A boy from Bolton has raised £1000 from Amazon through his book for the National Literacy Trust to help children and families adversely affected by Covid-19.
Milan Kumar,8, wrote and published a new children’s book on Amazon titled 'Covid Christmas Parade' and wrote to the company to explain his fundraising efforts.
The e-commerce firm donated £1000 to the National Literacy Trust in Milan’s name.
The book is about a young boy who is determined to bring back his town’s Christmas cheer in light of the pandemic. Milan donates all the earnings from the book to the trust.
He had been taking on various challenges and putting his reading and writing skills to use to raise money for the trust. So far, he had raised over £3,000 to support other children whose literacy and learning have been most affected by the pandemic.
"I feel proud knowing I have made a difference to the lives of other children because reading promotes health and well-being. I love reading and learning about the world through books and I want to help as many children as possible discover the magic of reading and all the great the benefits it comes with," said Milan.
During the first lockdown, Milan read 50 books as part of the #FitforLit summer fundraising challenge by National Literacy Trust and his achievements were recognised in a special letter by the Duchess of Cornwall.
Over 10 days, Milan cycled 50 laps a day – one lap for every book he read during lockdown – around the University of Bolton Stadium and raised over £2,000.
He later became a Premier League reading stars ambassador for Bolton Wanderers Football Club, and has been reading and reviewing many books on his social media throughout the autumn to inspire others.
Zia Yusuf looks on during the party's national conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Britain, September 5, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes