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Miles of Magic Reading Challenge to Launch with a Virtual Schools Event

by · Published · Updated

To celebrate 25 years of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom, cover illustrator Jonny Duddle and the National Literacy Trust will launch the Miles of Magic Reading Challenge with a virtual event for schools.

On Thursday, February 3, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. GMT, schools across the UK can join the live launch, in which Duddle will talk about the process and inspiration behind his illustrations and host a draw-along so that students can draw their very own Hagrid. In order to get children excited about tomorrow’s event, Duddle appeared on CBBC’s Newsround this morning to give a sneak peek of how to draw the Hogwarts gamekeeper.

 

 

 

The virtual launch will kick off a seven-week challenge that lets students ages 5–14 explore reading for pleasure. Students can log their reading against the journey from Privet Drive to Hogwarts using individual reading logs and a “class challenge-o-meter wall chart map.” The challenge will end on April 1, and all schools that take part can enter into a competition to win a trunk filled with books and magical items for their school library.

In addition to the reading challenge, the event kicks off the innovative Miles of Magic: The Harry Potter Book Relay. This relay will see one copy of the updated silver anniversary paperback edition of Philosopher’s Stone with Jonny Duddle’s cover illustration, emblazoned with lightning strike silver foil livery, pass between 25 primary schools. Students and teachers at each school will add their own doodles and messages to the book, creating a unique copy of Philosopher’s Stone filled with memories of reading Harry’s story. The relay will start at the Willows Primary School in Machester and will arrive at its final stop in June. We don’t know yet what will happen to the book once the relay has finished, but we can’t wait to find out!

 

The Miles of Magic: Reading Challenge journey poster.

 

Schools looking to take part in the Miles of Magic Reading Challenge should head to the National Literacy Trust website, where they can download a set of teacher guidelines, a wall chart, reading logs, class crests, bookmarks, and a Potter quiz. The virtual event itself will be streamed on YouTube and will be accessible without any need to register or sign up.

Of course, the Miles of Magic launch is not the only thing happening on February 3. The eighth annual Harry Potter Book Night is taking place across the world, with schools, libraries, and communities hosting events to celebrate this year’s theme of Magical Journeys. Bloomsbury has an event kit to download for anyone holding their own events, and for teachers, the education resource platform Twinkl has resources available to support learning.

If you’re going to any Harry Potter Book Night celebrations or taking part in the Miles of Magic Reading Challenge (either as a student, a parent, or a teacher), we hope you have a wizard time!

Press Release

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
celebrates 25 years in print with a
LIVE Virtual Multi[-]School Event
with Jonny Duddle to launch the
National Literacy Trust –
Miles of Magic: Reading Challenge

THURSDAY 3rd FEBRUARY 2022 sees the launch of Miles of Magic: Reading Challenge. Created by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with Bloomsbury Children’s Books, this is a fun and exciting seven[-]week reading for pleasure campaign, helping to bring the magic of reading to life for children, as part of the 25th[-]anniversary celebrations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, first published in the UK in 1997.

On Thursday 3rd February 2022 at 1030hrs, schools across the UK can join the LIVE, lively and creative virtual Miles of Magic launch and Harry Potter Book Night event with Harry Potter illustrator Jonny Duddle. Join Jonny for an exclusive live event and hear how he created his iconic cover for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, see Jonny bring your favourite Harry Potter characters to life before your very eyes and draw along to create your very own Hagrid! Every school in the UK can then start their own magical reading adventure with the Miles of Magic: Reading Challenge (literacytrust.org.uk/harry-potter-challenge), accessing beautiful resources to inspire and support schools.

The innovative downloadable Jonny Duddle[-] and Jim Kay[-]illustrated Harry Potter resources include: the class challenge-o-meter wall chart map and a beautiful reading log sheet for each student to chart their own individual magical reading journey, setting out from Privet Drive reading their way to Hogwarts, via some special places along the way! With clear teacher guideline notes and Harry Potter bookmarks incentives, the 7[-]week Reading Challenge will be a fun reading challenge for classrooms across the UK, finishing on Friday 1st April – when the competition will close for one lucky school to win a Harry Potter trunk filled with books and treats for their school library.

The National Literacy Trust – Miles of Magic celebration also includes Miles of Magic: The Harry Potter Book Relay starting on Thursday 3rd February at [t]he Willow [sic] Primary School in Manchester. The Harry Potter Book Relay will see a single copy of the silver anniversary paperback edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone travelling relay style covering Miles of Magic as it journeys to 25 primary schools around the UK between February and June. This unique book will be gathering children['s] and teacher’s [sic] illustrations and doodles inside its covers as it travels from school to school, along with special postcards to write their memories of reading Harry Potter, that will then form part of the anniversary celebrations in June. A magical Harry Potter trunk will arrive at each of the 25 primary schools to help them on their way!

Bloomsbury are also donating a further 800 copies of the anniversary edition to 50 schools via the National Literacy Trust’s Young Readers Programme.

Thursday 3rd February will also be a busy day worldwide with the 25th[-]anniversary[-]themed Magical Journeys Harry Potter Book Night. Bloomsbury have created an exclusive Event Pack bursting with party tips, enchanting games, bewitching activities, food and drink ideas, costumes, quizzes and easy-to-make design ideas to embark on a magical journey of your own! Twinkl is also supporting Harry Potter Book Night with many educational resources.

The new silver anniversary paperback edition of the beloved classic J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, with Jonny Duddle’s cover illustration, is newly emblazoned with lightning strike silver foil livery, refreshed and updated with fun extra content to entertain young readers as they begin their journey through the stories (27/01/22).

 

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