BookTrust and Waterstones New Children’s Laureate for 2024-2026: Frank Cottrell-Boyce

It’s been an exciting week: Frank Cottrell-Boyce was appointed as the new Waterstones Children’s Laureate on Tuesday, followed by a new UK government and a new MP for North Herefordshire on Thursday! These changes feel like a breath of fresh air from where I’m standing.

Has learning to read in 2024 become a chore and a bore?

Saturday 29th June marked the end of my ‘Read with Julia’ pilot project at Ledbury Community Hub. If you look at the numbers, it wasn’t a rip-roaring success – but it’s given me plenty of food for thought…

Shared Reading at Ledbury Community Hub

In April, I visited Ledbury Community Hub for a pot of peppermint tea and I met Nic, the hub leader. We talked about his vision for the hub, opportunities for me as a volunteer… and he kindly offered me use of the space for four, free, drop-in reading sessions for local children and families.