MORE than 1000 school children attended a special event during the week of World Book Day, aimed at inspiring children to love literature.
At Middlesbrough Town hall on Wednesday, seven best-selling authors read to children from 21 different schools across the region as part of the free Share a Story event, set up by World Book Day and National Literacy Trust, with help from the National Literacy Trust Hub in Middlesbrough.
The event is part of a wider scheme which aims to get books in the hands of children living in areas with low levels of literacy skills, with Share a Story currently touring places where low literacy levels are thought to seriously impact children's lives.
In Middlesbrough figures showed More than a quarter (28.1%) of 11-year-olds in Middlesbrough left primary school last year unable to read well. A third (38.5%) of these children received free school meals. One in 10 (10.4%) disadvantaged children in Middlesbrough don’t have a single book of their own.
Authors attending the event included: MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman, Katie Sibeal Pounder and Kevin Tsang, Sam Copeland, Sibeal Pounder and Jamie Littler.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here