Bookish Places: Story Bank

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places! 

Did you know that PL Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, was born in Queensland?

The Story Bank building, at one time the Australian Joint Stock Bank, is today a heritage-listed, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious museum about stories and storytelling. Its emphasis is on the life of Maryborough’s famous resident, PL Travers and her popular character. 

The Story Bank (Image credit: Visit Fraser Coast)

Bookish Places: Harry Potter Studio Tour

The Great Hall in Hogwarts Castle, Harry Potter Studio Tour, England (Photo: Dimity Powell)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places! 

If you've read the Harry Potter books, and watched the Harry Potter movies, then you're bound to enjoy the Harry Potter Studio Tour. 

'The Studio Tour offers visitors a unique experience to explore two soundstages and a backlot filled with original sets, animatronic creatures and breathtaking special effects. Along the way, you’ll enjoy interactive activities such as the opportunity to ‘fly’ a broomstick like a member of the cast and there’s also the chance to purchase a frothy cup of Butterbeer!'

We're delighted to present a photographic exploration of the studio tour, thanks to KBR's Managing Editor, Dimity Powell who has been lucky enough to experience the studio tour in person. This is just a sneak peek of what's on offer.

Bookish Places: Paddington Bear at Paddington Station

Statue of Paddington Bear, Paddington Station, London (Photo: Sarah Steed)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

Paddington Bear is the much loved star of the children's books written by Michael Bond, which were first published in 1958. In the story A Bear Called Paddington, he is given his name by the Brown family who met him on the platform at Paddington Station soon after his arrival from deepest, darkest Peru.

London's Paddington Station celebrates its famous namesake with a bronze statue of Paddington Bear on Platform 1, where he has a fine view of the trains. The statue was designed by British sculptor, Marcus Cornish, based on the original Paddington illustrations by Peggy Fortnum.

And best of all, you don't need a ticket if you just want to visit the Paddington statue.

Attention Harry Potter Fans - Miles Of Magic Photo Competition

We get more than a little excited here at KBR when the offer of free books is on the table so imagine our heart rates when we learned of this awesome opportunity to upgrade your book collection both at home and at school.

Our great friends at Bloomsbury Publishing Australia are delighted to launch the MILES OF MAGIC photo competition, which gives Australian and New Zealand Harry Potter fans the chance to win $1000 worth of books for their home library, PLUS another $1000 worth of books for their local school’s library.

To enter, fans are invited to take a photo of a Harry Potter book in a favourite location in Australia or New Zealand. And in max 100 words explain what the Harry Potter books, and what the photo location, means to them. 

Bookish Places: Anne Frank House

Statue of Anne Frank, Amsterdam (Photo: Sarah Steed)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

On a street in Amsterdam stands a statue of a young girl. Her name is Anne Frank and she wanted to be a writer. She would probably have been astonished that with the posthumous publication of her diary, her writing has been read by millions of people and her story known all around the world.

Not far from the statue, on Prinsengracht 263-267, is Anne Frank House (Anne Frank Huis). Its entry is at Westermarkt 20, 1016 DK Amsterdam.

This is a museum and the actual place where Anne Frank lived hidden in isolation with her sister, parents, and another family for two years during World War II. They were Jewish and went into hiding in 1942, when Anne was thirteen years old. In August 1944 they were found and deported to a concentration camp, where all but Anne’s father died.

During her two years in hiding, Anne kept a diary which was later published as The Diary of a Young Girl, and as The Diary of Anne Frank.

Bookish Places: The Belgian Comic Strip Centre

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

You’ll find plenty to explore on a visit to The Belgian Comic Strip Centre at 20 rue des Sables, B-1000, Brussels. An exciting opportunity not to be missed, it’s right in the centre of Brussels, and is within easy walking distance of public transport.

The grand foyer of the museum (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Bookish Places: Hobbiton Movie Set

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

It was in the Shire where, 'in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole ... it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.'

And it's in the rolling green hills of New Zealand's north island that you will find the Hobbiton Movie Set, a place where fantasy meets reality.

Photo: L. Hannan

The Hobbiton Movie Set was first created for Peter Jackson's movies of the classic JRR Tolkien novels, The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Bookish Places: Hans Christian Andersen's Odense

One of several HC Andersen statues in Odense (Photo: Sarah Steed)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales are known all over the world, and he is much celebrated in his home country, Denmark, where they usually refer to him as HC Andersen.

Visitors to Denmark can follow a fairy tale, almost literally, by tracing a route through Odense, the city of Hans Christian Andersen's birth. HC Andersen's Odense is a wonderful day out for families, and anyone interested in fairy tales, the writer, and his history.

Bookish Places: Platform 9 ¾

Photo: Sarah Steed

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

Platform 9 ¾ needs no introduction for Harry Potter fans.

