Because some of the best books I've ever read are those that I wouldn't choose for myself, but have been given as gifts or recommendations from friends, colleagues and bookshop staff.

We pledge to read books regularly in order to keep up this much needed tradition in our lives!

The love of books and reading is central to a child's educational development and can't start too soon. Once they have the love of books then the sky's (or even the universe is) the limit!

i have a proffesional and personal passion for reading with children to help their language skills as i am a speech and language therapist and mum of two young boys. I have seen the difference book sharing makes at work and at home with my family and i really want lots of other children to carry on benefitting from the amazing gift of books for all regardless of background, ethnicity, or financial situation.

With two girls aged five and seven, reading to them, and hearing them read to me makes for the most manic yet rewarding last hour of the day. From The Gruffalo to James and the Giant Peach, and of course (them being princesses) Cinderella – these are amongst the favourites we like to read together as a family. It’s fascinating to see their imagination run wild.

I became a school librarian because I believe passionately in the importance of reading for pleasure and wanted to be able to share my love of books with teenagers that wouldn't choose to go into a public library. The enthusiasm I'm greeted with every day makes it all worthwhile!

BOTH MY CHILDREN ADORE STORIES AND THEY BOTH BENEFITED FROM BOOKSTART PACKS. NOT ONE DAY OF THEIR CHILDHOOD HAS GONE PAST WITHOUT A STORY AND THIS IS AN UNPARRALLED PLEASURE FOR ME.

I believe reading is very important and a very special time with your kids.

Books are for fun, knowledge,escaping and quality time sharing. I couldn't imagine my life without booksand wouldn't want to. When my health visitor gave my son his bookstart present of books and bag, I thought it was the best present he had received since he was born. Thank you book start!

Because books are something that make me feel alive and my parents even say that i was born with a book in my hands....

To be able to enthuse my daughter with a love of books is a very special gift I hope to bring her. I am really looking forward to reading her the books I adored as a child and I have also discovered some modern delights.

Because I love having my family read to me and I am now starting to learn to read too.

I love books and believe reading is at the heart of everything we do. I have very strong memories of my bedtime story being read to me by my dad and we would both always fall asleep before the end! Reading your favourite stories together forms a special bond. Even now, 25 years on, we still argue about which Beatrix Potter Story is the best! I say Pigling Bland all the way!

Every child has the right to stories and truth via good information. Never too young to start and we're never too old to continue...

sharing books with my daughter is magical and a huge part of her childhood and development

I love to read and I hope my little boy loves books as much as I do... We've already read the classics together; The Tiger who came to Tea, The Very Hungry Caterpiller, etc. Everyone should have the best opportunity to enjoy books right from the start!!

As a child I was taken each Saturday to the library by my Dad, who was an avid reader. I loved choosing my own books and becoming immersed in stories. Some early favourites were Swallows and Amazons, Biggles and Enid Blyton. Books have been my constant companions through life and I feel it's a great help if youngsters catch the reading bug early because reading can bring such happiness to all ages.

The gift of new universes and new worlds is the best present you can give anyone. Even if there's no special occasion. Books and comics and stories help us become ourselves.

Books: pure dead brilliant.

Because my son absolutley loves having books read to him.

I love books and I love the Bookstart scheme. It is so wonderful that everyone child in Britain is provided with free books from 9 months. The parents love it and so do the children. Long may it continue.

I am a big fan of Bookstart and reading so I fully support this inspirational campaign!

I am a mum of 2 and a registered accreditied childminder, i read to my own and minded children everyday and all children can independently access the books in our playroom and it is a special time reading and sharing books with the children.

im pledging because i think books are important and reading to your child is essential to help them get interested in books and helps them to learn to read

It is through stories and poems that we come to an understanding of ourselves and of others and the world about us. The earlier a child learns to love stories and poems, the more likely it is that the child will grow up aware and grow up thinking. We owe our children a good start in life, a book start in life.

