The gift-wrapped goodies include a range of fiction for young people aged five to 18 years. They have been left in locations around town centres, leisure centres and parks during half term week. 

The books are wrapped and protected in a re-usable weather-proof bag. The parcels also have a bookmark note inside sharing some reading facts, and encouraging readers to enjoy the book, pass it on to a friend or take it into their school to share with someone else after they have finished reading it. 

Paula Copeman, Claires Court’s School Librarian, commented: “Reading can often be a forgotten pastime in our busy and hectic schedules but it is proven to reduce stress and anxiety. It supports confidence and achievement in school, so wherever we can we encourage people to read and share their stories. 

“The book hunt is a bit of fun for local people during half term and is part of our celebrations in the lead up to World Book Day (March 5). We hope people will enjoy finding the books and be inspired to come together to share the love of reading.”

World Book Day is on Thursday 5 March. It is a registered charity that aims to give every child and young person a book of their own. It’s also a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and the pleasure of reading.

Readers can also share a snap of their find to us on our facebook page.  

Did you know? * 

• Reading for pleasure is more important for children's cognitive development than their parents' level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background

• 16-year-olds who choose to read books for pleasure outside of school are more likely to secure managerial or professional jobs in later life

• Having books in the home is associated with both reading enjoyment and confidence. Of children who report having fewer than 10 books in their homes, 42% say they do not like reading and only 32% say they are 'very confident' readers. For children who report having over 200 books at home, only 12% say they do not like reading and 73% consider themselves 'very confident' readers

• Children who read books often at age 10 and more than once a week at age 16 gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly

• 19% of readers say that reading stops them from feeling lonely

• Participation in shared reading groups is linked to enhanced relaxation, calmness, concentration, quality of life, confidence and self-esteem, as well as feelings of shared community and common purpose 

• Higher literacy skills are associated with a range of positive societal benefits, including having a stronger sense of belonging to society and being more likely to trust others

• Studies have found that reading for pleasure enhances empathy, understanding of the self, and the ability to understand one's own and others' identities. For example, reading Harry Potter has been shown to improve children's attitudes towards stigmatized groups such as immigrants, refugees, and members of the LGBT community

• An online poll of over four thousand people from a representative sample in the UK revealed that regular readers for pleasure reported fewer feelings of stress and depression than non-readers, and stronger feelings of relaxation from reading than from watching television or engaging with technology intensive activities 

• Studies have shown that those who read for pleasure have higher levels of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope with difficult situations. Reading for pleasure was also associated with better sleeping patterns

• Adults who read for just 30 minutes a week are 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction.  

* Source www.readingagency.org.uk