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New campaign to get Yorkshire children reading books
TOO many children in Yorkshire would rather watch a DVD or play computer games than read, new research is suggesting.
It is prompting the new Booktime and Booked Up campaign to reverse the worrying trend.
Children in Yorkshire are replacing book time with technology gadgets and bookshelves are reflecting the trend, with 31 per cent of the space being used to house other items.
Figures show that 61 per cent of children in Yorkshire like to share a book with their parents/carers and households with girls have 10 more children's books than those with boys.
One in every 20 family homes in Britain today has fewer than 10 books.
Around 48 per cent of all Yorkshire parents and carers say their child spends more time facing a screen, playing computer games and watching DVDs rather than reading.
Now more than 210,000 free books are being delivered across Yorkshire, to reverse this trend.
TV presenter and mum Kirsty Gallacher said "It's such a joy to snuggle down with my son Oscar and share a story. It's a wonderful escapist activity and gives us time to enjoy the characters, be creative and bond. It's also a great learning experience for him and lots of fun.
"This is a brilliant way to keep children interested in books as they make the move from nursery to 'big school' and from primary to secondary. The fact that it's free and available to everyone makes it even more appealing."
Booktime will give a free book pack to over 68,000 reception-aged pupils (four to five years) in Yorkshire as a gift from education and publishing company Pearson.
This year, children will receive a book pack that includes a copy of Mr Big by Ed Vere and packs being distributed in England will also include The Booktime Book of Fantastic First Poems, a poetry anthology edited by June Crebbin.
For children aged 11 to 12, Booktrust will give 74,000 Year 7 pupils in Yorkshire a choice of one free book from a list of 12 titles.
Schools Minister Diana Johnson said: "This is an excellent scheme that encourages reading from an early age and helps sustain it into a child's secondary years.
"Reading is a great way for families to spend time together and improves children's learning. Parents who introduce their children to books can really inspire a lifetime's love of reading."
Viv Bird, chief executive of Booktrust, added: "It's wonderful to see that children are enjoying books.
Any time children spend reading for pleasure – either with a parent or carer or by themselves –- is wonderful and life-enriching."
The UK's all time favourite fictional character according to over 1,300 children is Harry Potter, followed by Horrid Henry and Tracy Beaker.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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