Chance to pick page-turners

An independent bookshop owner has taken over as the UK chairman of World Book Day, which is marked today in more than 100 countries.

Mrs Jane Streeter, 53, owns The Bookcase at Lowdham.

During her year as chairman she plans to work with local nurseries and schools to get them involved in reading.

World Book Day encourages children to read and own their own books by giving a £1 book voucher to each child in education, which can be exchanged for one of ten specially published World Book Day titles.

Mrs Streeter said: “Reading is vital for a child’s health and educational progress. It allows you to escape from everything for a little while.

“The £1 book vouchers give children from all backgrounds the chance to own their own book.

“There are so many distractions for children now and we need to encourage people to get reading again.”

As part of World Book Day events The Bookcase will host Tales In The Tent where local storytellers, including Southwell’s Nicky Rafferty, will read to groups of six children once a month.

Mrs Streeter plans to get local shops involved in encouraging children to read by setting up a roadshow to showcase the chosen books and to pick the new ones for next year.

Mrs Streeter said her own favourite book was The Magus, by John Fowles.

The World Book Day titles are: Hello, Hugless Douglas! David Melling; Emily Gravett’s Little Book Day Parade; Barry Loser: I Am Not Nit A Loser, Jim Smith; Fun With The Worst Witch, Jill Murphy; A Laura Marlin Mystery: The Midnight Picnic, Lauren St John; Horrible Histories: Terrible Trenches, Terry Deary; Middle School: How I Got Lost In London, James Patterson; Jack Pepper, Sarah Lean; Rock War: The Audition; Robert Muchamore; The Boy In The Smoke, Maureen Johnson.