Bedtime Stories for International Literacy Day

Posted on 08 Sep 2016 by Anna Scott
2016 marks the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day, a celebration which has opened up a world of stories and education to children across the globe. One of the best ways to encourage your children to read is not by foisting a book upon them, but reading to them yourself regularly so you can all enjoy the stories. And what better time to do this than at bedtime? Here are a few bedtime story recommendations for International Literacy Day, covering both old favourites, new titles and contemporary classics…

 

Picture Books


The Night PiratesThere’s nothing wrong with starting early, and younger toddlers are still able to take in the pictures even if they don’t have the patience to follow the story just yet. Although perhaps keep the babies away from babies who love to rip and chew (best to stick to board books if this is the case). Snug as a Bug (only £2 with The Works promo codes) has an obvious bedtime theme, with the story going through various rhyming scenarios – as sung as a bug rolled in a rug, as two cosy bats in woolly hats etc – with the combinations providing plenty of laughs for kids and adults alike. The Night Pirates (£5.99 with The Works promo codes) is one of those contemporary classics we mentioned earlier in which a young boy wakes up to find a group of girl pirates stealing the front of his house so he decides to join them. The most sensible option all round, we think you’ll agree.

 

Winnie the Pooh and the Wrong BeedsYou can also use bedtime stories as an opportunity to revisit some classics from your own childhood, books such as The Velveteen Rabbit (£10.59 with Hive Books discount vouchers) which tells the story of how a toy rabbit becomes ‘real’ after the other toys shun it. And you can’t go wrong with some classic Winnie the Pooh titles, such as Winnie the Pooh and the Wrong Bees (£4.99 with Hive Books discount vouchers), the very first story by AA Milne about the bear with very little brain.

 





Older Children


The Iron ManNo one is too old to be read a bedtime story, and as your children grow, you can discover the joys of reading them chapter books over the course of a few nights, with all of you on tenterhooks as the plot unravels. If you’re unsure where to start, how about with a classic like The Iron Man by Ted Hughes (£4.79 with WH Smith promotional codes) or The Hodgeheg by Dick King Smith (£4.79 with WH Smith promotional codes)? And let’s not forget other mystery classic such as The Secret Seven and The Famous Five books by Enid Blyton – best read with a clipped 1950s-style prim and proper accent. Of course, there are plenty of great contemporary books too so look out for authors such as Jacqueline Wilson, Lauren St. John, Robin Stevens and Abi Elphinstone.

 

 

 

 

A love of books isn’t something that should be forced, and making bedtimes stories a daily routine can focus on the fun side of reading. Because it IS supposed to fun, after all! So use International Literacy Day to encourage your children to pick out a few favourite titles of their own, turn off the TV, and sit down together to get lost in a story…

 

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