Here's an amazing chance to win over £1,000 worth of children's books for your primary school. In a competition being run over the next two weeks, Childrens Books Ireland and Education & Living are offering primary schools the opportunity to win over £1,000 worth of books - to be selected and presented to the school by Children's Books Ireland.

To coincide with World Book Week, children in Ireland are getting a £1 book voucher to spend on the book of their choice. The vouchers can be redeemed by pupils at all participating bookshops until May 3rd. To be in with a chance to win the £1,000 library for your school, you must complete the accompanying form, by answering three simple questions and also by entering the name of your class's favourite book.

For more information, the special World Book Week website www.irishbooks.org or call the information event line at (01) 670 7545.

World Book Week is a way of encouraging those of us who have replaced reading with the television to open a book and avail of the pictures we already have - our imaginations. It also gives us the chance to encourage children to read more.

Robert Dunbar, lecturer in the Church of Ireland College of Education in Dublin, and founder of the Children's Literature Association of Ireland, recently spoke about the advantages of growing up with books: "The benefit children derive from reading is anti-material. It isn't success oriented, it is of benefit to them on an imaginative level." In this day and age, it's almost impossible for parents to encourage their children to forget about programmes such as Pinky and the Brain or The Rugrats.

However, Dunbar believes "children will come across a greater variety of views in the pages of fiction than in their real lives. This can be a tremendous opportunity for incalculating tolerance and respect for other views. Really, the best way to get children reading is through the joy parents show for it themselves. Enthusiasm is the best form of encouragement."

Most of the reading children undertake is for exams or homework. It's a really good idea to show them that reading is for everyone, and also a fun pastime, Dunbar believes. But after encouraging your children to read, what books should they be reading? Dunbar says: "Books which work on a number of levels and use language intelligently, and playfully, are wonderful." These include, the picture book by Anthony Browne, because it works on a number of levels. Forbidden Fruit, a book of short stories aimed at the nine-12 age group by Susan Price, Marita Conlan McKenna's Under the Hawthorn Tree and Tom McCaughran's series (Run Swift, Run Free etc) are other recommendations.

A recent survey in 13 countries showed that 25 per cent of people have poor literacy skills. Poland came bottom of the league, with Ireland and Britain in second and third places, respectively.

It is widely believed that, if reading and other literacy training were encouraged at an early age, the figures would not be as stark.