Big Book Babble FAQ 

  • Q: What is the aim of the programme?

  • A: The aim of Big Book Babble is to encourage children to enjoy reading, so each programme will feature popular children's authors interviewed by comedian James Campbell. The programmes will also highlight work submitted by children and include a profile of a second author, illustrator or poet, plus a Q&A session involving both the live and the virtual audience.

  • Q: How can I watch Big Book Babble?

  • A: To watch the show, visit www.bigbookbabble.co.uk.

  • Q: What time will the show be streamed live online?

  • A: The Big Book Babble show will be streamed live promptly at 11am. We recommend that you sign-in 15 mins earlier to ensure that you can access the website.

  • Q: How long does the show last?

  • A: The live show will be streamed live for approximately 30 minutes.

  • Q: What ages is the programme aimed at?

  • A: The programmes are aimed at primary school children aged 7 to 11.

  • Q: How can I find out which authors are due to be interviewed in upcoming shows?

  • A: Sign up to the Big Book Babble newsletter (this can be found at www.bigbookbabble.co.uk) and you'll be kept up-to-date with news of the authors, illustrators and poets who are being featured in each show.

  • Q: Can my class join the Big Book Babble live show's audience?

  • A: Yes! The audience must be able to arrive by 10.30am at the Arts Theatre, in London's West End and the show finishes at approximately 12pm and there may be a book signing with the author afterwards. To find out more about the Arts Theatre and its location visit www.artstheatrewestend.co.uk/contact. If you would like your class to be part of the live show audience, please call Scholastic on 01993 893466 to check availability.

  • Q: Can I get classroom resources to go with each show?

  • A: Teachers will be able to download free resource sheets for each programme from www.bigbookbabble.co.uk.These resources will be either author or theme based.

  • Q: How can my class submit questions to be asked at the live Q&A session?

  • A: If you would like to submit a question for the live Q&A session, visit www.bigbookbabble.co.uk and fill in the form. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee your questions will be asked as thousands of children will be watching the shows and also submitting questions.

  • Q: I can't access the website for Big Book Babble as the school's security firewalls are blocking the site. What can I do?

  • A: If your access to www.bigbookbabble.co.uk is blocked, please check with your IT support staff whether the link can be unblocked.

  • Q: During the broadcast the screen froze for short periods of time and a message came up saying that it was 'BUFFERING'. What can I do to prevent this?

  • A: Unfortunately, this is outside our control and happens occasionally during live broadcasting. The programme will resume quickly and it's best not to try and adjust your computer as this won't help.

  • Q: What should I do if I can access the link for the show but can't view the event?

  • A: Check with your school's IT support assistant whether the school's internet connection is fast enough to receive the live feed. If this speed is sufficient, and you're still experiencing problems, check whether other classes can restrict their internet usage for the duration of the programme to improve connection speed. 

Join the Big Book Babble live audience and give your class a school outing to remember! Featuring well-known children's authors, poets and illustrators and hosted by children's comedian James Campbell, the show promises to inspire and excite young bookworms aged 7 to 11. Tickets are free for schools and the audience is expected to arrive by 10.30am and will leave the theatre by noon.
Box office 020779-77092