Blue Peter’s Konnie Huq encourages kids to collect their Books For Schools tokens

SCHOOLS across the land are busy collecting our Books For Schools tokens.

One in three primaries have registered with our campaign, allowing each to claim a FREE box of reading books from the Collins Big Cat series, worth more than £600.

To claim, they have to collect 3,500 tokens from those printed daily in The Sun and The Sun on Sunday until January 18, 2020.

To help motivate pupils and their parents and teachers to hit the tokens target, former Blue Peter host Konnie Huq visited Valley Invicta Primary School, near Maidstone, Kent.

She said: “Reading provides education, entertainment and information. Campaigns such as this are brilliant because they give kids lots of different books. Reading is so important. It teaches all kinds of things, including empathy which you need whether you’re going to be a company CEO, run the country or be a hairdresser.”

Mum-of-two Konnie read to kids in Years Two to Six, from a book she wrote this year called Cookie And The Most Annoying Boy In The World — a humorous tale centred on a nine-year-old girl.

Headteacher Steph Guthrie said: “We were over the moon to have Konnie visit. The children were buzzing.

“She even taught them how to draw their own comic strip. She was lovely with them and it was great to see the children inspired to read her book. Reading is the gateway for every other thing you do. We are busy collect­ing the tokens.”

Six-year-old pupil Lexi said: “We’re saving tokens at home and will bring them to school. The books we hope to get for our school look really good.”

Konnie has sons Covey, seven, and Huxley, five, with husband Charlie Brooker, writer of Netflix sci-fi series Black Mirror — some of which she co-wrote.

She added: “As a child, I did like picture books, especially Meg And Mog. But I don’t remember my parents reading to me much, maybe because their first language was Bengali or maybe I just have a bad memory.

“It wasn’t until I read Superfudge, by Judy Blume, that I really got reading. It was my gateway book. All children need that gateway book, one that inspires you to read.

“I’d love to think that perhaps my book will be a child’s gateway book, too. But if your child isn’t enjoying reading, it’s just a case of trying lots of different books.”

Pupil Isabella, nine, said: “It was so much fun to meet Konnie. I’ve collected lots of Blue Peter badges and asked her to sign my Blue Peter annual.”

Ten-year-old Henry said: “Konnie was very funny and her book looks really good.”

We have teamed up with HarperCollins to give away more than £12million worth of books — including titles by Julia Donaldson, Michael Morpurgo and David Walliams.

Just collect the tokens then hand them over to your school.

• Cookie! . . . And The Most Annoying Boy In The World, by Konnie Huq, (£10.99, Piccadilly Press) is out now

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