Give the gift of reading for World Book Day

Stoke-on-Trent libraries are urging parents to give the gift of reading, ahead of the 25th anniversary of World Book Day.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council have teamed up with Stoke Reads, an organisation that inspires families, educators and businesses across the city to support the development of children's literacy skills, to host a range of activities across all of the city council’s six libraries on Saturday 5 March.

At 10:30am, the following libraries will each host a storyteller session –

• Sophia Hatfield - Bentilee Library
• Dominic Berry - City Central Library
• Pyn Stockman - Longton Library 
• Naomi Felton-Hunt - Meir Library
• Alan Barratt - Stoke Library  
• Jenny Morgan - Tunstall Library

The Storyteller sessions are free of charge and need to be booked in advance in the individual libraries

At 12:30pm, free story and craft sessions will also be available at City Central, Longton, Tunstall and Stoke libraries. Craft sessions do not need to be booked in advance.

Cllr Lorraine Beardmore, cabinet member for culture, leisure and public health said:

"Books, reading and stories are so important to children – they ignite imagination and transport children to a world of fantasy. We also know that there are huge benefits to reading, not just for academic development but also for improving mental health”

"World Book Day is a truly special event in our libraries, and we’re so pleased we’re able to bring these events back and celebrate with our library users with some fantastic storytelling in our libraries plus story and craft sessions; I could not think of a better way to celebrate WBD’s 25th anniversary.

"Having such a wide range of events and activities in our libraries will ensure that families have the opportunity to experience the magic of storytelling and celebrate World Book Day."

Lois Bateman, Stoke Reads Hub Manager, said:

“World Book Day is a wonderful annual event to celebrate the joy that books can bring to children, whilst highlighting the importance of reading for pleasure. I’m so looking forward to marking the day with our programme of events and engaging with the local community.”

“Huge thanks goes to our amazing partners at the library service for allowing us to use their venues and reach families across the six-towns.”

To keep up to date with all the latest events for World Book Day in Stoke-on-Trent libraries, please visit Facebook - Stoke-on-Trent Libraries | Facebook