If there are ideas for making a book event successful not touched on in the course of these 40 pages, I’d be surprised. But the authors’ willingness to concede otherwise is refreshing. More than once, they ask: “What have we missed?” The School Library Association publishes three or four new sets of guidelines each year. This one is superb.

The first half offers direct advice to the person who will act as the main organiser of the book event, whether a school librarian or a teacher. Here there are sections on funding, planning an publicity, managing your speakers and more. This is followed by six case-studies of successful book events in a variety of schools.

But the section of the guideline that is likely to be most thumbed is a lengthy “swapshop” appendix, briefly listing ideas from nearly 50 delegates who attended workshops at the Reading and Language Information Centre, University of Reading- just what’s needed to prompt initial discussions at an early meeting of the planning group.

The authors have pertinent advice on this too: don’t forget to include a parent representative, and some pupils. Further appendices - an event checklist, a budget sheet, and a list of useful addresses - round off this very helpful booklet.

Michael Thorn is deputy head of Hawkes Farm primary school, Hailsham, East Sussex