As a child I just took it for granted, the fact that my parents read to me, that our house was full of books, that birthdays and Christmases invariably brought more to go on my bedroom shelves and later to be squirreled away under the bedclothes, read by torchlight way after bedtime. I had no idea then how fortunate I was. But how I loved the books I had - witness the fact that several of the favourites are still on my bookcase now!
Recent research into the impact of World Book Day (which this year takes place on Thursday) shows that for almost a quarter of the children given their free £1 book token this marks their first opportunity to have a book of their own; amongst children having free school meals that's the case for a third of them. I think that there can be little doubt as to the real value of this charitable enterprise.
But I'm saddened to think of some of the activities that have grown up around World Book Day and the pressures that these too often exert on families. Going to school dressed as a favourite character from a book can be great fun - and I'm sure some parents and carers probably enjoy the challenge of putting together a costume for their child or children. But for those with little time or little inclination to design and make their own, the pressure to buy outfits so that a child or children fit in with their peers can be an unwelcome and expensive imposition. You only have to look at some of the costumes offered on line and advertised specifically with World Book Day in mind - a couple of the cheapest I've seen have been Alice in Wonderland ones at £19.99, Gruffalo ones at £24.99. For families in straightened circumstances, how on earth can that be justified? How much better if activities can be planned that demand less and offer more.
No comments:
Post a Comment