FROM THE BOOKSELLER 31 AUGUST

KIDS' BOOK FOCUS FOR RICHARD & JUDY

Daytime TV duo Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are planning a one-off children's book show, as part of a new Channel 4 literacy season this autumn. "Richard & Judy's Best Kids' Books Ever" will be an hour-long, peak-time special featuring top children's authors, aimed at encouraging children to read.

The programme forms part of a Channel 4 season on the state of Britain's literacy that will run at the end of October. The week-long season will also include "Can't Read, Can't Write", a series that follows a headmistress' mission to wipe out illiteracy in her primary school with the help of literacy expert Ruth Miskin and poet Benjamin Zephaniah, and a "Dispatches" investigation in which Channel 4 News' chief correspondent Alex Thompson investigates standards of children's literacy in Britain and the wider social impact of poor literacy rates.

Also lined up for autumn to celebrate Channel 4's 25th anniversary are "Boy A", based on Jonathan Trigell's novel (Serpent's Tail); "Ponderland", Russell Brand's first solo series; and "This is Civilisation", inspired by the late Kenneth Clarke's arts series.

Meanwhile, Richard and Judy announced The House at Riverton as this year's Summer Read favourite, as voted for by viewers, on air on Wednesday.