Blue Peter Book Award winner to visit schools in Cumbria
Press release - 25th June 2015
Award-winning children’s author Pamela Butchart is set to tour schools in Cumbria next month. Pamela will share top tips and fun story ideas with more than 500 pupils when she visits ten schools in the area as part of the Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour.
One of the most exciting children’s authors to emerge in recent years, Pamela’s tour comes hot on the heels of her recent success at the Blue Peter Book Awards 2015, where she won the Best Story Award for The Spy Who Loved School Dinners. Her writing is inspired by her ‘bonkers’ family and pets as well as her full-time day job working as a Philosophy teacher in Dundee.
Pamela writes for a variety of ages with picture books such as Yikes, Stinkysaurus proving a hit with pre-school readers, while titles such as My Head Teacher is a Vampire Rat cater perfectly for children of primary school age. Her tour coincides with the release of two new books, The Shark in the Pool and Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon, both published by Nosy Crow.
Commenting on her upcoming tour, Pamela said:
I'm so excited to be going on tour in Cumbria - I do love getting out and about, meeting lots of children, teachers and librarians who all love books! This will be my first time visiting schools outside Scotland and I'm very much looking forward to it. Expect plasticine, baby aliens, spies, shepherd's pie and vampire rat shenanigans! Are you ready!?
Susan Davies, Head Teacher at Bowness-on-Soloway Primary School added:
It’s not every day we get the chance to meet an award winning author so we are very excited about Pamela’s visit and have been inspired by the imagination of her characters to begin to create our own story trail in the school grounds.
The tour is sponsored by Scottish Friendly Assurance and organised by Scottish Book Trust. Every year schools in four local authorities in Scotland and two in England receive author visits to inspire a love of reading, writing and illustration. Destinations for 2015 include Birmingham, Fife and Clackmannanshire, and Orkney and Shetland. The tour visits both primary and secondary schools and has enthralled over 70,000 children since it began in 1998.
Commenting on Pamela’s tour, Calum Bennie, Communications Manager at Scottish Friendly said:
Bringing leading children’s writers like Pamela to less-visited parts of the country perfectly encapsulates what the book tour is all about. Cumbrian pupils are in for what I’m sure will be a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable time.
Beth Bottery, Schools Events Manager at Scottish Book Trust, which is organising the tour, added:
One sure-fire way of encouraging reluctant young readers to pick up a book, or inspiring pupils to try their hand at creative writing, is to bring an author or illustrator to their school. Meeting the people behind the books demystifies the creative process for children and they are often inspired to pick up a book, or to begin writing or drawing themselves.
Pamela’s books have proved a huge hit with younger readers and I’m sure her school events will provide just the right mix of inspiration and great fun!
Scottish Friendly has sponsored the programme for the past 17 years, touring some of the finest children’s authors and illustrators including new Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell, Malorie Blackman, Michael Rosen, Jacqueline Wilson, Melvin Burgess, Steve Cole, Michael Morpurgoand Sophie Mackenzie.