Inspiring Primary School leavers to keep reading for pleasure

National Literacy Trust, Walker Books and Facebook team up with author Anthony Horowitz to inspire reading for pleasure among children leaving primary school.

Following new research by the National Literacy Trust that found a dramatic fall in reading for pleasure among children leaving primary school, the charity have teams up with Walker Books and Facebook to livestream an event with acclaimed author Anthony Horowitz.

The National Literacy Trust have invited the author of the popular Alex Rider series to a school in Greenwich to answer questions about his latest novel Never Say Die and to inspire pupils across the country to enjoy reading through a live-streamed event.

Published by Walker Books earlier this month, Never Say Die is the eleventh installment in the Alex Rider series. Schools from across the UK will be able to watch the live webcast taking place on the Alex Rider Facebook page between 2pm and 3pm on June 15 and submit their own questions to the author. The event will also be available to watch back afterwards.

Teachers will also be able to access exclusive resources to support pupils' literacy as they make the transition from primary to secondary school - a time when many students fall behind.

Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust said:

"Although reading for enjoyment is at a record high among 8 to 11 year olds, only 36% of boys between 14 and 16 like to read. This means that their reading age can be more than three years behind their peers that do enjoy reading. 

Working with Walker Books and Facebook, we're delighted to be bringing Anthony Horowitz Live to classrooms across the country. The event addresses this gap between primary and secondary students and shows how fun reading can be."

Speaking about the event, author Anthony Horowitz said:

"It's great that more children are now reading for pleasure, but it's important that this continues as they move from primary to secondary school. The Alex Rider books aim to capture the imagination of older pupils with action packed plots and topical themes.

At my live event I hope I'll be able to inspire more students to pick up a book outside the classroom and get into reading."

Walker Books, who partnered with The Reader on Michael Rosen's Bear Hunt, Chocolate Cake and Bad Things experience earlier this year, said they were "delighted" to be involved in the event with National Literacy Trust.

Publishing director Jane Winterbotham said:

"Anthony has long been acknowledged as a key force in getting reluctant readers excited about stories and we hope that by teaming up with Facebook we'll engage many more potential readers both in schools and at home."

Are you keen to instill a love of reading for pleasure in your little ones? Help them discover, share and explore a love of books and storytelling at The Storybarn.