Crown Princess Mette-Marit has for many years devoted a lot of time to work to promote literature and increase reading among younger people. This week, a literature festival was arranged for the students at Gamlebyen school in Oslo. At the school’s library, the Crown Princess met fourth-graders who has discovered the joy of reading.
In the schoolyard, the Crown Princess was greeted by students from all classes. Second graders performed the school’s own song for Her Royal Highness. Gamlebyen School is a primary school in the Old Oslo district. The school has 320 students
The school library is an important meeting place and arena for learning about literature and culture for students both during the reading week and throughout the rest of the year. Every week, all the classes visit the library, which is often referred to as the heart of the school. During the annual reading week at Gamlebyen School, all students read selected books that they discuss together in the classrooms. This was something the Crown Princess received a briefing about.
Fourth graders at Gamlebyen school have this year read the book “Jørgen + Anne = true”, a Norwegian children’s book about falling in love written by the author Vigdis Hjort. The book was published in 1984. Together with the fourth graders, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Mayor of Oslo Marianne Borgen and library teacher Elisabeth Jensen Lombnæs talked about the action in the book and reflected on the topics it addresses.
The students also told Her Royal Highness about other books they appreciated and how they use the school library in everyday life. The visit to the school library ended with a performance of a poem written by the fourth graders. The Crown Princess was clearly moved by the children’s poems.
