Booktime for children

Children share a love of reading at one of the borough's libraries

Children who started school in Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton this September will shortly receive a free copy of the popular book Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

The move is part of a programme known as Booktime, which is designed to promote the pleasure of reading and encourage parents and carers to read aloud with their children.

In all, 700,000 pupils across the UK will take part.

Cabinet member for children, schools and families, councillor Irene Davidson said: "If we can encourage our children to foster a love of reading then we are setting them up for a bright future. Booktime is a fantastic idea and shows that books don’t have to be serious. It doesn’t matter what sort of books you read with your child – it’s the fact that you do it at all that counts."

Chris Meade, Director of Booktrust said: "Funnybones is fantastic. It was one of my children’s favourite books when they were young and I loved reading it to them. It is just the kind of book to spark a lifelong love of reading - and I’m delighted that DCSF and Pearson are working with us to give one to every child when they first arrive at school."

Booktime was launched in October 2006 by education and publishing company Pearson in association with independent charity Booktrust.

Last year over 270,000 children in 7,500 UK schools received a Booktime book pack with the help of library services. This year, with the support of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF, formerly the Department for Education and Skills), every reception child in England will receive a free book pack when they start school.

In addition, at least half of all children aged four to five in the rest of the UK will receive book packs during the academic year 2007/08. The packs will be delivered through the library service to schools over the next few weeks.

This year’s Booktime book pack will contain a free illustrated book - Puffin’s children’s classic Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg - and a guidance booklet for parents and carers on the benefits of shared reading. Every primary school and library in England will receive a free resource pack to coincide with the hand-out of the Booktime book packs to pupils by their class teacher.

Resources, including activity sheets, session ideas, a short Booktime film, and a podcast of the author Allan Ahlberg will also be available to download via the Booktime website.

http://booktime.pearson.com