The Rights of the Reader

There's a wonderful book called The Rights of the Reader by celebrated French writer Daniel Pennac. The book sold over a million copies in France, and grew out of Pennac's experiences of teaching in "challenging" schools. Central to the book is his belief that readers have rights: to read what, how, where and when they want, and – if they choose – the right NOT to read. It has been introduced by Quentin Blake who has also done its gorgeous and witty illustrations. There is also a poster available which illustrates The Reader's Bill of Rights, listed here:

1. The right to not read

2. The right to skip pages

3. The right to not finish

4. The right to reread

5. The right to read anything

6. The right to escapism

7. The right to read anywhere

8. The right to browse

9. The right to read out loud

10. The right to not defend your tastes.

Read the book, and then please do go back to Give a Book.

More news from inside...Chibundu Onuzo at a prison reading group.

Chibundu  Onuzo’s  The Spider King’s Daughter is a first novel of degrading poverty and fabulous wealth, laced with vigorous dialect, and set in her native Nigeria. Readers at an HMP were lucky to have an author visit from Chibundu Onuzo recently, organised by the Librarian. Support from Give a Book provided 25 copies of the novel for readers throughout the prison.
This was a lively and enjoyable event, with a large group of readers who had really engaged with the novel, and found its story of the relationship between a street hawker and a millionaire’s daughter fascinating and absorbing. It’s a novel which opens your eyes to the extremes of Nigerian society, from the Louboutins and swimming pool lifestyle of the super-rich to the subsistence level existence of the very poor.  There are fascinating glimpses of West African life – the food vendor who keeps pieces of fried meat in a secret compartment of her bra for favoured clients, the wealthy teenagers who are confident their fathers will pay someone clever to sit their entrance exams for Yale.
As well as facing really in-depth questions (at one time she said to one questioner, `You know this novel better than I do!’)  Chibundu Onuzo read several hilarious extracts featuring the `pidgin’ which makes this novel so distinctive. For those familiar with it – quite a few in the audience -  this sense of a known place was what made the novel such an enjoyable read; others, like me, found some of the dialogue strange at first. But it’s Chibundu Onuzo’s skill at dialogue which makes The Spider King’s Daughter so rich. And I learned quite a lot: that women in Nigeria are called `Aunty’; older women would be `Ma’; you never address your parents by their first names.  Conversation on topics like this went on long after the formal question and answer session was over, and Chibundu Onuzo stayed for a long time chatting with the audience.
All the book group members and other readers at the prison are really grateful to Chibundu for her visit and for providing such a lively afternoon.
The reading group is part of the Prison Reading Groups (PRG) project. Now please go back to Give a Book.

The new Children's Laureate

We're all delighted at the announcement of Malorie Blackman as the new Children's Laureate. A wonderful writer and a wonderful reader whose mission is to "get more children reading and make reading irresistible in all its forms." There's an interview with her in The Guardian Review and her latest novel Noble Conflict is out now. There's a Blagger's Guide to the Children's Laureate in the Independent.  Now please do return to Give a Book.

Our Patron

Give a Book is proud and thrilled to announce that the distinguished historian Lady Antonia Fraser, DBE has agreed to become our Patron. Her latest book is the hugely acclaimed Perilous Question: The Drama of the Great Reform Bill 1832.  Lady Antonia was the first person to choose a Book of the Month for us and has been an avid supporter from the start. Her own book The Pleasure of Reading
says it all--in it 40 leading writers explain what first made them interested in reading. They describe the comics and childhood classics that first inspired them to read, and what today continues to do so. Contributors include Simon Gray, Jeanette Winterson, Sir Ronald Harwood and Sue Townsend. It's our kind of book. So now please go back to Give a Book. 

Bark and read

The Bark & Read Foundation has been set up to support and promote the amazing work of charities that take dogs into schools as reading volunteers to help tackle the UK’s literacy problems.
Funded by the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, the Bark & Read Foundation is working with Pets As Therapy, through their Read 2 Dogs project, and R.E.A.D (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) and Dogs Helping Kids (DHK), operating in schools around the country, helping children to read with their specially trained support dogs.
Reading to dogs has been proved to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through both the calming effect the dogs’ presence has on children and the fact that the dog will listen to the children read without being judgemental or critical. This comforting environment helps to nurture children’s enthusiasm for reading and provides them with the confidence needed to read aloud.
This month's Book of the Month has been recommended for us by Zoe Wanamaker CBE, who supports Bark and Read. She said: “Reading is such an important skill that is used in every part of our lives, but it can be a scary and intimidating experience when you are young.  As with anything in life you have to practice, practice and practice to get better. That is why the Kennel Club’s Bark & Read project is such an inspiring idea, as we all know that dogs are great listeners and won’t judge if we stumble over a word. The concept makes reading time fun and helps to develop children’s self esteem and passion for reading while they’re still finding their voice. If children aren’t inspired to read then they will just turn to their play-stations and x-boxes instead.”

Find out why the Bark & Read Foundation was launched and what makes dogs the perfect classroom companion for children learning to read.
Now please go back to Give a Book.

The message of the medium

Another interesting and important study from the National Literacy Trust about children who read on e-readers compared to those who read printed books. The study shows that for the first time there are more children now who read on e-readers than in print, that most children have access to computers at home, and that those who read on e-readers are less adept at reading and also enjoy it less.
Think on this, read the study and then please return to Give a Book to give a book to someone who really needs one.

The Power of Books

We've had a lovely message from Mandrem in Goa from Helen at Helping Elsewhere. This is the only place outside the UK we give books to and we are delighted to do so. Helen writes:

"Once again we are offering huge, huge thanks to Give a Book for donating another wonderful selection of children’s reference books!! This is the second year running that our friends Claudia and Andy have foregone a good part of their flight luggage allowance to bring these valuable resources out and Jacinta, our Mandrem headmistress, was lost for words when trying to express her gratitude to people from so far away. As before, we are dividing the books between Mandrem and Sirsi (who haven’t quite got theirs yet!).

Please do take a look at what Give a Book does – it really is extraordinary – and if you believe in the power of books to address needs and spread pleasure across society then do please think about helping out where and when you can.

Back to Mandrem, and we were also privileged to meet two of Claudia’s and Andy’s friends, Henry and Sue Dixon. They are also long term Goa fans and had come loaded with all sorts of reading and arts materials for Mandrem school. We were very touched to learn that Henry had taken quite a lot of time out from a very busy year as High Sheriff of Clwyd in order to source a lot of donated books.

And let us not forget Filomena and Jorge Borba’s continued support in America – this year they have sent an appreciable amount of money to be spent on the library and sports equipment. They fell in love with our little bit of Goa when they visited a few years back, and have continued to support us from Boston ever since. And don’t forget they are sponsoring two more Sirsi schoolkids!

It was a really great ‘feel good’ experience when Henry, Sue and I visited Mandrem a few days back to give the teachers and kids an amazing range of books, to give Jacinta the money, and to show Henry and Sue the quality of our little village school now!

Thank you to everybody again for making this work!"

Now go back to Give a Book.