Lots of exciting book news was released over the school holiday. Here's our round-up of the research, awards, events and initiatives that you might have missed, but should definitely catch up on!
Unless you went totally off grid this summer, we're sure you heard the news about the National Year of Reading Campaign, launched by the Department of Education with the National Literacy Trust. The campaign, which aims to address the steep decline in reading amongst children, young people and adults in the UK was announced alongside a promise of provision for the 1 in 7 primary schools that don't currently have school libraries.
We are hosting two SLA member meet-ups in September to discuss what the National Year of Reading 2026 will mean for school librarians, and how you might use it to leverage funding, engagement and support for your school library. These meet-ups are now full, but we will share learnings with all members, as well as further resources to support activity across the campaign.
While the National Year of Reading has dominated headlines, we were also interested to see the National Literacy's Trusts recent AI and literacy research report. Supported by KPMG, NLT's new research offers a comprehensive insight into how young people and teachers across the UK are using generative AI to support literacy. The findings show that whilst AI offers exciting possibilities for creativity, collaboration, and personalised support, there are urgent questions to be addressed around critical thinking, academic integrity and core literacy skills.
This research further highlights the importance of integrating media literacy into the curriculum - something that school librarians are perfectly placed to contribute to, by integrating information literacy skills across different subject areas. We know that many school librarians are already playing a vital role in teaching media literacy, critical thinking and digital skills, but many are doing this without adequate funding or training. We believe that proper support for school librarians' professional development could directly answer some of the most pressing concerns around AI usage.
We recently contributed to a statement released by the Media and Information Literacy Alliance and co-signed by 30+ experts, warning that England's new media literacy curriculum requirements will not be delivered without dedicated training, resources and funding. The joint statement welcomes the inclusion of media literacy in the government's Curriculum and Assessment Review but stresses that this opportunity to properly embed the knowledge and skills to critically engage with media across the curriculum can only be seized with adequate resources for the staff expected to deliver it.
The Audio Agency has shared an innovative new literacy campaign with us that will launch in November 2025. Drop Everything and Listen will offer schools free access to audiobooks from over 25 independent publishers. Participating schools can access Sora or borrow VoxBlock players for free! From the team that brought the initial Drop Everything and Read pilot to Lincolnshire primary schools, this wider initiative welcomes all schools to take part and will encourage daily 10-minute listening sessions in the classroom. Supportive teacher resources will help to maximise the benefits of audio, and encourage pupils to engage with stories and fascinating facts. By dropping everything and listening for just 10 minutes a day, schools can make story time accessible to many more children and young people, building a wider culture of reading for pleasure. To find out more or register for your free audiobook access, please contact [email protected].
The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children's Fiction announced its 2025 shortlist in July. This year's shortlist includes six titles that boldly interrupt the children's literature landscape, reflecting back on queer histories and commenting on urgent social justice issues in the present:
- Cottonopolis by SF Layzell centres young, queer, working class protagonists in the slums of 1840s Little Ireland, Manchester
- The Fights That Make Us by Sarah Haggerholt links the homophobic 1980s legislation, Section 28 and the subsequent acts of resistance with contemporary prejudice and protest
- Ellie McNicoll's Keedie centres a neurodiverse lead and pivots from classroom bullying to a take down of wider, oppressive social norms
- The only picture book on the shortlist, Kende! Kende! Kende! by Kirsten Cappy and Yaya Gentille, illustrated by Rahana Dariah, continues the award’s long tradition of spotlighting refugee narratives
- The young protagonist of Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo pushes back against a vicious anti-immigration bill targeting small boats
- Zac and Jac by Cathy Jenkins, illustrated by Monique Steel, offers an uncompromising yet also subtle treatment of intergenerational racism
The winner will be announced at an evening awards ceremony this October, and we are delighted to have four invitations for SLA members to attend. Members can access the invitation details on our new Member Invitations calendar. The award organisers are also producing A4 shortlist posters, bookmarks and Reading Guides for each of the shortlisted titles. To be in with a chance of receiving a free set of these resources, email [email protected] with your name, the name of your school and your school postal address.
A new study led by the Open University revealed that non-fiction magazines can significantly boost reading engagement among reluctant readers. The research, involving 500 children across 13 UK primary schools, specifically examined What on Earth! Magazine's impact on Year 5 pupils and revealed increased enjoyment of reading, improved engagement among struggling readers, and more frequent discussions about personal interests after 12 weeks of regular access to the magazine. The study's lead researcher, Kelly Ashley, recommends that schools introduce non-fiction magazines to "broaden reading into more diverse forms and foster reading for pleasure, especially for less engaged and reluctant readers." The SLA is the charity partner for the 2025 What on Earth! Schools Quiz. Find out more and sign up to the quiz.
New children's book podcast: School librarian Lucas Maxwell, who was the 2017 winner of the SLA School Librarian of the Year Award, has launched a new children's book podcast with author and bookseller Gráinne O’Brien. The podcast will launch on 5th September and will review children's books in 10 minutes or less: “to help busy kids and adults find stories young readers will love.". Listen to The 10 Minute Book Club.
Joyful news from Walker Books: Legendary duo Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury have reunited for the first time in over 30 years to collaborate on a new rhyming picture book, Oh Dear, Look What I Got!. Publishing on Thursday 11th September, this is a happy picture book with an irrepressible rhythm that will feed the imaginations of a whole new generation of children.
Walker is also celebrating the second annual Michael Rosen Day this 13th November! Michael Rosen Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Michael as one of the UK’s most beloved children’s authors and poets, and to help children and young people of all ages to find the joy in poetry. Look out for amazing events, brilliant resources and other exciting ways to get involved - coming soon.
Finally, SLA CEO Victoria Dilly shared her thoughts on creating and maintaining inclusive school libraries that serve the whole school community in an article for Schools Week. Victoria looks back on her own time as a school librarian, highlighting how it is the responsive approach of a knowledgable and empathetic librarian that creates a truly inclusive school library. Read more.