05 August 2020
August 2020 - Comics, graphic novels and illustrated books booklists for children and young people
This month our booklist features comics, graphic novels and illustrated books that we think will draw children and young people into the story. We love comics, graphic novels and books that have beautiful illustrations, as well as being fun they...
28 July 2020
Tricks and Jokes Chatterbooks Activity Pack
In this Chatterbooks activity pack you’ll find some great suggestions for funny books to explore, read and enjoy together. Inspired by Lily the Frog from the Summer Reading Challenge’s Silly Squad, this pack will focus on her favourite things, jokes...
17 July 2020
July 2020 - The Great Outdoors booklist for children and young people
This month our booklist is about books that immerse a reader in an environment, where the setting plays an important part to the plot or shows the beauty of nature. We’ve picked some brilliant poetry, picture books, non-fiction and chapter...
10 June 2020
How to host a virtual book club with your class article
Are you wondering how your reading group can continue to meet, even while you’re social distancing? With so many children and families at home, we know that books are so important to provide comfort, solace and escapism. Staying connected and keeping your...
10 June 2020
Why reading for pleasure is vital and how to encourage your students to read for enjoyment article
This article shares some of the research that outlines the importance of reading for pleasure as well as some ideas to promote reading for pleasure in your school. Make sure you visit our School Zone on the Summer Reading Challenge website...
10 June 2020
How schools can get involved with Summer Reading Challenge 2020 article
The Summer Reading Challenge, presented by The Reading Agency and funded by Arts Council England, encourages children aged 4 to 11 to set themselves a reading challenge to help prevent the summer reading ‘dip’. For the Summer Reading Challenge 2020, we are...
04 June 2020
June 2020 - Pride booklist for children and young people
June is Pride Month, so it is the perfect time to share our favourite LGBTQ+ positive books for children and young people. These books highlight family dynamics and stories to help develop the values of acceptance and kindness towards themselves...
01 June 2020
Funny Fiction Chatterbooks activity pack
Ahead of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge when we will all get silly we’re celebrating all things funny. Here’s our Funny Fiction Chatterbooks pack with a bumper collection of some of the latest funny books for children…and some old favourites....
30 April 2020
The Reading Agency Hub
Here you can access The Reading Agency at home. You’ll find ideas, activities and challenges from across our programmes to entertain and educate yourself, your family or those you are teaching remotely. The activities will be refreshed every couple of weeks...
15 April 2020
The Little Island - teaching notes
These teaching notes for The Little Island by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Robert Starling have been written by the teachers at the CLPE. The concepts in the book and these resources are more suitable for children aged 7+.
21 January 2020
The Monster Writing (A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness) - guide
Walker Books have an exciting creative writing challenge called THE MONSTER CHALLENGE. ‘Stories are important. Stories can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.’ Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls Are you a young person with a passion for telling...
09 December 2019
The Reading Agency Books 2019 - Children and young people booklist
Every year, the staff at The Reading Agency enjoy picking and sharing our favourite books for children and young people. We have three booklists of the books we have loved the most from 2019: picture and illustrated books, books for...
30 September 2019
The Golden Cage by Anna Castagnoli and Carll Cneut - activity pack
Valentina the emperor’s daughter is an obsessive collector of exotic birds. Her servants track down every bird she desires – just one remains unfound: a bird that talks. Servants search far and wide to fulfill her impossible quest – and...
26 September 2019
October 2019 Children's and Young People booklist - Powerful Poetry
To help you celebrate National Poetry Day on 3 October, we have created a booklist of our favourite works of poetry for children and young people. There are classics as well as newly published books – all selected to help...
19 September 2019
Plastic Sucks! You Can Make A Difference - Plastic Sucks Day Guide
How can YOU help save our planet? This awesome and inspiring guide, written by McFly bassist and environmental activist Dougie Poynter, will show you how to get involved in the mission to cut out single-use plastic. Plastic is everywhere and it...
