The children at Woodlea Primary School could hardly contain their excitement on Monday 9^th December when they had a visit from multi award-winning children’s author, Piers Torday.  Piers officially opened the new library at the School and gave a talk to the children.

The talk covered Piers’ journey to becoming an author, beginning with memories of his childhood reading, explaining what inspires him to write, and why he believes stories can help change the world.

The new library is called the Oak Library, following a competition amongst all the children to name the library.  The winning submission was from Lochlan who came up with the idea of The Oak Library in honour of an Oak tree that had stood in the playground.

The new library has been made possible due to the fundraising efforts of the hardworking and dedicated PTA at Woodlea Primary School.  The members are always very supportive of the school and its work.  There were also generous donations by parents into the School Fund.  At a time when school budgets are stretched so tightly, this has made all the difference and has enabled amazing projects such as this to be realised.

The students will now benefit from a bespoke new library with lots of space to read.  The library also provides a comfortable storytime space and with the support of school librarians, children will be able to borrow books independently.  The library caters for all tastes, with a wide range of genres on offer, including fiction, picture books and encyclopaedias.

Nichola Riches, Headteacher of Woodlea Primary School said, “I was thrilled to welcome Piers to the School to meet all our children who were very excited to meet him.  I was so impressed with how he engaged with the students and answered all their questions.  There is no doubt that Piers’ visit has given a boost to the love of reading that we foster at Woodlea whilst the new library will give them the resources to improve their reading skills.”

After opening the library, Piers was available to sign books for the children and their parents.  His latest book, The Frozen Sea was a popular choice for the book signing, along with his other five children’s books:  The Lost Magician, There May be a Castle, The Wild Beyond, The Dark Wild and his debut children’s novel, The Last Wild.

Piers said, “A welcoming, well stocked and easily accessible library should be at the heart of every school, and this beautiful new Oak Library at Woodlea is no exception.  It was a real privilege to be the first author of many to welcome so many eager young readers through its doors for the very first time.  The considerable efforts of all those involved in bringing this vital new school space into being have more than paid off.”