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Waterstones Children's Laureate Cressida Cowell has launched a digital hub with reading charity BookTrust to keep youngsters busy while schools are closed.
BookTrust Home Time contains free books, videos, games, recipes, competitions and quizzes. A menu of ideas including activity sheets and live drawalongs has been created by children's authors and illustrators.
The hub currently includes content from BookTrust Illustrator in Residence Ed Vere and Irish Children’s Laureate Sarah Crossan and will feature new content and ideas from authors every day week. Cowell will also be hosting videos from her shed, including readings and offering advice.
Families will also be able to follow the content on social media by using #BookTrustHomeTime as well as content from leading children’s reading organisations by following #Unitedbybooks.
Diana Gerald, BookTrust c.e.o, said: “Families across the country are adjusting to a temporary new way of living and BookTrust is here to support and build morale in the best way we know how—reading for fun! We are proud to be able to host a free content hub to share resources, ideas and interactive activities from our own experts, along with some of the UK’s most loved authors and illustrators, with families across the country.
“At BookTrust we want to get more children reading and despite these challenging times, time at home with family is a great opportunity to find inspiration in books, create fantastic new habits and perhaps uncover a new passion!”
Cowell said: Starting on Monday, from my shed, I will be sharing a series of videos including readings—from my own books, and from others—as well as drawing advice, giving some tips on creativity as well as setting a few challenges along the way. I will also be live streaming to answer questions, run drawalongs and read, beginning with a daily reading of the very first How to Train Your Dragon book, as I have always found adventure, hope and kindness in Hiccup’s world. You can follow the story using #MagicIdeas.
“Books, reading and creativity are magic, and we need magic more than ever during this unsettling time.”