RENOWNED Oxford author Philip Pullman is urging youngsters across Oxfordshire to get ahead in the summer holiday by reading as many books as possible.

He is being backed by the National Literacy Trust, which is running the Gaining Momentum campaign in secondary schools across Oxfordshire.

Gaining Momentum is a continuation of the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign, which launched in 2012, with more than 1,200 pupils taking part over two years.

The campaign resulted in a boost in pupils’ reading ages by 13 months after just four months, and Gaining Momentum is now focusing on pupils from Years Seven and Eight – those aged 11 to 13.

A total of 10 secondary schools have already signed up for the £1m initiative, which is running for two years, and 10 more are being invited to sign up.

Schools taking part so far include Larkmead School in Abingdon and King Alfred’s Academy in Wantage.

Mr Pullman, who lives near Oxford, is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy, featuring the character Lyra Belacqua.

The author said: “I think it’s a very good idea for children to read as much as possible during the summer holidays.

“When I was a child I would take every opportunity I could to read at home, or at school, or at night in bed.

“Schools should encourage pupils to read over the summer break but it would help if they could provide the books they recommend and I know that school libraries are not funded in the same way they used to be.

“It’s not a bad idea working your way through a list for something like the Carnegie Medal, and children can use local libraries if local libraries are still open.

“The great children’s book illustrator Shirley Hughes said summer holidays were a time for being bored and and that could be a great stimulant for finding things to do, including reading.”

The author is still working on a follow-up to his popular trilogy, which is called The Book of Dust.

He said: “I can’t tell you when it will be finished but I have written three pages more than yesterday.”

Two titles he recommended were Running Girl by Simon Mason and The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson.

Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Visiting your local library and helping children to choose new books can be lots of fun and help to prevent the summer learning loss that many children experience during the school break.

“Initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge, where children get stickers for reading six books at local libraries, can help motivate children to read more, and our Words for Life website wordsforlife.org.uk offers activities and resources for an enjoyable summer of family reading.

“Trust research shows that reading outside the classroom on a daily basis has a significant impact on pupils’ attainment levels. The summer holidays are a great time for children to get into the habit and develop a love of reading.”