18 September 2019
Beverley, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo - Teacher's Notes
Revisiting once again the world of Raymie Nightingale, two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo turns her focus to the tough-talking, inescapably tenderhearted Beverly. _Beverly put her foot down on the gas. They went faster still. This was what Beverly wanted — what she...
06 August 2019
September 2019 Children's and Young People booklist - Back to School Books
Our September booklist for children and young people is a selection of our favourite books either set in a school or about starting a new academic year. It includes picture books, guides for teenagers, a graphic novel and some amazing...
01 May 2019
The Secret Starling Activity Pack
About the book Clara has lived a life of solitude, home schooled under her mean uncle’s strict regime . . . until now! The day that Uncle abandons Clara, leaving her with nothing but a wedge of ‘guilt money’ and a half...
30 April 2019
Alex Rider: Secret Weapon - book trailer
Ever since MI6 recognised his potential, Alex Rider has constantly been thrust into the line of danger. From a routine visit to the dentist that turns into a chase through the streets of London, to a school trip with a...
30 April 2019
Malamander - book trailer
Nobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter. Especially not when darkness falls and the wind howls around Maw Rocks and the wreck of the battleship Leviathan, where even now some swear they have seen the unctuous Malamander creep… Discover Malamander by Thomas...
04 April 2019
Nature and wildlife Chatterbooks pack
Inspired by the arrival of Spring and the celebration of Earth Day on 22 April, we’ve created this Chatterbooks pack full of reading recommendations and activity ideas featuring books about the natural world, wildlife and our environment. You can also download...
04 February 2019
February 2019 Children's booklist - letters, diaries and memoirs
Letters, Diaries and Memoirs This month we have loved picking our favourite picture and illustrated and middle grade books which are either written in letter or diary form or are memoirs. We have also selected six books for this theme perfect for...
06 December 2018
ROGO 2018 Best practice guide
The Read On. Get On. (ROGO) coalition has created this best practice guide to help primary schools address the gender gap in children’s reading enjoyment. The guide has been developed in response to the findings of the ROGO Index 2018.
06 December 2018
ROGO Index 2018
The ROGO Index 2018 provides a holistic view of how well 11-year-olds in England are reading. Download this document for a comprehensive breakdown of children’s cognitive reading skills, affective processes and reading behaviours
02 November 2018
A Society of Readers - executive summary
A new report that we commissioned from leading independent think tank Demos lays out the central role reading must play in helping to address many of the most pressing challenges British society will face over the next decade. Read the...
02 November 2018
A Society of Readers
A new report lays out the central role reading must play in helping to address many of the most pressing challenges British society will face over the next decade. Read the full report and share your thoughts on Twitter and...
24 October 2018
Julius Zebra: Grapple with the Greeks by Gary Northfield - a video
Julius Zebra: Grapple with the Greeks The fourth title in Gary Northfield’s exciting, action-packed and hysterically funny series brimming with entertaining Greek facts. In the much-anticipated fourth Julius Zebra book, Grapple with the Greeks!, demi-god Heracles promises Julius and his chums a...
07 August 2018
A First Book of the Sea by By Nicola Davies - Teachers' notes
A stunning anthology that blends poetry and information about the sea, from an award-winning team. From Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton, the multi award-winning team behind Tiny and Lots, comes a spellbinding collection of poems about the oceans of the...
19 July 2018
Aliens Invaded My Talent Show! by Matt Brown - Activity Sheets
Aliens Invaded My Talent Show! Eric Doomsday loves doing magic tricks. But even though his best friend, Vinnie Mumbles, thinks they’re great, they do always seem to go a bit… wrong. When some very important School Inspectors threaten to close...
05 July 2018
Think Like an Engineer by Usborne - activity booklet
Think Like an Engineer activity booklet Usborne have created a fantastic activity pack to help inspire children with engineering. They can find out what it takes to be an awesome engineer in this free activity booklet, filled with problems to solve,...
