Book Talk Challenge

Aim of the reading challenge

Supported by our partner BookSpace, the Book Talk Challenge is open to students aged 5 to 14 years. It encourages students to value talking about books with their peers, teachers and family and enables young people to recommend texts and share in a growing reading experience.

The challenge celebrates reading for pleasure and helps confidence, engagement in reading and motivation to read aiming to build reading stamina and to foster a love for a diverse range of books.

What will be your most talked about book?

Get involved

Sign up today using the form below and we'll be in touch once the challenge is live, plus you'll receive a free poster to help you run this challenge. The poster will be covered in bare branches of different book genres, ready for students to fill with book motifs celebrating their joint accomplishments.

Resources available from 1 May 2025 will include:

• Teacher guidelines for delivery, including curriculum links and book genre considerations
• Details on how to support student book talk and book presentations
• A1 full-colour poster of the Book Talk Reading Tree perfect for a classroom, library or shared space
• Downloadable book motifs for students to annotate and attach to the branches
• Certificates for all participating students
• Recognition certificate for the student(s) who best supports the challenge
• Opportunity to discover the teacher's and students' top picks, the group's favourite genre and vote for the top book talk presentation

Win a prize!

If you have completed this challenge in your school by Friday 27 June you are invited to take a photo of your poster and submit it to the prize draw where a winner will be chosen at random.

Our partner BookSpace is generously gifting a beautiful Book Tree display unit as our winning prize of this reading challenge. The BookSpace Book Tree is a wonderful addition to any reading space!

You are, of course, welcome to complete the challenge without entering the prize draw.

If you have any queries about our Reading Champions Reading Challenge series then don’t hesitate to contact us at competitions@literacytrust.org.uk.

Sign up today

Our funders

BookSpace is a Library Design Service where the designers are experts in creating exciting libraries for children and young people. Years of working with primary and secondary schools and listening to their needs has enabled BookSpace to develop a range of library products and services which work for any size, shape and purpose.

National Literacy Trust Reading Champions is supported by ALCS.

Find out more about the National Reading Champions Quiz and Challenges.

Explore useful teaching resources developed by ALCS to support understanding and communication about copyright with guides for children, young people and teachers.

Watch this ALCS animation as a great starting point to helping your students understand copyright in a fun and interactive way. Karl Nova uses his voice and talent to bring the importance of copyright for writers and artists to life in this video from ALCS.