Magical Library Den The Dengineers

-I'm Mark.

-And I'm Lauren.

-And this is The Dengineers.

The show that puts you in charge of building your very own dream den.

Dens for adventure.

Hello, trap door.

Hanging out with your friends and family.

This den is the best thing ever.

And dens built to fulfil your dreams.

-It's more than he could ever have wanted.

-Ah, Mum!

Whatever your ideas,

the Dengineers team are here

to transform your inspiration into amazing spaces.

Built especially for you.

This den is done!

Hello!

Yes, you, Lola.

Let's do it.

That is epic.

-Really happy.

-It's amazing!

Hello and welcome to The Dengineers.

-We are so excited because...

-Shh!

In case you haven't noticed, we're in a library.

Do you want to keep it down? We have to be quiet on this one.

Yeah, sorry. So, what I was saying is,

we're so excited because we're going to be building a den,

here in Penarth, South Wales,

for a ten-year-old girl called Eleanor.

Now, Eleanor loves reading and writing,

so we're going to be building her a magical library den.

-This is going to be unbelievable!

-Shh!

Now, Eleanor loves this library and she's coming back any minute now

to return some books.

So, we'd better get hidden.

The Dengineer we're surprising today

is ten-year-old Eleanor from Penarth, South Wales.

I need a den because I love reading and writing

and I have nowhere to go to do it.

Eleanor loves to read and write.

She reads every day and she's regularly got a pen and paper out

and she's writing a book.

Eleanor has a younger brother and sister who are very energetic...

..and always want to know what's going on,

so, sometimes, when Eleanor wants some peace to herself,

either to read or to be able to put down one of her stories,

it's very difficult for her to do that.

Life isn't easy for Eleanor

as she has a condition called cerebral palsy,

which affects her movement and means she has to use a wheelchair.

Having Eleanor's dream den built

would be the most fantastic opportunity for her.

She doesn't have the independence that other girls her age have

and having the den would give her somewhere special to go.

I would love a magical library den

where I could do all my reading and writing.

Please come, Dengineers, because I really need your help.

Eleanor and her mum are on their way to the local library

to return some books.

The Dengineers spring into action to rig our secret cameras.

And they've even dressed up as librarians.

She must be coming any minute now.

(She's there.)

She has no idea that we're hiding out waiting to surprise her.

(Fingers crossed. This bit always scares me.)

We've left Eleanor a very special message on a scroll.

"Who knows what magic could be found

"if you turn your head and look behind?"

Surprise!

Eleanor, how are you?

-Really good.

-I'm Mark and this is Lauren

and we're from CBBC's The Dengineers

and we're here to tell you that you're going to be building

your very own dream den.

-Yes!

-Yay!

How does that sound?

-Amazing!

-Ah, good!

Did you ever think this was going to happen to you when you applied?

-No!

-Well, guess what, you're not dreaming.

-Look! You're here, it's happening.

-It's for real!

Shall we get this show on the road?

-OK.

-Yes!

When I saw Mark and Lauren I just felt, like, over the moon.

Surprise!

When Eleanor turned round I nearly cried.

Watching her face, she was so happy.

You're going to be building your very own dream den.

-Yes!

-Yay!

It's just the most best thing that could ever happen to me.

Our first port of call is the Dengineers mobile HQ,

which has some mega-cool technology

that can bring Eleanor's den to life.

Eleanor, welcome to the Dengineers mobile HQ.

This allows you to get all the ideas that are in your head and put them

onto the screen to show us how you want your den to be.

I want a place for me to write and read in peace

where I can't get distracted by anyone.

We don't want it to be just like a bog-standard library, do we?

-No.

-We want it to be a magical kind of feel, is that right?

-Yes.

-Anything you see,

you grab it, swing it up there, we'll have a look, shall we?

That one looks nice.

-Wow!

-Looks magical as well, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-Ooh.

That's symbolling magic wand and mystery.

So is that the kind of books that you're into?

What do you like reading?

Well, I like reading fantasy books,

like witches and wizards and werewolves, and vampires.

Oh, OK!

I like typewriting as well.

It's like olde worlde, isn't it?

Like they probably did in the old days.

-Like I've used magic to go back in time.

-Amazing! That's awesome.

This den isn't just for writing but it's also for reading.