It is, of course, the spot in JK Rowling's bestselling novels, where Harry and his fellow students pass from Muggle London to the wizarding world, and travel on the Hogwarts Express.

Bookish Places: Parc Astérix

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. 

The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

Asterix, the star of the French comic book series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, made his debut in 1959. Since then, the internationally famous Asterix and his compatriots have featured in at least 37 books.

Asterix has been published around the world, with his popularity so great there is even an Asterix theme park which has been operating for almost thirty years.

Bookish Places: Red Dog Memorial Statue

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

In outback Western Australia, in the Pilbara district 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, is a special statue. It's in memory of Red Dog.

Red Dog was a kelpie, known as the Pilbara Wanderer, who became famous for his travels in the 1970s. His story was documented in a novel called Red Dog by British author Louis de Bernieres, and later in a film of the same name (released in 2011).

Photo: Anthony B Loveridge (used under CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Red Dog Memorial Statue is located on the Dampier Highway, just outside Dampier. You will see it as you enter the town, and there's a parking area so visitors can stop safely to see the statue and take photos.

Bookish Places: Winnie the Pooh Country

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

If you're interested in an outdoors experience related to a classic children's book, then look no further than Winnie the Pooh country. It's a beautiful place to get out of the city and back to nature.

Found in the county of Sussex, in southern England, there are great opportunities for hiking and picnics. On the trail of Winnie the Pooh you'll find spots that you might recognise, or which could spark a memory of childhood in general, and the Pooh stories in particular.

Ashdown Forest (Photo: Sarah Steed)

Bookish Places: Green Gables Heritage Place

Green Gables Heritage Place (Photo: Sarah Steed)

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

Anne of Green Gables, the creation of Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, has been loved by generations of readers since she first appeared in print in 1908.

So much so that part of Prince Edward Island, the setting for the Anne series, has become known as Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada.

Bookish Places: JM Barrie’s Birthplace

photos by Sarah Steed

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children’s literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

JM Barrie’s Birthplace is a National Trust for Scotland property which you’ll find at 9 Brechin Road, Kirriemuir (be sure to check the opening hours before you make the trip as it’s not open all year round).

Kirriemuir is a rather picturesque town known as Scotland’s 'Gateway to the Glens', and JM Barrie’s Birthplace is a weaver’s cottage near the centre of town. Although he lived elsewhere for much of his life, he always had a strong connection to Kirriemuir, where his father was a weaver who worked from the family home. While it may look unassuming, it provides a fascinating peek into the life of the author who is now best known for writing Peter Pan.

Bookish Places: Seven Stories, National Centre for Children's Books

Credit: © Damien Wootten, Seven Stories,
National Centre for Children’s Books

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children’s literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed.

Britain has a long and rich history of children’s books and that’s what is celebrated at the Seven Stories National Centre for Children’s Books. It uses collections of original artwork and manuscripts, as well as exhibitions and events, to explore the creative process and encourage enjoyment and sharing of books.

Seven Stories has an award-winning learning programme and welcomes schools from across the region to take part in drama-based workshops and immerse students in explorations of its exhibitions. The Centre also takes its magic to schools in an exciting and imaginative outreach programme.

Seven Stories was awarded National status by Arts Council England in 2012 in recognition of the significance of its Collection and its high standard of care, and the excellent way that it engages with visitors and users. The Centre was also awarded a National Lottery Award in September 2013 after being voted the UK’s favourite education project.

Seven Stories is celebrating its tenth birthday in 2015, and is located in the north of England at 30 Lime Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Remember to check the opening hours and ticket prices when planning your visit.

What was the inspiration behind the Seven Stories National Centre for Children's Books and how has the Centre evolved over its first ten years?
Seven Stories is the National Centre for Children’s Books – the only place in Britain dedicated to saving, celebrating and sharing the rich literary heritage of British children’s literature for future bookworms.

Seven Stories was founded as a charity in 1996 by Elizabeth Hammill OBE and Mary Briggs OBE who recognised that Britain needed an institution whose mission was to collect, champion and celebrate its children’s literature. They believed that it should be founded in a place where it could make a real difference to the children and families living nearby, knowing that early experience of books and stories is vital to childhood development and raising aspiration.

Ten years later and we are credited as the National Centre and have welcomed over 80,000 visitors every year to take part in fabulous storytelling activities, explore blockbuster exhibitions and experience the wonderful world of children’s books.

Bookish Places: Pinerolo, The Children's Book Cottage

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children’s literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed.

