Junior pupils at Dunottar Girls’ School, Reigate, were spellbound by a talk from award-winning author Jack Trelawny about his gripping Kernowland adventure series.

Jack read from the books and gave a slide show on the inspiration for his stories and the craft of writing.

The books are based on the adventures of Tizzie and Louis – Jack’s own nephew and niece in real life – on a holiday in Cornwall where they enter, through a magic crystal pool, the parallel world of Kernowland.

After the talk there was a question and answer session followed by a book signing.

Year 6 pupil Sarah McManus, 10, said: “Jack Trelawny talked to us about his characters, where his stories were set and where his ideas came from. One of his ideas came from the Eden Project.

“He talked to us about man-eating plants that he had seen there and how he used these plants in one of his stories.”

Amanda Cooper, head of the junior department at Dunottar, said: “The girls were thrilled by Jack’s visit. His presentation was very visual. He has certainly fired the children’s imagination and stimulated their enthusiasm for reading.”