Portsmouth school to celebrate World Book Night with online literacy extravaganza

The school were due to celebrate World Book Night on Thursday, April 23 by hosting a reading pyjama party. However, not to be beaten by the coronavirus lockdown, staff at the school are going to take bedtime stories into people’s homes via Facebook and YouTube.

The literary extravaganza kicks off at 7pm when the school’s librarian, Gemma Currie, will be sharing one of her favourite stories, Hippospotamus by Jeanne Willis, on the schools new YouTube channel. Families will then have the opportunity to read their own favourite bedtime books and submit a photograph of them reading in their pyjamas to the school’s Facebook site.

The online celebration has been organised by Year 4 teacher, Clare Armstrong.

Clare said: ‘The children missed out on World Book Day as we were moving into our new school building and so I was determined they were not going to miss out on World Book Night. It is important that we all still feel connected as a school and hopefully the power of reading will help to bring us all closer together.

‘I’m a parent and this is a really good opportunity to spend time with your children just before you go to bed.’

Once photographs are sent in, Clare plans to collate them together to create a virtual online display. Part of the school’s English team, Clare feels the escapism offered by a ‘good book’ is particularly pertinent during the lockdown restrictions.

‘It is important to recognise the power of reading, especially during this difficult time. It can bring so much joy and give us a place to escape to,’ she said.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth families urged to sign up for free school meals for children if eligible amid pandemic

World Book Night is an annual national initiative set up by the charity The Reading Agency which looks to help people ‘tackle life’s challenges through the proven power of reading’.

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