Because I am an avid reader and believe all children should have access to books. In my opinion nothing compares to the escapism that books can bring.

The ability to read and enjoy reading creates access to the richest resource of culture and information that you could possibly imagine

I love the written word and I feel every child should too, the world of books is such a wonderful place!

After years of thinking it would never happen, I now have a lovely niece and nephew and I want to share especially with them the world of books, stories and reading...

I am an avid reader and it has brought me so much pleasure and widened my imagination and I want my boys to follow in my footsteps and read lots of wonderful and interesting books! Pictured below are my boys reading together, Finley 1 and Joshua 3

i love reading and i want others also to start liking it. as books will never leave you freinds can, freinds can leave us but books can never ever leave us.and i not only will do it this year i have already done it and am going to continue do it !!

After being read to and enjoying books from an early age, I've continued to love reading through childhood and as an adult (now studying literature at university) and recognise the value of those first few years of sharing books. Bookstart provides others with the same opportunities I was fortunate enough to have.

I pledge to support and promote Bookstart's 20th Anniversary across Bath and North East Somerset, to share 20 books and to encourage other to do so.

Because I love books and love sharing them with my 3 year old daughter. Books are important not only for literacy but for opening a whole world of immagination and adverture.

Only a book allows you to go to the world in your imagination. A film is just somebody elses world, not yours. That freedom can be a life saver. As a prmary school teacher and a mum I know how important it is for children to own books and be able to escape. Well done Bookstart.

I simply can't imagine my life without books. The enormous pleasure of turning that very first page never changes.

My son was born in October of last year, my husband and myself love reading and it is something I want him to enjoy as he grows. We have read to him since he was born and take out around 10 books every 1-2 weeks from our local library. He enjoys the images and being read to.

Reading changes lives and changes the world. All children should experience the pleasure I enjoyed of a childhood enhanced by books and reading.

I'm pledging this for bookstart 2012 as i love books and i work with children and i love to get children interested in books

My baby is now (feb 2012) 5 months old and I want him to grow up enjoying books.

Bookstart encourages adults to read to and with their children, and every child who learns to love to read is one who gains access to the keys to a magical universe of characters, landscapes and worlds of imagination.

Booktouch is the version of Bookstart developed to help blind and partially sighted babies and toddlers get 'bookstarted'. RNIB is very pleased to have been involved in the Booktouch project. We warmly welcome an initiative aimed at including young children with sight problems and their families, and encouraging them to enjoy the world of sharing books.

because this photo is of my son who I waited 18 years to have before finally falling pregnant naturally just before my 40th birthday and I want him to grow up well educated and well read so I make this pledge to him and for him.

Books teach us about the world and this scheme helps ensure all our children get the best start on their reading journey.

I have a love of books and am pleased that Jack (2years) has too. I love seeing the look on Jacks face when he hears all the different voices we put on and look forward to sharing the books I loved as a child with him. Books stay a part of your life for a very long time and theres nothing better than re-discovering an old friend.

Maia was welcomed into the world with gifts of books on the day she was born and has loved stories ever since. Sharing 20 books with her is a joy and a lovely way to spend special times together.

Without books I wouldn't have known Narnia, the Never Never Land, Disc World and many more magical places as a child. I hope every child can have a place to escape and find these.

preaparation of rtet2012

As a school librarian, the best thing about my job is sharing books. As well as the many books I loan out every week, I also have the chance to read stories and picture books to children in school. I love sharing a new book (or an old favourite) with children and watching how they are drawn into the story.

Because I think books are a massive part of childhood and a great way of starting you off for life

Good for me, good for my child, good for everyone.

Sharing books with children is a very special experience. There's nothing nicer than cuddling up on the sofa together to enjoy reading a favourite story. As well as giving children free books, one of the wonderful things about Bookstart is that it provides help to families to encourage them to read together, providing support, guidance and lots of ideas to help them make the most of these moments to treasure.

I love books, so I think Bookstart is brilliant!

