I’m Leanne Herring, an educator, drama facilitator, puppeteer, voice artist, and the founder of Story Detectives. After more than a decade in the classroom, I decided to follow a new path and pursue a master’s degree in Psycholinguistics, looking into the science and origins of language development. After my studies, I found myself working in educational content creation.

Working with children’s publishers and literacy charities opened my eyes to something worrying: children’s enjoyment of reading and writing for pleasure was at an all‑time low. I knew I wanted to help change that.

With a background in children’s theatre and new skills in filming, editing, and storytelling, I launched a small YouTube channel teaching phonics in fun, imaginative ways — always with Lulu, my trusty puppet, by my side (and later Felix, Hopper and Little Lea). Those playful videos soon grew into sketches and literacy content across social media, sparking invitations from schools who wanted something different, something creative, something that made stories feel alive.

In December 2025, I created my first themed storytelling workshops. Hidden books. Mysterious clues. Characters waiting to be discovered. Children stepped into a world of curiosity and imagination… and Story Detectives was born.

Today, Story Detectives offers interactive, story-rich workshops in schools, libraries, and community spaces, helping children reconnect with the joy of reading, the thrill of language, and the magic of storytelling.