Imagine Children's Festival starts with a bang

The Imagine Festival is bringing books to life this half-term, with a host of activities to get kids into reading. Saturday kicked off the fun and saw children of all ages gather at the Southbank to share stories and swap books. But with activities running from 10-26 February, including song, dance, theatre and book signings, there's something for everyone! It's a jam-packed first week at the Imagine Festival so here's our pick of the week ahead: Monday 13 Feb : Do you love all things Roald Dahl? Then come along to Dockrill's Dahl's Delights and join poet Laura Dockrill as she guides you through the best of his horrid and hilarious poetry. She's on at 3pm. Tuesday 14 Feb : Horrid Henry author Francesca Simon reads from her brand new book about a strange parallel world where people still believe in Norse Gods. Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 Feb : The First World War is brought to life in a tense and poignant performance of Michael Morpurgo's award-winning novel Private Peaceful Thursday 16 Feb : Ever fancied yourself an undiscovered superhero? Well your talents may be about to be discovered as Imagine helps you to become a superhero for a day Friday 17 Feb : Did you enter our competition to win an exclusive Dennis the Menace cartoon? Then Dennis needs your help! The adults have declared war on the Beanotown children in this show packed with laughter Saturday 18 Feb : The Red House Children's Book Award reaches its climax this Saturday as a star-studded cast of authors eagerly await the announcement of the 2012 winners. Who will win this prestigious award? For a complete list of events and details about how to get involved, visit the Imagine website