"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader" — starting from that idea, we arranged a collaboration with Bookster, one of the most respected online libraries, so that every child enrolled at PlusKids has a subscription.
We wanted to give the children a simple route into reading. Simple is the right word: the most common reason a child does not read is not a lack of interest but the absence of the right book within reach at the moment they would have read it. A subscription solves exactly that — the book comes to the child, rather than the other way round.
The subscription is not only for the children but for their parents too. We believe parental involvement in reading is essential, so parents can order books free of charge to read with their children at home. A child who sees a parent reading learns more about reading than from any amount of urging: at this age, habits are picked up by imitation, not by persuasion.
Why do we think this initiative matters? Because reading has broad effects on cognitive and emotional development. A child who reads builds vocabulary effortlessly, trains sustained attention — harder and harder to form these days — and, perhaps most importantly, practises empathy: they enter a character's mind and understand that things can be seen differently from how they see them.
We are proud to offer children this opportunity and to help, together with their parents, raise passionate readers.