First World War reading project

Young readers in Moray are being given the opportunity to take part in a project which will introduce them to fiction set during and around the First World War.

The project will coincide with the centenary of the halfway point in the 1914-18 war and will include books set on the Western Front, in the desert, on the home front and in the air and at sea.

While most are seen through British eyes, some will have other perspectives, including German.

The collection has been selected by Moray Council senior librarian Jane Sandell who specialises in young people’s services and who has a special interest in books from the period.

“I am so pleased that I will be able to share them with young people,” she said.

“The last few years have seen many First World War novels published and republished and these join an already excellent selection. By their very nature they often contain difficult elements, but most of them are centred around characters who are people just like us, caught up in unimaginable circumstances.”

The project will launch at the end of October with a half-day introductory session where there will be the opportunity to meet a number of authors including Theresa Breslin, Paul Dowswell and Linda Newbery. Following that there will be a series of monthly book groups.

Young people in P7 to S3 who are interested can obtain more details from their local library where they can also sign up to take part.

Although open to anyone in that age range, the project is aimed at mature, enthusiastic and committed readers who are prepared to discuss, debate and blog about the books they read.