Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future

"For too long, the life-changing benefits of children’s reading have not been taken seriously. And now – as our children face an unknown future – we risk losing a generation unless we act."

Frank Cottrell-Boyce

The Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future logoThe Reading Rights campaign is Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s flagship project during his time as Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2024-2026). 

Over the next two years, the multi award-winning children’s author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce has pledged to amplify the national conversation about the role books and reading for pleasure play in transforming children’s lives.

The campaign will be about calling for national provision so that every child – from their earliest years – has access to books, reading and the transformative ways in which they improve long-term life chances.  

"My tenure as Waterstones Children’s Laureate will have happiness at its heart, but it will be about urgency. It will be about addressing invisible privilege and inequality."

With the support of BookTrust, Frank will hear from people working on the frontline to make sharing stories a core part of childcare, education and support for disadvantaged and vulnerable children, showcasing their storytelling expertise and best practice. He will highlight how urgent government investment is needed to address the ‘invisible privilege’ that bypasses families and communities where reading is not part of daily life, and how this perpetuates cycles of inequality.

Frank will also be gathering evidence and powerful stories to present at a national summit, which will bring together expert voices in the political, educational, literary and early years sectors.

This page will tell you everything you need to know about the Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future campaign and Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s call for the government support in getting families reading together as early as possible, giving children the best start in life.

Reading Rights Summit

On January 22 2025, the Waterstones Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and BookTrust hosted a Reading Rights Summit to address the 'invisible privilege and inequality' within books and reading.

The day-long summit brought together expert voices in the political, education, literacy, early years, arts and health sectors to recommend an urgent course of action to policymakers that will help ensure that the life-changing benefits of children's reading are taken seriously and made accessible to every child.

Find out what happened

Visiting a school nursery in Liverpool

In collaboration with BookTrust, Frank Cottrell-Boyce visited a school nursery in Liverpool to see why story-sharing interventions during the Early Years are so vital for children and how they are having an impact on families.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce seen from behind, watching a teacher read The Gruffalo to a group of children

Families don't always have books. There was a child who came into nursery once, saw a book and said: 'What's that?'

Cheryl McEneaney

Teacher

Championing Reading Rights at parliament

"I'm here today to listen. How are these children falling through the net?"

Frank joined BookTrust's parliamentary reception at the House of Lords to talk about how sharing stories can support children in kinship, foster care and adoption – and to find out how he can help.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce standing next to a BookTrust banner outside the Houses of Parliament

When you share a story, you're giving a child a hug that will last the rest of their lives

Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Frank's visit to HMP Featherstone

Frank visited HMP Featherstone with the charity PACT to see how prisoner-dads are sharing books and stories to build bonds with their children during family visits - and what an impact it's having on everyone.

There's something missing. It takes me a while to figure it out

Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Frank Cottrell-Boyce wearing a Christmas jumper and reading The Gruffalo

Meeting health visitors in Newcastle

In November 2024, Frank Cottrell-Boyce visited Riverside Community Health Project in Benwell, in the West End of Newcastle. He met with 10 specialist health visitors who are involved in collaborative projects that support the health and wellbeing of families in their area – and who use books as an essential tool.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce with health visitors in Newcastle

They were glowing with purpose. Their staff retention is enormous. It was such a joyous thing to see

Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Getting to know BookTrust early years partners

Waterstones Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce met with BookTrust Early Years partners to learn how the Reading Rights campaign can reinforce their vital work to get families reading together.

Frank wanted to learn about the work that's happening on the front line to get children exposed to books and stories from an early age, the challenges the Early Years sector is facing, and what opportunities there are for change.

We're shifting the power towards families and what they need

Early Years practitioner

Frank Cottrell-Boyce in conversation with someone

Visiting a Baby Lab

Frank joined Professor Sam Wass at the Baby Development Lab in Stratford, East London to see what happens to a baby's brain when their parent reads them a story - and why these shared moments are essential to a child's development.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce smiling by a garden wall and a photo of a baby on its tummy with a tummy time book, looking at the camera with a curious expression

This wasn't a cultural thing or an educational thing. This was biological. We saw two minds enter a kind of communion around the story

Frank Cottrell-Boyce