The first reading morning had eleven children and one box of books. Nobody expected the box to be empty by noon.

Why Saturdays

Weekdays are full of school and chores. Saturday mornings were the one quiet window when parents said children could come, and older siblings could bring the little ones.

• Books are sorted by colour, not by age, so no one feels behind

• Every child leaves with one book to keep for the week

• Older readers lead a short story circle at 11:00

“My sister reads to me now. Before, she said books were boring.” Tomas, 7

What we have learned

Children return when they get to choose. We stopped running a set programme and started asking what they wanted to read next. Attendance doubled within a month.