Year Six pupils from primary schools, as well as Year Seven students from Carr Hill, packed into the school's Learning Resource Centre to listen to the Australian's witty stories about how he has actually gone about writing more than 30 children's novels.

Tales of sourcing characters from baby naming books to how some Australian children use less than humane methods to cull the Cane Toad population had the youngsters in stitches.

But the award-winning author was also in town to promote his latest novel Now – the third and final instalment in his thoughtprovoking trilogy about the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Mr Gleitzman is hoping his introduction of the Holocaust to a young generation will encourage children to find out more.

He said: "I very much hope by reading this trilogy it will lead children to other books.

"I have written these books very much through the eyes of a child and it is too important a subject to only read fiction about it. I hope these books prick the interest and that they will go on and read more and make their own decisions."

Carr Hill Learning Resource Centre manager Ann Monk said: "It is fantastic for the children to meet an author who they have studied and enjoyed in school, in particular one who deals with such gritty subjects in a really sensitive but funny and accessible way.

"To welcome such authors into school is truly wonderful. This is such a great way of enhancing the world of literature for them."