PERHAPS, like me, you remember the days when there were two kinds of reading.

The first kind was when you perched yourself at a desk or table, whenever possible in full view of a teacher or parent, and shoved your nose into a book, preferably one with small type and no pictures.

The superficial reason for this reading was gaining knowledge. The real motive was winning brownie points from the powers-that-be.

Then there was the other kind of reading It wasn’t exactly furtive, but you didn’t flaunt it either. The reading material was comics and they were read for pleasure. Some were full of humour so obvious and innocent, they would probably leave a modern audience bewildered. But we always got the joke.

Then again it might be tales of wartime heroics based on stereotyped characters that would have the today’s politically correct brigade reaching for the smelling salts. It did not matter. We lapped it up and no amount of parental tut-tutting could ever spoil the joys.

Now, of course, the choice will probably be between TV and computer. I am not such a Luddite to deny anyone the pleasure those mediums bring. But we should never let reading be crowded out. Words are important.

In Middlesbrough, we’ve teamed up with the National Literacy Trust to raise the profile of reading across the borough. Organisations as diverse as Middlesbrough FC Football Foundation, Arriva buses and Greggs the Bakers are on board.

The first phase of the campaign runs to May and there are ambitious targets: helping 150 teenagers gain the literacy skills they need to get work; supporting 375 families to improve reading skills and helping more than 1,000 pupils through the Premier League Reading Stars programme.

The campaign isn’t just focused on schools and libraries, important as they are. It revolves around the family, getting parents as well as children into the reading habit. It has two main benefits. First, it is about setting aside some quality time for parents and children.

Secondly, five million adults in this country have the literacy levels of an 11-yearold.

They need help too and what better environment than the family to get it.

There is good news, too. The trust’s Words for Work programme helps four out of five young people improve their communication and personal skills.

I see reading a bit like exercise. Take it up early, get into the habit and it becomes the natural thing to do. But it’s never too late to start. The first trip to the gym or swimming pool can be a scary experience, and walking into a library or bookshop can be off-putting too. It shouldn’t be and my experience of working with professionals in literacy and libraries is that you couldn’t meet more welcoming people.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s no such thing as a bad book, the reading divide we knew as kids was always an artificial one. The written word comes in a thousandand- one formats and styles these days and children and young people should be encouraged to try as many as they want. Again, it’s like finding a sport that you really like.

Having two grand-daughters, I have been re-introduced recently to the world of children’s books. The choice and quality of reading material is tremendous. So is the simple, and for me, almost forgotten pleasure of sharing a book with someone.

So when you put down this newspaper make the time to pick up a book. You’ll never be lost for words again.