Although we can’t bring you Linton Children’s Book Festival this year, we’ve put together some links so that you can build your own Bookfest at home! These online resources are all created by some of the amazing authors, illustrators, poets, presenters and storytellers who have appeared at Linton Bookfest down the years, plus some who had planned to come and see us this May. There are so many to choose from, you might even decide to build several home bookfests!

If these activities inspire you to order some real books to read, please try to support our festival bookshop Heffers (the link will take you to Blackwell’s Ltd – it’s the same thing!).

Picture Books and Fiction for Infants + 

James Mayhew (Katie books etc) – story videos every weekday

Chitra Soundar (Farmer Falgu) – story videos (including Farmer Falgu Stays at Home)

Steve Antony (Mr Panda, The Queen’s Hat etc) – drawing videos, Mr Panda stories

Elena Arevalo Melville (Umbrella) – art activities

Axel Scheffler (The Gruffalo etc) – colouring sheets

Pippa Goodhart (You Choose) – colouring sheets

Elys Dolan (Weasels, Steven Seagull etc) – activities

Harriet Muncaster (Isadora Moon) – activities

Andy Shepherd (The Boy Who Grew Dragons) – activities

Fiction, mainly for Juniors

Robin Stevens (Murder Most Unladylike) – detective activities

Dave Cousins (Charlie Merrick’s Misfits etc) – writing challenges

Jo Cotterill (Electrigirl, Jelly etc) – activities

Tom Palmer (football and war books) – book readings

Gareth P Jones (Dragon Detective Agency) – mystery-solving

Ross Montgomery (Perijee & Me etc) – activities (plus search Twitter @mossmontmomery for more)

James Nicol – Livestreams on Facebook, Wednesdays 10:30am

SF Said (Varjak Paw) – Live Twitter chat, Tuesdays 1-2pm

Hidden Tales team (Riddle of the White Sphinx) – mystery-solving challenges

Poetry

Joshua Seigal (I Don’t Like Poetry) – poetry workshop / competition

Joseph Coelho (Overheard in a Towerblock) – poetry videos

A.F. Harrold (Things found in a Poet’s Beard) – poetry videos

Tony Mitton (Down by the Cool of the Pool etc) – poetry videos

Science

Cambridge Science Centre – home-science activities 

Isabel Thomas – activities about viruses. Other science projects recommended by Isabel

Linton Zoo – animal videos on Facebook

Storytellers

James Mayhew (Katie books etc) – story videos

Really Big Pants – crazy adventure stories

Even More Resources

You want more? There are lots of other exciting author links out there – these websites list many of them. Have fun exploring!

Book Trust

Libraries4Schools

WeAreTeachers (US author resources)

Also, look out for this video storytime

Cambridge Art Makers – craft activities