School Library Association (UK)

28/10/2026

"Through inspirational people, stories and literature, children discover different perspectives, develop empathy and begin to understand the world and their place within it.

"For me, this nomination represents more than recognition of my work; it celebrates what books, libraries, Reading for Pleasure and children’s voices can achieve, helping children become confident readers, thinkers and, ultimately, architects of a better world."

Last but certainly not least on our shortlist for the Peter Usborne Primary Library of the Year Award is Sinclair Primary & Nursery School, Southampton.

The judges commended Sinclair on the work they do to advocate for their pupils both inside and outside the library. From working with the public library to talking with local MPs, Sinclair presents their pupils with a multitude of opportunities, embedding the library into school life.

To find out more about what Sinclair and all our other shortlisted primary schools have been doing to enhance their libraries, watch our Primary Spotlight Session from earlier this month: https://buff.ly/TVDHC6N

Join us for this practical, training-focused webinar bringing toget...

27/10/2026

At the launch of the School Library Association’s 90th anniversary campaign last week, our guests heard from pupils at Northampton International Academy about what the school library means to them.

After a series of powerful filmed testimonials, current Secondary School Librarian of the Year Julie Broadbent spoke to our CEO, Victoria Dilly, about the transformative power of the school library.

Northampton International Academy is an all-through school with 2,000 students. Julie looks after both the primary and secondary school libraries: “We are in a highly deprived area and around 70 per cent of our students speak English as an additional language… But wherever they join us, we’re there to support them.”

In the four years since Julie joined, the school has brought the library to the fore, with around 1,000 children and young people joining a library lesson every two weeks: “It’s about building that love of reading in our students… Our pupils can see themselves in the books they are reading.”

As Victoria Dilly said: "Imagine a library like this in every school across the country. Imagine the difference it would make to so many children and young people."

Find out more about Julie and Victoria's conversation: https://www.sla.org.uk/Public/News/Articles/2026/pupil_voice_90th_campaign.aspx

23/10/2026

More brilliant feedback from our Reading Reboot librarians! 🙌

The first half term of book clubs is complete and the inital feedback we are receiving is incredibly positive. Here are some of the quotes brightening up our inboxes on a daily basis:

"One of my students said, when looking at one of our new books: 'I don’t even like reading but, not gonna lie, that sounds dead good!'"

“One of my boys who won’t read took Ridiculous Raps and Rhymes by MC Grammar and Michael Rosen and read a rap out to us this week.”
and read a rap out to us this week.”

“This week the theme was ‘take a chance’. Pupils read the first page to understand more about different books, and the ones I read aloud all got snapped up. That is not a reflection of my reading aloud skills but the fact they liked the openings and wanted to read more.”

“Four out of the six pupils in my group today had finished their first books already and were excited to select new ones.”

“Some of the students, and ones I wasn’t expecting, asked me if they could take more than one book, which felt great.”

It is so rewarding to keep seeing and hearing the impact in the schools taking part in Reading Reboot - our reading programme funded by the Charlotte Aitken Trust.

Over the next three years, Reading Reboot will deliver 1,000 librarian-led social book clubs in 100 secondary schools in London, the West Midlands and the North East, aimed at Year 8 pupils who have lost the love of reading.

A huge thank you to all the librarians running clubs whose passion and care for their pupils comes through in all the feedback we receive.

22/10/2026

The School Library Association will celebrate 90 years in 2027, and we revealed our anniversary campaign plans for the first time at an event in Oxford on Tuesday, generously hosted by the Dames Commander Society and Bodleian Libraries.

The evening marked the launch of a year-long campaign that will highlight and champion school libraries as vital spaces for reading, learning and wellbeing, and raise funds to support schools in delivering high-quality school library provision.

We were privileged to hear from a variety of speakers, including Bodley’s Librarian Richard Ovenden, who welcomed guests to the historic venue.

Dame Jacqueline Wilson, who lends her support to the campaign as an ambassador, said: “This campaign will see that school libraries, whether they’re huge, great, glamorous modern ones, or little tiny ones, are treasured and enabled to keep going.”

Later in the evening Victoria Dilly, Chief Executive of the School Library Association, interviewed current Secondary School Librarian of the Year Julie Broadbent, who spoke about the transformative power of school libraries.

Huge thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to Dame Caroline Michel, Dame Tristia Harrison and the Dames Commanders Society for hosting the event.

