Pupils from a Lincolnshire primary school entered a wonderful world of classic children's fiction as they got to grips with Pinocchio – available free with today's Echo.

The book is the first of 25 that can be collected every Tuesday until mid-March, thanks to a partnership between the paper, Grimsby Institute and Lincolnshire Regional College.

Other timeless tales to delight youngsters include Lewis Carroll's surreal Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the exhilarating Robin Hood and Mary Norton's story of life under the floorboards – The Borrowers.

After the first week subsequent books will be available for £2.99, at newsagents, on production of a token printed in each Tuesday edition of the paper.

Nine-year-old Beckett Marshall, from Nocton, said he was looking forward to reading the books repeatedly and sharing them with friends and siblings.

"Pinocchio is funny – I think their names are cool," he said.

Pinocchio was written in 1883 by Italian children's writer Carlo Collodi and tells the story of a young puppet's adventures on the way to becoming a real boy.

The original was published weekly in a newspaper for children and features a rich variety of characters – both friend and foe – that add interest and intrigue to the tale of the mischievous marionette.

For full details of the offer, and to collect your first token, see Tuesday's Echo.