Readers turning over a new leaf to raise funds for MS Ireland
The marathon month of reading runs from Friday to Nov 11 with students and adults invited to take part.
The event is MS Ireland’s biggest fundraising campaign and helps provide vital services and support to people with MS and their families.
The charity, which raised just under €600,000 with last year’s Readathon, is inviting participants to read as much as possible within the month, and collect a fixed amount of money per book from sponsors.
Paul Dietrich, MS Readathon manager, advised participants: “Read the books you love, different types from funny to mysterious, a mix of shorter and the more challenging ones for your reading list.”
Many Irish authors are supporting this year’s event and are lining up to give advice to young readers.
Emma Donoghue, author of Room, said: “Read the opening paragraph to know if it’s a book you will like,” while Darren Shan, author of Cirque du Freak, advised children to approach libraries calling them veritable “treasure troves” of stories.
More than 16,000 children and other young people took part in the MS Readathon in 2012 and MS Ireland hopes to beat that figure this year.
To get involved, or to find out more, visit www.msreadathon.ie
Top tales
* Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne.
* Wonder by RJ Palacio.
* This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen.
* Ratburger by David Walliams.
* Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
* The Rebecca Books by Anna Carey.
* Ask Amy Green series by Sarah Webb.
* The Maleficent Seven by Derek Landy.
* It Wasn’t Me by Oliver Jeffers.
* Infinite Sky by CJ Flood.
