World Book Week 2025

Thank you to the wonderful children at St. Mary's Primary School, Moor Allerton Prep School, and Oakwood Primary School for making World Book Week 2025 truly magical!

Sophie had a fantastic time spreading the magic of The Best-Kept Secret to children in primary schools, far and wide, including a special visit to Didsbury on World Book Day itself. The children's creativity, imagination, and energy made the week unforgettable!

In the KS1 sessions, the children used the wands Sophie gifted them (which conveniently doubled up as pencils!) to help conjure a baby dragon from the cauldron, chanting Demdike’s spell and hunting for magic clues. They embraced their roles as Demdike’s helpers, proudly wearing witches’ hats and fully immersing themselves in the magic of the story!

The KS2 children brought The Best-Kept Secret to life with energy and enthusiasm. They joined Sophie in a fun, interactive storytelling experience, casting spells, playing roles, and adding their own magic to the tale. Their involvement in the session was fantastic!

The author sessions also celebrated the magic of books, showing how reading opens doors to new worlds and adventures!

In the creative writing workshops, the KS2 children went on a sensory journey through time. Blindfolded, they experienced the knight’s chase, using all their senses to describe the journey to Demdike’s cottage. They engaged with all the props—smelling herbs, tasting liquorice root, and marvelling at Demdike's potions and the dragon’s first baby tooth and claw. They used these sensory experiences to craft detailed descriptions, fully immersing themselves in the magical world of the story.

A big thank you to the staff at all the schools for their support and assistance throughout the week.

And of course, a special thank you to everyone who purchased the book. Your support is truly appreciated!

Photos to follow soon!

'Sophie’s visit was absolutely fantastic! Her author sessions are engaging and interactive, bringing stories to life in a way that really captivates the children. Our students were immersed in the experience, from conjuring up dragons to exploring the senses with props like dragon claws and herbs from Elizabeth Demdike’s garden. Sophie’s ability to make history feel so exciting is a real talent—she has a way of sparking the children's imaginations and bringing them into the world of her book. The children loved dressing up and participating in the activities, and the sensory-based writing exercises were a hit, especially when they got to try the liquorice! Sophie's creative approach is truly one-of-a-kind and made a lasting impact on our students. We can’t wait to have her back!"

Below are some AI images generated from the written descriptions of Demdike’s cottage during the creative writing workshop with Y4 -Y6 at Moor Allerton School. These prove to the children that if AI can conjure up an image based on their writing, they’ve successfully painted a picture in their readers’ minds!