The Premier League Reading Stars project asks each Premier League club to nominate a player to be their Reading Star and select their favourite books.
Shay chose ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish’ by Dr Seuss as his children’s book and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ by Dan Brown as his must read for adults.
Shay said: “Dr Seuss books are really accessible and interesting books for children. This one is full of rhyme and uses bright and exciting illustrations and ideas. There is a huge range of vocabulary, but the repetition makes them really easy to digest.
“With all the travelling we do to away games, it’s really good to have a book to get your teeth in to. The Da Vinci Code is so full of twists and turns, I didn’t want to put it down. It really makes you look at the world around you, and is quite thought provoking.”
Through the Blue Zone Study Support Centre, the club are working with three libraries in Manchester who receive free copies of all the recommended titles.
Families who take part in sessions at the library will get the chance to meet their Reading Star and a local author, and to get involved in a series of football-based literacy games throughout the scheme.
More than 10,000 people have participated and 25,000 books have been read in the PLRS project since it began in 2003. Results from 2009 show that 93% of children said they will read more regularly and 92% of parents plan to go to their local library more regularly after taking part.
For more information about Reading Stars please visit www.premierleaguereadingstars.org.uk
Click here to see how you can get involved with CITC this February half term.
