Patience Thomson was, on Wednesday 13 May 2009, announced as winner of the Quick Reads Learners' Favourite Award. Patience has over 30 years experience teaching children with reading difficulties and is co-founder of Barrington Stoke, a publisher specializing in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers.
Seeing off competition from Quick Reads authors including the UK's number one crime writer, Ian Rankin and best-selling novelist Kate Mosse, Patience said “I am thrilled to win this award. It is an immense tribute to the parents, pupils and colleagues who, over the years, have taught me so much about the true nature of reading difficulties and how to overcome them. It proves how many people there are who really believe in the importance of reading, and how it influences the lives of all of us. Reading opens up new landscapes and shapes our minds. No one should be denied the chance to learn. And there are 101 ways parents can help them to do so.”
101 Ways to get your Child to Read targets parents whose children find reading a challenge or who do not want to read by using tried and tested tips to encourage family reading. With celebrity hints and tips, the book is written in a clear, concise style to help all adults, including those who struggle with reading themselves.
Carol Taylor, NIACE Director of Operations commented, “What great news that adult learners have voted for a book that shows the value of parents supporting their children's reading and writing. NIACE knows, and research proves, that the first few years of a child's life are the most important to appreciate the joy of learning - a habit that stays with them forever. Patience Thompson's book concentrates on the support parents can give to children who have particular challenges with reading and writing and obviously the learners value the book enormously.”
Quick Reads offer an exciting and affordable introduction to the world of books for new readers and for those who have lost the reading habit. Over 1 million copies have been sold since their launch by Tony Blair in 2006. This year's titles included new novels from Kate Mosse, Ian Rankin, Sherrie Hewson, Gervase Phinn, Catrin Collier, John Boyne and Jacqueline Rayner, and non-fiction books from Lola Jaye and the BBC's Dragons Den team.
Past winners of the Quick Reads Learners' Favourite Award include Adele Parks for her Quick Read Happy Families in 2008, Ricky Tomlinson for Reading My Arse! in 2007 and Minette Walters in 2006 for her book Chickenfeed.
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