Talking Point - How can young people be encouraged to do more reading?

For the third year running, the government is to hand out free books to all children starting secondary school. Through the Booked Up scheme, all Year 7 children will be given a choice of one of 12 books, including Glenn Murphy's fact book How Loud Can You Burp? and the futuristic thriller Flood Child by Emily Diamond. Young people who are given books are encouraged to swap with their friends once they have finished with them.

Booktrust, which is running the scheme, says that as well as schools and parents, youth workers also have a role to play in encouraging reading among young people. Rosemary Clarke, director of book gifting programmes at the trust, says they have an advantage over teachers in that they are not tied to a curriculum. They have more scope to tailor reading activities to individual children and can promote reading through latest trends far more easily.