Free books for five- and 11-year-olds
2 Jul 2008
By Christmas this year, every five- and 11-year-old child across England will have received a very special gift – a free book. Find out the background to this exciting initiative and hear what authors Michael Rosen and Ian Whybrow have to say about it
In this National Year of Reading, every five-year-old and 11-year-old child in England can look forward to receiving a special free gift.
By Christmas 2008, more than two million free books will be distributed as part of the Booktime programme for reception-aged pupils (4-5 years old) and the Booked Up programme for Year 7 pupils (aged 11-12). Both are being run by the independent national charity Booktrust, with the aim of encouraging reading for pleasure.
The programmes are supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) with an allocation of over £4m, making both programmes free to all participating schools.
Literacy Time PLUS asked authors Michael Rosen and Ian Whybrow what they think of the Booktime and Booked Up programmes? Click here to find out what they told us
The Booktime programme, which is being run in association with the publishers Pearson, will this year give young children a free copy of the delightful Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School by Ian Whybrow, illustrated by Adrian Reynolds. The packs will also contain a guidance booklet for parents and carers to encourage sharing books with children.
What’s on the Booked Up book list?
Arctic Hero Catherine Johnson (Barrington Stoke)
Heartbeat Sharon Creech (Bloomsbury)
H.I.V.E. Mark Walden (Bloomsbury)
Skulduggery Pleasant Derek Landy (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
The Garbage King Elizabeth Laird (Macmillan Children’s Books)
The Black Book of Secrets FE Higgins (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Scarlett Cathy Cassidy (Puffin)
Football Detective: Foul Play Tom Palmer (Puffin)
The London Eye Mystery Siobhan Dowd (David Fickling Books)
Kiss Of Death Malcolm Rose (Usborne Publishing)
Why Eating Bogeys Is Good for You Mitchell Symons (Doubleday)
Read Me and Laugh: A Funny Poem for Every Day of the Year Gaby Morgan (Macmillan)
Picture Book Option for Pupils with Additional Needs:
The Adventures of Robin Hood Marcia Williams (Walker Books)
Further information about Booktime and Booked Up can be found on their revamped websites www.booktime.org.uk and www.bookedup.org.uk
Meanwhile, as part of the Booked Up programme, 11-year-old children will be able to choose their own book from a selection of 12 titles. The aim of Booked Up is to encourage Year 7 pupils to read independently and to maintain the development of reading levels between Years 6 and 7 as children make the difficult transition from primary to secondary education.
Poetry gets a special push
And that’s not all. For the first time, poetry anthologies are to be included in the books being given away in England.
Reception-aged pupils will all get a special abridged edition of The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems. Meanwhile, for Year 7 pupils, Read Me and Laugh: A Funny Poem for Every Day of the Year (Macmillan), is included in the list of books to choose from.
Other options will also be made available with the aim of catering for the widest range of needs. These will include further picture book selections and two audio book options.
The books on the list have been chosen by a special Booktrust panel, including children’s book expert professionals from the library sector, booksellers, teachers, journalists, and children’s book reviewers. Their aim in compiling the list was to select books which are ideal for reading for pleasure, which represent a suitable degree of diversity, use language well and reflect various styles.
Viv Bird, Director of Booktrust, explains: “Booktrust is delighted to be responsible for putting over a million books into homes and sparking children’s interest in reading. The Booktime book and Booked Up books on the list have been chosen with great care to encourage the simple enjoyment and pleasures of reading among five- and 11-year-olds when they start at primary and secondary school which, for some, can be a stressful time in their lives.”
Public libraries and school library services are also being offered the opportunity to receive free sets of the books and supporting resources to enhance the Booktime and Booked Up programmes.
