What's On
We are excited to bring schools in Maidenhead a wide range of FREE activities from
Monday 22nd February to Wednesday 10th March 2021 |
Big Read Inspiration
Bringing bestselling authors and illustrators, as well as poets, story tellers, sporting heroes, prominent politicians, influential journalists and stars of the screen to share their stories and lives with local schoolchildren.
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Big Read Enthusiasm
Find a comfortable chair and pull out a book. Read to yourself, to your family or friends, or with one of our volunteer readers.
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In 2021, our events are entirely online for Borough schools in the Maidenhead area. Our aim continues to be to inspire, enthuse and help people of all ages to learn through literature and the arts. Check out our programme below.
2021 Festival Highlights
The Football Reading Game
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Monday 22 Feb
1.30pm
Tom hosts a quiz about all the great things
you can read about football - newspapers,
books, magazines, websites – emphasising
the joys of reading about what you love,
encouraging reading for pleasure, thus
showing reluctant readers that you
don't have to just read books to get
information.
1 hour
Years 4-7
1.30pm
Tom hosts a quiz about all the great things
you can read about football - newspapers,
books, magazines, websites – emphasising
the joys of reading about what you love,
encouraging reading for pleasure, thus
showing reluctant readers that you
don't have to just read books to get
information.
1 hour
Years 4-7
The Wind and the Willows
Dame Katherine Grainger, DBE, PhD
Wednesday 24 Feb
9.30am
A rowing Olympian extraordinaire, Dame Katherine is Britain’s most decorated female Olympic athlete. She kindly agreed in 2019 to become Patron for Maidenhead’s Big Read, inspired by her own passion for books from early childhood. Katherine will read from Wind in the Willows which reminds her of rowing on the Thames.
30 minutes
Reception, Year 1 & Year 2
9.30am
A rowing Olympian extraordinaire, Dame Katherine is Britain’s most decorated female Olympic athlete. She kindly agreed in 2019 to become Patron for Maidenhead’s Big Read, inspired by her own passion for books from early childhood. Katherine will read from Wind in the Willows which reminds her of rowing on the Thames.
30 minutes
Reception, Year 1 & Year 2
Once Upon a Bus Storytelling
Arti Sharma-Grey & Jane Deane
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Wednesday 3 March
9am The Gruffalo
9.30am The Witch in the Broom Cupboard
10am Stick Man
Arti of Once Upon a Bus, with the support of Jane Deane who featured on the BAFTA award winning show “Justin’s House” on CBeebies, create fabulous and magical storytelling experiences combining the traditional social function of storytelling with progressive learning techniques. They deliver inspiring, interactive and truly immersive experiences that delight and enlighten, and encourage children to listen to and love reading.
20 minutes
Reception & KS1
9am The Gruffalo
9.30am The Witch in the Broom Cupboard
10am Stick Man
Arti of Once Upon a Bus, with the support of Jane Deane who featured on the BAFTA award winning show “Justin’s House” on CBeebies, create fabulous and magical storytelling experiences combining the traditional social function of storytelling with progressive learning techniques. They deliver inspiring, interactive and truly immersive experiences that delight and enlighten, and encourage children to listen to and love reading.
20 minutes
Reception & KS1
A Feast of Fun with Nick Sharratt
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Thursday 4 March
11am and 1.30pm
In his session Nick will be hosting a drawalong, focusing on his favourite picture books, many of which revolve around the subject of food. The audience will sketch along with him, as he shows how he goes about drawing all sorts of funny characters. He will be encouraging creative thinking and suggesting how the pictures could be taken further outside the confines of the session. Each participating child will require basic drawing materials, at least 8 sheets of paper (A4 is ideal) and something to rest on if not sitting at a table.
60 minutes
Years 2 and 3
11am and 1.30pm
In his session Nick will be hosting a drawalong, focusing on his favourite picture books, many of which revolve around the subject of food. The audience will sketch along with him, as he shows how he goes about drawing all sorts of funny characters. He will be encouraging creative thinking and suggesting how the pictures could be taken further outside the confines of the session. Each participating child will require basic drawing materials, at least 8 sheets of paper (A4 is ideal) and something to rest on if not sitting at a table.
60 minutes
Years 2 and 3
Could you be an astronaut?
Sue Palmer
Tuesday 9 March
10.30am and 1pm
Could you be an astronaut?
Follow Michael May in his dream to become the first child astronaut and learn what it takes to live 240 miles above the earth. Could you be an astronaut?
90 minutes
KS2
10.30am and 1pm
Could you be an astronaut?
Follow Michael May in his dream to become the first child astronaut and learn what it takes to live 240 miles above the earth. Could you be an astronaut?
90 minutes
KS2
Presenter Profiles
Find out more about all our 2021 presenters
Click on the presenter's name to read their profile and find out more about their workshop.
Arti Sharma-Grey & Jane Deane
Coral Rumble
Cressida Cowell
Kate Poels
Dame Katherine Grainger
Martin Brown
Nick Sharratt
Simon Mole
Sue Palmer
Tom Palmer
Click on the presenter's name to read their profile and find out more about their workshop.
Arti Sharma-Grey & Jane Deane
Coral Rumble
Cressida Cowell
Kate Poels
Dame Katherine Grainger
Martin Brown
Nick Sharratt
Simon Mole
Sue Palmer
Tom Palmer
In addition to our online events in February and March, we are excited to bring you additional workshops and a Book Trail event in June. More details will be available soon.
Teachers may wish to download our 2020 World Book Day Ideas for Teachers guide.
Teachers may wish to download our 2020 World Book Day Ideas for Teachers guide.
2021 Festival Events
