CELEBRATIONS for World Book Day started early for pupils at Jewell Academy when author Kathryn White paid a visit.

The children’s favourite ran workshops with the youngsters and officially opened the new outdoor reading area, which will be used for storytelling and reading.

The innovative area includes a throne for the storyteller, who could be a visitor, a teacher or a child and handmade benches for those listening, all under a canopy.

Kathryn White is a children’s author from Wells in Somerset who has written 25 books for children of all ages, including Ruby’s School Walk, When Will it Snow? and Here Comes the Crocodile.

She regularly runs workshops for schools which include imag-inative play and mask making as well as storytelling.

Katie Bowden, Year 2 teacher at Jewell Academy, said: “The new outdoor reading area is a great way to excite children about reading and listening to stories, and we were delighted to have Kathryn White officially open it and read stories to our children.”

She said the school is determined to develop a love of stories and reading.

World Book Day is being celebrated at the school in many ways, including children dressing up as book characters, visits to local libraries and book shops and a book fair. Parents and grandparents will also be invited into class to read to the children, there will be an extreme reading photo comp-etition and a story session complete with pyjamas and hot chocolate.