I pledge because reading is important. Its a great way to interact and teach your child and it is an important part of my two year olds bed time routine

When my daughter received her Bookstart bag in 2001 it gave me a kickstart to share books with her and join the library. Now she is 11 years old and the library is the only place that can keep up with her appetite for books! Funnily enough I have become a Bookstart Co-ordinator and it will be easy (and a pleasure) to complete the pledge.

Bookstart is where the magic begins. There is nothing more satisfying than watching children's faces light up when sharing stories together and to hear that magic word AGAIN. Treasure every moment.

Having worked with young children for thirty years, and being a mother and grandmother, I have seen first hand the benefits and joys that sharing books with families and children can bring. It is a pleasure to make this pledge.

Bookstart is brilliant because it helps children to love books. And if you love books your life is better. Reading opens the door to countless new worlds and sparks imaginations all through life. Long may Bookstart last!

I'm am making this pledge because I am hoping that people realise how important books still are in this digital age. Reading 'an actual' book is an experience within it's self to be treasured.

I really enjoy reading myself therefore would like to encourage more people to pick up a book and do the same. And believe if you teach children to read from any early age they develop an interest.

I support Bookstart as I believe ALL children (including those with additional needs) should be able to access and enjoy books. Also hoping my own daughter will grow up to love books as much as her mother does.

Reading can be an almost magical thing and there is nothing like sharing a book with your child! Congratulations to Bookstart!

To ensure future generations derive as much pleasure as I have and continue to get from reading.

Bookstart does such an important job in gifting books to children, stimulating their imagination and bringing new worlds to them.

I am pledging as sharing books with my little boy is such a special time and love how much he enjoys sharing them with us. He has his favourites which of course have to be read over and over again. Sharing the books, stories and rhymes assists in his speech and language development and the his awareness of the world around allowing him to build a deeper understanding. We love books!!!!!!!!!!!

Words move us, they are us, they change us. Words help us grow, make us feel human, acknowledged, understood, accepted, surprised, shocked, empathetic and so much more. Everyone needs the opportunity to have their own relationship with words. We absorb and express words. Words make us human. I will do everything I can to share my passion for words *queue poetic image*

As founder of ReadItDaddy, I recognised early on just how important books and being read to are to my daughter. Bookstart is vitally important for developing readers now more so than ever.

sharing stories and books with our children sets a good time memory both for kid and parents that last forever

I'm making the Bookstart Pledge because I believe in the power of books to transform lives. I have always loved sharing books with my daughter, friends and other family members and am looking forward to sharing twenty books during 2012..!

I love reading, it is a way to escape reality and live in fantasy and at time it is a much needed break. I want my kids to have the same enjoyment in reading as i do

I've been brought up with books, so much so that I still know the words to the Gruffalo at 16! I believe every child should have the right to free books so that they can be the best that they can be.

I enjoy reading every day, books are my favourite! I remember having my Bookstart pack and I loved it, thank you Bookstart!

I think my favourite book to share with a small child is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. The illustrations are fantastic, the text succinctly perfect, and it's great fun getting a child to join in by roaring terrible roars and showing terrible claws

Bookstart is amazing. It gives children from all backgrounds the chance to develop a love of reading. While libraries let children borrow books Bookstart actually let children own a book, something for themselves that they can cherish and take pride in owning. The joy that children get from reading makes learning fun and the more fun something is the more we want to do it!

As a reception teacher I love sharing books with the children in my class and hope to pass my love of books and the importance of reading on to the next generation! Where would we be if we couldn't get lost in a good book? Whether it's Oz, Hogwarts or a Bear hunt I'll definitely be sharing at least 20 books this 2012!

I love to hear my daughter Marina read to me, i also love to see her face light up each time she comes home from the library with her mum & shows me her bookstart certificates that she has collected. She makes me proud to be her farther.

Because all children deserve that wonderful experience of becoming completely absorbed in a fantastic story that fires their imaginations.

