British children to get free books

Every child in Britain up to the age of 4 is to be given a free bag of books by a government program to promote reading.

The new program, scheduled to begin Tuesday, is expected to cost $47 million. The plan is to distribute 9 million books for free over the next three years, reported the Sunday Telegraph.

Bags containing appropriate books, pads and crayons for three age groups -- birth to 12 months, 12 to 24 months and 3 to 4 years -- will be distributed by libraries, health clinics and nurseries.

"A love of reading is having a resurgence but we can't wait until the 'Harry Potter' phase to get parents and their children to share the passion," said Education Secretary Ruth Kelly. "All the evidence shows that children whose parents are engaged in their learning do better at school."

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