Chapter One story-writing competition winner announced

Congratulations to Bianca Geraghty, winner of our second story-writing competition run in collaboration with children’s literacy charity, Chapter One UK

Her winning entry, The Hare and the Fossil, tells the story of Harry the Hare who is searching for a birthday gift for his best friend Benji the Badger with the help of his animal friends.

During his adventure Harry searches around a local quarry and eventually ends up on board a ship carrying rocks, where he discovers a fossil that is millions of years old.

“I wanted to show children that reading and discovery go hand in hand,” said Bianca, SHE Advisor and Trainer.

“Quarrying can reveal the fascinating history buried deep within layers of rock and I hope this story encourages children to be curious about geology and the important role quarrying plays in helping us understand the world we live in.”

Bianca’s book will be available on Chapter One’s global online library, which can be accessed free for children, families and schools to enjoy.

Chapter One is dedicated to ensuring every child develops the literacy skills needed to succeed. We have been involved with the charity since 2022 and now have more than 60 volunteers who provide one-to-one reading support for children aged 5-7 who need it most. These online sessions help to build fluency, comprehension, phonics and foster reading confidence and enjoyment.

Bianca follows in the footsteps of Emily Stevenson, who won last year’s competition for her book Ewan’s Quarry Adventure. The pair discuss their stories and how they are enjoying helping children to read in our latest Let’s Talk podcast, Winning words: stories to boost children’s reading.

Listen to the podcast on Spotify here.