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Children's literature

Gabriel out walking in a field with short dark hair in mist smiling at the camera.

Boy's storytelling method puts 'joy' back into literacy

StoryQuest is a method that helps children turn their stories into a written format.

Dame Jaqueline Wilson wearing a black top and two silver necklaces. She has white cropped hair.

Jacqueline Wilson says she wouldn't return to Tracy Beaker as an adult

The popular author tells the Hay Festival she would be wary of writing about Beaker in later life.

A man with glasses sitting in a chair and wearing white gloves looking into the camera holding an opal stone in his hands

Teacher reunited with Roald Dahl's opal gift

The stone sits on the author's writing desk, having been given as a present in thanks for a school talk.

Beds, Herts & Bucks

Axel Scheffler illustration of The Gruffalo and other characters, with a tree with an inscription reading "Coming soon September 2026"

After 20 years, family favourite The Gruffalo set for new adventure

Author Julia Donaldson says she was spurred to write it by a campaign to reverse a decline in children's reading.

Julia Donaldson is sitting in Arundel Town Hall, with wood-led walls in the background, reading her new children's book. The book has a picture of a bear on the front with the name Gozzle

Gruffalo author's grandchildren help tell new tale

The Gruffalo writer's fans in Arundel were treated to a reading of her latest book, Gozzle.

A paperback book which is worn at the edges and has a dog eared corner bears the words Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It also has a sticker saying 'I belong to' on the front.

Harry Potter sample book 'could fetch £3k'

This copy of the first Harry Potter book was a hit with children who were test readers.

Two women sat on a chairs in a library with their arms in the air while holding what looks similar to a yellow flower in their left hand. They are telling a story to some children (not pictured). The woman on the left has blonde hair and a fringe styled into bob. She wears a turquoise top, matching love heart necklace and glasses. The woman on the right has red/brown hair styled into a bob with a fringe. She is wearing a dress that has rows of bookshelves printed onto it.

Story festival to help children understand world

The organisers are aiming to develop communication and literacy skills through everyday tales.

Theo, who is wearing a blue and red striped T-shirt, holding one of his drawings and smiling at it. The illustration is of a giant hand which has a face, arms and legs. A speech bubble from the giant hand says: "Need a hand