Sporting Stories – Wales in the World Cup 2022

Sporting Stories – Wales in the World Cup 2022

Sep 28, 2022

Books Council of Wales joins Welsh Government campaign to ‘take Wales to the World’

As part of Welsh Government’s World Cup Partner Support Fund, the Books Council of Wales is one of 19 organisations getting behind the Wales team as they head for Qatar in November.

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced the projects that will promote and celebrate Wales at the tournament. A total of £1.8 million will be shared among 19 projects which aim to project our nation’s values and work to secure a positive and lasting legacy for Wales and Welsh football.

The Books Council of Wales has been awarded funding to deliver free football-themed books to libraries and food banks across Wales, to bring the magic of football to readers and celebrate the Welsh team’s achievements.

Chief Executive of the Books Council, Helgard Krause, said: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting programme and to use the passion and celebration of Wales’ achievement in the World Cup to ignite a love of reading in young people and help them improve their literacy skills.

Both reading and physical activity have a huge role to play in our health and well-being and Sporting Stories brings both elements together. Whether it’s helping a football fan to discover books they’ll love, or providing some footballing inspiration to encourage participation in football, games and sport, children and young people will be able to choose from a wide selection of football-themed books to enjoy during the World Cup and celebrate Wales’ place in the tournament.”

The Books Council’s Sporting Stories project will provide a selection of recent football-themed books, in both Welsh and English, to local authority libraries and to foodbanks across Wales. The books will be available from the beginning of November and will include a wide range of titles for all reading abilities, from Foundation Phase to adult readers. More information will be available on the Books Council’s website.

In his statement, Vaughan Gething said: “The Welsh Government has established an ambitious and exciting range of activities to make the most of the unique opportunity offered by the Cymru men’s football team’s participation in the FIFA World Cup.

This is the most significant marketing and sports diplomacy opportunity ever presented to the Welsh Government given the profile of the event.

We are determined to capitalise on this historic achievement and deliver real benefits for people here in Wales.”​

 

Exploring the world

Sep 20, 2022

Albert Upside Down

by Ian Brown

Albert the pet tortoise has a problem: trying to reach a tasty treat, he has ended up on his shell, upside down and stuck! Can the other garden creatures overcome their rivalry, team up and help him get back on his feet?

The Quilt

by Valériane Leblond

A beautifully illustrated story about migration and homesickness. Around 1900, a family leaves Wales in search of a better life in the USA, where their homemade quilt proves a great comfort.

Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub

by Zeb Soanes 

Fred, a young girl, and her Grandpa travel to the island of Papa-Nupi to see, or rather hear, the mysterious Tub-Tub – a plant that flowers every 200 years and which ‘produces music so beautiful even the birds in the trees stop singing to hear it.’ But even if they can get there, can they manage to bring a recording back with them to prove what they’ve heard?

Libby and the Parisian Puzzle

by Jo Clarke 

Mystery-lover Libby is excited but nervous when sent to live with her aunt, while her mother is working abroad. Her aunt Agatha is headmistress of an extraordinary travelling school that moves from country to country. Libby joins it in Paris, when Agatha is arrested, accused of a daring jewel robbery. Can Libby and her new best friend Connie find the real thief and save her aunt?

My Name is River

by Emma Rea

When Dylan overhears his dad say that their farm has been sold to a global company, he decides he has to make them change their minds. In Brazil, things don’t go at all to plan. Only when Lucia, a street child armed with a puppy and a thesaurus, saves his life, do they start to uncover the shocking truth about what the company is up to, and Dylan’s home problems seem far away.

Exploring your Imagination

Sep 20, 2022

Branwen

by Aidan Saunders

A graphic representation of the second branch of the Mabinogion – Branwen, daughter of Llŷr. The aim of the book is to present the Mabinogion tales to young people, and to retell these highly visual and emotional stories to today’s audience using art work originating from truly historical artefacts.

Find the Dragon!

by Huw Aaron

A colourful 32 page, A4 book for children and adults. Packed with lively double-page illustrations of amusing Welsh scenes, the task is to find the little dragon hiding in each scene, as well as many other bizarre objects and characters listed at the back of the book. Guaranteed to provide hours of fun for all the family!

The Knight Who Took All Day

by James Mayhew

A knight must do battle with a dragon is he is to win the hand of his beloved princess. But when a dragon finally comes along our hero realises he also needs to look his best if he is to impress, and that may take some time. And who knows what might happen as he takes his time to get ready? A delightful and thoughtful story about self-importance and vanity.

The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith

by Loris Owen 

When puzzle-loving Kip Bramley receives a cryptic invitation, delivered by a beetle-shaped drone that appears to be breathing, he has no idea that his world is about to change forever. Very soon he finds himself at Quicksmiths College of Strange Energy, hunting for riddles set 400 years earlier by a mysterious genius. But this isn’t any ordinary treasure hunt.

The Picture That Made Time Fly

by Sheila Harries 

An original novel set in Cardiff National Museum following Megan and Rhys on a school trip which turns into a dangerous and challenging adventure, as they are taken back in time to the Victorian era in the capital city.