Children’s books and a 40-year love story

AS Jill Armstrong discovers, Huddersfield is proving a magnet for chidlren’s authors.

SONIA BENSTER is one of life’s enthusiasts and if there is one thing she still has huge enthusiasm for, it is the world of children’s books. She is an expert on the subject and most of all, she has a knack of knowing exactly what will appeal to children.

It is an interest that began when her own children were young and she found it difficult to track down good books for them. This was the early 1970s and she and her husband and their two children had just moved to Huddersfield. Sonia joined the local branch of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and so developed a lifelong passion.

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“We were there long before today’s book groups,” says Sonia. The members were parents, teachers, librarians – anybody with an interest in children’s books. “It was a friendly, informal thing and a network of groups developed throughout the country.”

Authors were keen to meet them. Anne Fine and Ted Hughes were among their speakers and Jacqueline Wilson, then in her early days of writing, was also a guest. In fact all the children’s writers who subsequently became laureates have been happy to visit the Huddersfield group. Anthony Browne, Michael Morpurgo, Anne Fine, Michael Rosen, Quentin Blake, Jacqueline Wilson and the current laureate, Julia Donaldson, have all been on the guest list.

A number became personal friends of Sonia’s and when the Kirklees and Calderdale Children’s Book Group celebrates its 40th anniversary in October, Dame Jacqueline Wilson will be a special guest.

It was as a result of her invovement with the group that Sonia decided to open The Children’s Bookshop in Lindley, Huddersfield in 1975. Specialist independent book shops were far from plentiful then and now they are even rarer. Apart from the large chains, Sonia has also had to face the challenges of Amazon and supermarkets.

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The shop has been lucky to survive. Sonia’s talent for recognising quality children’s writing is one of the main reasons it has continued to flourish.

Members of the book group past and present will gather for a dinner at Bertie’s Banqueting Rooms in Elland on October 26. “Over the past 40 years, from very humble beginnings, the group has enjoyed a wonderful legacy of bringing the very best children’s authors to the area,” said Diane Hird, one of the organisers of the event.

“We hope as many ex-members as possible will attend.”

For more information and tickets, contact Diane on 01484 226365 or The Children’s Book Shop at Lindley on 01484 658013.

SPECIAL GUEST’S RETURN VISIT

Jacqueline Wilson worked as a journalist on Jackie magazine before writing novels full time. One of her most successful creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker. Her latest book, Sapphire Battersea, will be published at the end of this month. She will be signing copies at the Kirklees and Calderdale Children’s Book Group dinner.

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