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Target Who Books Donated to Schools: 9673
Inspired Donations by Other People: 416

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Donating 11,000 Books to School Libraries to support Children's Literacy

Friday 3 May 2013

Mad Fans with a Box of Books



I want to clear up a slight misunderstanding that some readers may have about our project.  Some people may think that this project is about Doctor Who.  It is not.  It is about something more important than Doctor Who.  I realise that’s a shocking statement for some of you.  This project is about Children’s Literacy. 


All across the country, no make that all across the world, there are children that are switched off to reading.  They regard reading as something you are only made to do in schools.  They have no books at home and rarely see an adult read.  The only person who enthuses about books is their teacher.  Reading is hard work for them and there are so many other easier distractions, like You Tube, Computer games and TV.


We at Target Who believe that a love of reading is the most important gift you can give a child.  When a child reads they increase their vocabulary.  As their vocabulary grows, so does their self-confidence, their self-esteem and most importantly their ability to communicate.  Everything they do in life will be influenced by their ability to communicate.  Everything from first talking to that person they find attractive, to sitting in that job interview.  This project is only possible by our ability to communicate; to you; to the press; to the schools; to everyone.  We have an idea that may seem impossible; to spread 14,000 books around the country to schools at little cost to ourselves.  We will achieve this by communicating our passion for improving children’s literacy to our friends and relatives and many others.  We are blogging, Tweeting, Posting, Telephoning, Meeting and using every way possible to achieve our aims.  It all comes down to our ability to communicate, and those skills improved when we began to read. 


For us at Target Who that first book that made us lifelong readers was a Doctor Who book.  When we see children in schools and witness their current passion for the current Doctor Who series, we recognise ourselves as children from many decades past.  Some of these children are disinterested in reading, but they are passionate about Doctor Who.  We know that and teachers know that, but with budget cuts and rising costs school libraries cannot harness that passion by introducing their children to their passion in book form.  We can.  We can’t reach every school.  We can’t give many books.  We would rather give a FEW books to MANY schools, rather than the many to a few.


We know that when some children see these books they will be drawn to them like moths to a flame.  They will WANT to read them. They will read them.  It may be a challenge at times, forcing them to look up a word or two in a dictionary, but they will read them.  Some will be forever changed.  Some will realise that books aren’t just pages of words. They aren’t just something a teacher forces them to read.  They will realise that books are something that can be enjoyed for pleasure.  They will finish that book and they will reach for another and keep reaching.  They will become bookworms and they will flourish.  We know.  We were those children once.


We are Target Who.  We are Mad Fans with a Box of Books.  We will do all we can to spread the joy of reading amongst your children.  We hope you will too.

6 comments:

  1. I really hope, and believe that this project will succeed. I collected and repeatedly read dozens of second hand Target paperbacks in my early teens, going to a bookshop on an almost weekly basis.

    I recently found them and sold the lot on eBay. I'm now starting to regret this, as I think a quick tour round my town's primary schools would have been a better idea.

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  2. Well said, sir. I honestly have nothing but respect for this project. You have inspired me, and I'm sure countless others to action. It will be interesting to see where this all leads, but I'm sure it will be wonderful! Top marks.

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  3. Wonderful! Best of luck on this delightful task.

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  4. Melita Sheppard9 May 2013 at 10:33

    This is a fantastic project. I am a school librarian passionate about helping children become readers. Everything you have said in your blog links to what school librarians have been saying for years. Thank you. I am about to put a post on facebook where I have links to many librarians and authors. I suggest you write to BBC radio 2. Simon Mayo (teatime slot) also encourages children to read and may help spread your word.

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  5. Nigel Robinson10 May 2013 at 13:26

    What a fantastic project!

    Nigel Robinson
    (former Target Editor)

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  6. Thank you for your many kind words. Nigel, one of the titles we will be donating to schools is your own book - The Time Meddler

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