A UNIQUE scheme encouraging Highland children to read has been backed by Inverness-based wind farm company Falck Renewables with sponsorship worth £2,000.

The support will contribute to the costs of the first-ever Highland Children’s Book Awards, organised by a small group of school librarians, which were launched two weeks ago.

Euan Fraser at the library

Golspie High School librarian Lynsey Stein, one of the organisers, said: “This is fantastic news. Falck’s support will help to ensure the success of a project already bringing pleasure and educational benefits to young people across the area,” Lynsey said.

Falck’s consultant project manager Euan Fraser said the company was delighted to sponsor such an inspirational scheme. “We didn’t need much time to think about this. Anything which helps the development of our children, and makes learning fun, has to be applauded,” he added. Although similar schemes take place in other parts of the country, the Highland project is the only one where the children will be responsible for the nominations and voting.

“We felt it was about time the Highlands had something like this. The area often misses out when authors are doing tours and the book awards will bring them into our schools,” Lynsey explained.

“The scheme is all about the children – they have ownership of these awards. We’re trying to encourage them to read as well as introducing them to new books. Reading is not only educational. It fires their imagination and allows them to enter a different world.”

With funding support from the School Library Service, a broad range of the latest books have been distributed to primary and secondary schools in the region.

Erin Gentilucci at school

Primary children will be reading and judging picture books and short novels while secondary pupils will be giving their opinions of longer novels. The youngsters are also being encouraged to write reviews using the awards website at www.highlandschools-virtualib.org.uk/hba

There will be winners in each category chosen from three shortlisted selections. The first round of votes must be in by 1st May and the shortlists published that week. Final votes for the overall three winners are needed by the school summer holidays.

Winning authors will be invited to receive their prizes at a celebratory final reading event in the autumn.

Now in its third week, (UPDATE) Lynsey is delighted with the progress of the scheme so far. “The children are really enjoying the books, and they really like whole concept of the scheme.”