Why schools love Bookbuzz
This popular reading programme for secondary schools has been specially developed by BookTrust to encourage young people to get reading.
With over 1,200 schools joining the programme each year, Bookbuzz is supporting practitioners and librarians in meeting their reading for pleasure objectives, bringing reading to life and inspiring students to become lifelong readers.
To get books into the hands of students who may not have books at home was the best part about Bookbuzz.
Librarian
What schools already using the programme are saying:
The lessons involving Bookbuzz have a wonderful atmosphere – firstly the opportunity for the pupils to choose a free book creates lots of excitement and then handing them out matches this.
Librarian
Bookbuzz titles are chosen with both Year 7 and Year 8 in mind, so we’ve used Pupil Premium funding to keep our Year 8 Pupil Premium students reading. We were blown away by their enthusiastic response! They are genuinely excited about getting to choose and read their own books.
Librarian
Bookbuzz really does help create that ‘buzz’ about reading. From the moment we tell students that they will get to choose their own book to keep, excitement fills the air.
Head of English
On receiving his Bookbuzz book [one Year 7’s] tutor noted that he was reading it during silent reading in form time … and has been finding corners in the corridors to read because he is enjoying it so much! The Bookbuzz scheme has clearly engaged this ‘reluctant reader’ and proves it’s getting the right book into the right hands.
Librarian
Bookbuzz is all about giving students a choice to find a book they’ll enjoy. Here’s what students say about the programme:
When I read my Bookbuzz book I feel part of something.
Student
Bookbuzz means you can find different books you never knew existed that you like.
Student
It has motivated me to read more often and choose books that I wouldn’t usually choose to read.
Student
Each year we see schools sharing about the programme on social media:
Removing barriers to reading for fun
Lucy Morris, Reading Co-ordinator at Oldham Academy North secondary school, uses Bookbuzz each year to engage their Year 7 and 8s and encourage reading for pleasure. She explains:
We are in one of the most deprived areas in the country, in a community where reading is probably not a main priority, or talked about at home. Reading for pleasure is embedded in everything that we do at our school. Any opportunity to get books into students’ hands, we jump on it.
Hear from other schools
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At BookTrust, we’re proud our Bookbuzz programme has been inspiring a love of reading in students across the country. We spoke to Rachel, a secondary school librarian in West Sussex about the power of reading for pleasure in students
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Michelle, a secondary school librarian in Essex, describes how BookTrust’s Bookbuzz programme helps keep a love of reading alive for Year 7 students.
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At BookTrust, we love seeing schools use our Bookbuzz programme in creative ways to inspire students to read. We spoke to Lucas, a secondary school Library Manager in Surrey, about his imaginative approach to promoting reading for pleasure.
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We spoke to Alison, a PSE Lead in Cardiff, about how Bookbuzz has helped change students’ relationships with reading for pleasure.