I loved reading and sharing books as a child, and believe that developing a love of reading and story telling is one of the best things for a childs sense of imagination as well as literacy development. My pledge: every child i buy a present for this year will receive a book

I believe the 'real book' is a dying form that needs to be saved. Nothing is more powerful than the words of a book or the imagination it generates

I now have two children that I am raising alone, I grew up reading literally thousands of books and feel I got a better education because I sought the information myself.. I'd love to pass on my love of knowledge, the passion to seek out information, and the joy of losing yourself in a good book to both my children and will actively encourage them to read a wide variety of books regularly. I love...

Reading and enjoying books features a lot in our day but I think our favourite storytime is at bedtime when all else is quiet and we cut to cosy up and go wherever our book takes us. We want lots more adventures in 2012 and can't wait to share 20 more books.

I like books because they are very interesting to read and you can find out lots of information about things. My favourite book is Alana Dacing Star.

I am making this pledge as I love books and I believe that reading is important for young people and children. Therefore, I am taking this opportunity to highlight this worthy cause.

Every child deserves access to good children's books.

I believe that reading is a really important skill to have for children.

My children loved receiving the bookstart books when they were younger and they read with great enthusiasm these days.

Books were fundamental to my childhood; I can still remember many of those magical stories today. They stay with you and every child should have the opportunity to become engulfed in story and reach new heights of their own imagination.

Because reading connects us to other people's thoughts and feelings

We promise to share our love of books throughout the Wakefield District and promote everyone to share 20 books. Jill, Pat, Alison, Lynne & Jayne The Engagement Team Wakefield Council Libraries

Booktrust has been one of the nicest surprises for me as a transplanted American living and parenting in the UK. I love what it does and I want it to continue forever.

Bookstart has been tremendously important over the last 20 years in providing books to children. I’m pleased that public libraries have been invaluable partners with Booktrust for the delivery of the service and that consequently a whole generation of children have enjoyed improved life chances as a result. I am delighted to send my best wishes to Booktrust and Bookstart for continued success during the next 20 years.

I feel that it is a very good way to make children aware of the different styles of writing all around the globe.

I want to inspire childrens minds and there creativity through books.Drive in imagine and have fun togather xx

What a beautiful idea.

I have always loved reading since I was a child and now want to pass that love of books onto my daughter.

Supporting Bookstart 20

because too many kids in this world don't have the opportunities to read my daughter has....

Bookstart has helped me by bringing books into my childrens life, I got my first pack when my 11 was small and since then books have been a big part of my kids lifes, so much so that when my local library closed down I helped set up a local community one.

Without Bookstart, many children would never own a book, and never have the chance to discover the magic contained inside.

There can be no finer start to life than a book, preferably read with, or by, your Mum and Dad at bedtime! That’s why I think Booktrust is doing a magnificent job, opening up a world of knowledge, excitement and entertainment to all children. I think the Bookstart campaign deserves our support in their quest to quite literally, spread the word to children throughout the UK.

Because reading is such a great way to spend time alone and with my children and its lovelyto see them enjoy books on their own too

because everyone has the right to read

Reading enlightens life and helps us learn every day.

I love sharing books with my two year old daughter. It is a great excuse to snuggle up and spend some time just her and I. She loves books and pictures, and I am really enjoying reading her some classic books that I remember from my childhood. We celebrated her birthday with a Gruffalo themed party - and the book came too! (her favourite).

I believe reading and sharing books is the greatest way to express self and make it a fact that life is far more satisfying....

I adore books. Reading has been, is, and will forever be a desperately important aspect of my life. I want to pass on at least a modicum of my passion to others.

School has had enquiries just recently about holding regular 'book swaps'. The Bookstart 20 pledge is a fabulous way to do this and support such a valuable programme.

Building a strong fondation when they are young will make them stronger in later life

Because I want my daughter and I to share special times together and to give her the best start that I can in life

Every baby loves a colourful book; isn't it a wonder! And what joy when they start uttering words and forming their own sentences. Ah, the wonderful joy books bring... from childhood to adulthood they magically engage and inspire us all. So I am supporting Bookstart! Well done Bookstart.

