BOOKS: Plenty to keep your young readers busy; CHILDREN'S BOOKS Jayne Howarth looks forward to a festival that celebrates children's literature.

Byline: Jayne Howarth

Birmingham is gearing up for its biggest celebration of children's literature. The Young Readers Festival takes place from May 20 to June 3 at venues all over the city, with 180 events for all children from age four to 16.

Authors, storytellers, illustrators and performance poets will be fuelling imaginations with workshops, question and answer sessions and readings.

One of the main attractions at the event is Children's Laureate Jacqueline Wilson, who will launch the festival on May 20. Already a sell out occasion, the author will talk about her new book Candy-floss to her legion of young fans at the Adrian Boult Hall in Paradise Place.

But there are plenty of other attractions at the festival. Mini Grey, author of the sublime book The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, will be at Walmley Library and Druids Heath Library on May 25, to talk about nursery rhymes.

For primary age pupils with special needs, the director of Bag Books, Chris Fuller, will be telling tales from the charity's range of stories.

Specially developed for children and adults with severe or profound difficulties, the multi-sensory stories are on separate cards that are attached to an object that can be touched, smelt or heard as the story progresses.

She will be at Northfield and Kingstanding Libraries on May 24.

Caroline Lawrence, who has written a series of children's adventure books - the latest being The Sirens of Surrentum - set in ancient Rome, will be discussing her fascination with the historical period and writing fiction that is based on fact. She will be at Northfield and Sutton Coldfield Libraries on May 23.

For younger readers, there promises to be riotous fun when Lydia Monks, Curtis Jobling and Ian Beck take sessions.

Lydia Monks is a unique talent whose works are an explosion of colour, humour and anarchy. Her latest book is No More Eee-Orrh, about a donkey who loses his eehorrh and she will be visiting Bartley Green and Hall Green Libraries on May 24 to tell youngsters all about her work.

Curtis Jobling will be reading from his picture book Cheeky Monkey at Kings Heath and Sutton Coldfield libraries on May 26, while Ian Beck, illustrator of Winston the Book Wolf, will be telling youngsters about how he creates his work at Kings Norton and Harborne libraries on May 25 and Centre for the Child in the Central Library and Bloomsbury Library on May 26.

For older children, Dominic Barker will be telling his audience all about his funny debut book Blart on May 23 at the Centre for the Child, Julie Hearn will be discussing her great new book Ivy at Sutton Coldfield Library and Centre for the Child on May 25, while there will be a great debate on text messaging on May 23 with authors Sarra Manning and Graham Marks.

At half-term there will be a whole raft of fun events with the Big Bonanza Book Bash at Aston Hall on Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29.

The final Young Readers event will delight Horrid Henry fans. Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry series, will visit Adrian Boult Hall at 2.30pm on Saturday, June 3 to share her new book of stories, Horrid Henry and the Football Fiend. Tickets for this event are also pounds 2.50 each.

For more details about the Young Readers Festival, including the Big Bonanza Book Bash, pick up a leaflet from any Birmingham Library or log onto birmingham.gov.uk/youngreaders A programme of Young Readers events is available from all Birmingham libraries.

CAPTION(S):

Jacqueline Wilson