CHILDREN’S writer Victor Watson visited Clavering Primary School on Monday to mark the beginning of the school’s Book Week.

The author of the Paradise Barn series talked to pupils about his childhood memories, life as a writer and the exciting adventures of Paradise Barn character’s Molly, Abigail, Adam and Cassie in fictional Great Deeping during the second world war.

The school heard many anecdotes from Mr Watson’s early life in Cambridgeshire and extracts from his series of books; Paradise Barn, The Deeping Secrets and Hidden Lies. The fourth book in the series will be published in the summer of 2013.

“My stories come to life only when I’m sharing them with interested and enthusiastic young readers like these, excited, absorbed, and – above all – thoughtful,” said Mr Watson after his visit.

During the school’s ‘Heroes and Heroines’ themed Book Week, pupils enjoyed many other activities including coming to school dressed as their favourite fictional character or real-life hero, holding a book sale to raise money for more school library books. During Friday’s Library Club, pupils had the chance to design their own super heroes and heroines comic strip.

Pat Poole, the school’s literacy leaders, said: “The children really enjoyed listening to Victor Watson’s talk and memories of his childhood. I hope that it will inspire them to use their own memories now and in the future for story writing.

“Book Week is always a fun and busy time in which the children have many opportunities to explore books and to develop a love of reading which we hope will stay with them forever.”