20/05/2026
🎉 Celebrating our young authors! 🎉
A few weeks ago, we officially launched 'The Forest that Saved Us'—a brilliant children’s book written and illustrated by a fantastic group of young creatives as part of our Arts Council project here at the library.
This beautiful book was the culmination of so much hard work from our young writers, our incredible workshop facilitator and author Venessa Taylor, and our talented designer Lucie, who worked magic to turn a varied collection of drawings into a stunning final product!
A massive thank you to everyone who made it possible and put so much thoughtfulness into making it a truly memorable day for these young people.
📖 To get your copy please pop in to the Library
⭐ Book Review Spotlight ⭐
"Adventures laced with some magic are perhaps what we as adults expect children to like to read. It is the formula in books as diverse as Wind in the Willows and Harry Potter. Well, it seems children do want just that.
This delightful book was collaboratively written and illustrated by seven children aged between 8 and 12, ably helped by two older teenagers. It tells the story of a family of a mother and father and their four children flying from America to England when near their destination the plane crashes in a forest. Separated from their parents, the children manage to wander off amongst the trees and get lost.
Their adventures involve encountering an owl, a squirrel, a fox and a swan (interestingly in a forest). And the animals can talk. Fortunately one of the children is able to understand them. Then it turns out that the forest is under threat from loggers with their destructive machinery (echoes of the Amazon here in England) and just as the animals help protect the children who are adrift amongst the trees so the four boys and girls help save the forest.
It is a tale of magic, of a stone circle and mysterious magical carvings, with charming and colourful illustrations. And guess what (spoiler alert!) it has a happy ending."
✍️ Review by Neville Spencer-Lewis, one of our volunteers.
