Posted Saturday November 21st 2009 by Natasha Worswick

The second post in our little series introducing you to the good people behind Booktime. First up was Andy, this time it is Emma's turn.


Who are you and what is your role within Booktime?

My name's Emma, and I'm currently working as the Booktime Programme Coordinator. I've been with Booktime for almost 5 months, previously as the Programme Officer.

Can you explain what your role means and what you do day-to-day for Booktime?

One of my main tasks coming up is to work with our lovely suppliers and partners on the design and production side of things. So although this year's book packs have arrived in schools this month, we're thinking already about materials and resources for next year. This year we made lots of resources available online - reading certificates and posters as well as activity sheets.

It would be great to know what people think about them as we start planning next year's resources - please feel free to post a comment to let me know!

What do you think of this year's chosen book?

I think the Mr Big story book has worked brilliantly for this year's Booktime. The story has themes that everyone can relate to and there's a great message at the book's heart. We held an event in October at the Idea Store in Whitechapel, London, where a pianist accompanied the author, Ed Vere, reading the story. The pianist told us that he felt just like Mr Big when he started playing the piano! So I think that it's a book that grown ups enjoy reading and relate to just as much as children.

Do you have a favourite poem in the Booktime Book of Fantastic First Poems?

My favourite is probably ‘Eletelephony' by Laura E. Richards. The way it really has fun with sounds and language is great, and make it a really good one to read aloud.

What's the most enjoyable part of working on the Booktime project?

One of the nicest things is hearing feedback from teachers and parents or carers, and from children themselves. So much work goes into Booktime in putting everything together, it's great to be reminded what the end result is! It's lovely to work on a programme that people give so much to support - the good will, energy and commitment we get from librarians and local authority contacts is really encouraging and we couldn't manage without it.

What's your best Booktime memory to date?

Ooh, I don't know. It was very funny when a little boy at the Idea Store event was so pleased to have learned Ed Vere's name, it was his answer to every question. "What do you like to draw?" "Ed Vere!"


It was also great to see Pauline Stewart, a poet who ran a workshop at a Booktime event in Leeds, get the Year 6 pupils who'd come along as helpers up and acting in a play along with the Reception pupils. Who'd have thought a Year 6 boy would be so keen to stand at the front and pretend to be the ocean? Must be the magic of storytelling.


Another great day was going to see Pearson's distribution centre for the first time, where over a period of weeks they send out 750,000 Booktime book packs to schools across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It was incredible to see the mountain of Booktime-branded boxes ready to make their way to everywhere from Cornwall to Shetland.

What do you see in Booktime's future?

Lots of exciting things! I hope that we'll continue to work with our contacts in Wales to expand on this year's Booktime pilot programme in the future. I hope we'll continue to develop the website and add lots of new elements online - this year we've added a lot of new content, especially in our section for families. And part of me hopes that we'll have a giant costume made of Booky, Booktime's mascot, like the Bookstart bear - although I hope I won't be the one who wears it.

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