10:00 Cressida Cowell RBS Main Theatre, £4.50 Age 7 - 12 This is a great year to be meeting Viking Hiccup, hero of Cressida Cowell's How to Train Your Dragon series of novels. For Hiccup was born on the 29th of February and since this is a leap year, it's a Hiccup birthday year! Cressida introduces her latest adventure, How to Steal a Dragon's Sword, and talks about all your favourite characters, stories and, of course, dragons! 10:00- Are You Sitting Comfortably? 10:30 RBS Story Box, Free: Book in Advance All Ages Join us for a quick, magical dip into the world of words with our free morning events for children of all ages. It might be a story, a poem, songs and rhymes or a reading with one of our Festival authors. Appearing today: Andy Stanton. 10:00- Curtains Up with Julia Donaldson, 12:00 Vivian French & Simon Puttock RBS Imagination Lab, £7.00 Age 9 - 12 There are many different ways to tell a story and one is to dramatise your favourite book. This event offers a unique opportunity to work with three leading picture book writers. Working in a group, you help devise a short play from a picture book. At the end, your parents and friends get the chance to watch the final performance. Break a leg! Tickets admit 1 participating child and 2 spectators. The final performance will commence at 11.30am. 10:30 Joseph Delaney ScottishPower Studio Theatre, £4.50 Age 9 - 12 Join Joseph Delaney to discover what happens in the tenth instalment of the hugely popular Wardstone Chronicles. Time is running out for Thomas Ward as his final battle with the fiend draws near. Come and hear all about the series, where Joseph got his ideas for this supernatural tale and the importance of the tutor-student relationship which is at the heart of each adventure. 10:30 James Mayhew RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 5 - 8 This is an exciting opportunity to meet one of today's leading picture book writers and illustrators. James Mayhew's popular Katie series was inspired by his love of art and galleries. The latest adventure sees Katie and the Loch Ness Monster embark on a tour of Scotland visiting some of the country's leading museums and galleries to discover beautiful paintings and portraits. Join James to hear more and to help make a big, bold picture. 12:00 Oodles of Poodles with Anna Wilson RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 7 - 10 Welcome to the Pooch Parlour where pampered pet salon meets canine detective agency. Anna Wilson is a rare breed because she loves both cats and dogs and she has written many books featuring one or the other. Join her as she introduces her new series, packed with poodle-tastic antics, a cast of eccentric and loveable characters and mysteries to be sniffed out. 13:30 Stage School Star with Lyn Gardner RBS Imagination Lab, £4.50 Age 7 - 10 Lyn Gardner is the theatre critic for the Guardian as well as the writer of the Olivia novels about a young girl at stage school. Join Lyn as she introduces Olivia's latest adventure, Olivia's Enchanted Summer, which sees the young heroine arrive in Edinburgh to spend August enjoying the Fringe. If you like the idea of one day being on the stage or just love a good story about friendship, families, finding yourself and theatre then this is for you. 14:00 How to Fly a Plane with Nick Barnard RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 9 - 10 Nick Barnard is a writer and a stunt pilot and the co-founder of the Yakovlevs display team. Now he's written a brilliant, accessible, fully illustrated guide on how to fly a plane - from exciting, modern light planes to lovingly restored vintage aircraft. If you love the idea of one day being a pilot or are intrigued by the engineering and aerodynamics then come along and have all your questions answered.15:00 Elaine Webster Talks Scots RBS Imagination Lab, £4.50 Age 5 - 10 This event is fur awbodie that wants tae enjoy an improve their Scots, and has the authority o Scottish Language Dictionaries ahint it. Elaine Webster, from Scots Language Dictionaries, leads an entertaining, interactive workshop to introduce you to the richness and diversity of the Scots language. Whether you know many words or no words come and enjoy the fun. Tickets admit 1 child and 1 accompanying adult. Adult supervision recommended. 15:30 Alexander McCall Smith ScottishPower Studio Theatre, £4.50 Families & 7+ Meet one of the world's most popular writers as he introduces his latest book for young readers, Precious and the Mystery of Meerkat Hill. The stories Alexander McCall Smith tells about his books are sprinkled with brilliant anecdotes about his remarkable life (and he is well known for slipping competitions with prizes into his events). Meet Precious Ramotswe when she was a school girl embarking on her very first case and perhaps get a chance to ask Alexander what he plans to write next. 15:30 Allan Burnett: Bringing History to Life RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 8 - 11 Allan Burnett is a historian and author and his And All That series takes you back through hundreds and thousands of years to distant places - some familiar - where you can join in some exciting real-life adventures. Along the way you get to learn fascinating facts, exercise your imagination, get splattered in a bit of gore and experience being a part of something so much bigger than yourself. 16:30- Vivian French: 18:00 Creating Story Through Song RBS Imagination Lab, £7 Age 10 - 14 Calling all budding singer-songwriters! This is a unique opportunity to write your own story in lyrics and have it put to music. Vivian will be on hand to help you with your words, whilst composer, musician and songwriter, M J McCarthy from indie Glasgow band Zoey Van Goey will help you with the melody. All you need is enthusiasm, no previous musical experience required. 17:00 Catherine Wilkins' Stand-Up Workshop RBS Story Box, £4.50 Age 10 - 14 Catherine Wilkins' debut novel, My Best Friend and Other Enemies, is a very funny look at the trials and traumas of adolescent life. It's humorous because Catherine is also a successful and edgy stand-up comedian (but for older people!). With her knack for creating laughter, Catherine leads a workshop on how to be a comedian. If you fancy yourself funny or find that others do, come along to find out if you've got what it takes to get the world giggling.Tues 14 August GUEST SELECTOR: VIVIAN FRENCHAnna Wilson, 12:0066

