YOUNGSTERS at a York private school have been brought to book by an acclaimed author.

Children's writer Ann Turnbull dropped in on pupils at The Mount School yesterday.

She talked to girls in Years 7 and 9 about her novels and how her recent bestseller No Shame No Fear and the sequel Forged In The Fire - both set in Restoration London - were inspired by the faith and courage Quakers showed in the face of relentless persecution.

Head teacher Diana Gant said: "As the only all-girls Quaker school in the United Kingdom, we enjoyed welcoming Ann Turnbull to the school.

"Her books bring historic events vividly to life and our girls have found her portrayal of 17th century Quaker life fascinating and extremely informative. They enjoyed hearing her talk about her historical inspiration."

Ann, who has been nominated for the Whitbread, Smarties and Guardian Children's Fiction prizes, and the WH Smith's Mind Boggling Award, specialises in historical fiction and contributes to the popular Historical House series.