Book Week Scotland has brought a burst of colour, stories and excitement to children across the Highlands as events celebrating local authors take place from Skye to Inverness, and the Scottish Government marks ten years of its Bookbug initiative with another round of book bags for primary pupils.
The Scottish Book Trust has organised a programme of events between the seventeenth and twenty second of November with sessions in Skye, Inverness and Sutherland that showcase writers from these communities and encourage families to celebrate reading together.
Alongside the celebrations, every child in primary one to primary three will receive a bag of books in school this week as part of the Scottish Government’s Bookbug initiative which is now in its tenth year.
All children in Scotland receive four free Bookbug bags by the age of five and the First Minister’s Read Write Count initiative provides children in primary two and primary three with a bag containing books and games to support learning at home.
Bookbug aims to create a love of reading from the earliest years by giving families high quality books and simple tools that build confidence with stories, language and play.
The initiative is funded by the Scottish Government and is seen as an important step in boosting literacy skills while helping parents feel confident in encouraging reading and writing at home.
Eilidh Munro, the SNP candidate for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said Book Week Scotland is a reminder of the difference stories can make to young minds and families.
She said Book Week Scotland is an excellent opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s thriving literary scene as well as the benefits that reading can bring to all of us no matter what age you are.
She said her own child was thrilled to receive his new Bookbug bag.
“My six year old was really excited to receive his Bookbug bag this week which included stories in English and Gaelic as well as games and activities for us to enjoy as a family.
“We attended many Bookbug sessions at the local library when our kids were little and have benefitted hugely from the resources provided directly through the Bookbug bags as well.
“I can say firsthand that this initiative is massively encouraging for young children in developing their ability in reading and writing which is so important given how screen focussed many of our lives can be these days.”
She said the initiative matters because every family should be able to access high quality learning resources.
“It is so important that families across Scotland no matter their circumstances are able to access high quality educational resources for their children and Bookbug is an example of one of the many ways the SNP is continuing to support families all over Scotland.
“It is vital that young children are helped to develop their reading and writing skills at home as well as at school and also that a love of reading is instilled at an early age something which will have long lasting positive impacts for our children as individuals and for our society as a whole.”
Book Week Scotland continues across the Highlands this week with families and schools marking the occasion through readings, activities and community events that celebrate stories from every corner of the country.
The hope shared by organisers and families alike is that these early sparks of excitement around books will grow into lifelong habits that shape the confidence and creativity of the next generation.
