Eng: Author & Illustrator, Cressida Cowell, is the new Waterstone's Children's Laureate (2019-2021)

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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Eng: Author & Illustrator, Cressida Cowell, is the new Waterstone's Children's Laureate (2019-2021)

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

The BBC news announces the new Children's Laureate for 'Waterstones' and Cressida Cowell describes her aspirations in this role:
Cressida Cowell: New Children's Laureate wants to 'take on TV'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48909869
Cressida Cowell, who has been named as the new Children's Laureate, is ready to do battle to encourage children to love books.

"The telly is glorious but that's the competition," said The How To Train Your Dragon author following her appointment on Tuesday.

Cowell is the 11th person to take on the role aimed at inspiring children to read and write more.

She succeeds Lauren Child and will hold the laureate title for two years.

"Books and reading are magic and this magic must be available to absolutely everyone," said Cowell.

"I'm honoured to be chosen... I will be a laureate who fights for books and children's interests with passion, conviction and action.

"Practical magic, empathy and creative intelligence, is the plan."

Cowell said she had a "to-do list" with a 10-point plan but there were two things on her list that were "most urgent".
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Re: Eng: Author & Illustrator, Cressida Cowell, is the new Waterstone's Children's Laureate (2019-2021)

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

The Guardian reports on Cressida's aspirations for children:
How to Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell named new children's laureate

The author and illustrator comes to role with ‘giant to-do list’, which includes making school libraries a legal requirement, and more time for creativity
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/ ... GvHctVSm1E
Luckily, anyone who has read my books will know that I love a quest. A quest is idealistic: there are impossible-seeming obstacles and many people will tell you not to bother trying. A quest is also practical – in order to make progress there must be action.”


Cowell said she had witnessed a discrepancy in the distribution of resources while touring schools around the UK, particularly in libraries, which will be her first focus as laureate. In the face of closures up and down the country, she will be campaigning for school libraries to be statutory, and arguing that public libraries need to be funded properly.

“It really is impossible for a child to become a reader for the joy of it if their parents or carers can’t afford books, they don’t go to a public library, and their primary school hasn’t got a library,” she said.
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Debbie_Hepplewhite
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Re: Eng: Author & Illustrator, Cressida Cowell, is the new Waterstone's Children's Laureate (2019-2021)

Post by Debbie_Hepplewhite »

Another wonderful author and illustrator, Jackie Morris, stands with Cressida as proclaimed via Twitter. Who is with them?
Jackie Morris

@JackieMorrisArt
30m30 minutes ago
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I would like to stand beside @CressidaCowell in making school libraries, WITH a librarian, a legal requirement for all schools.
It's where democracy in learning begins.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/ ... GvHctVSm1E

Who is with me?
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