Feature Article
Igniting the joy of reading – and it’s not just about books
At a recent event to celebrate the UK 2026 National Year of Reading, HM the Queen pointed out that reading isn’t just about books – there are many ways to consume high quality written content.
According to the Children’s Literacy Charity only one in three children aged 8–18 say they enjoy reading. And librarians and teachers at schools worldwide are well aware that with so many other activities and pressures surrounding today’s schoolchildren, many of them are at best ‘reluctant’ readers.
Initiatives such as the UK National Year of Reading are designed to celebrate reading and highlight its importance in everyday life, to encourage a love of books, improve literacy skills, and recognize reading as a valuable and enjoyable activity. The initiative seeks to ensure that everyone has access to reading materials, and sets out a programme of events, campaigns, and partnerships to help people rediscover the joy of reading in all its different forms, both in terms of content – from novels to poetry, from fiction to non-fiction, from biography to technical writing, and travelogue.
What boosts the potential for schools and libraries to make the most of the reading resources available to them, is today’s transformed access to reading materials.
Digital access can provide a virtually limitless introduction to new genres, ideas, and authors, helping to build confidence and curiosity.
From sports and fitness, health and wellbeing, the environment and social culture, politics, hobbies, and literature, there’s a wealth of e-books, online articles,
educational websites, podcasts, audiobooks, and digital magazines which will appeal to readers of all ages, and all available 24/7. Libraries, schools, and community organizations can play a central role in expanding the range of materials available and providing free access.
Subscriptions to resources such as PressReader for Schools provide access to a vast variety of current reading material at any time. Students can dive into their favourite subjects, keep up with their hobbies and interests, or explore new ideas, backed up by a range of useful support tools to help. What better way to introduce them to reading for pleasure and the world of great reading material, on any subject which engages them, anywhere, and at any time?
What are you reading?
A quick survey of the people around us will often demonstrate just how diverse
people’s reading habits can be, and how varied our experiences are.
A discussion between members of the team at digital resources provider JCS Online Resources prompted the question ‘What are you reading?’ and the range of responses was immediately striking:
“I enjoy reading a mixture of translated and contemporary fiction on a very regular basis. One of my favourite books is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, which portrays strength and struggle in a way that no other author does.
“I am currently reading Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, which is about a young professional during lockdown who raises a baby hare separated from its mother. The young hare (also called a leveret) lives peacefully alongside her. The natural harmony between an animal perceived as wild and a human being is a beautiful relationship that encapsulates you as a reader”.
(Carrie, JCS Account Executive)
“I’ve just finished Strange Beasts which is a fantasy detective story that combines the literary worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula. I’m now reading Sceptred Isle, which is a brilliant history of 14th century Britain”.
(Amy J, JCS Support)
“My podcasts are more comedic in nature. I own several Marvel Graphic Novels, such as X-Men: House of M and a variety of Deadpool
comics, as well as the recently acquired Star Wars: Thrawn Trilogy books which are pretty dense reads”.
(Morgan, JCS Accounts Receivable Administrator)
“I listen to sport podcasts, especially those reviewing & previewing
matches/races, in the world of football, golf and horse racing”.
(Dan, JCS Finance Manager)
“After university, I mostly stopped reading. There were so many textbooks and journals to get through on a daily basis, that I couldn’t make myself read for pleasure anymore - it just felt like another chore. Recently, though, there have been a lot of films based on old classics - Wuthering Heights, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and the upcoming Odyssey adaptation by Christopher Nolan - and a lot of discussion around whether these films are “good” or “bad” adaptations of the books.
“That motivated me to start listening to audiobooks, partly so I could form my own opinion and compare different versions of the same story. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop. It has genuinely made me fall in love with literary classics. I’ve listened to all of those - Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, Nosferatu, and The Odyssey - and then moved on to more classics. I’m currently listening to Pride and Prejudice, and I have a couple of Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde books bookmarked too, and I am very much looking forward to them.”
(Michaela, JCS Account Executive)
As the National Year of Reading progresses in the UK and the tide of digital resources available globally continues to speed up, the magic and variety of reading materials must surely draw even the most reluctant reader into the world of words.
For more information about PressReader for Schools and other resources available for secondary schools through JCS, contact team@jcsonlineresources.org or call +44 (0)1865 987211.