Suffolk celebrates Booktime in Glemsford
On 17 November, 25 children from local schools and pre-schools
met well-known children’s author Ian Whybrow and listened to him
read some of his Harry and the Dinosaurs stories. The children,
from Glemsford and Hartest primary schools and Cavendish and
Glemsford pre-schools came along to Tye Green Methodist Church Hall
in Glemsford and were first greeted by the big blue Bookstart
Bear.
Children from the reception classes of the schools were given a
Booktime pack containing a free copy of Harry and the Dinosaurs go
to School by Ian Whybrow and the Booktime Book of Fantastic First
Poems. The Booktime packs are presented in an attractive blue
drawstring bag and also contain a guidance booklet for parents and
carers to encourage sharing books with their children. Booktime is
a Government supported initiative to encourage a lifelong love of
reading.
Speaking about the event, Portfolio holder for Adult and Community
Services, Councillor Graham Newman said:
"Ian Whybrow’s character of Harry must be known to every five
year old in the land! It is such a treat and a wonderful experience
for these reception children to not only meet Harry’s creator face
to face but to get a copy of Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School.
I hope that this is something that they will remember and will kick
off that lifetime reading habit."
Melford County Councillor Richard Kemp added:
"despite this age of computers, television and other
distractions, it is impressive that our young people still have a
great interest in reading books and a yearning for the knowledge
they contain."
This term, every reception-aged pupil in England will receive
free books through
Booktime, a programme
from independent charity Booktrust, supported by the Department for
Children, Schools and Families and education and publishing company
Pearson. Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School was written by Ian
Whybrow and illustrated by Adrian Reynold, both of whom waived fees
and royalties for this. For more information and a range of
downloadable activities and games, log on to
www.booktime.org.uk.
The site features a podcast interview with author of the
Harry and The Bucketful of Dinosaurs series, Ian Whybrow.
Viv Bird, Director of Booktrust says:
"Booktrust's free books schemes help children to discover their
own favourite books and poems. We are very grateful for the support
of the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Pearson and
other publishers, which means that every reception class child and
every pupil starting secondary school in England are encouraged to
develop a lifetime love of books."
Booktrust is an
independent national charity that encourages people of all ages and
cultures to discover and enjoy reading.
Booktrust and Suffolk County Council are partners in an advocacy
and research project to promote reading, known as the Booktrust
Pilot. Its key aim is to ensure that there is a long lasting legacy
in Suffolk from
National
Year of Reading 2008.