School goes Zambian for world book day

By tbird

A CLEVEDON primary school with links to schools in Africa was visited by a Zambian author for World Book Day.

Pupils at Mary Elton Primary School, in Holland Road, which has a link with a school in Kikaboga, Tanzania, listened to stories read by Esnat Avon, an author and storyteller.

The non-uniform day raised £182 for the Book Bus Foundation, a small, UK-registered charity that believes every child should have the right to enjoy and learn from books and reading.

It is also a project which pupils Anne and Tom Hardcastle are taking part in later this year.

The eight- and nine-year-olds, will go to Zambia along with parents Helen and Jim to teach reading on a converted 30-year-old London bus.

Helen, who teaches at Mary Elton, will help Zambian teachers to develop their own skills.

It will be the first time a family has travelled together to help the programme and the Hardcastles are looking forward to it.

The book bus provides a mobile children's library and book distribution service for communities in Zambia.

The aim is to share with children the pleasure and value that books can bring and to inspire them to want to read.

The bus uses art, music and play to stimulate children's imaginations.

Zambia has a rich linguistic heritage of more than 70 indigenous languages.

However, English is understood by a large percentage of the population.

Most of those aged 10 or above can read and write in English.

Many of the literacy programmes in Africa centre on education and self-help but the focus of the Book Bus is on encouraging young children to develop a love and respect for books and a desire to read.

AN illustrator whose books include Maurice and Eric's Elephant ran a series of workshops at a Backwell school to mark World Book Day.

Pupils at Fairfield School wrote poems or chose nursery rhymes to illustrate, with Marc Vyvyan Jones demonstrating the illustrating process.