News
Don't miss out on the very latest news and announcements from BookTrust, the largest children's reading charity in the UK.
Read our latest news
Wildlife hits a winning streak as Invented by Animals and The Last Bear take top prizes at 2022 Blue Peter Book Awards
BookTrust is excited to announce the winners of the 2022 Blue Peter Book Awards, as voted for by primary school aged-children from across the UK: The Last Bear and Invented by Animals.
World Book Day 2022: What you can expect to see from BookTrust
World Book Day is taking place on Thursday, 3 March this year - find out how BookTrust will be getting involved here.
Michael Rosen to encourage reading and rhyming with babies and toddlers as BookTrust’s latest Writer in Residence
One of the nation’s favourite children’s authors, Michael Rosen, will next week become BookTrust's new Writer in Residence, using the residency to promote the importance of reading and rhyming with children in their early years.
The Whales on the Bus picked by families as this year's BookTrust Storytime Prize winner
Find out more about the BookTrust Storytime pilot in libraries - and how The Whales on the Bus was chosen as the best book for sharing with young children.
BookTrust teams up with Waterstones Children's Laureate Cressida Cowell and World Book Day for special #PassThePen
In a special edition of #PassThePen, World Book Day authors will hand over their social media accounts to emerging authors and illustrators of colour.
Welsh Government invests an additional £5 million to support more children in Wales to develop a love of reading
Children across Wales are set to benefit from a new multi million pound investment designed to inspire a new generation of children on their reading journeys.
Aspiring comedians, polar bears and animal inventors make the line-up as we reveal the 2022 Blue Peter Book Awards contenders
Here are the six shortlisted titles for the influential 2022 Blue Peter Book Awards, designed to celebrate amazing authors, imaginative illustrators and the greatest reads for primary school-aged children published in the last 12 months.
“Poetry has power” says John Agard, the first poet to be awarded BookTrust’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award
Poet John Agard has been awarded BookTrust's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021.
Bookstart Baby Packs in Wales are changing
As well as two fantastic books (one bilingual and one English-language only), they now contain finger puppets to help parents share rhymes with their babies, and a guide to support families to develop a lasting reading habit.
BookTrust to support 740,000 new primary school children to make Time to Read
Every reception child in England and primary one student in Northern Ireland will receive a copy of I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson and Ross Collins from November.
Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall extends her Patronage of BookTrust
Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall has been BookTrust's patron for a decade and has now decided to continue supporting the charity.
All primary schools in England to be supported to bring inclusive and representative stories into the classroom
This week, every primary school in England will receive a free copy of Happy Here, a new anthology from 20 of our best Black British writers and illustrators.
BookTrust’s new Writer-Illustrator in Residence set to champion under-represented voices and the art of storytelling
Award-winning illustrator and author Dapo Adeola has today been named the new Writer-Illustrator in Residence at BookTrust – the UK’s largest children’s reading charity.
Tummy Time and Zoom to the Moon added to Bookstart Baby bags to inspire a love of reading
Find out all about the two new books which have been selected for the revitalised Bookstart Baby bags, which BookTrust aims to give to every child born in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
McIlveen confirms funding for Bookstart Baby programme
A programme to encourage a love of reading in children from a young age in Northern Ireland is to be part-funded by the Department of Education.
Coming soon: A new public library experience to help more families ‘discover the joy of reading’
This autumn, we will pilot a new and exciting national library experience called BookTrust Storytime, to support families with children aged 0-5 – especially those who are disadvantaged – engage with their local public library and develop an ongoing reading habit.
BookTrust helps CBeebies update their Storytime app to support families on their reading journeys
The all-new updated CBeebies Storytime app features ten interactive stories to enjoy on the go, to help families on their reading journeys.
The Duchess of Cornwall joins Waterstones Children's Laureate Cressida Cowell MBE to open 'Life-changing Library' at Griffin Primary School in Wandsworth
This morning, The Duchess of Cornwall joined Waterstones Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell MBE at Griffin Primary School in Wandsworth, South London to formally open their newly built, bespoke ‘Life-changing Library’.
BookTrust teams up with over 20 other organisations to celebrate a Summer of Reading
Find out about the Summer of Reading, a full programme of events and activities to help get children and families reading over the coming months.
Waterstones Children's Laureate Cressida Cowell launches flagship Life-changing Libraries project
Find out about Cressida Cowell's Life-changing Libraries project, which will transform six primary school library spaces - and why she's calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ring-fence funding for school libraries.
Onjali Q. Raúf announced as BookTrust Writer in Residence
We're incredibly excited to announce author and activist Onjali Q. Raúf as our new Writer in Residence.
A Kind of Spark and A Day in the Life of a Poo, A Gnu and You are crowned winners of the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards
We're excited to announce the winners of the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards.
BookTrust Represents, Knights Of and CLPE unveil new Black British anthology Happy Here
A copy of Happy Here - featuring ten Black British authors and ten Black British illustrators - will be sent to every primary school in England.
BookTrust and the Sun on Sunday team up for Books For Kids campaign
Find out more about the Books for Kids campaign, which aims to get books out to the children who need them most during the coronavirus lockdown.
Swearing, forgetting their Ps and Qs and spending too long on their phones: parents reveal what children tell them off for
Parents across the UK are no strangers to getting into trouble and being told off by their children, according to a new poll.
This Is Owl rules the roost and wins the BookTrust Storytime Prize 2020
Libby Walden and Jacqui Lee's playful book is named the best book for sharing with babies and children under 5 in a virtual ceremony.
#PassThePen unveils pairings taking part in campaign to promote authors and illustrators of colour
Find out which authors and illustrators will be taking over the Instagram accounts of famous names during #PassThePen.
Representation in children’s books still not reflective of society, says BookTrust and CLPE
Findings from BookTrust Represents and CLPE’s research show some positive progress over the past three years, but there remains a long way to go for representation in children’s books and publishing to mirror UK society.