Pinerolo, The Children’s Book Cottage, is clearly a labour of love for Margaret Hamilton, who has many years experience in the children’s book industry. By way of introduction, here’s a little bit about Margaret, in her own words:

A few years ago I was presented with the inaugural George Robertson Award by the Publishers Association – for fifty years service to the Australian book industry! This took me totally by surprise. It doesn’t seem that long. I’ve had a pretty ‘well-rounded’ career in children’s books – from children’s librarian, to bookseller, to publisher and Board Member for a multinational, then to setting up my own independent publishing house, freelance work, culminating in opening my own Picture Book Cottage. I feel extremely fortunate and privileged to have worked with the best authors and illustrators in Australian children’s books and have made so many enduring friendships. It has all been inspiring and fulfilling and most of all stimulating and fun. I wouldn’t change a minute of it! I don’t know how long I’ll be able to run Pinerolo, but I hope that anyone interested in Australian children’s books will hear about it and come for a visit.

Many thanks to Margaret for answering our questions, and for sharing her enthusiasm for children’s books through the literary treasure trove that is Pinerolo - this peek inside will whet the appetites of many readers, writers and illustrators, and offer some tips, too.

Pinerolo is located in Blackheath, in the beautiful Blue Mountains of New South Wales. It’s open by appointment only, so be sure to contact them in advance to organise your visit, and check out their list of programs for details of workshops and other events.

What was your inspiration for Pinerolo, the Children's Book Cottage and how do you pronounce its name?
Pinerolo is a medieval town in Piedmonte, northern Italy. We have very close friends who live there and have visited them several times. The word literally means ‘place of pines’, so because our 2.5-acre property at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains has lots of pine trees, it seemed a perfect name. It is pronounced Pin – er – olo.

We bought the property in 2000 and planned to ‘retire’ here. [My husband] Max built a Tuscan-inspired house and when we moved in, the two-bedroom cottage was vacant. So we renovated that and ‘rescued’ all the artwork and books stored in the garage and Pinerolo opened as the Children’s Book Cottage in November 2010. It was never a long-standing ambition. The cottage just happened because it seemed the right thing to do. I can now share my collection of artwork and books with everyone and am passionate about promoting children’s picture books and educating people about them.

What makes Pinerolo unique?
It is the only place of its kind in New South Wales and it houses the state’s largest collection of original artwork from children’s picture books. The artwork spans at least four decades of Australian publishing for children and the large collection of picture books and reference books makes the cottage a valuable resource for anyone interested, but especially for researching or studying Australian children’s books. It’s also in a beautiful area, as the Blue Mountains is a major tourist destination, only two hours by car or train from Sydney, which makes it readily accessible.

Why do people come to visit? Is it a place just for authors and illustrators, or open to everyone?
Pinerolo promotes Australian children’s picture books and the people who create them. It is definitely a place where authors and illustrators can come for inspiration and research. However, we welcome anyone – families, children, teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers. In fact anyone who is interested or wants to learn about picture books. Although we are not open daily, a visit any time is welcome, simply by phoning ahead and letting us know. Group visits for a talk can be organised as well. We can accommodate around twenty-five people.

The cottage is also available for anyone wanting to stay. The website details the comfortable accommodation facilities and competitive rates. However, be warned! Many people who have stayed here have said that they were up all night reading books!

Bookish Places: Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children’s literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed.

The Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children’s Literature is a comprehensive collection of more than 25,000 Australian children’s books in a wide range of languages, plus original artworks and unique research materials.

Lovers of children’s books will be thrilled at some of the things to be found in the Lu Rees Archives, which has recently shared some of its treasures through exhibitions and events like the Festival of Australian Children’s Literature (Boundless and Showcase). The Archives continues its work with the generous support of the National Board of the Children’s Book Council of Australia, the University of Canberra Library, and a dedicated band of volunteers.

A big thank you to Dr Belle Alderman, Emeritus Professor of Children’s Literature and Director of the Lu Rees Archives, for answering our questions and sharing her passion for children’s books through this hidden gem.

You’ll find the Lu Rees Archives at the University of Canberra Library, in Bruce in the ACT. It is staffed part-time, so if you’re planning a visit we recommend that you contact them in advance.

The Lu Rees Archives is a collection of national significance. Tell us how it came to be.
Lu Rees was the inaugural President of The Children’s Book Council of Australia ACT in 1957. She achieved many things during her leadership including weekly reviews of children’s books in The Canberra Times, arranging overseas exhibits and exchanges of Australian children’s books with several overseas countries, and establishing the Christmas Book Appeal. She believed that there should be a collection of Australian children’s books and reviews about them that was easily accessible. She knew that teachers and librarians would use such a collection, share what they discovered and inspire children to love books.

Bookish Places: May Gibbs' Nutcote

Playing dress-ups at May Gibbs' Nutcote

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children’s literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed.

Nutcote is the historic house and garden of May Gibbs, who is recognised as Australia's first full-time, professionally-trained children's book illustrator.

