Booking is now open for the phenomenally successful home reading scheme Buster’s Book Club which is generating real excitement in classrooms across the county.

Last academic year, 26,000 children at 90 participating schools collectively achieved a record seven and a half million minutes of reading – an all time high for the scheme.

The initiative helps to improve child literacy by encouraging children and families to spend more time reading for pleasure at home. Each child is given a home reading target of a set number of minutes and then takes part in a series of challenges – including inter-class and inter-school - to enthuse them to meet or exceed their target.

Pupils can choose to read to themselves, to a parent, to listen to an audiobook, or a combination of all three. A parent or guardian must sign their special bookmark to confirm the child’s reading minutes which are then monitored and recorded by the school.

Participants compete for the weekly class of the week trophy while regular inter-school competitions offer prizes ranging from storyteller visits and book hampers to free entry tickets to attractions including Leeds Castle and Silver Blades ice rink. Celebrity storytellers include Phil Gallagher, presenter of CBeebies’ Mister Maker, and award-winning children’s author Nick Butterworth, creator of the Percy the Park Keeper and Q Pootle 5 series.

Charlotte Hayes of Buster’s Book Club said: “See for yourself how successful the scheme is at getting pupils from all walks of life, even disengaged boys, all fired up about reading. The children relish the challenge of trying to achieve the biggest number of reading minutes and take great delight in discussing their books with classmates and teachers.”

Organisations championing the reading initiative include Kent County Council, Medway Council, Bel UK, Kent Libraries, Golding Vision (part of Golding Homes), Leeds Castle, Orbit, Kent Reliance, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, and Specsavers.

Schools wanting more information or to join Buster’s Book Club should visit www.bustersbookclub.co.uk or contact Charlotte Hayes at chayes@thekmgroup.co.uk or Simon Dolby at sdolby@thekmgroup.co.uk or call 0844 264 0291.