There are some dedicated Shansters in Year 6 of Elmhurst Primary School, and they sent me a few photos recently to prove how literally into my books they are. The first picture looked a bit spooky to me, with all the faces covered and everyone standing in the same pose -- it put me in mind of the children in an old sci-fi horror film called Village Of The Damned. (If you've never seen it, I strongly recommend it, but make sure you catch the 1960 original, not the 1990s remake.)

But the second photo beautifully captures the joy that a good book can bring -- THIS is why we read, for the excitement, the thrills, and the sheer positive love that an engaging story can stir within us -- yes, even if it's a horrifying story about vampires, zombies or demons. Reading time in schools is vitally important, and it's something I think we need more of, but we should never lose sight of the key fact that children should be taught that reading is FUN. If children are encourage to read for entertainment, as these students are doing, they'll make improvements right the way across the educational board. But the fun must come first.