The benefits of reading are paramount.

Burying your head in a good book not only brings great pleasure, but particularly for youngsters it expands their imagination and develops their knowledge.

Yet a new study by the National Literacy Trust, has found that children increasingly see reading as “embarrassing”, with fewer youngsters picking up a book for fun.

Computers and game consoles may have given today’s youngsters an alternative to flicking through a tome but according to Bradford-born author Robert Swindells, you cannot underestimate the importance of reading.

The former primary school teacher, and author of 80 children’s books, was a keen reader as a child and encouraged his own children who, he says, grew up in a house full of books.

“There is a great deal of competition now,” says Robert, referring to the alternatives youngsters can access on computer screens.

However, the 74-year-old from Oxenhope says he has a collection of letters from appreciative young readers who have read his books.

One, from an 11-year-old schoolboy, tells Robert his books are so interesting he cannot put them down.

Another letter, from a teacher, describes Robert’s book Abomination as an “invaluable find” and credits Robert with inspiring children to read.

Robert says closing libraries or leaving them to be run by unpaid volunteers sends out the wrong message about the importance of reading.

He says he became absorbed in library books from a young age. “Reading taught me countless things about the world beyond my little corner in Bradford. It also made a writer of me.

“As a former teacher I can attest to the fact that there is nothing more rewarding than to see a child setting out to change their library book without realising that the book has already changed them.”

Mother-of-three Jess Robinson, who runs the Ilkley-based parenting website ‘Moormums’ expressed surprise at the study’s findings.

Referring to the books her health visitor brought for her eight-month-old son, Jess says there is a greater emphasis now on encouraging children to read from a very early age.

“It increases their literacy, their exposure to language, it increases their ability to communicate their feelings and I think that is important,” says Jess.

Contrary to the study’s findings, Bradford Libraries welcomed more than 6,000 new young readers between 2012 and 2013.

Initiatives encouraging youngsters into reading such as Bookstart and Bookcrawl, the Summer Reading Challenge, aimed at older children, and Family Learning Festivals are also proving popular, according to principle libraries officer Jackie Kitwood.

“Evidence we have shows they don’t think it is embarrassing because they have all been enthusiastic about it. We had the summer reading scheme to try and keep them interested and engaged when they are not at school and it went really well,” she says.

Jackie says she always read to her son and daughter to encourage their interest in reading when they were younger and believes the younger children start, the better. “It is making things fun as well. That is what we are trying to do.”

Following the study’s findings, the National Literacy Trust has launched a campaign to find the nation’s Literacy Heroes.

They are inviting the public to nominate individuals such as a parent, teacher or young person or even a favourite author or celebrity who has made a significant impact on others, such as inspiring a love of books or helping to improve reading skills.

National Literacy Trust director, Jonathan Douglas, says: “Our research not only reveals that children are reading less and developing more negative attitudes towards reading, but also that there is a clear correlation between this and their performance in reading tests.

“As poor reading, writing and communication skills will hold children back at school and throughout life, literacy heroes and reading role models have never been more important.”

Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting website Netmums. com says: “Children are always going to regard computers as ‘cooler’ than books, but it’s very worrying that one in five youngsters now regard being seen with a book as ‘embarrassing’.

“While children do gain vital literacy skills from reading other material like comics, newspapers, magazines and games, reading a book teaches concentration and builds anticipation and a child’s imagination like no other format can.

“Books need to be back in fashion, so schools and parents must work together to make books trendy again.”