Find out more about our 90th anniversary campaign here: https://buff.ly/PWILEEB

Picture credit: Harriet Buckingham Photography

Jacqueline Wilson HQ Bodleian Libraries Puffin Books

20/10/2026

Are you looking to refresh your library collection? Every issue of our journal, TSL (The School Librarian), contains dozens of book reviews, so you'll find plenty to inspire you. There are 150 reviews in the Autumn issue alone! Most reviews are by members, but a handful are written by our team. Here's a look at some of the titles we read and loved for the latest issue.

Subscription to TSL, with full access to reviews from the current issue and from our archive, is just one of the benefits of joining the School Library Association. Find out more here: https://buff.ly/HGJUuwm

Hachette Books Usborne Publishing Faber Books quartobooksuk Simon & Schuster Otter-Barry Books ReadTempest

19/10/2026

Huge congratulations to our brilliant patron, Tom Palmer, for his nomination for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award!

Every year, around 250 individuals and organisations from all over the world are nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. The candidates are authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and promoters of reading.

Tom has been writing children's books and visiting schools for 20 years, and became an SLA patron late last year. He is one of the UK's best-loved authors, has sold more than a million books and won 33 book awards.

A former reluctant reader himself, Tom's work is designed to encourage children to feel more positive about reading. This year, he joined the judging panel for our inaugural Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award – the only national award to celebrate young readers. Open to UK pupils in Year 7 and 8, the award recognises young people who have overcome challenge to discover the joy of reading.

The 2026 award will be presented at The Story Museum in Oxford on 18 November. You can read more about the awards and the shortlisted pupils here: https://buff.ly/vCW2JX5

Barrington Stoke Tom Palmer Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

16/10/2026

This spooky season, we’ve taken a deep dive into the world of children’s chillers with the help of some brilliant authors including Jack Mackay, Jennifer Killick and PJ Kilburn. Last week, they all joined TSL editor Jenny Mark-Bell for a chat about all things horror, and answered members' questions. Watch the recording of our first TSL Live: Behind the Books here: https://buff.ly/yDXKngR

Now it’s over to you. How popular are scary stories in your library? Do you have any of these authors' books in your Halloween displays? Share your pupils’ favourites in the comments!

Farshore Books OneWorld Publications Barrington Stoke Little Tiger Books

In the first of our new series of events, we look beyond the pages ...

15/10/2026

"How do we, as a publisher, encourage reading for pleasure with the Skandar series? One of the ways we’ve discovered makes a huge difference is fostering the sense of community that comes with a shared reading experience."

Did you see the announcement about AF Steadman's new middle grade fantasy series, set in the same universe as the wildly popular Skandar books?

The series will feature Zeno Smith – son of Skandar – and a girl named Raven Rizzo, as they enter the deadly Dragon Trials 🐉

The first book, Zeno and the Dragon Riders, will be published in October 2027.

Earlier this year, Ellie Curtis, Publicity Manager at Simon Kids UK, spoke to us about how Skandar became such an epic publishing phenomenon, sharing how the marketing team engage, entertain and engross their readers.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4jW2D5s

12/10/2026

“There is so much that I find astonishing in this world – the living planet, and the parliament of the non-human by which we are surrounded, from crows to pangolins. Human creativity, and human imagination, and human learning: I find our capacity for learning remarkable. And most of all, our capacity for love – we have loved this being human despite everything, through fire and flood and famine, and will not cease to do so, no matter what comes. We are ourselves astonishing, I think – endlessly faulted but miraculous.”

In the new issue of TSL, Katherine Rundell – the bestselling writer of the Impossible Creatures series – shares some of the secrets of the Glimouria Archipelago.

Read our interview here: https://buff.ly/HBfRrvo

Bloomsbury Publishing UK

Katherine Rundell, bestselling author of the Impossible Creatures series, talks about fantasy, inspiration and working with Disney

09/10/2026

This Dyslexia Awareness Week, we're so pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2026 Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award.

The award recognises Year 7 and 8 pupils (S1 and S2 in Scotland) who have overcome personal barriers or challenges to become enthusiastic readers. Two of our three shortlisted pupils have dyslexia and their journeys show what's possible when readers are given access to the right books at the right time.

Launched in the and awarded by the School Library Association, the award recognises engagement and determination rather than academic attainment or reading fluency. It also highlights the vital role school libraries and librarians play in helping every child build a positive relationship with reading.

The judging panel, chaired by SLA CEO Victoria Dilly, selected our three finalists for their resilience, initiative, determination and enthusiam 🤩

Find out more: https://buff.ly/I1gn2G6

First News

This Dyslexia Awareness Week, we are pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2026 Barrington Stoke Reader of the Year Award