Because I always want to know what people are reading and tell them what I'm reading!

I AM A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AND HAVE A NEW BABY GRANDAUGHTER CALLED ROSIE WHO I CAN'T WAIT TO READ TO!

I'm thrilled to be supporting Bookstart in 2012. As a proud Welshman I'm particularly happy to bang the drum for Bookstart in Wales - which offers wonderful bilingual book packs for every baby and toddler.

At The Reading Agency, a sister charity, we’re great admirers of the Bookstart scheme, a vital literacy intervention. Long may it thrive! We’re looking forward to working together to support parents with low literacy, so they feel more confident to share books with their babies. On a personal level, In 2012 I’ll be sharing my latest passion, nature books, with my walking friends.

Books and literacy are so important for the development of children. I live in a fairly deprived area in the Welsh Valleys. I really want to fire their imaginations of soem local children by giving them the gift of a really good read :)

Books are an important part of our daily life. They provide hours of fun and are a perfect resource for encouraging curiosity, imagination, learning and creative play.

Reading Stories is such a wonderful gift to give...free yet priceless! I am pledging so more and more children, including my own can continue to be taken away to magical, far away places.

Chloe just loves books and it's a fantastic way to learn!! The imagination goes far beyond the words, pictures come to life and there is so much more than what you can see :)

Because books are fun to read and you can make up your own stories and so can Daddy. I like books about princesses and fairies.

We are bilingual (Polish / English) and reading books to our daughter in both languages. I wish I had such great books when I was a little, behind the iron curtain; Bookstart is really a great help for people who came to the UK, started families but have not been very familiar with valuable British children literature. Thanks a lot!

Stories and books teach us so much about ourselves and the world around us - they help us to develop a greater understanding and empathy for other people and situations. Our house is full to bursting with books - none of us can leave home without one - and talking books fill the bedrooms and the car with words. Because every child needs to be given the chance to read and be read to.

I'm making this pledge because i love to read, me & my friend Marina go to the library together every week & look through the books , then we pick some to take home & enjoy reading them when we visit each others houses. we both love book trust & book start very much. x

I loved my Mum sharing books with me and I will enjoy sharing books with my new niece

Because the love of books starts in childhood. Bookstart offers the opportunity for those who cannot afford to buy books and more than that, it bounds people together, in reading and sharing the written words and images.

I'm here in Spain with my granddaughter Marina, she tells me that she like to read a lot. When she is here with me, she can read 6 books to me & my friends. One of my friends said that my granddaughter will learn to read a lot of books as she gets older.

I feel that bookstart is a way to reach families that are vulnrable and need support in helping their childs development i.e. communication, brain development ETC through early intervention

I loved sharing old favourites with my older children as they grew up and get to do it all over again with the next generation - my younger girls!

20 years of Bookstart have been invaluable in enhancing children’s lives with a love of stories. Long may this continue.

I believe reading is a big part of a childs learning! I love reading to my 5 children and want them to grow up with a love of books!

I have always loved reading and even now, when I have to read so much for work, I still love to relax by curling up with a good book. Books fire your imagination, they entertain and they inform and they are timeless. I first read the Chronicles of Narnia as a child and rereading them as an adult brought back so many happy memories!

The books we read as children and young adults help to shape who we are and what we become. The books I read as a child engendered a lifelong passion for stories - books like Dr Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham, CS Lewis's The Silver Chair and Kathleen Arnott's African Myths and Legends still live within me to this day. No doubt about it, books change lives.

I LOVE reading books out loud to my children - my three year old already loves books, and my 9 year old is a FANTASTIC reader for her age, but still loves to snuggle down and have a picture book read to her and her young brother.

I want my son, who is four, to have a life long love of books. It's like giving him the most amazing gift, to open up whole new worlds for him to explore.

