In the spirit of keeping things lively (and current) we're devoting this section to the hottest topics out there. Our reading expert Geraldine Brennan presents Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's checklist for parents, which helps schools build a book-friendly culture in the whole school... As a parent or carer, you might know that it's important to read to children, to make sure they see parents and other adults reading for pleasure and to offer them a wide selection of books (at home and by taking them to the library). But a lot of what makes them into readers has to be done at school. Children's Laureate Michael Rosen has a checklist for parents who want to know if their child's school "really is serious about books" (as distinct from teaching children to read). The following, he suggested in his recent Patrick Hardy Lecture to publishers, help schools to build a book-friendly culture in the whole school, beyond making sure that children can read at a level appropriate for their age group. Home-school liaison staff who talk to individual parents about specific books, libraries, magazines, book clubs, book shows, that might interest this specific child and his or her carers. Book events all year round with writers, illustrators, story-tellers, librarians and book enthusiasts coming in and talking and performing for the children and parents. Books available for borrowing or buying to support the events. A school library, run by someone who is trained and interested, and who is on hand to help teachers with their class libraries.Book clubs for teachers, parents and children. A pack of information for parents on the local library and bookshop, and organised visits for parents and children. The practice of a school or individual classes adopting an author or illustrator for the week, or month or term as a focus for investigation and creative work. Encouragement for children to make books of their own, which are available for everyone in the school (and parents) to see, celebrate and cherish. Encouragement for children to pass books between each other by means of book swaps, prominently displayed reviews, assembly presentation of 'this week's good read', book posters and so on. Books introduced to support all the school's activities such as visits to museums, other school trips and visits from specialists of any kind. Books of all kinds and genres used as a key part of whole-school projects about a topic or theme (such as Black History Month, or The Sea). Special, intriguing, intriguing, exciting, ever-changing, odd, old and weird books waiting to be discovered in classrooms, teachers' desks and the head's office. At least one time every week when children will have nothing else to do with a book other than to read it, listen to it, and chat about it in an open-ended way? Ask your child's teachers what you can do to help with any of this.

The Federation of Children's Book Groups at www.fcbg.org.uk is a network of around 30 groups of children's book enthusiasts, many of which work with their local schools to organise activities such as Share a Story Month and The Red House Children's Book Award (for which much of the judging is done in primary schools).