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Stories come from everywhere and can be told by anyone! This activity will help you put yourself at the heart of your own story. You can explore what makes you special and then take your readers on a journey.

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Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, shows that anyone can be the star of a story and anyone can be an author.

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Step inside your story, introduction with Joseph Coelho

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Make a concertina book with Mara. Music courtesy of audionautix.com. 

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You could make your own concertina book to hold your brilliant story. Mara the Storyteller is here to show you how! Scroll down to the bottom to see handmade books from more of your favourite authors and illustrators.

Make a simple concertina book with step-by-step tips from Mara. Then fill it with your own story, inspired by her fabulous tale.

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Travel the world with a pencil case, collect words, and share thrills and tingles in Joseph Coelho’s exploration of his poetic past.

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Two pages from Planet Omar, by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik, 2019. Usage terms below.

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1. The character of you

In Planet Omar, the writer Zanib Mian shows us character sketches to help us get to know Omar and his family.

Make a sketch of yourself. You could look in the mirror!

Add notes about:

What you look like

The things you say, and things you do

What you like and dislike

What makes you laugh.

Is your hair swishy like a mermaid or spiky like a punk?

What puts an enormous smile on your face?

What makes you so shy or cross your skin rages like river?

Omar tells us all sorts of things about his life at home, at school and in his imagination. Inside his head lives an enormous dragon…

Who lives inside your head? It might be a cuddly cat when you’re feeling content? A striped tiger when you’re angry or scared?

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Rocket from Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola. Usage terms below.

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2. Your spark!

Everyone has something about them that makes them who they are – their own special spark or power.

In the story Look Up!, the character Rocket loves space and looking at the stars!

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Rocket, wearing a cardboard box as part of a pretend play costume, is running and is followed by a cat wearing an orange top. 

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Rough sketches for Loud! by Rose Robbins. The sketches show Abigail practising with the band and getting upset. Usage terms below.

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In Loud!, Abigail discovers that she can channel her noisy voice and limitless energy into something wonderful: she realises she is a brilliant singer! She is invited to join her classmates’ new rock band, and they perform at the school talent show where they ‘shine like stars’.

Have a think about what your ‘spark’ might be.

It could be:

Something you love doing

A special talent you have

A part of your personality – your kindness; your funny robot dance; your loud laugh; your memory

A dream or wish

Something you want to do when you grow up

You could ask someone else to tell you what’s special about you.

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Rough sketches for Loud! by Rose Robbins. The sketches show Abigail practising with the band and getting upset. / © Development sketches, roughs and unpublished alternative covers for “Loud!” by Rose Robbins (2021). 

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Children performing on a stage in See What I Can Do! by Jon Roberts, illustrated by Hannah Rounding, 2021. Usage terms below.

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The children in See What I Can Do have different likes and dislikes, needs and challenges. Sadie adores gymnastics and her friend Summer finds joy in dancing and singing. They have Down’s Syndrome which makes their bodies develop differently. Jayden and Elsie are brilliant performers and storytellers. They have ADHD, and they like talking and showing off at high volume!

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3. Your world

Storymakers use the world around them to help build the world of their stories.

Think about your home, your school, your favourite place or the places you spend time in your daily life.

You could use a photo or draw a picture.

What can you see there? (Big buildings, hills, a massive sky?)

What can you hear there? (swooping birds, trundling traffic, ice cream vans, the whoops and songs of the playground?)

What can you smell there? (the salty sea, the bread from the bakery, fumes from cars and motorbikes?)

What does it feel like to be there?

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Windrush Child by John Agard, illustrated by Sophie Bass. Usage terms below.

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In John Agard’s Windrush Child, a little boy leaves the Caribbean, saying goodbye to his grandmother, to ‘mango mornings’ and to ‘storytime yard’. With his parents, he sets sail on Empire Windrush, a ship that will take him over a rolling ocean to ‘new beginnings’ in the UK. The book tells the tale of the real life ship, Empire Windrush, which brought hundreds of people from the Caribbean to the UK. They were invited by the British government to help rebuild Britain, which was so badly damaged during the Second World War.

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Nimesh the Adventurer swims through the classroom ocean, by Ranjit Singh, illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini, 2018. Usage terms below.

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4. Let your imagination loose!

In Nimesh the Adventurer, Nimesh uses his imagination to turn his life into an exciting fantasy.

His classroom becomes an ancient cave inhabited by a dragon; the school corridor is the bottom of the ocean.

What magical elements can you add to your real world?

What's the best way you use your imagination?

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Nimesh is wearing a scuba diving outfit and swimming through a classroom.

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5. Dig deeper into who you are...

Try asking yourselves the following questions:

What do you love more than anything in the world?

What interesting adventures have you had?

When did you overcome a challenge or find your voice?

If you were an animal, what would you be?

