Football mascot books to boost kids' literacy

In an effort to boost reading and literacy in Stoke-on-Trent, children's author and former Eastenders actor, Tom Watt, has written a series of books featuring mascots from the city's local football teams.

New government figures show the number of children reading for pleasure is at a 20-year-low nationally.

In Stoke-on-Trent, only 70% of children in the city meet the expected reading level by the end of primary school, while the national average is 75%.

Now Watt is working to change that, and has written about Stoke City mascot Pottermus and and Port Vale's Boomer to help 3-to-5-year-olds in the area with reading.

Watt, who is also known for playing Lofty on Eastenders in the 1980s, wrote David Beckham's biography, My Side.

The first book in his children's book series is called Meet the Mascots. There are more on the way, which are all being aimed at primary-age children.

"The big picture is football kind of cuts across age groups, cuts across backgrounds, cuts across everything. It's everywhere in modern British culture," Watt said.

He said he wanted to create stories that the audience could relate to.

"Having this Stoke-on-Trent background, so that it's not just about football, it's about football in Stoke, about two great clubs and – in the case of Meet the Mascots – two great mascots. Here's a subject that children and parents can share."

The books are illustrated by local illustrator, Matt Buckingham, and Watt said the pair had spent a "fantastic day" at a school in Bentilee.

"It's all about connecting with children," he said.

They ran some sessions with the reception class to read Watt's book with them and showed how Buckingham created the images for it.

Watts said the experience had shown him there is potential to improve literacy rates in the area.

"I don't think there's a lack of will, I don' think there's a lack of ability or anything like that," he said.

"I think personally you only need to connect with one book, one story, one character – and that can be you and books for life because there is no connection like reading."

His books will be available from libraries across the city.

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