Reading can be a much needed and comforting escape for children as they navigate our ever-changing world. This month we can look forward to the biggest celebration of reading and other opportunities to inspire imaginations, with Spring on the horizon.
World Book Day
Taking place on the 3rd March, World Book Day is the annual celebration of reading, with 100 countries around the globe united in marking the occasion. Puffin favourite, Rocket, features in World Book Day title, Rocket Rules, written by Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeola. We’ll be celebrating this and other brilliant stories on the day itself, with our World Book Day Story Makers Show. Find out more and register here: https://www.puffinschools.co.uk/shows/
British Science Week
Get ready for a ten-day extravaganza of science, technology, engineering and maths as we celebrate British Science Week from the 11th -20th March. It's a brilliant opportunity to inspire inventive minds and kick-start curiosity, and you can get involved with helpful activities from organisers, the British Science Association. And don’t forget our STEM book list, with titles to help children in KS2 and KS3 explore the universe, discover the wonder of our planet and find out who helped make some of the world's most important STEM advances.
International Women’s Day
At Puffin, we love to celebrate inspirational and unforgettable women, and International Women’s Day on 8th March is the ideal time to do just that. This year the theme, #BreaktheBias, invites us all to challenge attitudes in our workplaces, schools and homes to forge women’s equality and work towards a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. Start the conversation in your school with our KS2 and KS3 book list highlighting the work of amazing women like Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg.
Diverse Libraries: Dealing with difficult texts and promoting anti-racism
The second session in the Diverse Libraries webinar series from NLT, Puffin and Libraries Connected, takes place on 30th March and will support teachers and library staff to further understand the different ways they can support readers when accessing problematic texts from their collections. Participants will explore a range of methods to promote anti-racism through a study of literature and contribute to a discussion about the role that schools and libraries can play in prompting meaningful conversations about race and prejudice. Register here.
Whatever your school is doing to celebrate stories and creativity this month we’d love to hear about it. Please contact [email protected] with 'Inspiring Ideas' in the subject line.