March 4^th is World Book Day  (well, for two islands in Europe anyway) – its official website describes the day as the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland. Encouraging children to read has always been one of the day’s primary objectives. Today World Book Day partner, Author Hotline, is launching a new school resource supporting this aim.

Author Hotline’s website is aimed at primary school children to help them understand the creative process and to identify with authors.   

The website’s founder, Antony Lishak says, “The whole project is based on my belief that schools benefit hugely through contact with those who purport to make a living from words and pictures. Our professional insight into the “creative process” can be profoundly influential – especially in a world where schools are expected to deliver so much in such a limited time. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we play a crucial role in school life and not just because without us their shelves would be bare – children positively thrive on identifying with “real” authors. Those of us who spend much of our lives in schools experience this first hand. For a child to realise that people who make books burp, sing ABBA songs in the bath, love football, are afraid of spiders, would love to sky-dive, eat copious amounts of chocolate or still treasure the doll their grandma gave them… is a revelation. “You’re really just like me; maybe I can be just like you…” Thus the primary motivation for the AUTHOR HOTLINE is to create a school resource that demystifies the whole process by encouraging children to identify with “us” in an entertaining, accessible way.”

I had a look at Author Hotline’s website and liked the idea. So I added my profile to their site. I hope children and their schools get many hours of fun and information from their website.

More than ever before we need to encourage children (and adults!) to read for pleasure. I think Author Hotline is on the right track. Have a look at their website at www.authorhotline.com.