Pupils at two Blackpool Primary Schools, Hawes Side Academy and Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Primary School, were treated to unforgettable assemblies this November, as they each received a visit from Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Both schools are taking part in World of Stories, a programme developed in partnership with Puffin Books, part of Penguin Random House. The programme equips primary schools with the books, materials, training and resources they need to champion reading for pleasure across the whole school, and reinvigorate their school libraries and reading spaces.
During an interactive gameshow hosted by Jeff, children took to the stage to take part in Wimpy Kid quizzes and race against the clock to win a bundle of Wimpy Kid-themed goodies. Staff and pupils were also surprised with a chance to win $1,500 (roughly £1,200) for their schools library, generously donated by Jeff and his wife. Of course, both schools had “Rock Star” librarians who answered all of the book-themed questions correctly, securing the funding to help develop their libraries to become safe, welcoming, and well-stocked spaces for the whole school to use.
Both schools also received book donations from Penguin Random House, to help stock their libraries, plus lots of signed copies of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Miss Heim-Sarac, English Lead and reception teacher at Our Lady of Assumption, shared her feedback with us: “It was a privilege to host Jeff Kinney at Our Lady's. The whole school enjoyed his gameshow-style assembly and we were thrilled to receive prizes for our library, including a generous donation towards buying books to add to our library catalogue. It is a day we will never forget - the children's excitement was a joy to see.”
To find out more about World of Stories, visit our webpage, or if you’d like to find out about further opportunities for schools in Blackpool to take part in the programme, please email jillian.connolly@literacytrust.org.uk.