Children in Middlesbrough are being asked to contribute artwork which will feature in a published story about the lockdown.
The competition, run by Middlesbrough Reads, wants children from local primary schools to create artwork for the book Parmo to the Rescue. The winning artwork will be published in the book.
The book, written by Rachel Wong, captures the experiences of the recent lockdown from the perspective of young people in Middlesbrough.
The story was written with the help of dozens of children from the city who contributed their plot ideas via the Middlesbrough Reads Facebook page.
Rachel Wong, author of Parmo to the Rescue, said: “Making this story together has been a great way to document the coronavirus pandemic from the perspective of local children, and I’m really pleased something positive has come out of this period in time.
“Parmo to the Rescue has created a platform for children to document their own experiences, and I want to involve them in every stage of this story.
“That’s why we’re running an illustration competition – to make sure we’re including children’s visual thoughts as well as using their words.
“The plot ideas that children came up with were really creative so I’m looking forward to seeing their artwork.”
Allison Potter, Manager for Middlesbrough Reads, said: “Writing a book with a real-life author has been a fantastic way to engage local children in literacy as they’re able to include their own experiences and create a piece of Middlesbrough history.
“We had some lovely feedback from parents and teachers who found that their children became excited about reading for the first time because of this project.
“I’m delighted that we’re now able to turn this story into a published book, with children’s thoughts and creative ideas at its heart. A huge thank you to Rachael for organising the print run and I can’t wait to help judge this competition! ”
Any entries must be sent by 5 p.m on Friday, July 10 and have to include children’s names, age and school. Entries can be sent to: bororeads@literacytrust.org.uk
Middlesbrough Reads is a campaign started by the National Literacy Trust and Middlesbrough Council and aims to improve young people’s literacy skills and future prospects. More information can be found here: https://literacytrust.org.uk/communities/middlesbrough/
