Children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce calls for national action to tackle ‘reading crisis’

Children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce called for national action to tackle children’s “reading crisis”; because new research shows that families are increasingly struggling to make reading a part of daily life.

Speaking at an event hosted by children’s reading charity BookTrust at the Royal Institution of London, he said the evidence showed children had a desire to read, but argued families needed more support.

He argued that the UK was facing a serious crisis in children’s development, which he attributed to wider pressures such as poverty, housing insecurity, isolation and the erosion of local services such as libraries and youth services.

Part of the challenge, he said, is that too many children start school without consistently experiencing the warmth of shared stories and books.

To coincide with his speech, BookTrust shared the results of its latest family survey, which found that daily shared book reading among families with children up to eight years old dropped from 60% to 49% between 2021 and 2025.

By comparison, the proportion of children up to age eight who reported liking or liking to read rose from 66% to 80%.

More than a third (36%) of parents or caregivers reported being concerned about their child’s screen use, including nearly a quarter (27%) of those with children under one.

Nearly half (48%) say shared reading encourages their children to spend less time in front of screens, which can help families reconnect.

Cottrell-Boyce’s speech, which took place during the National Year of Reading and coincided with the end of her two-year tenure as children’s laureate, also reflected on the progress made in the reading rights campaign, which aims to ensure shared reading is part of childhood and every child has access to books.

She explained her new role as BookTrust’s reading rights ambassador and called on more people to join the reading rights movement.

Cottrell-Boyce said: “Working with BookTrust as a children’s laureate for the last two years has been an extremely rewarding experience.

“Launching the reading rights campaign is close to my heart because I am truly passionate about making sure the transformative gift of reading is shared with every child.

“We have worked with early learning centres, nurseries, schools and family centers and the UK Government to ensure children have the best start in life, with the guidance of midwives, health visitors, pre-school professionals, families and communities.

“I’m calling on everyone to join our movement to ensure every child can access books and share reading on a daily basis for the first seven years of their life. This is crucial for their happiness, mental health, empathy and future opportunities.”

Professor Sam Wass, director of the Institute of Early Years and Youth Science at the University of East London, said: “There is a wealth of scientific evidence showing how shared reading supports children’s language development, attention and wellbeing.

“This shows that the warm act of mutual reading between an adult and a child can be as important as the words on the page.

“That’s why it’s vital we continue to work to ensure every child has access to books and stories to give them the best start in life. I fully support Frank’s reading rights movement to make reading a right for every child.”

“Frank has spent the last two years setting an extraordinary example that reading is a right, not a privilege,” said Annie Crombie, co-president of BookTrust.

“Reading rights set out what national action needs to look like to ensure every child has access to books and shared reading in their early years.

“Our research shows why this matters now. Families value reading and children still love reading, but daily shared reading is decreasing because life is getting harder.

“Without support, inequalities will grow even wider. With Frank becoming BookTrust’s reading rights ambassador, we will bring together partners to include shared reading in the support families receive. Our children’s futures will only improve if we act together and early.”