Perfect.

I also want to include a tiny bit of magical nature.

Oh, OK.

So, perhaps, that could be something

that's on the outside of the den before you go in?

-Yeah.

-So, tell us about fairies.

I like how they perform good deeds and how they're so mystical.

-Amazing.

-I would like lots of books

in my den so that it would be, like, an endless supply.

I can imagine just chilling out, reading a book, feeling magical.

-Is that how this is going to be?

-Yeah.

-I think we're just about done. Do you?

-Yes.

-Are you excited?

-Yes!

Eleanor's mood board is full of ideas for her den.

She wants the den to feel magical and fairylike

and inside she wants a space

where she can read as many books as she wants

and a typewriter so she can pen her first bestseller.

But which of the Dengineers' designers

will be building Eleanor's magical library den?

It's Maral.

Maral is one seriously cool architect whose job it is to design

multimillion-pound buildings for a huge range of clients.

She's got the magic touch that will bring Eleanor's dream den to life.

Now, Maral, you've seen the designs.

You've seen everything on the mood board that we want.

What have you got planned?

So, Eleanor, I've started looking at your ideas

and I've come up with a woodland theme den.

So, part of this woodland theme

is going to go onto your den from the outside,

so, maybe, some trees and tree bark, something like this.

I also understand that you need

to access your den using your wheelchair.

So, I've been conscious about getting you a level access

so you can easily go into your den

and you're going to come from the right-hand side

to the den and, whilst you're inside,

you can look through the windows and through these trees.

-How does that sound?

-That looks absolutely awesome.

-Yeah? Great.

And inside, we've got some bookshelves

and we've got some magical elements

that I'm not going to tell you about

and so there's going to be an element of surprise there for you,

but I heard, you know, you like to sit on beanbags

whilst you're reading.

-Yes.

-Possibly we're going to put it close to the window so when you sit

you can look into the garden and get inspired by...

-That'd be awesome.

-..your lovely garden.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Do you give a thumbs up to my design?

-I give you triple thumbs up.

-Oh, brilliant!

I don't think I've ever had a triple thumbs up!

Inspired by Eleanor's mood board,

Maral has created a magical woodland theme for her library den.

The outside of the den

will be covered with an overlapping tree design and

Eleanor will be able to get in and out easily using a wheelchair ramp.

Inside, she'll have bookcases galore to store her favourite stories

and a window, so she can be inspired by looking at her garden.

Before the main build can get started,

the Dengineers must prepare the area where the den will go.

If they can get in the garden, that is.

Access to the den is really important for Eleanor,

so the team are going to widen the path.

They're also creating a solid level base to build her den on

and a ramp for her wheelchair.

It's kind of weird how it's all lumpy

and then it just smooths out like magic.

Of course we'd use magical concrete.

This is a magical library den, after all.

I'm very happy that my den will be a big den.

I thought my den might be a bit small, I was a bit worried,

but now I've seen the size, all my fears have been dealt with.

It's been a productive day as the Dengineers have completed

the foundations of Eleanor's den.

All they need now is for the concrete to set.

Fingers crossed!

It's day one of the build

and the Dengineers descend on Eleanor's house

to start on the main structure of the den.

And, when we rock up, we never travel light.

As the team finish unloading the van, the heavens open up.

It's raining really bad.

It's like cats and dogs.

But a bit of water never stopped anyone.

# Turn, please go And turn, I'll pour you down

# Rain, please come And turn, I'll pour you down

# Because, if you want to have fun Yes, we need the sun

# So, rain, please come And turn, I'll pour you down! #

-Ow!

-Yes! That was good!

The main structure of Eleanor's den has arrived.

So the garden is now officially Dengineers only

and Eleanor is in charge.

It feels quite cool that no-one in my family

can know what's going on except me.

Her family won't be able to see the den until it's complete

in a few days' time.

Now it's a Dengineers-only zone, that means I'm in the dark.

Not at all nervous.

I completely trust the Dengineers to be fantastic

and build something wonderful for Eleanor.

Now that it's stopped raining,

the Dengineers are making the most of the dry weather.

The den is flying up, with the floor and the walls in place.

Wow!

That is awesome!

Inside the house, a special delivery has arrived for Eleanor.

