HIGHLY-regarded Children’s author and illustrator David McKee has died, at the age of 87. McKee, the author of dozens of titles for children, including Elmer, Not Now Bernard and Two Can Toucan passed away after a ‘short illness’.
Read MoreWhen it comes to children's fiction, an area in which little ones are trying to explore, learn, and enjoy themselves, we’d hope they can be given the freedom to read books that interest them, regardless of protagonist or topic.
Read MoreThe books and entertainment e-tailer has rounded up a selection of titles which children may love to read during the spring season and beyond.
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Orchard Books has joined forces with the National Literacy Trust to deliver 30,000 books to children in the UK through a reading challenge.
The admirable challenge will see around 5,000 children receiving Orchard's highly popular Rainbow Magic or Beast Quest series, and achieve points for progress in reading through their given series.
In a clever 'gamification' approach to reading, points are awarded to children who carry out ten minute challenges - at home and at school - in an effort to complete their books and clock up 11.5 hours of reading.
To help encourage progress, teachers are to be supplied with wall reading maps, reading logs and challenge certificates - all of which, we're sure are highly useful tools.
To reward those achieving series completion, a chance to win prizes and a visit from a series character is on offer, along with - one of our favourite things - book vouchers.
Susie Musgrove of the NLT believes: "the challenges provide teachers with a platform for encouraging children to read for pleasure – something we know is hugely important for future achievement.”
We loved reading at school, and we couldn't agree more.
Author and illustrator Jonathan Emmett has added his thoughts to the conversation about why boys (and later, men) don't read. And, with a view guaranteed to carry the debate further, he believes it's due to female influence.
In comments offered to the The Times, Emmett believes that there isn't enough to hold young boys interest in books, with one of the key reasons being that the the "industry is dominated by female gatekeepers".
To illustrate his point - and referencing the known gap in literacy levels between girls and boys - Emmett looked at 450 reviews of children's books in national papers. He found that while men wrote 47% of picture books, 87% of reviewers were women.
Of course reviewers may be employed in such roles for their balance and appreciation of readers' likes, yet Emmett draws on further examples to add weight to his view.
He tells how just two of the 50 editors he has worked with have been men, and how he feels that has directly affected his own work in, "The number of times I have tried to get technical information into a book and it is deemed inappropriate."
Emmett also offers comment on the content which makes it into published titles. Titles which are then bought by a group which - according to an unnamed publisher - is 95% women.
'Mums and grans buy books - that’s what’s driving the market. They read the book also and then there’s a tendency for the book to reflect their tastes as well. So there may be a pirate but that pirate will not be engaged in a battle.'
In views which touch upon ideas of stereotypical gender interests, and which claim that "boys and girls with 'boy-typical' tastes", prefer the content of computer games, Emmett admits his opinions aren't easy to present.
"It is a really difficult argument to make", he concedes "because 99 times out of 100 it is women that are under-represented."
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