Books Out Loud
What is the challenge?
Books Out Loud challenges leaders to facilitate a 'read aloud moment' five times across the summer. It is targeted at leaders who work in the community with an existing group of children or young people at regular intervals. This could be with babies and toddlers all the way up to teenagers. We hope that this challenge can be incorporated into existing activities. For example, if you run a club with a regular activity, such as a sport, why not begin or end the session with 5-10 minutes of reading aloud to your group?
Why it's important
Our research reveals that when children and young people enjoy reading and read daily in their free time, their reading skills, aptitude for learning, wellbeing, empathy and confidence benefit. However, too many young people are missing out on these benefits as the number of children in the UK reading for enjoyment is at an all-time low.
Books Out Loud taps into the powerful influence that role models can have on reading, encouraging leaders and volunteers to provide a gateway to books through listening for the young people they work with.
The initiative grew from a local campaign created by the National Literacy Trust in Birmingham called 'Books Aloud' in 2024. Working with young people and adults across the city, volunteers inspired groups with mixed reading abilities to engage positively with books through listening and discussion in a social and friendly environment.
We are excited to grow this challenge nationwide and invite more leaders to Go All In and start their reading aloud adventure in the National Year of Reading 2026!
To mark National Share-a-Story Month, the challenge is now open until 31 August 2026.
What resources and support are available?
We are delighted to partner with Niall Moorjani for Books Out Loud. Niall is an award winning Scottish Indian writer and storyteller. They draw inspiration from fairy tales, folk tales, and history, and love giving them a modern twist. Rajiv's Starry Feelings is their debut picture book and their work has toured all over the world.
Niall will be providing some top tips for planning your reading aloud journey, with helpful advice for building confidence and choosing a text, as well as practical tools including pace, tone and body language.
Alongside this, leaders who sign up will also receive access to age specific guidance videos, including babies and under 5s, children aged 5 to 12 years, and teenagers.
Our Books Out Loud Volunteer Guide document includes everything you'll need to get started, from pre-reading and planning, reading aloud and the all important bookchat or discussion after reading. You'll also find guidance for reading to a group of mixed abilities/ ages, working with pre-verbal or non-verbal children and follow copyright guidance when reading aloud.
Sign up here!
For access to the Books Out Loud video series and your Volunteer Guide, please sign up using the form below.
If you have any questions about Books Out Loud, or have not received your confirmation email within 48 hours of completing the form, please contact communities@literacytrust.org.uk