Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced an initiative  to encourage more teenage boys to read for pleasure. Speaking at the School Librarian of the Year Award at Birmingham Botanic Gardens earlier today, Johnson said, Kick starting a young person's passion for reading can help them on so many levels. We know there is a clear link between reading for pleasure and academic performance - not just in English, but across the whole curriculum. Beyond this, of course, reading can enrich their lives by freeing their imagination, inspiring creativity and developing intellectual curiosity.'

Every  maintained secondary school in England will be invited to choose 20 books for their library from a specially selected list of titles. Johnson said 'The book list that schools can choose from has been drawn up by librarians who have carefully researched what books excite this age group. It belnds classic literature with modern titles and spans a full range of genres and reading levels. So whatever a young person's interest or ability may be, there should be something to interest and excitie them.

The full book list  and further information from the School Library Association website http://www.sla.org.uk/

The boys book list has 15 different classifications, which link to different genres.

BOGGLE - factual books

DISCOVER - classic books

EXPERIMENT - short stories

EXPLORE - fantasy and magic titles

FAST FORWARD - future fantasy

FEAR - horror

IMAGINE - historical fantasy

INVESTIGATE - crime

LAUGH - humour

LOOK BACK - history

PLAY - sport and hobbies

SPY - spies and special agents

THINK - real life issues

TRAIN - cool schools

Along with the 20 free books, school will also recevie newly designed posters and postcards to promote them in their libraries.

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