Reading activities for children

East Riding Libraries and Beverley Children’s Centre will be celebrating National Bookstart Week 2014 at Beverley Library with a fun storytime and activities afternoon on Friday 13 June. Children are welcome to come in their favourite fancy dress costume. The event is free and there is no need to book.

Every parent is a hero to their children, but even heroes need a helping hand to hone their skills. That’s why this June, Booktrust is calling for all parents and carers from Beverley, to don their superhero masks, reveal their secret powers and go to Beverley with their children.

National Bookstart Week is an annual celebration of Bookstart, the flagship reading programme from national charity, Booktrust. Bookstart aims to help every child in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to develop a lifelong love of reading that will give them a flying start in life (cape optional) through gifting free books to every child. This year’s week runs from 9 – 15 June and sees millions of families across the UK coming together to discover stories, rhymes and reading.

A special version of Harper Collins’ Super Duck, by popular children’s author Jez Alborough, will be a free gift for children who take part. This lively story follows the heroic Super Duck as he strives to rescue his friend Frog from an unplanned flight on a wayward kite.

Viv Bird, chief executive of Booktrust, said: "All the research shows that reading together strengthens family bonds and helps children do better at school, whatever the family’s background. You don’t have to be a great reader yourself to share a story with your children – often you just need to let the pictures carry you both along."

Councillor Richard Burton, portfolio holder for civic wellbeing and culture, added: "I am delighted that we in the East Riding are able to be involved in Bookstart. I believe it is vital that children can benefit from books and reading at the earliest possible age – along with their parents!"