Local author Louisa Reid launched her latest YA novel, ‘Handle With Care’ with visits to three Manchester high schools this October. Visits were made to MEA South, St Paul’s, and Co-op Academy North with over 100 Year 10 and 11 students benefiting from the experience of having a published author visit.
Written in both verse and prose, Louisa’s new book deals with teen pregnancy, friendships, family dynamics and what happens when the people closest do not listen to someone in need.
“A stunningly powerful YA novel from a master storyteller told in both verse and prose”
Reading for pleasure is one of the most important indicators of a child’s success at school. Manchester Libraries provide free author visits to schools in the Manchester Local Authority area throughout the school year. Providing opportunities for students to experience workshops and talks from published authors to encourage reading for pleasure, use of libraries and real-life examples of career opportunities in creative industries.
According to research from the National Literacy Trust 2019: “Children who had an author visit to their school reported higher levels of reading enjoyment (68.2% vs 47.2%) and writing enjoyment (43.9% vs 32.4%) than their peers who didn’t receive a visit.”
Providing these opportunities are important for both staff and students:
Co-op Academy North said about the visit
“When authors visit schools, it promotes the love of reading and that authors are down to earth people who write from the heart.”
Year 11 Students from MEA South said:
“I really enjoyed the session because it encouraged me to read the book, and I love learning about authors.”
“The session was really entertaining and encouraged me to read more.” Year 11 Student MEA
We were also able to donate 10 free copies of the book to each school.
The Literacy Lead at MEA South commented:
It was outstanding. We have had a significant number of Year 11 students coming into the library to borrow Handle With Care and other books since the event last week.
Schools in Manchester are sent free offers each half term via the Schools Broadcast. We also contact teachers directly from time to time. If you are a teacher at a school in the Manchester City Council area, you can be added to our mailing list by completing this form.