Reading Champion: The Giant and the Shoemaker

Lynne Benton was born in Bournemouth, but moved to Bath at 18 to train as a teacher, and has lived there ever since. She has taught in several primary schools in the area, as well as working as pianist and receptionist in a dancing school and bringing up four children. In 1982 she and her husband, Robin, a fellow-teacher and composer, co-wrote a musical play for primary schools based on the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece (still, happily, in print) but it was only when their children began leaving home for university that she began writing seriously. In 1996 she was a prizewinner in the Independent's Children's Story of the Year competition, and since then has had several fiction books published. As well as writing longer novels for older children she enjoys writing humorous "bite-size" stories for younger ones. She welcomes invitations to go into schools and talk to children about her books, since it keeps her in touch with her readers, who she finds a continual source of inspiration.Amerigo Pinelli lives in the heart of the city of Naples, Italy, among narrow streets and old churches. A long time ago, when he was a child, he met a pencil, and from that moment on he started to play, joke, fight and make peace with it. He studied in the Art School of Naples and the Comic School of his hometown. After that, he specialised in illustration at the International School of Illustration S. Zavrel. He worked in animation and publishing. He thinks making a living from doing the thing he enjoys the most is a great gift and he considers himself very lucky. He works digitally but always does a pencil drawing first. Sometimes he misses the feeling of getting his hands dirty with watercolors, tempera, acrylic or inks, so he prefers to use all the tools he can, depending on the job. Also he feels mixing techniques is always fun! His two daughters, Chiara and Teresa, made his life full of color and joy. They are really unpredictable! For him and his wife Giulia it's impossible to get bored.