World book day

March 7th is word book day, a charity event held in the UK and Ireland annually on the first Thursday of March. The event takes its cue from the international World Book Day, (also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book). This global annual event is organised by UNESCO, a specialised agency of the United Nations, whose aim is to advance international security and peace through the promotion of education, science, and culture.

The first world book day was celebrated on the 23rd of April 1995, a date the global event continues to be held on. The idea for this celebration of literature, which was set up to celebrate not just reading, but also to promote publishing and copyright, was conceived by Vicente Clavel, the director of Cervantes publishing house in Barcelona, in order to honour the great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, author of the canonic Don Quixote.

The Uk`s World Book Day was launched in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair, at the Globe Theatre ; in London. Schoolchildren will be presented with £1/ 1.5 book tokens, which they can exchange for a book at a number of retailers, including Asda, Tesco, Waterstones, and WHSmith. Some schools celebrate the day by encouraging their pupils to dress up as famous literary figures. On world book day you may catch a sight of Willy Wonka, Sherlock Holmes or Curious George walking the streets!

Books are undoubtably a great resource for children and adults alike. Not just a form of entertainment, they can help us imagine how other people think, enabling us to see the world from another`s point of view. They can enable us to empathise with characters we do not like, and understand different ways of thinking in a way that is unequalled by any form of media. Books can take us to any period of history, as well as transport us to imagined futures. The scope of literature is bounded only by the imagination.

What if your child is simply not interested in reading though. We are living in a technological age where books must compete with all manner of electronic devices, and the sad truth is that many children are choosing the more immediate and easy entertainment of phones and computers over literature. In many ways this is understandable - reading requires patience and discipline. Even books people come to love may leave them lukewarm during the first few pages. It is only by giving them time that books give up their treasures, and take us into their worlds.

What can parents do to to help their child develop a love of reading? How can they convince them turn away from their screens, and slowly leaf through pages of text. Without pictures, the dense block of text can be daunting indeed, and some novels appear so verbose that even a bookish child may be dissuaded from tackling them - the total harry potter series amounts to an astonishing 3,407 pages! The following list may help engender a love of reading in those children ; who have yet to discover what books can bring to their lives.

Model behaviour

Children naturally imitate their parents, who are their first and most important teachers. If your child sees you with books, regularly enjoying the activity of reading, they will seek to emulate this behaviour. Even if you are not a particular fan of reading novels, you could pick up a factual book on a subject you are interested in - perhaps biography, sports, or travel. All you have to do is advocate the act of reading to your child by engaging in the activity yourself.

Read before bedtime

Reading to a child before bedtime is not just a great boding activity, it is also a wonderful way to help them engage in the world of books. Even though you`ll be the one doing the reading, your child will still benefit hugely, as they will be using their imagination to create the story. You could take turns reading, yourself taking one chapter, and your child reading the next. If this seems too daunting for them you could alternate paragraphs, or just have them read the final section in each chapter.

Make a reading nook

One of the great things about books is that they can be read just about anywhere - but your child might really enjoy the creation of a reading nook. These are special designated areas for reading. They don`t need to be grandiose, complicated structures - a chair in the corner of a room will suffice - but some children may really enjoy the `secret-den` type area, where they can immerse themselves in their reading, and shut away the distractions of the outside world. This nook could be a small table draped with a sheet, and housing pillows, and a collection of books. By creat
ing an area dedicated to reading you will ensure your child is able to focus and fully immerse themselves in their stories.

Read the same books as your child

By reading the same books you will be able to engage in discussions with your child, allowing them to express their enthusiasm, and discuss any topics that have interested them. In the same way children discuss movies and TV shows they have watched, it is natural for them to want to talk about what they have read. By following their literary activities you will show them you care about their interests, and help them get more out of reading through your conversations.