Lincolns inaugural Waterstones Childrens Book Festival featured celebrated authors. Workshops and readings engaged kids of all ages.
Jacqueline Wilson also attended the festival. She is the writer behind Tracey Beaker. Frank Cottrell-Boyce also joined them, and he is a Children’s Laureate author. They did workshops and readings all over the city.
The festival had activities for everyone. Toddlers, teens, and kids in between enjoyed events. Writing sessions and crafts were available. The library, university, and Waterstones all hosted events.
Waterstones wants kids to love stories and enjoy reading. They wanted to create a fun, engaging event where kids could meet favorite authors and discover new ones.
Kids were very excited at the event. One child touched an author’s hand and then showed his teacher. Parents seemed happy too.
Reading enjoyment is a concern, as not many kids read for fun. Research shows a decline with only one in three kids enjoying reading, which is the lowest in nineteen years.
The cost-of-living crisis might cause this decline. Waterstones is worried about these numbers. They want to share their love of books and will use their position as booksellers.
The festival showcased amazing authors who write great things for kids. There are many books for all tastes, so kids can choose what they like, whether comics or fantasy stories.
Waterstones wants the festival to grow and hopes to have it in other cities too.