Give reading a try - you’re sure to enjoy it!
That’s the message from youngsters in Hartlepool who’ve been discovering the magic of poetry in special workshop sessions with a leading author.
West View Primary School was one of several local schools taking part in the annual Northern Children’s Book Festival (NCBF), which connects schools with some of the UK’s top writers and illustrators to help inspire a passion for reading among young people.
Hartlepool Borough Council helped to arrange schools’ access to the NCBF through its Community Hubs and Libraries.
West View Primary’s Year 3-6 pupils enjoyed a spellbinding session with Matt Abbott, author of A Hurricane In My Head, who has been a full-time poet for the last ten years.
Matt Abbott captivates the pupils in his poetry workshop
Matt said: “Poetry is something to be enjoyed and played with rather than just studied.
“The children were brilliant – they were wonderfully engaged and asked a wide range of questions.
He added: “Many people think books are not for them but there’s a book out there for everybody, and once you have got over that initial reluctance, then a whole world of enjoyment lies ahead.”
West View pupil Rinaaz Mominsuthar, who is nine, is a Reading Ambassador at the school and reads at home with her family.
She said: “I really enjoyed the workshop. I liked it when Matt read some of his poems because they sounded like a rap!”
Ellis Willingham, also nine, said: “It’s been lots of fun and it was cool to hear the rhymes. It has inspired me to read poetry more.”
And their message to other young people and families?
“Give reading a try, because when you read you get ideas and more knowledge,” said Rinaaz, while Ellis added: “Read what you like and you might like it and start reading more!”
Councillor Melanie Morley, Chair of the Council’s Children’s Services Committee, joined the West View Primary School pupils to enjoy the workshop.
West View Primary School pupils Rinaaz Mominsuthar and Ellis Willingham with (rear from left) Matt Abbott, Councillor Melanie Morley and Class Teacher Ellen Gunn
She said: “It was wonderful to see the children so captivated by Matt and so excited and fired up about poetry and reading, and getting so much encouragement from their fantastic teachers.
“With research showing that more than a third of adults in Hartlepool have very low levels of literacy, initiatives like this play a really important part in the efforts being made by the Council, schools, colleges and organisations to tackle the issue as part of the Hartlepool Literacy Task Force, including fostering a love of reading from an early age.
“Whatever your age, reading plays a key role in your life chances, and I’m delighted that Rinaaz and Ellis are encouraging everyone to get a taste for reading and encouraging families to read together, which is really important too.”