May Gibbs was born in England in 1877, and migrated to Australia with her family at the age of four. She returned to England in 1901 to study art, and after several trips back and forth, remained in Australia from 1913. Along with her iconically Australian Gumnut Babies and other characters, May wrote and illustrated many stories and comic strips, and designed postcards for soldiers in World War One.

Nutcote, described as Mediterranean in style, with “early English/Baronial character” inside, is now a museum celebrating May’s life and work, and decorated as it would have been in the 1920s and 1930s. Scenes recognisable in May’s illustrations can be found in the garden, which has views of Sydney Harbour.

Read on to learn more - thanks to Stephanie for answering our questions. Hopefully you will feel inspired to visit and discover this piece of Australian history for yourself. Nutcote can be found at 5 Wallaringa Avenue, Neutral Bay, in Sydney.

Bookish Places: The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

Trying out Roald Dahl's writing chair

This is the first post in a new series about fabulous children’s book-related places, curated by our fabulous Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed. It’s a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children’s literature and reading. We hope you’ll be as excited by them as we are.

Our first Bookish Place showcases the life and work of Roald Dahl.

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was one of the world’s most imaginative, successful and loved storytellers. His stories are currently published in 49 languages worldwide. They continue to inspire the world’s most creative collaborators, resulting in wonderful new movie adaptations, classical music, opera, plays and musicals. Over 200 million copies of Roald Dahl books have been sold globally.

On 13 September 2006, the first national Roald Dahl Day was celebrated – on what would have been Roald’s 90th birthday. Response to the event was so phenomenal that Roald Dahl Day is now marked annually, throughout the world.

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre can be found at 81-83 High Street, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, in England, and once you hear all about it, we guarantee you’ll want to visit. There is some super cool stuff to experience!

Many thanks to Kim and Isabelle from The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre for taking the time to answer our questions.

Check your spark factor on the Sparkometer

When and how did the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre begin?

The Roald Dahl Museum opened in 2005 in the author’s home village of Great Missenden, as a dynamic place for 6-12 year-olds and their families to find out about his life and stories, and to get inspired about reading and story-making.

Tell us in ten words or less, why kids will love the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.

Because it’s so hands on your feet won’t keep up! (Quote from one of our visitors!)

Must-see features?

Don’t miss Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka coat, the Fantastic Mr Fox film set, Roald Dahl’s funny and rude letters home, or dressing up in Roald Dahl’s school uniform. Be sure to spend some time indulging your creative side in the Story Centre and craft room, and catch some storytelling if you’re visiting on a weekend or during the school holidays.

What do people find most surprising or exciting when they visit?

Visitors are delighted by the chocolate smelling Wonka Bar doors that lead into Boy gallery, and love sitting in the replica of Roald Dahl’s writing chair for a photo. The Roald Dahl character height chart lets visitors see if they’re more Miss Honey or Mr Twit and that gets lots of laughs! Judging by the squeals of delight the storytelling is a winner with younger visitors.

Team work at the ideas table

What’s the most-prized item at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre?

Our most prized item is Roald Dahl’s Writing Hut. It’s the centrepiece of Solo Gallery and is exactly as Roald Dahl left it with all its original contents and furnishings, from the collection of quirky objects on his desk to his writing board and spectacles. Roald Dahl called it his ‘little nest’ and you can learn all about the objects and his writing routine in the gallery.

Tell us about the different indoor and outdoor activities and places to explore.

We have three galleries to explore.  In Boy and Solo galleries you can find out about Roald Dahl’s extraordinary life, and discover the stories behind the stories. In The Story Centre you can fire up your creativity and imagination, make a stop-frame animation, create a character or make up your own gobblefunk word.

As well as storytelling we run a programme of workshops throughout the school holidays and at weekends, with everything from chocolate decorating, to mask making, to museum trails.

If you fancy heading outside you can order a Swishwiffler from Café Twit to enjoy in our courtyard, or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, pick up one of our local Village or Countryside self-guided trails. These lead you around the local places that feature in the stories, including the house that was the inspiration for Sophie’s ‘norphanage’ in The BFG, and Angling Spring woods which Roald Dahl imagined as Fantastic Mr Fox’s home.

If you could only recommend one Roald Dahl book to read, which one would it be and why?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. With the show on in the West End and next year being the book’s 50th anniversary, Charlie is currently top of our list!

Three things everyone should know about Roald Dahl?

1. He had a pet goat called Alma (who makes an appearance in George’s Marvellous Medicine).
2. He was a fighter pilot in World War II.
3. He is named after the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

- Sarah Steed

Interested in taking a Bookish Places trip around the world? Enjoy this sensational map, also created by Sarah.


Do you know of another a wonderful bookish place you think others would enjoy? You can contact Kids’ Book Review’s Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, with any suggestions. Email Sarah at sarahATkids-bookreviewDOTcom.