I have seen the benefit that books and reading to children has first hand, my children love to share and read books and it is an important part of our daily routine, it stimulates conversation and their imagination. I have also seen the joy in the faces of children who have nothing when they receive their bookstart packs, it is a very moving experience. PLease continue to fund this valuable resource.

Bookstart provides every child the chance to escape into a magical wonderland! I have so many fond and memoral moments of sharing books with my girls who are now 22 and 20, and I continue through my job as the Under 8's Reading and Libraries Development Manager to create opportunities for families to have the same fond and memoral moments that I have.

I have 2 children who both adore to read. Bookstart helps support this learning in a fun and engaging fashion. It encourages them, enthuses them and excites them about the joys of books in a digital age.

I run both a book club and a writing club in my home town of Chichester and spread my love of the written word far and wide. Reading is not just enormously pleasurable, reading other peoples' thoughts can help us to become more understanding of and empathetic to all of those with whom we share our daily lives.

This is such an amazing way to get children all over the country reading from an early age. I'm so grateful that I was bought up in a house full of fantastic books, but for those who have not been as lucky, Bookstart offers the perfect opportunity for them to feel the same way.

Reading strengthens imagination and literacy skills. My 12 year old daughter and I still read together most nights and I share in her favourite authors. Reading aloud her favourite novels has also strenthened her capactiy to intrepret accents and intonation and assists her with her passion for acting.

I would like my daughter and all the other children to grow up in the wonderful world of books, so that they can enjoy like I did when I was a kid & grow up to make the world a better place!

My girls have loved being surrounded by books since they were born. Bookstart helped their fascination and imagination grow in the six years that followed.

I want my 3 year old son to grow up with a love of books & reading. I have been sharing books with him since he was a tiny baby. No matter how rough & tumble he is he calms down to cuddle up & enjoy stories.

Sharing a book, chatting about its meaning, reading the pictures all takes time and can't be done on the 'go'. That's precisely why children love being read to and sharing a book so much. For a short time they get our undivided attention and for a lovely moment the world stops rushing. Sharing a book is quality time of the highest order, that's why I'm supporting the Bookstart20 campaign.

I love books and would like to share my passion with my children. It is so lovely to see the smile and fascination on their faces.Unfortunately at he moment with all the spendings I am not able to buy new books , but it would be so nice for my kids to have like a bookself with their favourite books.

I love books :-) My mummy is reading them to me every day and I can't imagine go the my bed without a book in my hand (I am only 20 months)

Bookstart made such a differnce to my children's lives. They are both avid readers and it's because they were introduced to books and their library from the earliest point in their lives. Thanks to Rhyme sessions at Essex Libraries as well and thanks Booktrust.

It’s never too early to start sharing books with your kids. And the more often you do it, the more you’ll help to set them up as confident readers, who are better prepared to do well in school and to engage with literature as they grow up.

I spent 8 months living and working in an Guatemalan orphanage,This is a photograph of two preschoolers and the first time they got hold of the books which I took over with me, they learnt to recognise their first words from the book of colours in this photograph.

I'm making two pledges - to share 20 books with Isabel and to share a recomendation of one of my favorite books with 20 friends

The work bookstart does is simply incredible, they always have my support

I made the pledge because I believe in the importance of reading from a young age and was lucky to benefit from this myself.

Sharing a favourite book or story is a really nice thing to do with a loved one. But more than that, the research evidence shows that regularly sharing books with children from an early age can have a significant positive impact on their future life chances. That's why Bookstart is so important; it is both a lovely gift and an important investment in a child's future.

Books are SO important to the development of young children. My 4 year old god-daughter's family are from Africa and their first language is not English so using books I am helping her and her mum to develop language, understand cultural issues and enjoy time to have a cuddle too!

