UK Government announces reading contest for British children; “Potter” recommended

On Tuesday, the United Kingdom government announced its plan to get more children reading by aiming the contest, which is set to begin in September, for young boys aged 8-12 years old.

The contest will reward the young readers who devour the most books with the clear intention “to give a competitive spur to reluctant readers,” according to schools minister Nick Gibb.

Both boys and girls are eligible for contest, but as boys make up the majority of “reluctant readers” the hope would be to inspire them “by a bit of healthy competition.” One in ten British boys are now leaving the primary school at a seven-year-old reading level.

If the children want to get a head start on the competition, then there is a handy list of recommended books, including, of course, the entire Harry Potter series, which has an addictive quality and will cause the children to want to devour all seven books in a row giving them a huge head start on the competition.