Those of us who are voracious readers and have been since childhood already know that books can change lives. We know that wonderful feeling of coming across a book that may have been written by someone from another country or culture with whom on the surface we may think we have nothing in common but which contains within it a paragraph or phrase that resonates so deeply that we feel seen and not so alone on our life’s journey.
We know that books cross all boundaries of gender, nationality, ethnicity, class, ability and lived experience. They allow us glimpses into the past, the future and into worlds of fantasy where anything can happen, and we know that we are richer in so many ways through the seemingly simple act of reading.
But what about those children and young people for whom reading is not simple and straightforward? They may feel excluded from the world of reading and books for many different reasons. Some may struggle due to dyslexia or other forms of neurodivergence. Some may not have had English as a first language at home or have missed an important period at school. Some may find it boring or see it as just another homework chore.
All of these children are at risk of missing out on what numerous pieces of research have shown to be a life-changing skill and what we all know to be a life-enhancing joy. And it is these children and young people to whom Barrington Stoke has been reaching out since its inception nearly thirty years ago.
Often the fault is placed with the young person for somehow not making enough effort to engage with a text – for just not trying hard enough. At Barrington Stoke, we tackle the issue from the other side and try to break down the barriers to reading by offering shorter, more achievable books that are cleverly designed to make them as accessible as possible.
It’s crucially important that the writing is of the highest possible quality to grip and entertain from the very first page, urging the reader on so they are desperate to find out what happens and then have that sense of accomplishment on reaching the end. To achieve that quality, we’ve always worked with award-winning, bestselling authors, which also means that our readers get access to the same wonderful writers their peers are reading and enthusing about with no sense of stigma.
To ensure that our interventions worked, when the company was founded, we sent manuscripts out prior to publication to schools who selected struggling readers they knew would give honest, and at times brutal, feedback. This consultation process continues today online through our Young Editors Scheme, and we will always strive to learn from our readers and feed that back into our processes.
The other feedback we receive, which is one of the things that makes this job so rewarding, is the messages that come in on a weekly basis from readers, parents, teachers and of course librarians telling us how our books have enabled a child or young person to make that incredible transformation that allows them to see themself as a reader. Many of them have persisted through serious challenges, and it’s these young people that we want to celebrate with the Barrington Stoke Young Reader Award.
It was really important to us to work with the SLA on this award, as we are continually grateful for the crucially important and tireless work that librarians do to reach out to the readers who are in most need of our books. Our work in creating them is of no use if we can’t get them into the hands of those who will benefit from them, and the breakthroughs often come as a result of the knowledge and insight of a librarian who understands the challenges a young person is facing and knows the book that might be just the one to engage and hold their interest.
Thinking of recent feedback we’ve received, the story could be one about a secondary pupil expelled from school due to behavioural issues and who finds his way back through the unconditional support of a grandparent who shares with him his love of nature. This book led one reader to exclaim that he never knew there could be people like him in books, and a door was opened. On other occasions it can be humour or horror that piques someone’s interest – there’s no room for snobbery here! Sometimes it’s simply the achievement of getting to the end of a shorter story that sparks confidence and a desire to read more.
We have been delighted to hear about the enthusiastic response the award has been receiving so far and are excited to hear about more of these young people and the breakthroughs they’ve achieved.
Nominations for the Reader of the Year Award close on 15th May 2026. Make your nominations now.