10:00- Are You Sitting Comfortably? 10:30 RBS Story Box, Free: Book in Advance All Ages Join us for a quick, magical dip into the world of words with our free morning events for children of all ages. It might be a story, a poem, songs and rhymes or a reading with one of our Festival authors. Appearing today: Vivian French.10:00 Friendship and Magic with Jo Hodgkinson RBS Imagination Lab, £4.50 Age 2 - 5 Billy rescues Nigel the snail from his parents' smelly magic spells and they become the best of friends. Join picture book writer and illustrator, Jo Hodgkinson, as she talks about her warm and endearing new picture book, My Friend Nigel, telling a tale of magic and how friendship can pop up in the most unexpected way. Tickets admit 1 child and 1 accompanying adult. Adult supervision recommended. 10:30 David Melling RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 4 - 7 Hugless Douglas is very excited about Rabbit's sleepover, but he collects so many friends along the way that soon it's a big squash in Rabbit's small burrow! How will they ever get to sleep? Join David Melling for this heart-warming third adventure for funny Douglas. There will be stories, pictures and the chance to meet Douglas himself! 11:30- Bookbug 12:00 RBS Imagination Lab, Free: Book in Advance Age 0 - 3 Sing along with traditional nursery songs and action rhymes. The event is hosted by Edinburgh City Libraries and is part of the Scottish Book Trust's Early Years programme. 12:00 Meet the Buttons Family with Vivian French & Sue Heap RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 4 - 7 Writer Vivian French and author-illustrator Sue Heap introduce their new series of six picture books all about the Buttons family. Each tale looks at a different first experience for little people from first day at playschool to staying with grandparents for the first time. Vivian tells the stories as Sue draws all the characters. The perfect event for a first-time Book Festival visit! 14:00 Be Yourself with Sara Sheridan RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 3 - 7 Who wants to be a princess, a pirate or a witch's cat? Come and meet Imogen, the little girl in Sara Sheridan's beautiful picture book, I'm Me! Imogen has a huge imagination and is always being somebody else but sometimes she does just want to be herself. Come along for a very interactive event with Sara and dance and movement artist, Skye Reynolds.14:00- Bookbug 14:30 RBS Imagination Lab, Free: Book in Advance Age 0 - 3 Sing along with traditional nursery songs and action rhymes. The event is hosted by Edinburgh City Libraries and is part of the Scottish Book Trust's Early Years programme. 15:00 Jonathan Emmett RBS Imagination Lab, £4.50 Age 5 - 8 One birthday, Callum receives a special present - a construction kit. The possibilities are endless and Callum finds himself building all sorts of fantastic things. But what happens if you build so many things your house falls down? If you like making things more than you like reading then Callum's Incredible Construction Kit is the book for you. So, come and join author Jonathan Emmett to learn more and find out how the story ends. 15:30 John Fardell RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Families & 4+ 'The monsters are scary but it works out okay in the end.' That's the verdict on writer and illustrator John Fardell's latest picture book The Day Louis Got Eaten. John is the creator of comic strips for a range of publications, picture books and novels. This is an opportunity to see an award-winning writer at work, explore his latest story and to join in with making a new story. 16:30 Piratical Grannies with Val McDermid RBS Imagination Lab, £4.50 Age 2 - 5 Crime writer Val McDermid's first children's book is a bold and colourful mix of the fantastical and the ordinary. Granny is a pirate whose exciting daytime adventures always get her home in time to tell her tales. It's lovely to have a grandparent as a hero and pirate Granny is certainly that. Val tells you all about Granny including exactly what she can do with the skilful wielding of her handbag. Tickets admit 1 child and 1 accompanying adult. Adult supervision recommended. 17:00 The WelLcome Trust Event The Gift of Dyslexia RBS Corner Theatre, £4.50 Age 12+ It is time to stop classifying dyslexia as a disability argues Vivian French; we need to start appreciating that different brain-wiring and neurobiological patterns allow people to process information in unique ways. Although dyslexia may cause difficulties with reading and writing, people with it prefer thinking in narrative form, often making them natural storytellers and actors. An ability to visualize 3D structures also means many are gifted artists. Vivian leads the discussion with Dr John Rack, Head of Research, Development and Policy at Dyslexia Action and actor, playwright and songwriter Matthew McVarish.Wed 15 AugustGUEST SELECTOR: VIVIAN FRENCH'Summer!' Molly squealed, as a greyhound, a wolfhound, a foxhound, a cocker spaniel and a springer spaniel pulled her arms in five different directions. Anna Wilson, Puppy Party, 12:00GUEST SELECTOR: VIVIAN FRENCHVal McDermid, 16:30Latecomers will not be admitted after the start of events and no refunds will be given.Events are 1 hour long unless otherwise stated and take place in Charlotte Square Gardens.67