Children’s disability charity, Children Today Charitable Trust, is marking World Book Day on 6th March with an exclusive reading of Danielle Brown’s “Girls Rule” book, read by the two-time gold paralympic gold medallist and author herself.
The event is part of the charity’s ‘Reading for Life’ project which aims to spread awareness of disability and neurodiversity and celebrate inclusion and diversity.
The online reading events have been running since December 2024 and feature 12 separate sessions with authors including paralympic gold medallist Danielle Brown MBE, Kate Foster and Matt Stephenson. Each session includes a live reading by the author followed by a question and answer session for the children listening to it.
Cheshire-based Children Today offers the free sessions to schools, pre-schools, individuals and other organisations. Participants sign up to join in and listen to the live sessions with their pupils.
Lexi Heselwood, communication manager, at Children Today says: “‘Reading for Life’ is all about bringing more inclusive stories with disabled and neurodivergent characters to our children’s classrooms and beyond, sharing positive messaging about disability, celebrating our differences and encouraging inclusivity.
“We have already had some amazing authors reading their books during these sessions and we couldn’t be more excited to have Danielle Brown reading her renowned book Girls Rule, which celebrate female role models in sport and throughout history, especially on World Book Day.”
Children Today is working in partnership with therapist, author and speaker Cat Williams, of Building Your Confidence Ltd, as well as Cheshire Education Library Services and Cheshire Public Library Services to deliver the programme of events, which run through to May 2025.
Cat, who is hosting each of the Reading For Life sessions, said: “I’m passionate about building emotional awareness, self-belief and self-esteem from as young an age as possible, for people across all diversities and circumstances.
“I particularly wanted to support Children Today’s ‘Reading for Life’ project because I believe we all communicate at our best through stories. Stories transform lives by resonating through time, and change the way we see ourselves, others and the world on an emotional level.
“We’re all made up of the stories we’ve been told and the stories we tell ourselves. My own career journey has been transformed by the stories that have guided and transformed me along the way.”
‘Reading for Life’ kicked off in December with debut author Marc Bratcher and illustrator Korky Paul – well known for his illustrations of the Winnie and Wilbur series – who shared their festive tale, One Snowy Christmas Eve.
The programme has already seen Danielle Brown MBE, share excerpts from her book Run Like a Girl. While Kate Foster, who is Autistic, has introduced her neurodiverse heroine Harriet Hound.
To find out more about the events or to register to take part visit: https://www.childrentoday.org.uk/events/
The full line up of remaining events is as follows:
- Thursday 6th March 2025 – World Book Day – Danielle Brown, Girls Rule
- Friday 21st March 2025 – Anne Alcott, When Things Get Too Loud
- Tuesday 18th March 2025 – Kate Foster, Harriet Hound
- Wednesday 2nd April 2025 – Charlotte Barkla, From My Head to my Toes I say What Goes
- Monday 28th April 2025 – Matt Stephenson, Raz Beri
- Thursday 8th May 2025 – Anne Alcott, This Book Is Overwhelmed
- Thursday 15th May 2025 – Kate Foster, The Bravest Word
