Thousands of free copies of Sir Lenny Henry’s novel The Boy With Wings were given to children at 335 schools across the UK as part of Black History Month.
A partnership with Enterprise and the National Literacy Trust (NLT) meant 10 Liverpool schools received 600 free copies of the book with 25,000 sent out nationally. They aim to boost rates of reading for pleasure which is linked to better attainment at school, higher lifetime earning potential and better mental health.
40% of children and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds don’t see themselves in what they read. Despite clear benefits of reading, almost one in five (18.6%) children in England between the ages of five and eight do not have access to books at home, according to recent research by the NLT.
