READ ALL ABOUT IT
The Sun is giving away £12million-worth of books as part of our amazing Books For Schools campaign
READ all about it! The Sun is giving away £12million-worth of books as part of our amazing Books For Schools campaign, which launches this weekend.
The giveaway will see each primary school that signs up receive a FREE box of books containing more than 100 titles, worth £600. Each box will also contain bonus picture book There’s A Snake In My School, by No1 best-selling author David Walliams.
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The two million books up for grabs also include brilliant stories from top kids’ writers Julia Donaldson and Michael Morpurgo.
We have teamed up with publisher HarperCollins to offer more than 20,000 primary schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the chance to collect tokens printed in the paper to claim a
free set of books from the Collins Big Cat reading scheme.
Our giveaway comes as charity the National Literacy Trust reveals worrying figures showing a drop of more than a five per cent in the number of primary-aged children who read every day compared to last year.
Meanwhile, only 53 per cent of primary children read outside of school.
We want to reverse these trends by helping to get more new books into the hands of children and teachers.
Here, comedian and kids’ author David Baddiel and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson explain why they are backing our campaign.
I am so lucky that I have been able to make a living out of telling stories, and that all stems back to the books I read as a child.
David Baddiel
LIFE was pretty boring and grey in Dollis Hill, North West London, when I was growing up.
In the 1970s adults didn’t stop their lives when they became parents. Children were expected to amuse themselves — parenting was not even a word.
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But then I discovered the books of Roald Dahl, and they transported me somewhere else. It was when I first discovered the power of stories, something that has carried me through everything I have gone on to do. I could not have known then that one day I would be writing stories for kids myself. I did not wake up one day and decide to be a children’s writer.
It came about when my son Ezra, now 15, asked me why Harry Potter did not just run away from the Dursleys, the Muggle family he lived with, when he was not at Hogwarts. His question got me thinking and it dawned on me it would be a good idea to write a book for children where they could choose their parents, which resulted in The Parent Agency.
I enjoyed writing it and it was very successful, so I wrote more. I’m now on my sixth book and recently had the privilege of reading it to children at Fitzjohn’s Primary School in North London. It is called The Taylor Turbochaser and tells the story of 11-year-old Amy Taylor, who is disabled after losing the use of her legs in an accident.
I did not consciously think, “I’m going to write about a child in a wheelchair”. For me the story comes first. I had an ide about a girl who loved cars, and thought it would add another dynamic if she was in a wheelchair because that would create obstacles and therefore make the story richer and more complicated.
I do not think messages in kids’ books should be too upfront as it can make them dull — although diversity in kids’ books is important because it represents the world we live in. Amy is not defined by her disability. She is bright and sparky but just happens to be in a wheelchair. Humour is vital in encouraging kids to read. If you can turn something that is potentially a chore into a joy then you are halfway there.
Go through wardrobe and down rabbit hole
By Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary
AS a child, I was a big fan of Cat In The Hat author Dr Seuss. He wrote: “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
“The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
What has become a lifelong love of books began when my parents read me Dr Seuss’s Grinch stories. And as a parent I continued the cycle by reading to my two daughters.
You don’t need me to tell you that reading for pleasure is a good thing.
It opens doors to new worlds – down the rabbit hole, through the wardrobe door – in the company of characters who will become friends for life, such as Harry, Hermione and Ron.
Books fire a child’s imagination, boost their vocabulary and help set them up for the rest of their lives
That’s why we put such an emphasis on reading in schools. So it’s fantastic to see The Sun’s free Books For Schools programme.
These book boxes contain a treasure trove and are perfect for a child to read independently or with their parents.
We need all our children reading books for pleasure and this is a great way for them to start.
As the Big Friendly Giant might say: “This is where all dreams is beginning.”
'The power of books gave me everything'
You should not talk down to children when you write for them. By eight they have a pretty sophisticated sense of humour. Children are much funnier nowadays than previous generations. They have access to the internet and some very funny TV shows.
The Amazing World Of Gumball, which airs on Cartoon Network, is the funniest programme ever. Children have the ability to understand complex situations and you do not need to sanitise issues because it makes you as an adult uncomfortable. They are good at filtering out things that do not apply to them and accept discomfort better than many adults do I know there are plenty of challenges when it comes to getting kids reading.
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My children, Ezra and Dolly, who is now 18, went to state schools and I know first hand as a parent the challenges that schools face with regards to having decent facilities. But access to lots of different types of books is vital for youngsters. Reading well makes a massive difference to their lives in every area.
Some of my favourite books when I was a child were the Billy Bunter stories which were created by Charles Hamilton in 1908. The stories were set in Greyfriars School, which was so cosy and so different to my own life. I loved Billy Bunter so much I joined a club. Because the stories were so old, I was by far the youngest member at 11. Most of the others were in their 70s.
Then there was Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, which I now recognise as a must-read if you want to write for kids. I am so lucky that I have been able to make a living out of telling stories, and that all stems back to the books I read as a child. Without that, I do not know what else I would have done.
Find out more
It’s easy to sign up: Get your school to register
IT’S simple to start. All primary schools need to do is visit mcb777.fun/booksforschools before Friday, November 22.
For more information, pick up The Sun.
Later this month we’ll start printing tokens in the paper for schools and parents to collect.
Once they reach the target, we’ll send out a bumper pack of 106 Collins Big Cat books, suitable for kids in Reception and Year 1.
Schools can register at mcb777.fun/booksforschools
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
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