AN ODIHAM teacher inspired by her niece has written a children's book to challenge youngsters to use advanced language. 

Lucy Cooley, who has been a teacher for 10 years, teaching in a range of infant schools throughout her career, has written the book after noticing a “sharp decline amongst children in recent years” in using a range of vocabulary, engaging in discussions, and using their imagination.

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Lucy’s book, The Girl in the Red Skirt follows a young girl living in isolation amongst a field of wildflowers.

“She makes the same journey every day in search of her belongings. She lives in hope, until the rain and darkness suffocate her like a blanket,” said Lucy. 

Lucy's inspiration for the main character was a photograph of her niece, Georgia, who was having a photoshoot in her ballet dress. 

Speaking about writing the book, Lucy said: “I knew instantly that my focus would be on introducing children to unfamiliar vocabulary.

“I am extremely passionate about the English language and in my teaching role, I believe this is so important as some children are not exposed to such words.

She added: “The story also has many underlying messages to explore and questions that can be asked, which in itself, encourages discussions and reasoning."

Lucy has two children; Jessica and Jamie, and a stepson Jude. She lives in Odiham with her partner, and a dog called Dave, and has now started work on her second book.

The book has received positive reviews since being published in August, with a 4.3-star rating on Amazon.

The book is available for purchase from Amazon and Waterstones, and is published by Ragbagbooks.