LNER Helps Put The Train In ‘How To Train Your Dragon’

Cressida, best known for her popular ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ series of children’s titles, which led to a hugely successful series of films, officially opened the special reading area. It aims to inspire children as part of LNER’s support of the National Year of Reading.

The ‘Raising Readers Book Nook’ features more than a hundred books donated by Hachette Children’s Group and has been installed in the LNER Family Lounge in partnership with publishers Hachette UK and charity The Reading Agency.

Throughout the summer, LNER has handed out thousands of free Summer Reading Challenge packs across its trains and stations, as well as free books and activities to keep children entertained. LNER also sponsored the children’s area at Edinburgh’s International Book Festival.

Jennifer Mearns, Regional Station Manager at LNER, said:

Our Family Lounge is very popular with customers travelling with children – an area where they can relax and be entertained before their journeys. The Book Nook is a great addition, and we were thrilled to welcome Cressida Cowell for its official opening. As we continue to support the National Year of Reading, we are hoping to inspire more people of all ages about the joy that reading can bring.

Cressida Cowell said:

I was delighted to join LNER at Edinburgh Waverley station to open a wonderful new Book Nook in their Family Lounge. I love travelling by train, and the opportunity it creates for family time together, exploring new places, and enjoying a story along the way. It's fantastic to see LNER partnering with The Reading Agency and Hachette's Raising Readers initiative to make books more accessible for families in community spaces, particularly during the National Year of Reading!

The Raising Readers Book Nook at Edinburgh Waverley station is one of 200 Book Nooks across the UK donated by Hachette to create 200 bespoke reading environments in community spaces.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

As part of the National Year of Reading, earlier this year, LNER partnered with authors Matt Haig and Michael Morpurgo for train-related literacy experiences. Matt Haig hosted an ‘on-train book club’ to discuss his latest novel ‘The Midnight Train’, while LNER supported an event which saw former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo host a live railway storytelling event broadcast to thousands of children across the UK.

Information about Raising Readers from Hachette:

Raising Readers is Hachette’s social impact campaign dedicated to addressing the significant decline in children reading for fun and entertainment. Recent data from The Reading Agency shows that 84 per cent of UK parents believe reading supports their child's mental wellbeing, with 79 per cent saying it supports their emotional skills and 77 per cent saying it helps build their confidence. Because reading for fun is the single biggest predictor of a child’s future life chances, outranking family income or parental education, Hachette is leveraging its massive global footprint to reverse this trend and encourage parents and carers to read with their child for ten minutes a day.