publication date: Jan 8, 2013
Children’s Laureate and much loved author of
The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson has launched a series of
short plays with other well-known
authors specifically designed to help
improve reading skills and encourage
children to
enjoy reading.
The
Bug Club Plays to Read include dramas about
modern children as well as new versions of
traditional tales, including
The Billy Goats Gruff and a rhyming version of
The Hare and the Tortoise, adapted by Donaldson to appeal to today’s
young readers.
Each play has parts for
six characters – the average
reading-group size – and contains beautiful
illustrations and unforgettable characters to
engage kids and build their
reading confidence.
There are a total of
36 plays in the series, perfect for both
guided and independent reading. Each one is available as an
interactive e-book, which features
innovative software allowing a child to decide what
role to play and the other parts are
read by actors.
In addition to these
playlets, Julia has also masterminded another
series of six whole-class plays, based on popular
picture books, including two of her own,
Tiddler and
Tyrannosaurus Drip. This series is called “
Plays to Act”. These longer plays, ideal for
school assemblies, also come with an
e-book version which includes a
song.
The
books are published by leading learning company,
Pearson, which launched a
national literacy campaign in October 2012,
Enjoy Reading, to help inspire children to develop a
life-long love of reading.
Parents can download a
free ebook of one of the plays and can access further
advice and tips from experts and several well-known
children’s authors on reading with children by visiting the
Enjoy Reading website. In addition, as part of the campaign, Pearson is providing thousands of free books and ebooks to get children in the UK switched on to reading for life.
