Ten year old Sara Hodder

of Knowle, 111 Atlantic Way, Westward Ho! has become only the third youngster in North Devon to receive the top award in the Devon County Library Service’s good readers’ circle – a leather shield with her name inscribed in gold.

Of the three she is the second to come from the Bideford area. Katherine Wood of Bideford was the first to attain the award in October, a year after the scheme began.

The award is made to children scoring 1,000 points in the scheme, which aims to help children with their reading by awarding points varying from six to 12 for each fiction book read, the number of points depending on the difficulty of the book chosen.

On returning each book the children are given a short test on its contents by library staff.

Daughter of Torridge District Council’s chief planning and development officer, Mr Tony Hodder, and his wife Ann, Sara is a member of Northam library. She is also a member of the Beehive Club, which meets at Bideford library, and it was at this club’s Christmas party that the presentation of the award took place.

Our picture shows, Sara’s mother, Mrs Ann Hodder; Bideford librarian Mr Roger Dale; Northam librarian Mrs Joy Cooper; and at the front the Hodder children – Rachel, Michael, Sara and Christopher.

Gazette article dated 6 January 1978