Founded in 2012, the Dutch National Reading Coalition (Leescoalitie) promotes and stimulates reading in schools in the Netherlands.

Every two years, the Reading Coalition publishes an anthology with excerpts from well-known Dutch children’s and young adult books. This year’s edition features an excerpt from Boreas en de vijftien vrienden (Boreas and the Fifteen Friends), the final book of the Boreas series. I am beyond stoked and proud that my book has been chosen to promote reading in schools because… well, this is a children’s writer’s dream! A national acknowledgment that top educators in the Netherlands believe that my book will stimulate students to read. I couldn’t wish for more!

The free anthology, Een stuk! Meer (One Piece! More), was published in January 2020 and will be spread among 4,000 teachers, 1,500 student teachers and all educational officers of every public library in the Netherlands. The anthology is divided in themes and  Boreas en de vijftien vrienden has been added to the theme SUSTAINABILITY. Because, yes! That is a big one in my book (think oceans, think plastic soup!). Every excerpt comes with a lesson plan aimed at reading comprehension and a link to book the author for a school visit. How cool is that?  

I am super proud! The anthology has a record print run as it has been ordered massively by schools and libraries. I hope with all my heart that the anthology and my excerpt will show many many young people the path toward the joy of reading.

Members of the coalition are Stichting Lezen (chair), de Stichting Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek, Stichting Lezen & Schrijven, het Literatuurmuseum/Kinderboekenmuseum, the libraries (de Koninklijke Bibliotheek en Vereniging van Openbare Bibliotheken) and the Nederlands Letterenfonds.