A new Facebook page has been launched in Fermanagh to encourage children to start reading.

‘Fermanagh Hidden Books’ has been set up by Enniskillen mum Janice Moohan.

Membership of the page has now surged to over 1,100 people.

Mrs Moohan began the page after noticing a friend had been posting on Facebook about hiding books with her children.

She soon realised that Fermanagh did not have a group of this kind and decided to start one.

The mother of three thought that it was a “great initiative” when her friend explained it to her and commented: “Children have so many books and then they grow out of books so fast too and then you’ve nowhere to put them.”

She set up the Facebook page on August 15, 2019 and has been “shocked” with the uptake.

She explained the process, saying: “You take a book, and put it in a zip-lock bag so it doesn’t get damaged with rain - it is Fermanagh after all,” she laughed.

“I’ve had to create separate albums for different towns; Enniskillen, Kesh and Lisnaskea” due to high demand. The Facebook page encourages users to post short riddles in order to “add a bit more fun” to the book hunting.

The books can be found in a variety of locations including playparks, forests or even in plain sight. The books are primarily aimed at children with books being hidden that could be read by family to an infant to books aimed at children in P7.

Mrs Moohan hopes that the ‘Hidden books’ will continue to grow even with children returning to school.

“There will still be weekends and then the schools holidays in October. I just wanted more people to get out and enjoy Fermanagh more, and to encourage kids to read; it’s been great to see kids in videos get excited about finding a book,” she said.

She is also encouraged to see that “kids are picking up books instead of tablets and iPads.”

“It’s important that we try and get them off the tablets and picking up books again,” she said.

Fermanagh Hidden Books can be accessed via Facebook.