We were very pleased to welcome children’s author and playwright Daniel Ingram-Brown to the LRC on Thursday 23 June.
Daniel lives in Knaresborough in a house built from stones from the town’s ruined castle.
As well as writing the acclaimed children’s novels “Rise of the Shadow Stealers” and “Nemesis Charm” (the first two books in “The Firebird Chronicles”), Daniel has also written a number of plays and is currently Artistic Director of Suitcase and Spectacles Children’s Theatre.
He leads projects that explore how stories shape us, discovering what mark they leave on the places we live.
Daniel enjoys running workshops and giving author talks for schools, libraries and at festivals.
He is interested in exploring philosophical and spiritual questions in fun and engaging ways that inspire children to think and to wonder.
Students enjoyed two workshops, the first called “Make a Monster!” in which Daniel used ideas from his book “Nemesis Charm” to guide the students to create their own monstrous nemesis.
They also invented their own hero, deciding which skills and characteristics they need to overcome their nemesis.
The second workshop “Fantasy Plots and Fantastic Plays” had students working with Daniel on how to devise plots for their own bestselling novels. Finally, Daniel spent part of lunch time doing a book signing session.
Competitions and Book Reading
In 1916, many famous footballers from across the UK fought in the trenches of the First World War.
To celebrate Euro 2016 and commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme the LRC is following the National Literacy Trust lead and running four competitions with prizes connected to Euro 2016 and the Battle of the Somme commemorations.
The National Literacy Trust has also teamed up with author Tom Palmer who has begun a 16 chapter story called ‘Over the Line 2016’.
The first chapter is written and Tom will add a chapter a day during the first three weeks of Euro 2016 leading up to the commemoration of the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July, 2016.
To help engage students with the story, Mrs Cooper read a chapter at lunch time every day in the LRC to any students who turned up to listen.
The chapters responded to events from the previous day in Euro 2016 – the main stories broadcast, controversies on and off the pitch. Staff in the LRC are also running four competitions via the National Literacy Trust related to Euro 2016 and the Battle of the Somme.
Two word searches – one on the First World War, one on Euro 2016, a True or False competition on Football and the First World War and a Book Review competition.
Reviews are being written on footballs that we hope will fill our goal net. There are prizes for all the competitions.
Finally, coming to the end of the year we will soon be holding the draw for the English Reading Scheme in the LRC.
Students have been completing their Bronze, Silver and Gold Independent Reading Handbooks and each completion means their name goes into the draw for first prize of an Amazon Kindle Fire and runner up prizes of five £20 and five £10 Amazon vouchers.
A huge “Thank you” goes to the Driffield School Association, which has contributed towards the cost of the author visit and has totally funded the prizes for the English Independent Readers Scheme.