Event aims to encourage shared family reading

Plymouth City Council is teaming up with children’s author Kathryn White and national shared reading initiative ‘Reading Force’ to promote books to youngsters from service families.

A special event is being held at Plymstock Library on Saturday 7 June to celebrate National Bookstart Week and encourage forces parents and carers to share books with their little ones.

The event will promote both Bookstart, the national book-gifting scheme for the under-fives and Reading Force, which aims to bring service children and families together through reading, talking and scrapbooking. It will also celebrate the achievements of 10 young Bookstart Bear Club members who will also be presented with their gold certificates for visiting the library 60 times.

Kathryn White– author of ‘The Very Noisy Jungle’ – will lead fun story and craft sessions and all of the children taking part will receive a free Reading Force scrapbook.

Reading Force helps families who are separated by deployment to feel in touch with each other, by reading the same book at the same time, no matter where they may be stationed in the world.

Fittingly, the theme for this year’s Bookstart Week is ‘My Hero’ and children are being invited to dress up as their favourite hero, with parents going along in their service uniforms.

Local charity, The Royal Naval Pre-School Learning Organisation has successfully introduced the Reading Force scheme at its Jack and Jill’s pre-schools in Goosewell and Radford. Area co-ordinator Jo Jenkins said: “The scheme enables our service family members to share a favourite book together and talk about it, whether they are together or apart. The experience of separation can be an emotional strain for service families and this is a good way of keeping in contact.”

Deputy Council Leader Peter Smith said: “We are really pleased to be working with Reading Force to encourage shared family reading and help foster a lifelong love of books. Both Bookstart and Reading Force promote the benefits of sharing a story together, which makes this such a great partnership.”

The My Hero event will start at 10.30am on Saturday 7 June. For further information email emma.sherriff@plymouth.gov.uk or call 01752 306791.