Thousands of children and adults in Hastings will experience the joy of receiving their very own books thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing and our National Literacy Trust Hub in Hastings.
More than 26,000 brand new books are on their way to children and adults in Hastings and St Leonards thanks to the support of 16 local schools and community organisations who will be distributing the books in the area. Food banks and homeless shelters are among those who will giving out books over the next 12 weeks as part of the vital work they do in the community.
It is lovely to be able to give children new books that they can keep, rather than second-hand versions. The latter are really appreciated, but imagine a child, who does not have a book of their own, getting a brand new copy.
Carole Dixon, Chief Executive of the Education Futures Trust, which is one of the organisations distributing books
Children will be able to choose from a fantastic range of fiction and non-fiction books published by Bloomsbury, including the Kid Normal series by Chris Smith and Greg James, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman, and the activity book Fantastically Great Women Who Made History by Kate Pankhurst. Adult books include: To The Lions by Holly Watts, Wildlife by Richard Ford and Sail Away by Celia Imrie.
With libraries still closed and most children not attending school at this time, access to books has greatly diminished, particularly for those from the most disadvantaged communities who are the least likely to have books of their own at home. Thousands of books will reach disadvantaged communities in the area helping to support the literacy skills and wellbeing of both children and adults.
Thank you for the new books! I like reading new things!
I liked reading Lola Dutch, it’s made me think about what I want to be then I grow up!
Hastings pupils
To support, inspire and encourage families in the area to engage with literacy in these challenging times, the National Literacy Hub in Hastings recently launched a new Facebook page. The page promotes fun and engaging activities that children and young adults can do at home to continue developing their reading, writing and language skills. Families have access to a huge variety of resources featured on the National Literacy Trust platforms Family Zone and Zone In.
Find out more about the Hastings Literacy Hub