The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour is heading to Edinburgh Zoo to round off a week of fantastic author events themed around the environment.

Award-winning author Abi Elphinstone will run interactive workshops for children and families attending the zoo on Saturday 2 October. Abi will help children invent magical beasts and creatures inspired by the wild animals all around them.

There will be a chance to meet Abi and have her sign your books – copies will also be available to purchase from the Edinburgh Zoo gift shop.

These workshops are free for anyone who has paid standard entry to Edinburgh Zoo on Saturday 2 October. No registration is required.

When: Saturday 2 October, 10am and 11.30am

Where: Bundongo Theatre, Edinburgh Zoo

Duration: Each workshop lasts 15 minutes

Who: Children and families

Cost: Standard entry fee to Edinburgh Zoo

Materials provided: Pens, paper, clipboards (for kids to lean their paper on), empty egg boxes, flip chart and pens for Abi to use. People can bring their own materials if they prefer.

If you have any questions or comments please contact thomas.jefferson@scottishbooktrust.com(this will open in a new window).

We bring together eco-minded authors and publishers to share their experience, knowledge and stories from their time writing books and teaching people what they can do to help fight climate change and protect our world.

In this interactive talk and Q&A, your pupils will learn about environmental issues and what we can do to make a difference, as well as having the chance to ask our authors their burning questions.

So who are our guests?

Bestselling author Abi Elphinstone is a real-life adventurer. From living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia, to kayaking through Norwegian fjords, Abi will be talking about the real-life adventures in the natural world that are the inspirations behind her magical stories. We will also hear how the impact of the climate crisis has found its way into the magical realms she creates.

Isabella Tree is the bestselling author and award-winning rewilding pioneer whose own experience of rewilding her estate at Knepp has influenced conservation techniques around the world that are bringing nature back to the countryside and bringing threatened species back from the brink. She will share her hopes that this story of nature healing itself will inspire children with a sense of hope and optimism for the future.

Jess French is presenter of Minibeast Adventure with Jess on CBeebies, who knows all there is to know about different forest types around the world, what makes each of them precious and unique and the causes, effects and solutions to deforestation and what YOU can do to help.

Isabella Tree’s When We Went Wild and Jess French’s book Let’s Save The World: Forests are printed by Ivy Press who print books sustainably using eco-processes. We’ll be joined by a member of their team who will tell us how it all works, we’ll get a look inside the factory and find out how the book industry can become a more eco-friendly place.

This live virtual event will go ahead with a limited schools audience. A recording of the event will be shared on our website to watch on demand. Applications are open to anyone who wants to join live.

Who: Primary schools

Platform: Microsoft Teams

Cost: Fully funded

Audience: P5–7 (ages 9–12)

Audience size: 10–30 (smaller or larger groups are welcome to apply)

Deadline: Fri 17 Sept 2021 at 12 noon

From living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia to kayaking through the Norwegian fjords, bestselling author Abi Elphinstone will be talking about the real-life adventures and accidental daydreams behind her stories. She’ll be speaking about the latest book in her Unmapped Chronicles series, The Crackledawn Dragon – a voyage across a secret kingdom full of silver whales, fire krakens, and underwater palaces. She’ll also be sharing how her own experiences and adventures in the natural world inspire her magical realms and beast as well as showing kids how easy it is to leap into stories of their own . . .

Following the lift of some Coronavirus restrictions, we are pleased to offer this in-person school visit which will be carefully planned with each successful school.

Who: Primary schools

Where: Schools in East Lothian (in-person event)

Cost: Fully funded

Audience: P4–7 (ages 8–12)

Audience size: 200 (smaller or larger groups are welcome to apply)

Deadline: Friday 10 September 2021 at 12 noon

If you have any questions or comments please contact thomas.jefferson@scottishbooktrust.com(this will open in a new window).

From living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia to conjuring up secret kingdoms in her writing shed, bestselling author Abi Elphinstone will talk about the real-life adventures and accidental daydreams behind her stories. She’ll be speaking about her latest book, The Crackledawn Dragon – a voyage across an enchanted land full of silver whales, fire krakens, and underwater palaces – and showing pupils how easy it is to leap into stories of their own.

Register now to join in with this live digital event. After registering, you will be emailed a link to watch along live. The recorded event will also be available to watch afterwards in our Authors Live on Demand library.

If you would like to send questions from pupils for Abi to answer during the event, please get in touch with anna.broomfield@scottishbooktrust.com(this will open in a new window). You can also ask questions live during the broadcast using #BBCAuthorsLive(this will open in a new window) on Twitter.

This event will have a live studio audience, filmed at BBC Scotland in Glasgow. Please email anna.broomfield@scottishbooktrust.com(this will open in a new window) for a chance to be in the studio audience.

Join Waterstones online for this special event as bestselling author, Michelle Paver takes us back to the wild Stone Age forests for the launch of Skin Taker, Torak, Renn and Wolf’s latest epic adventure, whose themes of survival and friendship, will resonate with readers far and wide.

In conversation with fellow author, Abi Elphinstone, whose latest book The Crackledawn Dragon packs fire krakens, underwater palaces and mysterious kingdoms into a rollicking adventure with environmental undertones, these two wonderful authors will discuss Michelle’s Wolf Brother series and Abi’s Unmapped Chronicles series.

The event will be chaired by writer, editor and translator Danny Hahn OBE.  Danny will talk to these amazing authors about their books, inspirations, writing processes and the world of magical adventures.  You’ll even get the chance to put your questions to Michelle and Abi at this unmissable event.

Tickets

£5 general admission

£11 including a signed bookplate copy of Skin Taker, plus a Vipers Daughter tote bag* & bookmark*

£11 including a signed bookplate copy of The Crackledawn Dragon*

£22 including both signed bookplate books, plus a Vipers Daughter tote bag* & bookmark*

*Viper’s Daughter tote bags are limited to the first 75 customers

*All tickets with books include booking fees and postage (UK only, books will be posted after the event).

From living with the Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia to conjuring up secret kingdoms in my writing shed, I will be talking about the real-life adventures and accidental daydreams behind my books and showing you how easy it is to leap into stories of your own. My latest book, The Crackledawn Dragon, whisks you away on a voyage across a magical sea kingdom which empowers you to battle climate change and fight to save your own world in the process.

This event is live and has been created especially for school pupils for our Baillie Gifford Schools Gala Day, but it’s also enjoyable for children and families to watch.