Storybooks for children in hospital, full of stories written by Kiwi kids and illustrated by famous New Zealanders – it’s a win, win, win! By purchasing a book for just $20, you can help to keep this fantastic reading programme going.
Soar Print has been involved with Barfoot & Thompson’s Magic of Reading programme for two years. Every year the scheme produces a hard-to-put-down book of fantastic original stories written by school kids from Auckland and Northland. The books sell for $20 and the proceeds go to the Starship Foundation, so that they can put a storybook into the hands of every child who stays overnight in Starship Hospital or Whangarei Hospital’s children’s ward.
Linked to the programme is the Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge, which provides the raw material for the book. Every year, primary and intermediate students from all over Auckland and Whangarei are given the opportunity to write a short story and submit it to a judging panel. The best stories are chosen for the next Magic of Reading storybook, turning the students into published authors.
Buy a Starship story book and encourage reading
The latest book in the Magic of Reading series is ‘Triumphs, Twists and Tasty Treats’, which includes a rollicking tale of how to get freshly-baked cookies out of Grenade Granny’s Holy Cookie Jar.
If there are keen young readers in your family, or you have grandchildren who like bedtime stories, this story and nine others will keep everyone giggling. The stories are humorously illustrated by Kiwi celebrities, including Keven Mealamu, artist Otis Frizzell and fashion designer Kiri Nathan. Buy the book online now.
10th anniversary 'The Magic of Reading' compendium
2017 was the programme’s 10th year, a grand occasion marked by the production of a linen-bound compendium of all the storybooks produced so far. Along with providing charity-rate printing for the latest book in the series, Soar printed and assembled the compendium case.
Find out more about printing for books and magazines.
See a case study about case bound book printing.
Contact Natalie Graham at Soar about book printing.
