The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture advised Azorean children and young people to indulge in books and reading," because it "is perhaps the only addiction that does not hurt."
 
Avelino Meneses spoke at the public presentation of the multiformat educational set, produced under the "Together We Can Read - Azores" project and story entitled "The Magic of Friendship". On the occasion, the government official challenged young people to "always cherish books " and "always do their readings."
 
Thanks to reading, "many humble men," throughout history, "have won against the powers that be and achieved "public recognition," said the government official. Therefore, after all man's best friend is not the dog, but the book," because the book "is a kind of a wide open window to the world."
 
According to the Regional Secretary for Education and Culture, it is necessary to "make Azorean students acquainted" with books through libraries. In turn, they should establish themselves as "communities of readers of all ages promoting the flow of knowledge or information." They will "cease to be" spaces for contemplation or exclusively used by teachers."
 
With the implementation of ProSucesso- Azores for Education, integrated plan for the promotion of school success in the school year 2015/2016, Avelino Meneses highlighted that books and reading have become increasingly important. In this regard, the main priority axis action is specifically focused on the promotion of literacy and reading; it requires a "reflection and understanding of multimodal, printed or digital texts as well as the most varied forms of expression."
 
The educational set presented today at the Luís da Silva Ribeiro Public Library and Regional Archive is included in project designated as "Together We Can Read - Azores" and the story entitled "The Magic of Friendship." Written by Cátia Oliveira and Letícia Leal (Centre for Prevention Initiatives and Combat to Domestic Violence of the "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" of Praia da Vitória), this story address the themes of inclusion and bullying. It aims to provide reading opportunities for all students by creating inclusive school libraries.
 
"Together We Can Read - Azores" is a project developed in partnership with PT Foundation. It has already been implemented in six School Establishments by the Regional Network of School Libraries since the last school year in order to ensure "actual reading opportunities for all students" by working in different inclusive formats.
 
In this regard, the Regional Directorate for Education, through the Regional Network of School Libraries and the aforementioned partnerships, has developed a multiformat kit of the story "The Magic of Friendship" with illustrations by students Luísa Guimarães and Pedro Pedroso, both attending Antero de Quental Secondary School. The kit includes a book, a braille version, a pictographic version (SPC), an audio version, an audiobook version, a drama version and an E-book.
 
The idea is based on the guidelines of the Shared Inclusive Reading Project (PLIP), which stems for the personal project developed by some researchers of the Research Unit on Inclusion and Accessibility in Action of Leiria Polytechnic Institute.