The Bookseller - News - Morpurgo unites Children's Laureates in call for national investment in early years reading

In an open letter, Morpurgo, writing in his role as president of BookTrust, said: "It is not right that children from poorer backgrounds are deprived of a life that is rich in reading." The letter highlighted evidence for the wide-ranging benefits given to children who are read to early on, citing a profound impact on educational success, language development, mental well-being and relationships. Malorie Blackman, Sir Quentin Blake and Julia Donaldson are among the former Children's Laureates who have signed in support of the letter.

New statistics from BookTrust show that although 95% of parents with children under seven know how crucial reading is, one in five children aged 0-4 have a book read to them less than once a month. Further research from the charity shows that less than half of children are read a bedtime story and only half of children aged between one and two from low-income families are read to daily.