What would you say is the one important, most important thing,

that you need in your library?

-Books!

-Well, I've got something to show you, then.

Now what do you think about that?

That is phenomenal.

A lot of publishers have given all these books to you.

-Really?

-For your magical library, yes.

Would you like to take a look at some of them?

Yeah. This is so amazing!

Wolf Princess!

I feel really lucky to have all these books.

Books are basically my life and I'm just like...

I'm going to be going forever.

Look at those books!

Wow!

While Eleanor gets stuck into a story...

..outside the team are racing to get the roof on in the dry.

End of day one has gone very well.

The roof was one of the challenging bits

but, with the help of everybody, we even managed to get it on.

Just in time, as the rain's just about to start.

I've had an exciting day today

and I've got another exciting day tomorrow.

I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight.

Day two of the build.

The team have finally got some good weather

and everyone is getting stuck in

to keep the build on track, including Eleanor.

-Is it fun?

-Definitely.

-Yeah?

Even Mark's rolled up his sleeves to create some magical bookshelves

for the den.

Maral and the team need to ensure

that Eleanor can access her den easily.

To overcome the difference in height

between the concrete path and the den,

a ramp is being built for Eleanor's wheelchair.

It has to be specifically designed

so that Eleanor doesn't roll back down the ramp

when she opens the doors of her den.

To solve this problem,

the team have created a landing section at the top of the ramp.

This means Eleanor has a flat surface

to move her wheelchair backwards on when she opens the doors.

The landing has been built

to the same level as the bottom of the door,

so Eleanor can easily manoeuvre across the threshold into the den.

This magical library den is going to have something that no other library

has ever had - its very own fairy garden.

And you can't have a fairy garden without fairies.

So we're going to make something

-that looks a little bit like this.

-Wow. Did you make that?

-I did.

-They're quite cool!

Dengineer Ashley shows us how to create fairy hair

using loops of wool and how to thread a wooden bead

onto the wire to make the head.

Have you run it all the way to the top?

-Wow!

-Brilliant. And then if you drop her hair.

-Oh-ho!

-How cool's that?

We twist the wire round to make the arms and the body

and then wrap them in wool.

Do you like doing things like this, Eleanor?

-Definitely.

-Just because it's a fairy,

or because you like arts and crafts?

I like arts and crafts.

She's got the technique going now, hasn't she?

Look how quick she is.

Once Eleanor has created the fairy's body,

all that's left to do is get her dressed.

How cool is that?

While Eleanor puts the finishing touches to our fairy,

I want to find out more about her passion for books from her mum.

Where does the love of reading and writing come from with Eleanor?

From a young age Eleanor's had a lot of hospital appointments.

So, in the waiting rooms I'd always take books, we'd read books,

I'd make stories up, and she loved that.

Eleanor's got a condition that's not been easy for her.

Eleanor has cerebral palsy.

It only affects her mobility,

but it just means that walking is difficult for her.

Her condition won't deteriorate.

But it's been more evident as she's aged that she needs more support.

Why do you think this den is going to be so important for Eleanor?

Why is it going to be so special?

I think this den is going to be incredibly important for Eleanor

because a lot of girls her age

have far more independence than she's able to have.

So she's going to be able to go there,

create her own world and her imagination can blossom.

So to have a place specifically for that

is just going to be outstanding.

Outside, it's all starting to go wrong for the Dengineers.

It's raining, yet again bringing the build to a standstill.

The rain is really, really coming down.

With only a couple of days to go and so much to do...

..it's a little bit worrying,

because we need to get this den completed for Eleanor.

Fingers crossed it brightens up tomorrow.

And inside it's going from bad to worse,

as Dengineer Clare gets a phone call she does not want to receive.

-We don't have a floor!

-Agh!

The vinyl flooring hasn't left

the supplier and won't be delivered today.

Finally, there's one ray of sunshine as the tree cladding for the outside

of Eleanor's den arrives.

When it rained today, it started to slow the Dengineers down

and I got really worried,

but then it's got really sunny and now everything's back

into full swing.

The bad weather has really held up progress for the Dengineers

and now the pressure is on

to get everything finished in just two days.

Fingers crossed for no more rain.

It's day three of the build and guess what?

It's raining again.

