BUDDING bookworms at a Greenock school have bagged £500 to buy their favourite page turners.

Inverclyde Academy’s first and second year pupils are getting to choose their must-have reads after an inspired move by school librarian Susan Morton.

Susan applied to the Siobhan Dowd Trust, which gives out grants to inspire young people and help them discover a passion for reading.

Susan, who took up her post earlier this year, said: “I had to answer how we encourage pupils to read in the school and I said it was one of our most important goals.

“I was keen to get extra resources for the children. First and second years have a library rota, which means they have a slot when they come in each week to choose a book. Every child will be able to take away up to six books with this funding.

“It will be the books they want to read and give pupils a voice.

“As far as I know we are the only school in Inverclyde to get this award.”

The extra cash coincided with Book Week Scotland and the school was celebrating with visits from comic book champs at Magic Torch and local author Cathy MacPhail, inset, who is writer-in-residence.

Susan says reading is important for young people’s future development.

She added: “It’s been a great project to encourage more young people to get reading.”

A representative from Scotia Books visited the school with a selection of titles to choose from.

Top of the wish list was work by David Walliams, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney and works by children’s author Barry Hutchison.

Susan said: “Reading is fundamental, it offers them more choices in later life and opens up a whole new world.”

Pupil Melanie Munro, 12, thought the grant was a great idea.

She added: “I’m interested in the Cathy MacPhail books. I’ve read Dark Waters and Run, Zan, Run and I like the way she writes.

“The books seem quite slow at the beginning and then towards the middle and the end, they get really exciting. You want to keep turning the page.

“I think getting the grant will be good for the school as it means we will get the chance to choose the books we really want.”