THE next chapter of a programme that aims to get children reading has been launched.
Mayor of Fingal Cllr Mary McCamley launched the Battle of the Book in the beautiful surroundings of Swords Castle.
Paul Reid, chief executive of Fingal County Council, Maura Cassidy, community officer at the Dublin Airport Authority (daa), as well as enthusiastic pupils from St Nicholas of Myra National School Kinsealy, St Patrick's National School Skerries, St Marnock's National School, Portmarnock and Mary Queen of Ireland National School, Rivermead, attended the launch.
The children will be reading this year’s book choice, ‘The Irish Civil War 1922–23 Ava’s Diary’, by Patricia Murphy.
The Battle of the Book is a reading programme running from September 2017 to January 2018 between Fingal libraries, six primary schools within the Fingal area and is kindly supported by the Dublin Airport Authority.
The aim of the programme is to get children reading, by using a multi-disciplinary interactive approach with an author visit, a live museum roadshow, a code breaking workshop and an active competition element between the different schools and their local library.
The programme is designed to encourage the children to read and gain confidence, to discuss a common book providing a shared experience of reading to ignite a reading for life culture.
As well as reading Patricia Murphy’s book, the children will be participating in different activities organised by Fingal libraries surrounding the themes presented in the book.
Mayor McCamley said: “This is a wonderful programme which will encourage children to develop a love of both reading and history.”
Paul Reid added: “This is another of the many initiatives which our libraries run that make reading and learning fun, and I welcome the support of the daa in the initiative.”