaldson and Barry Hutchison, from Shetland and Orkney to Wigtown and Manchester, visiting 125 schools and over 6000 pupils from P1 to S2. It is one of 50 tours which Scottish Friendly and Scottish Book Trust have hosted in a bid to bring literacy to life since their partnership began 14 years ago.

Calum Bennie, Marketing Manager for Scottish Friendly said: 

We have enjoyed a fantastic year and our partnership with Scottish Book Trust continues to thrive. We have experienced great enthusiasm from the pupils from Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders in the past and cannot wait to return with Philip Ardagh.

Michael Merillo, Acting Children's Events Manager at Scottish Book Trust, said: 

Philip Ardagh is a very funny, beardy, and hugely inspiring writer and we look forward to giving pupils in Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders, the opportunity to meet him, laugh with him, and learn from him.

For further information on the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour, visit: www.scottishfriendly.co.ukor www.scottishbooktrust.com