Bedtime Story Competition with The Book People

I get a lot of press releases every single day but there are only a few that really grab my attention. One that did, was an email from The Book People which revealed the results of a YouGov survey that questioned 448 UK parents with children aged 5 – 11 commissioned for their annual Bedtime Story Competition. The results were quite frankly shocking.

Why you should read your child a bedtime story

A whopping 20% of parents admitted to spending no time at all reading with their primary school aged children, while 54% of parents said that they spend less than an hour a week reading to their kids. Experts, however, recommend at least 20 minutes of daily reading to develop important literacy skills – something that UK-students are already lacking according to the latest Pisa rankings. The UK is ranked 22nd behind countries like Estonia, Slovenia and Poland and if you’re looking at the reasons behind the issue, two factors stand out.

On the one hand, around 29% of parents feel like they don’t set a good enough example themselves, on the other hand, the same number of people rather hand their child a tablet or smartphone to keep them entertained than grab a book. But reading with children is something incredibly important, yet so easy to incorporate. We read numerous times a day and it’s something incredibly important to me – not only for educational reasons but also because reading is a great time to bond with your children and talk about their day or feelings.

Our favourite books to read for fun or as a bedtime story

I’ve shared our 10 favourite children’s books to read, either as a bedtime story or just for fun, so make sure to check out the video if you’re after some inspiration:

“The findings from the survey are both intriguing and alarming and show that as a nation we can certainly do more to encourage the next generation of readers and authors,” says Sarah Walden, Book People Group Buying and Merchandising Director. “Electronic devices are always competing for everyone’s attention, but spending a couple hours a week reading with your children works out at less than 20 minutes a day, and allows you to spend true quality time with them. At Book People, we’re passionate about spreading the joy of reading and supporting child literacy, and this year’s Bedtime Story Competition is another great way to engage children in reading, writing and the joy of storytelling.”

Bedtime Story competition for budding young authors

The Book People’s second Bedtime Story Competition challenges young authors aged between five and 11 to create a picture book all about friendship. The judging panel will be led by Strictly Come Dancing presenter and mum of 3, Claudia Winkelman. The lucky winner will become a published author, with their book being brought to life by top illustrator Alison Brown, and published by Little Tiger.

If you think, your kids have what it takes to be a published author, make sure to enter the competition until 2 October this year. For more details, check out http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/bedtimestory.

Don’t have a budding writer but avid reader on your hands? Simply follow @caro_mad over on Twitter and RT the tweet below to be in with a chance of winning a bundle including the following 5 bedtime stories. Good luck!

The books included are:

The Moon Man, Isabel Harris

Under the Same Sky, Britta Teckentrup

My Grandparents Love Me, Claire Freedman

The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster, David Conway

Moomin and the Favourite Thing, Tove Jansson

Follow & RT to #win a bundle of 5 bedtime stories. Details and T&s: https://t.co/ZhZZ5gbxe6 Entry closes 01/10/2017 – UK only #competition pic.twitter.com/PNRwTRNEL6

— Carolin Mader (@caro_mad) 18. September 2017

Terms & Conditions: Follow @caro_mad and RT this tweet. Quotes won’t be counted and entered into the prize draw. Competition ends: Midnight Sunday, 1 October 2017. UK entrants aged 18 and older only.