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6. Step back in time

In Keep Dancing Lizzie Chu by Maisie Chan, Lizzie's grandpa tells her stories about Chinese legends and the Goddess Guan Yin. Lizzie also loves Strictly Come Dancing and the beach in Blackpool. These old tales and the seaside culture are all part of her heritage. As she goes on her road trip to Blackpool, Lizzie finds out all about Guan Yin's ancient journey, and the stories from the past inspire her to keep going on her own challenging journey.

In The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, by J.T. Williams, we find out all about the vibrant Black community that existed in the UK 300 years ago. J.T. says, ‘I grew up in London and I love walking its streets and learning about its past. History is filled with fascinating stories! For centuries, London has been a diverse city, home to people from Africa and the Caribbean and all over the world. When I discovered the stories of the Black communities living in Georgian London I was amazed. Now, when I’m walking, I can imagine those people of African heritage, walking the very same streets all those years ago. It’s like conjuring a whole new world!’

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A journey

Is there a special journey you or your family or a loved one has been on that is a powerful part of who you are? Perhaps you or your family members once lived in a different place to where they live today.

Stories handed down through time

Maybe you've been gifted a story from a grandparent, parent, carer or teacher that's been magical and meaningful to you.

An object

Look for objects from the past - books, buttons, newspapers, diaries, letters. Maybe there's a recipe for a cake, curry or jollof rice that's been handed down through generations. What do they make you think or feel? If you were a museum, what would be in your glass cases?

A moment in time

Think about a time in the past that's an important part of you. It could be a memory from when you were younger - a story someone told you, a meal you ate, a walk you took, a journey you went on.

A Place

Is there a place in your neighbourhood from long ago that fascinates you - a street, a lighthouse, an old library, your school building, a river? Research it and find out more...

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Now you’re ready to write your story!

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Take one of the strips. Fold it in half, so the two short edges meet.

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Fold your paper in half again. Turn the paper over and do the same on the other side.

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Now cut along the fold to make two long strips.

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Take one of the strips. Fold it in half, so the two short edges meet.

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Fold your paper in half again. Turn the paper over and do the same on the other side.

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If you want to make a longer book, do the same with the second strip of paper. Glue the two strips together.

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You could add cardboard covers.

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Get lots more tips and ideas from your favourite authors and illustrators. Watch the videos to see their handmade concertina books!

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Join S F Said as he reveals his answers to tricky questions – who are you, where do you belong, how do you pronounce your name?

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Malorie Blackman shares her love for libraries, books and music and tells the story of why she became an author. Illustrated and animated for us by Allen Fatimaharan.

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Find out about Rose Robbins’s love of books, illustrations, music and pancakes – and meet some brilliant imaginary friends along the way.

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Journey into Viviane Schwarz's story to find tall towers, humming trains, the smell of pancakes, and a mysterious dragon.

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Jump over crocodiles, travel through libraries, and turn a bed into a boat. Enjoy Sandra Agard’s wonderful tale exploring her life as a storyteller.

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Concertina book by Sandra Agard and Allen Fatimaharan

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Take a trip through Jane Porter’s winding river concertina book – a meditation on looking, listening and collecting stories.

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Escape with Zanib Mian to Munchkin Planet, and find out how she discovers the power of the human smile.

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Step inside your story with Malorie Blackman

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Step inside your story with Malorie Blackman

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Follow Malorie Blackman's top tips to stepping inside your story.

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Step Inside Your Story with Malorie Blackman

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Delve into Philip Ardagh’s Irish roots and uncover the almost-true story of his grandpa Fred, the First World War and a leprechaun far from home.

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Share your pupils’ work either on Twitter, tagging @BL_Learning or email childrens.books@bl.uk. Details coming soon...

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All content is available for educational purposes only, unless otherwise stated.

© Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik (2019) reproduced by permission of Hodder Children’s Books, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Books, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London imprint, EC4Y 0DZ. Except as otherwise permitted by your national copyright laws this material may not be copied or distributed further.

Look Up! Illustration © Dapo Adeola 2019. Look Up! is co-created by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola. Except as otherwise permitted by your national copyright laws this material may not be copied or distributed further.

© Development sketches, roughs and unpublished alternative covers for “Loud!” by Rose Robbins (2021). You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work.

© See What I Can Do! by Jon Roberts, illustrations Hannah Rounding. Published by Graffeg 2021, all rights reserved. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work.

Nimesh the Adventurer. Text © Ranjit Singh, 2018. Illustration © Mehrdokht Amini, 2018. Lantana Publishing, 2018 https://lantanapublishing.com/ You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work.

Windrush Child Text, © 2002 John Agard Illustrations © 2022 Sophie Bass From JOHN AGARD’S WINDRUSH CHILD Written by John Agard and illustrated by Sophie Bass Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London, SE11 5HJ