Children’s Laureate issues urgent call to tackle reading inequality — with a roadmap to embed story-sharing in every child’s early life
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024–2026, has issued call to tackle what he calls the UK’s ‘indefensible’ inequality in childhood reading experiences — launching his inaugural ‘Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future’ report alongside BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity.
The report outlines an ambitious mission to transform shared reading from an ‘invisible privilege’ to a universal right for every child in their early years. Formally launched on 21 May during a visit to Edith Kerrison Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Newham, the report sets out a roadmap for national and local action to embed daily reading into the lives of all children under seven.
‘This report contains a stark warning,’ writes Cottrell-Boyce. ‘If we vacate that space — where child and story meet, where human love slows the world down — we will hand it to something that is not human, that does not love us. The mission is urgent. Childhood is fleeting. But the mission is also achievable. And it is full of joy.’
Five priority areas for change
Drawing on the outcomes of January’s Reading Rights Summit in Liverpool, the report identifies five key areas of focus over the next year:
- Workforce Training – equipping all professionals in early years, health, education and social care to confidently support shared reading.
- Policy and Frameworks – embedding early reading in national and local policy.
- Access to Books – ensuring all families, settings and communities have books that are high-quality and culturally relevant.
- Research and Evidence – sharing the benefits of early reading in clear, actionable ways.
- Multi-agency Leadership – enabling coordinated efforts by local leaders to embed shared reading across services.
‘City of Stories’: a place-based pilot
The report also announces plans for a pioneering “City of Stories” – a localised, replicable model aiming to integrate reading into all aspects of children’s early lives. Further details will be revealed in the coming weeks, with the goal of building a scalable national blueprint.
Tackling barriers at every level
The report highlights three critical areas for transformation:
- Best start in life: Despite overwhelming evidence of the benefits of reading from birth, only 40% of parents say a bedtime story is part of their routine. Many lack confidence, time, or access to suitable books.
- Nurseries and schools: While UK pupils are among the world’s most proficient decoders, reading for pleasure is declining. Only 29% of 10-year-olds say they enjoy reading “very much”.
- Children in social care: Shared reading can offer stability and connection to care-experienced children, yet foster carers and professionals often lack the resources and support needed.
A national invitation
Cottrell-Boyce calls on the government, educators, health professionals, and cultural leaders to act:
‘I’m asking for government support to make sure this simple, vital experience is available to all. To help us remember who we really are – the storytelling species.’
BookTrust CEO Diana Gerald MBE echoed the urgency:
‘We know that too many children are missing out on the immediate and lifelong benefits of early shared reading. That’s why, for BookTrust, this report is the next step on our journey to make early shared reading and storytelling an everyday part of all children’s lives.’
What comes next
A second Reading Rights summit is planned for early 2026, followed by a second progress report in summer of the same year.
As the campaign gains momentum, Cottrell-Boyce’s message is both politically pointed and deeply human: the right to stories is the right to be seen, soothed, and connected. Through shared reading, he says, ‘we slow the world down, and make it a bit more navigable.’
