YOU'RE probably familiar with the Very Hungry Caterpillar, but do you know the giant reading millipede?

Milli the millipede visited the children at Stockham School in Wantage this month to encourage them to join the Ten Million Minutes Reading Challenge.

The nationwide stunt from March 9 – 15 challenges children to read as much as they can in one week.

It is run by educational charity Achievement For All (AFA) and sponsored by school books company Peters and Oxford University Press.

All schools which take part have a chance to win a new library or reading area worth £10,000 courtesy of Peters.

The challenge is free to enter and AFA has encouraged every school in England to take part.

Results will be displayed on what AFA describes as a 'thrilling' real-time school leaderboard online.

Leaderboard position will be based on the average number of minutes read per pupil so results will be fair regardless of each school’s size.