Bookstart is a brilliant idea which brings books into the lives of children across the UK and the world to get them hooked on books at the start of a lifetime of reading,

I love reading and want to share the joy of reading. Where else does it take you anywhere you want, just turning pages

My happiest memories are of my parents reading to me and of sharing stories with my own children. Through my grandchildren, I am rediscovering that pleasure. Even the youngest child enjoys sitting on a knee, looking at pictures and hearing familiar and new words spoken by an adult. As their understanding grows, those shared stories stimulate their imagination, transport them to different worlds, help them understand themselves and others and to become avid readers.

because i love all the book start books

I love it best of all sitting browsing in the library and discovering something together that we've never read before. But I also love it when one of my children discovers for the first time something that I first read when I was their age - Tintin, or Asterix or Just William. I love the way books we've shared become part of our family vocabulary.

Open a book... open a mind.

my son love books :)

Sharing a book with someone immediately gives you a common link and transcends all other barriers - age, race, culture, none of them matter when you share the same words, story, pictures. Sharing a book means that, for a time, you share the same world.

There is no greater gift you can give a child (or an adult) than showing them the joy to be found in books and reading.

A book can transport to magical, faraway places, it can let you be anyone you want to be, it can inspire, amuse, excite, and explain. I hope to give my children, at home and at work, the opportunity to explore the world of books and inspire them to discover old friends of mine and find new ones for themselves!

I'm am making the pledge because the gift of reading is something that will inspire and be enjoyed for a lifetime

My parents instilled a love a books in me from the cradle and I've done the same with my daughter. It is everyone's right to have books as friends!

For every child and every adult whose opportunities are limited by problems with literacy.

Introducing babies and toddlers to the joys of reading from a young age is really important, not just to the development of their learning, but because it brings great pleasure to both the children and the adults who read with them. Bookstart has done a fantastic job over the last 20 years - in making stories and poetry available to thousands of children, but also to the vital work in promoting library membership

This is an amazing and essential service to promote literacy, which brings the joy of reading to millions of children who may not otherwise be exposed to books. I read to my 1 year old son every day, and he learned to turn pages himself by the time he was 10 months old. Every child is perfectly capable of discovering a love of books, given the opportunity.

I'm making the Bookstart Pledge because I'm happy to do something in honour of this remarkable and valuable reading programme. The bonds you form with books and with friends over books are some of the most rewarding kinds and the earlier you can start, the better!

Stories are for sharing. I love books. Their pages whisk me off on numerous incredible journeys that span the universe, real and imaginary. They sometimes provide a sanctuary and are always thought-provoking. I wish everyone the delight of as many different adventures as their family, friends and library cards can muster.

I know the importance of sharing books with children as both a parent and a childcare practititioner. Bookstart gives children a headstart by showing parents the importance of sharing books with their children and helps improve the bonding between them. All my children have enjoyed reading and storytime. I am happy to share Bookstart's 20th birthday as it has grown up alongside my eldest child.

20 books - no problem!

As a children's librarian and parent I can think of nothing more important than making sure that small children get a chance to find an early love of books.

My parents read to me every day when I was a baby. It has led to a lifelong love of reading, and now that I have a son I would like to give him the same gift. Pledging for Bookstart will help me and other achieve this goal for their children.

I was never read to as a child as I grew up in a culture where it was believed that education happens at school, not at home.I completely missed infants one and started primary school in infants two, unable to read or write unlike my peers. At 5 or 6 years old I was anxious about going into infants 3, I took it upon myself to tell the teacher that I was very scared of...

To support my baby boy to develop with books and to support reading

Because reading is so important for children and I love reading with my own!

I am a school Librarian so know the value of books and the benefits that reading for pleaseure have on achievement in schools. I am passionate about reading and want to share the pleasure and escape it provides to as many people as possible!

So I can pass my love of books on to my children.

Everyone needs the opportunity to explore the wonders of books and Bookstart provides them with this chance - my support is a no-brainer!! And what better way to share books

I am supporting Bookstart in 2012 as I believe reading and access to books is one of the most fundamentally important things in a child's life. As a poet and writer it is very important to me that my boys have access to books, both fiction, poetry and non-fiction.

i am 2 years old and love reading and looking at book it my favourite thing! i like to have a new book everyweek,love people reading them to me and i like to read a stroy to you by looking at pictures

We love sharing books at Morley Library! We share books every Storytime!

I read every night until I fell asleep with book in hand and my husband had to remove my glasses as I slumbered! I read to my children and instilled in them a passion for stories and unleashed their imaginations. Bookstart, what would the world be without you?

I cannot remember a time when I have not loved books, I was that child under the covers with a torch, so to find that my daughter was dyslexic and reading was her worst nightmare was a big blow, however with the dedication of a wonderful teacher she has now found the magic of books and we have our own private book club where I am enjoying some of my old favourites with her.

Sharing books with young children is such a rewarding experience - I do it every day. It's the best job in the world. www.mojobooks.co.uk

Supporting Bookstart 20

I think reading is a form of escapism, and to be able to share books with your child is magical.

Reading is vital in a childs life and this will help them to progress in life especially if they have been reading from a very young age, also i have four young kids and read to them very night as well as books they get from their schools which we read during the day and i've found that my childers language has improved a lot.Books are FULL of knowledge and knowledge is the KEY to...

I am a 3 year old bookworm and my local library is my favourite place to find new books. My favourite book is Cheese and Tomato Spider.

I love reading books, and having bedtime stories from mummy. I especially like ones about fire engines and diggers!

I read to my chidren and I am now reading to their children, and so are they. Books help us learn about our world and provide hours of pleasure.

Bookstart means that every child gets the chance to own and love a book. Bookstart gives the very best possible kick start to the love of reading. And Bookstart is an invaluable partnership for all public libraries.

Reading can take you places you'll never go, spend time with people you'll never meet. Whether fiction or non-fiction this consciousness expansion is a constant delight and makes you a more interesting person.

Because Bookstart is a fabulous scheme that spreads the joy of reading to many parents and their children and because there's nothing like sharing a book with a child.

I am going to be a mom on next feb. I would like to support reading a good book for my baby

Reading has been a huge part of my life and I would love to inspire someone else to pick up a book and read for pleasure.

You can pick up a book and feel like you are living a different life, in a different place with a different point of view. They are fuel to the imagination and friends to the heart and mind.

i love book,s

Bookstart instills a love of books from the earliest age, sparking creativity and a love of learning supporting children to reach their full potential and helping families to prosper.

As a Bookstart Coordinator I see every day the benefits of reading and sharing stories with little ones. I think Bookstart is fantastic - the packs are lovely and the books always favourites :) I love opening up a book to a baby and see how they become fascinated with the pictures and words!

So my children can show their joy of reading with other's, and fun sharing their favorite stories.

because kids neeed a good start in life and books are where it all starts. it really helped my little one she loves books :) and im sure she will carring on loving books. i hope book start carring on for other kids aswell

Supporting Bookstart 20

Kai has a massive book collection already and he's only two, but there's nothing nicer for a child than to receive a book that will take them to a magical place! Our favourite is Peter Pan, he has me reading it over and over again.

Encountering books at an early age, identifying with imaginary characters and enjoying the tactile thrill of turning the page and finding out what happens next, long before you have learned to read, opens up a lifelong pleasure. I am delighted that, even though there are so many exciting electronic diversions on offer, there are still thousands of people who look forward to sitting down with a small child and sharing a book together.

Hi I'm Sue Monroe, author of 'The Magnificent Moon Hare' series. I'm supporting Bookstart so that kids can experience the magic of losing themselves in a book.

Bookstart is a vital part of our shared human life because it accelerates the means by which we understand the world from other people's point of view. Books take us into the wide world at the same time as they take us into ourselves.

Books are my parallel universe, a place of safety in an uncertain world. For my children they are an endless journey of exploration. To read is to be free to wander these all-giving worlds, and the gift of reading is one of the most precious gifts to share. That's why I am pleased to be part of Bookstart in 2012.

Sharing a story is one of the best things you can give a child. That is exactly what Bookstart does and I am honoured to take part.