25,000 Free Books Distributed To School Children

Every primary one child across Northern Ireland is set to receive a free reading pack this Autumn as a new school author tour series kicks off.

The scheme, delivered by the UK's largest children's reading charity BookTrust, will focus on Marta Altés, author and illustrator of 'Little Monkey'.

The Time to Read packs which include a free copy of the book and tips and advice for carers will be distributed to all 25,000 primary one children, encouraging families to enjoy the imaginative world of storybooks.

The author will also run reading and craft workshops designed to inspire, engage and create the authors and illustrators of the future. The sessions will be held in four schools to celebrate the book distribution, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Liz Canning of BookTrust NI said the project is aimed to inspire children to get reading by providing each one with a little bit of magic.

Marta Altés added: "One of my favourite parts about my work is getting to visit the children and watch their creativity grow! It's incredible that my book will be in so many homes around Northern Ireland, and I hope that Little Monkey and her adventures in the jungle not only inspire a love of reading but also remind children that even when you're small you can do amazing things!"

Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: "This wonderful initiative is all about inspiring a future generation of readers to enjoy reading from their earliest years, as they set off on their own journeys discovering new characters, places, stories and ideas. Access to books is something which we know supports all aspects of a child's development and we are delighted to continue our funding for BookTrust's author tours once again this year, with a copy of Marta Altés stunning book also going out to every primary one child in Northern Ireland."