Year 5 Creative Writing Workshop with Local Author Mirabel Lavelle

This week, the children were thrilled to welcome local author, Mirabel Lavelle, for a special creative writing workshop inspired by her picture book Zeb, Jet and the Ice-Cream Calamity.

Set in a familiar local area, Mirabel’s adventure story blends imagination with learning — featuring fun educational tasks, a catchy song (complete with sheet music), and an important message about food allergy safety. The children listened attentively as Mirabel shared how her story was created and how real-life experiences can inspire fantastic ideas for writing.

After the storytelling session, pupils worked in pairs to plan and write their own imaginative tales. One creative duo came up with a story about a cat and a mouse at the zoo. When a child accidentally spills sun cream on the cat, it has an allergic reaction — but thanks to the quick-thinking mouse, who rushes to the pharmacy for allergy medicine, the day is saved. Another group created a story featuring Fluffy the panda and Lily the rabbit. Their adventure took an unexpected turn when Lily, who is allergic to tree nuts, accidentally bumped into a nut tree — sparking both drama and teamwork in their story’s resolution.

Throughout the session, the children took on the roles of both writers and illustrators, using their creativity to bring their stories to life. It was a wonderful morning filled with imagination, teamwork, and inspiration — and many pupils left eager to continue writing their own stories at home!