Children's book week kicks off in Netherlands
Children's books week kicks off in the Netherlands today. The week is dedicated to encouraging kids to read for fun. This year's theme is "En toen?", which translates to "And then?", RTV Oost reports.
Between September 30th and October 11th, primary schools, bookstores and libraries will focus on reading to children, or encouraging children to read themselves. At many schools, the week is kicked off with a dance to a song, specially recorded by Kinderen voor Kinderen.
A study by the Education Council and the Council of Culture last year showed that children and teens in the Netherlands read for pleasure less and less. Children whose parents are unable to read to them at home struggle more with finding the motivation to read.
Libraries are also frequently face budget cuts, and attention at school is divided over too many subjects, the study showed. The Councils therefore called for a reading offensive to help children choose to read during their leisure time.
