YOUNG reading champions at Kennet Valley Primary School have written to the new Queen Consort for her recommendations on books for their fellow pupils to try.

The champions were chosen for the role by teacher and book-lover Sarah Byford after they wrote application letters explaining why they would be good at helping her to plan new activities for the rest of the school.

And the first job they decided they needed to do was to get some ideas from Camilla because she had recently spoken about her love of reading.

Her favourite children’s books include Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome and The Explorer by Katherine Randell.

In 2020, to mark World Book Day she said: “If I can give you one piece of advice, it is to put down your phones and pick up a book, especially before you go to bed. Books never lose their signal or run out of battery, and they will always take you to a thousand different worlds with every turn of a page.”

Kennet Valley's reading champions have asked for a selection of her recommended children’s titles so they can be bought for the school and enjoyed by all the pupils.

Mrs Byford has arranged for the books to be on display, ready to be borrowed, at the start of Term 2.

“I was delighted that so many children applied to be a reading champion this year," she said. "It was incredibly hard to choose which of the children got the job! All of them have already impressed me greatly with their letters to our new Queen – we are crossing our fingers that we get a reply from her … or even a visit!”

The scheme follows the school receiving bronze and silver awards as part of the Wiltshire Year of Reading in 2021.

Headteacher Emma Russell said, “I am so proud that the school has achieved the Bronze and Silver Awards for their hard work last year.

"As a school, we work to inspire children to read as much as possible, and to read as wide a variety of authors as possible. This is because we know that it can make a real difference to them.

"I hope that the new Reading Champions love their new roles and inspire the school to read, read, read!”