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Bestselling author James Patterson debates how to get boys into reading
21 Apr 2009
21 April 2009
Yesterday at the London Book Fair, international bestseller James Patterson and director of the National Literacy Trust (NLT), Jonathan Douglas, discussed how to get reluctant boys reading and tackle the gulf between boys’ and girls’ literacy levels.
The debate was chaired by teen fiction author Damian Kelleher and celebrated the James Patterson Extreme Reading Challenge. Run in partnership with the National Literacy Trust’s Reading Champions project, this competition saw hundreds of families across the country reading in extreme and unusual locations for the chance to win a trip to the Space Centre in Sweden.
At yesterday’s debate James Patterson and National Literacy Trust director, Jonathan Douglas, agreed that boys deserve exciting, fast-paced books that will capture their attention. Douglas added that it is very important to challenge stereotypes of reading as ‘uncool’ and insular, and that involving parents in their childrens’ reading is vital, as children cite family members as the people most likely to inspire them to read.
International bestselling author James Patterson knows how difficult it can be to interest boys in books: “My son Jack used to hate reading, but three summers ago my wife and I gave him six books that we thought he’d love. We told him to spend time every day reading. He was reluctant but the next summer, he said ‘sure’. Now we can’t stop him reading; he even insists on the three of us having quiet time, reading our own stuff.”
It was Patterson’s enthusiasm for getting boys hooked on books which sparked his partnership with the NLT’s Reading Champions project which uses the motivational power of male reading role models, both family and school friends, to inspire boys to promote reading. The ‘James Patterson Extreme Reading Challenge’ was launched in February this year and challenged kids to take a photo of themselves reading with their dad in an extreme or unusual location. The Challenge aimed to encourage more children, particularly boys, to pick up books and have fun with them, as well as giving dads and male carers an exciting opportunity to get involved in their child’s reading. Approximately 2000 children and Dads took up the Challenge and were photographed reading in extreme or unusual locations with their dad.
Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust said: “James Patterson is an internationally successful author who has inspired a generation of adults to read. It is incredibly powerful for him to talk about how to get your kids reading. Recent research¹ found that only 23 per cent of boys read stories or novels every day or nearly every day, compared with 41 per cent of girls. Initiatives like the James Patterson Extreme Reading Challenge play a key part in encouraging boys to enjoy reading from an early age. As children who read for pleasure have better life chances than those who don’t, inspiring a love of books has the potential to dramatically improve children’s lives."
ENDS
¹The 2007 international Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) study
Notes to editor:
James Patterson
James Patterson is indisputably one of the biggest selling authors in the world; his books have been translated into 49 different languages, and over 150 million copies of his books have been sold across the globe. He is currently the most borrowed author from UK libraries. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past decade: the Women’s Murder Club, the Alex Cross novels, Maximum Ride, and a new young adult series Daniel X (www.daniel-x.co.uk).
He has long been involved with projects in the US to promote the enjoyment of reading, most recently with a new website www.readkiddoread.com set up to assist parents in making book choices for their children. James has won an Edgar award, the mystery world’s highest honour. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.
www.jamespatterson.co.uk
The National Literacy Trust and Reading Champions
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that changes lives through literacy. It has a vision of a society in which everyone has the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills they need to fulfil their own and, ultimately, the nation’s potential. It links home, school and the wider community to inspire learners and create opportunities for everyone. See www.literacytrust.org.uk
About Reading Champions:
This is an initiative delivered by the National Literacy Trust on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It uses the motivational power of male reading role models to inspire other boys and men to read more. See www.readingchampions.org.uk
The National Literacy Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1116260, and a company limited by guarantee, no. 5836486,
James Patterson’s Extreme Reading Challenge
The competition was won by James Andrews and his father David, whose photo ‘Life in a freezer’ captured the judges’ imagination. They have won a trip to Kiruna, Sweden and a guided tour of the European Space Centre.
