SPL players help promote the Reading Stars literacy project

Leading Scottish Premier League footballers are supporting a new Government-backed scheme which aims to use the motivational power of the game to encourage families to improve their reading skills.

The Scottish Premier League Reading Stars project involves a player from each top flight club who has chosen their favourite adult and children's book to create an inspirational reading list.

These books will form the basis for reading sessions with groups of parents and their children who will meet at libraries across Scotland.

So, what are the literary recommendations from some of the sport's top talent?

Aberdeen - Jamie Smith (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S.Lewis; The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas).

Celtic - Gary Caldwell (My Dad, Anthony Browne; A Lifetime in Race, Matthew Pinsent).

Dundee Utd - David Goodwillie (Roy Keane: The Autobiography).

Falkirk - Tom Scobbie (Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson; Roy Keane: The Autobiography).

Hamilton - Tomas Cerny (9 Fairy Tales, Karel Capek; Maus: My father bleeds history, Art Spiegelman).

Hearts - Michael Stewart (The Twits, Roald Dahl; Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell).

Hibernian - Joe Keenan (The Hardy Boys, Franklin W Dixon; The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas).

Inverness CT - Jamie Duff (The Big Football Collection, Rob Childs; Sleepers, Lorenzo Carcaterra).

Kilmarnock - Danny Invincibile (Lord of the Flies, William Golding; It's not about the bike, Lance Armstrong).

Motherwell - Mark Reynolds (Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone, JK Rowling; The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay).

Rangers - Steven Naismith (Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone, JK Rowling; It's not about the bike, Lance Armstrong).

St Mirren - Jack Ross (James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl; Emperor: The Field of Swords, Conn Iggulden).

Partner libraries will receive free copies of the above books and host visits by the SPL players.

They will also carry out targeted literacy work with 250 children and 250 adults who will receive free books, as well as reading incentives such as match tickets and club merchandise.

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