Hopefully, we get half an hour to an hour of dry conditions

so we can finish the ramp and landing,

which needs to be done before tomorrow.

It's full steam ahead for the Dengineers,

who have got to get the build back on track.

While the team get their heads down,

Maral's come up with a great idea for secret storage.

For the upcycle,

we are going to make a secret storage with an old book.

I am using an old book,

but it has been well used and now we're going to give it a new life

by creating this secret storage within it.

And if you want to have a go,

make sure you check with an adult first to find an appropriate book.

Maral glues the sides of the book to stick the pages together,

keeping a few free for effect, and then leaves it to dry.

It doesn't have to be very neat, because this glue dries clear.

Once the glue is dry...

It's completely dry. I can't even flick through the pages.

Maral measures the book, where the secret compartment will go.

Now that I have my rectangle here I'm going to use the knife

and start cutting the pages.

It's important to do this very slowly and gently.

It's painstaking work,

make sure you get a grown-up to help you if you want to try this at home.

Once the compartment is cut out,

Maral secures the sides and any loose pages with glue.

Maral puts down one last page to soak up any extra glue,

and then cut it out to complete the secret compartment.

Here we have our finished upcycle,

where Eleanor can keep all of her treasures.

The Dengineers have still got a long way to go

to get Eleanor's den done in time.

From now on she won't be able to see her den

until the big reveal tomorrow.

So I've got a surprise in store that she's going to absolutely love.

Hi, Eleanor. Hi, Hannah.

-Hello.

-How are you guys feeling today?

-Really good.

-Really excited?

-Yes.

-Excellent stuff.

Are you ready to see the place where books are brought to life?

-Definitely.

-Definitely ready for it?

-Yes.

-Let's go, shall we? Come on.

Have you ever seen so many books?

Eleanor thinks she's having a tour of a top publishing house,

but what she doesn't know is that one of her favourite authors is here

waiting to meet her.

Dame Jacqueline Wilson has created much-loved characters,

like Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather,

and has sold over 35 million books.

OK, you can come in now.

Hello, Eleanor.

-Hello.

-Do you know who I am?

-Jacqueline Wilson.

-That's right.

Did you know I was coming?

-No.

-So, Jacqueline,

Eleanor is an aspiring author. Have you got any tips and tricks for her?

Number one, read lots and lots,

because it helps you see how other people write their stories.

It makes your imagination blossom.

And it's good fun. Do you keep a diary at all?

-Not really.

-If you try keeping a diary,

it gets you into a writing habit,

even when you'd much, much sooner be doing something else.

So many people think you just get this wonderful flash of inspiration.

That happens to me about once a year.

Mostly it's just hard slog, get writing.

And if you suddenly decide, "No, this is rubbish," don't worry.

Stop doing it, write another story instead.

When I'm writing my books, I usually do, like, three paragraphs a day.

I happen to have read one of your stories.

I have read The Button-Eyed Dragon.

I thought it was really, really good.

Eleanor, how do you feel

that Jacqueline has read one of your stories?

I feel really proud.

Yeah? This is a bit of a dream come true, really, isn't it?

-Very.

-And you've had some tips and tricks as well.

And, Jacqueline, what do you think of the idea for Eleanor's den?

I think it's a brilliant, brilliant idea.

I'd have given anything to have

a special den like that when I was your age.

Thank you so much, Jacqueline.

It's been an absolute pleasure meeting you.

You're welcome. It's been lovely to meet you too, Eleanor.

I think you're very lucky.

-I'd like a writing den, too!

-Thank you.

When I arrived here this morning,

I thought I was just going to see how they make the books.

Not actually meet an author.

OK, you can come in now.

Hello, Eleanor.

When Lauren called Jacqueline Wilson in I just saw her, I was like,

"Oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh! It's Jacqueline Wilson."

I was just so, like, excited

and hyper and I was like, "I never thought my day would be this good."

And there's one last surprise,

a signed copy of Jacqueline's latest book.

-There we go.

-Thank you.

Awesome.

Back at the den the team are way behind schedule due to the rain.

They need to get Eleanor's bespoke magical floor down

before the big reveal tomorrow.

It's going to be good.

And it's proving a bigger job than they thought.

The team are having to work into the night,

and there's only one thing that will keep them going -

..pizza!

