Readership development > Links > Education and children

Achuka

An independent website

that sets out to present news, reviews, interviews, features and information about children's authors and their books.

Ask Chris

Supported by Essex Libraries, Ask Chris is a mixture of the knowledge and enthusiasm of staff, and recommendations of readers and reading groups across Essex. Adults and childrens versions are available.

Bookstart

The first national books for babies programme in the world. Programme aims to provide every baby in the UK with a Bookstart pack of free books and guidance materials.

Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medals

Site of the CILIP awarded medals, provides details on shortlisted books and previous winners. Shadowing the Medals section provides a forum to submit reviews of all the shortlisted books, and to read all the other contributions.

Children's Literature

Children's Literature reviewers read and critically review more than 4,000 books annually. Their mission is to help teachers, librarians, childcare providers and parents make appropriate literary choices for children. Children's Literature reviewers include book authors, librarians, writers and editors, teachers, children's literature specialists and physicians. Established in 1996 the Children's Literature Choice List is a national book awards list that recognizes 150 children's books of excellence, chosen from the children's books that the online newsletter's reviewers receive each year.

Federation of Childrens Book Groups

Website of a small charity, whose role is to act as an umbrella organisation for local autonomous children’s book groups all around the U.K. The Federation produces a regular newsletter and specialised booklists, organises annual National Share-A-Story Month in May, an annual conference in the Spring, and co-ordinates the Red House Book Award.

Kids and reading

Website currently contains over 50 written articles with approximately 3 new articles added each month. The website also has a featured article of the day on the homepage.

Learning and Teaching Scotland

LTS is concerned with all matters relating to the curriculum in the pre-school, primary and secondary education sectors in Scotland. It has a Literacy website which includes national documents, research and reports, and Scottish organisations, initiatives and networks. LTS also hosts Storybook web, providing fun, interactive activities based around key curriculum themes. The site is primarily aimed at children in P1- P3, but some activities could also be used with pre-school children.

My Home Library

Site aimed at teachers to focus and be a platform for the activities. Includes tips, tricks, recommendations and reviews. Offers a large selection of illustrators and cartoonists bookplates to download for free.

Orange:Chatterbooks

Aimed at 4-12 year olds, Chatterbooks is designed to inspire a lifelong love of books among young people. The scheme is a partnership between the national libraries network and Orange, and is co-ordinated by The Reading Agency.

Reading Agency

A charity that works closely with the main library bodies to improve the reading experience. Good source of information about reading related developments.

Reading is Fundamental

Site of the nonprofit children's literacy organization. RIF coordinates RIF's National Book Program, promoting book ownership, motivational activities, and family involvement in children's reading.

Reading matters

Book reviews suitable for younger readers and older readers. The division is not based on the difficulty of language used but the sophistication of the ideas which the book contains. 'Book Chooser' allows the reader to select books according how high or low they want preselected themes to appear in the book.

Read Together

Site of the Scottish Government Home Reading Initiative: Read Together. Aims to encourage parents and carers to share books with their children from a young age. The campaign is initially targeting children aged 0 to 8 years. Offers book reviews, grouped by age range and details of events.

Stories from the web

'Stories from the Web' is a Reader Development Programme managed by Birmingham Libraries. The site enables children to communicate and work with others e.g. other children, authors and publishers. Encourages the development of children’s traditional and electronic literacy skills. Two versions are offered, for 8-11 year olds and 11-14 year olds.

Their Reading Futures

Programme coordinated by The Reading Agency. It redefines, supports and refreshes reader development work with young people, and improving equality of access.