UP for Reading is a great little idea which could combine literacy with some PHSE or citizenship studies. It is a charity raising money for Down’s Syndrome Education International that works to improve education for young people with the condition. The charity is supported by an impressive line-up of authors – Michael Morpurgo is the patron while Anthony Horowitz, Quentin Blake and Justin Somper also lend their support. To get involved, pupils are sponsored to read each day for one week. One secondary school decided to conduct their campaign by reading in unusual places each week. It’s a win-win event and you can sign up – any time – at www.up-for-reading.org. Let me know if you do and we can feature your efforts.
Teen favourite Louise Rennison won the award for the Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen at the Roald Dahl Funny Prize Awards 2010. Ms Rennison won her gong and £2,500 prize money for Withering Tights (HarperCollins Children’s Books), which was described by Michael Rosen as ‘witty and wry with a gag on every page’. The Roald Dahl Funny Prize was created by Rosen while he was Children’s Laureate to promote laughter and humour as a feel-good factor when reading.
Friend of Ink Pellet, the Finborough Theatre, is being showered with glory thanks to a clutch of awards at the end of last year. Playwright-in-Residence Anders Lustgarten won the Pearson Best Play Award for his A Day at the Racists. Other winners over the years include Hanif Kureshi so Anders is in marvellous company. The theatre was also celebrating winning The Empty Space Peter Brook Award 2010 and The Writers’ Guild New Writing Encouragement Award 2010 for Artistic Director Neil McPherson. It’s great news for an unfunded theatre.
Watch out later this month for a new reading list from Macmillan’s popular readers series. New books on the horizon include a biography of Mahatma Gandhi, Jane Austen’s Persuasion and The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. These little books come with audio CDs and are aimed at EAL readers. For further information and to order visit www.macmillanreaders.com.
If you’re going to be in London this month, check out the Schools Season at the Bush Theatre which features The Knowledge by John Donnelly. The award-winning playwright’s work, which draws on his experience of working in schools, explores what happens when a young teacher goes off the rails in a failing establishment The season also features Little Platoons by Steve Waters, plus post-show discussions and events. Find out more from www.bushtheatre.co.uk.
There is just time to get yourself out of school to attend BETT, the world’s largest technology in education event. The event returns to London Olympia from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 January, providing a platform to inspire learning excellence worldwide and highlighting how ICT can help you. For details check out www.bettshow.com.