Dyslexic in her younger years, she used to tell her stories to the animals around her, only later in life shaping them into the works that have thrilled hundreds of thousands of children worldwide. “Even though I now live in London, I still find myself talking out loud when I am walking down the street as I tell my stories to anyone or anything that will listen, even a London bus.”
Award-winning writer Lou, who is the author of numerous books for children, including My Digger is Bigger, the Incredible Shrinking Girl series and the Bella Broomstick series, was the guest author at King’s Infant & Junior Division’s World Book Day celebrations.
Every boy and girl dressed as their favourite literary character with the staff joining in too, but the highlight of the world-renowned celebration of books was a reading session with Lou, who has produced books for all primary school ages. Lou said: “Reading enables you to walk in another person’s shoes. It isn’t just a vital life skill, it teaches compassion, empathy and what it is to be human.”
Miss Soulla Costanda, King’s Year 6 Teacher and English Coordinator, said: “Reading is at the core of everything we do and we work tirelessly to give the children the chance to sample every style of writing with book reading competitions and special reading sessions in the library part of everyday life at King’s.” For the day, Soulla typecast herself as ‘Bellatrix Lestrange’ whereas fellow teacher Simon Thomas paid homage to the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001, A Space Odyssey, dressing as the astronaut Bowman.