In just a few hours Eleanor will get to see her den

for the very first time.

And despite being up late last night,

it's an early start for everybody.

This looks amazing!

She is going to love this.

-What do you want me to do?

-If you get a cloth,

we need all the windows wiped clean, please.

Uh-huh.

Come on, Mark, it's a team effort.

Oi!

Stop it! What are you doing?

-I'm dusting the ceiling.

-What do you think this is for?

As the Dengineers put the finishing touches in place,

Eleanor's family are arriving,

and they're all looking forward to seeing her den for the first time.

Eleanor wanted a den

to indulge her passion for reading and writing.

So Maral and the Dengineers have created a magical library

where Eleanor can read and write in peace.

Outside there is a woodland theme

and a specially created fairy garden for inspiration.

But will Eleanor be enchanted by her magical library den?

Guys, are you ready to see Eleanor's den?

Yes!

Five, four, three, two,

one!

Oh, my gosh!

Look at the little fairy doors.

That is so cute!

-There's a ramp.

-I know!

I'm impressed with the ramp as well.

How are you feeling, Eleanor?

Really happy.

What's your favourite thing right now, that you can see?

-The garden.

-The fairy garden?

Have you seen the fairy that you made? Sitting on top of the sign.

-I can see her, yeah.

-Everyone else, what do you think?

I can't wait to see inside.

This is just fantastic.

And it looks lovely in my garden.

Right, Eleanor, shall we go in and have a closer look?

-Yes.

-Come on, let's go for it.

-Mum, we'll see you in a bit.

-We'll see you in a bit. Let's go.

-You grab the doors.

-I will do.

In you go.

Whoa! That is amazing.

How cool is that?

Eleanor's magical library is packed with everything she needs.

There's bookcases to store her new collection...

..floating shelves.

Check this out.

Even a secret fold-down writing desk with a hi-tech typewriter!

-Ta-dah!

-Whoa!

It's my own writing desk!

-Do you want a closer look?

-And you've got an old-school typewriter.

It's actually got a tablet and a typewriter system in it, as well.

That is quite amazing.

Take a little look at this, as well.

-Whoa!

-Secret book!

-That is amazing.

So you can store all sorts of stuff in there,

and nobody even knows what's going on.

And, Lozza, while you're on that note, check this out.

-You know these books?

-Yes.

-They look like library books.

You pull that out...

..and it's a secret drawer.

Whoa!

-How cool is that?

-That is so cool.

And on the wall there's a library-themed notice board

and a memento of the day Eleanor met her hero.

We had such a good day that day, didn't we?

Yes, definitely.

And now you have a memento to keep forever

to remember all the fun we had.

-Yeah.

-We've also got blankets down here as well so you can snuggle up,

on a bean bag, get yourself nice and comfy and tuck into a good book.

-So, Eleanor, is it everything you dreamed of?

-Definitely.

Well, I hope that one day you'll pen your very first novel right in here.

How cool would that be?

Your task is to get Mark and Lauren somewhere within your first book.

-What do you reckon?

-You could be witches and wizards.

I will take a witch. I'll take anything, to be honest.

-A good witch.

-Thank you, that's great.

All that's left to do

is show Eleanor's friends and family the den.

Come on, guys, in you come.

Welcome to Eleanor's den.

Come on in.

Wow!

-Look at all those books.

-That's amazing!

Let's leave them to it.

-We'll leave them to it. Have fun, guys.

-Enjoy, guys.

When I saw the den I felt, like, quite excited

because there was quite a few changes from when I last saw it

and I just got all excited and tingly.

I feel like we are going to keep finding amazing things.

How are those books there?

Oh! Look at that!

I think that my den is really magical and amazing,

and I think lots of friends will be coming over.

I think I'm going to come up with quite a lot of story ideas,

and I'm going to do what Mark said, make the book with them in.

Nothing is what it seems in this place.

The whole team have worked so hard for the past few days

in various conditions.

Just seeing her face, with a big smile,

has just made it so worthwhile.

Imagine these stories you're going to write with that.

-I've already started.

-Have you?

I think the Dengineers have done such a fantastic job

of bringing Eleanor's ideas to life.

That space that she just needed away from her brother and sisters

just makes me so happy and I know it will make her happy, too.

This den is done!