Pupils at Wallbrook Primary Academy travelled through history with a little help from author and illustrator Graham Jones. The visit, held ahead of this year’s World Book Day, also formed part of the school’s celebrations for the National Year of Reading, with a day full of stories, creativity, and imagination.
Jones, whose Time Travelling Toby series follows a young boy journeying through history in a secret time machine, opened the day with an assembly. Pupils explored Toby’s adventures and discovered more about the historical events featured in the books, bringing the past to life in a memorable way.
Throughout the day, Jones visited classrooms to read further extracts of his stories and encourage pupils to explore their own creativity. Early Years pupils designed hats inspired by Toby’s adventures, while Years 1 to 6 wrote imaginative accounts of where Toby should travel next. The most inventive entries were rewarded with copies of Jones’ books in recognition of their creativity and effort.
School Principal, Lorna McGregor, said: “It was fantastic to see our pupils using their imaginations and creativity throughout the day. From writing their own stories to designing costumes, they were fully engaged and inspired. Visits like Graham’s show that reading and storytelling can be fun, hands-on, and a way for children to bring their ideas to life.”
Jones’ Time Travelling Toby series blends adventure, humour, and historical learning, with titles including Time Travelling Toby and The Battle of Britain and Time Travelling Toby and The Apollo Moon Landing. His workshops feature artefacts, live demonstrations and discussions around creative writing, encouraging pupils to engage with history and explore their own creativity through storytelling.
The National Year of Reading 2026 is the largest reading campaign in a generation, aiming to help people of all ages rediscover the joy of reading and make it part of daily life. Delivered by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with organisations including World Book Day, the campaign encourages children and adults alike to explore reading through their passions and interests.
World Book Day, a UK and Ireland-based charity, is dedicated to inspiring children to read for fun. It works to improve literacy, distributing millions of book tokens each year so children can choose a book of their own, fostering a more personal connection with reading.
Wallbrook Primary Academy looks forward to offering more experiences like this, encouraging pupils to explore the wonders of reading and learning beyond the classroom.
