By Carole Dennett
Two friends from Sussex have embarked on an ambitious mission to boost literacy on the Isle of Wight, by helping children discover the joy of reading.
British Airways pilot, Rob Johnson, began writing stories for his young children, drawing inspiration from his worldwide flights. In conversation with neighbour, Mike Midgen, he mentioned how much he enjoyed the process. Mike’s entrepreneurial instincts sparked the idea of publishing the stories more widely – and Let’s Go See was born.
Initially funded by friends, family, and later crowd-funding, they want the project to be more than a commercial success. The Island, where primary schools rank at the bottom of national league tables, was chosen as the place where Let’s Go See could make the biggest difference.
On Friday, the pair visited Dover Park Primary School in Ryde, accompanied by East Wight MP, Joe Robertson, to introduce the books. Each Island primary school will receive a package of books, lesson plans, classroom activities and parental guidance. In addition, every Year 2 child will take home three books of their own – the total value is £20,000.
Dr Amanda Gummer, a leading expert in child play and psychology, has helped develop supporting materials. Diversity is central to the series: one character uses a wheelchair while playing a full part in the adventures, while Pilot Polly encourages girls to believe they can succeed in male-dominated industries, something Rob is keen to change as only 5 per cent of the world’s pilots are female.
The three books gifted to pupils focus on the Amazon rainforest, Ancient Rome, and London. Rob and Mike hope the stories will open children’s eyes to “the great big world out there – waiting for them to explore.”
The project extends beyond print, with animated videos accompanying the books. Joe Robertson watched one with pupils before joining a writing exercise, helping the class shape a new story about Sammy seagull, who ate all the Island’s chips, but saved the day by persuading his friends to bring over more potatoes from the mainland.
The scheme also tackles a stark reality: research shows one in five children aged five to eight own no books at all. Dover Park headteacher, John Kirby, said the initiative would be “a massive benefit” in an area where poverty is real. He added that the difference between youngsters read to at home and those who haven’t is “vast,” stressing that “screens don’t replace books.”
With books, toolkits and animations to support learning both at school and home, Rob and Mike hope their project will not only raise literacy levels on the Island, but also inspire a generation of children to see reading as the gateway to a wider world.
You can watch the animations, and find out more at iw.observer/lets-go-see.
