Each April, the Cityread campaign asks Londoners to pick up a book – the same book – and read it together. This year, the chosen books commemorate the centenary of World War One.

To join in pick up a copy of Louisa Young’s My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You and Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful, or head along to Barnet’s libraries for one of the many events that are taking place to mark this important anniversary.

Events for children include interactive storytelling with Neville Floyd, a one-hour wacky and interactive storytelling experience for children aged six to 12, at Osidge Library on April 9, North Finchley Library on April 10, and Grahame Park Library on April 11, all from 2pm to 3pm.

In Your Country Needs You… To Make Comics!, award-winning comic artist Karen Rubins hosts a comic workshop based on Private Peaceful at North Finchley Library on April 17 from 2.30pm to 4pm, for ages eight to 12.

For adults, meanwhile, the Chipping Barnet and Church End library reading groups will be discussing the above two books, on April 1 at 11am and April 9 at 6.30pm.

Paul Baker will be giving a talk, entitled Barnet During the First World War at Chipping Barnet Library on April 4 at 6.30pm.

The Guild Players will perform an original theatre and folk music piece exploring ordinary people’s experiences of the war, in The Glorious Madness at Church End Library on April 24 at 7pm.

And four members of the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment re-enactment group will be demonstrating the equipment and kit used by your average Tommy at East Finchley Library on April 12 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

There will also be a series of author talks starting with military historian Peter Hart on life in the trenches at East Finchley Library on April 12 at 2pm.

Adele Parks will discuss her book Spare Brides at Chipping Barnet Library on April 29 at 6.30pm, while Elizabeth Speller and Robert Ryan will give talks at Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley on April 13 at 2pm, followed by a screening of Jean Renoir’s award-winning French classic La Grande Illusion.