Home-grown author appears at Waterstone's

1:27pm Saturday 19th July 2008

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YOUNG book fans were given a treat when a home-grown author took up residence in Waterstone's for a morning of storytime.

Sands-based author Chris Pascoe appeared at the store in High Wycombe's Eden shopping centre to read out some well-known favourites, and to talk to the shop's youngest customers.

The dad-of-one was asked along to the store as part of its animal-themed activity day for keen bookworms.

As well as Chris' readings, children could take part in a zoo keepers treasure hunt and colouring activities.

Chris, who has written two "cat disaster comedies" about his own feline companions, thought it was important to get kids reading and enjoying books at an early age.

"People just aren't reading as many books," he said, "The internet, TV and everything else is all in competition so this sort of thing is great really to get them interested in books."

Both his books A Cat Called Birmingham - which has been translated into French and Chinese - and You Can Take The Cat Out Of Slough... were on show for bookworms to flick through.

Chris, who was accompanied at the reading by his seven-year-old daughter Maya, describes the tales as non-fiction comedy, and both are based on true stories about the scrapes his pet cat has got into.

"I call them cat disaster comedies," he said, "They're all about my own tabby who's fallen 20 foot onto a moving car and broke windows when his head caught fire."

Seb Descrettes, a bookseller at Waterstone's who helped organise the day, added: "A lot of people don't think of a bookshop as a place of fun and it is.

"It's nice to see the kids enjoying themselves."